Lampman Liveblogs

I am The Lampman, though you can just call me Lampman. If you want, Lamps is fine too, if you wanna get real informal.

This is my liveblog, where I watch and talk about cartoons. I have previously watched The Owl House, and I’m going to be watching Amphibia. You can find all the episodes I have watched on the masterlist HERE.

Please, do not send me spoilers!

Yeah, that’s just about what I figured. I’m proud of you Anne.

…kinda… I’ll talk a little bit more about it in the conclusion

I’d say it’s unrealistic for the Mayor to, even though he’s kinda losing his temper right now, to just up and say the quiet part out loud, openly express his disdain for the people… but, well…

It is kinda nice seeing the people taking their anger out on the actual bad guy in this scenario and not Anne. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? Anne never claimed her ”warts” were an eternal thing, and even though she was planning on deceiving them, she admitted to the deception almost immediately.

We end on a celebratory note as Anne suggests breaking and entering.

This one… this one was fun, had a lot of funny moments, lots of great Anne faces. But story wise it was kinda meh to me. I mentioned before how I was only kinda proud of Anne, and the reason I said that is because, well… I didn’t really get a good sense of the fame getting to her head. There was one very brief scene and that was it. Neither did I really feel like the Plantar’s were all that hurt by her leaving them behind due to her newfound success.

I think part of the problem was time. And I’m not just talking about the segment being 11 minutes long, which does force you to compress a lot of things, but also the sense of time within the segment itself. As far as I could tell, this took place over the span of two days. If I got a better sense of more time passing, like a week or so, maybe it would’ve worked better.

I don’t wanna make it sound like I didn’t like this one. I was reasonably entertained, there were lots of funny moments… the execution of the actual story wasn’t great though.

Kinda wished I had something a little more cheerful to end this liveblog on, but uh… I’m kinda tired, soooo…

Back to back with the great Anne faces. Appropriately enough, she looks like she’s slowly morphing into a frog in this one. Ooh, maybe thatäs gonna be the big plot twist of the series! All the frog people were actually humans once upon a time!

Noooo, not Anne’s one shoe! Now her other sock is gonna get just as dirty as the first one!

Alright, Sprig suggests using some berries as a facsimile of her zits. They try to sneak her out, but her FAnnes take notice and give chase. However, Hop Pop decided to act as a distraction while the others get to safety. Can I get some o7 in chat for the G.O.A.T, Hopadiah Plantar?

Not the Lord of the Rings reference XD XD XD

I’m not worried, because as we have established in previous episodes, Hop Pop is secretly a badass. This is not the first time he’s taken on an crazed mob with nothing but a shoe in his hand, he’ll be fine. He just doesn’t want to unleash his full knowledge of Frog Fu while the kids are watching, as he doesn’ät want to reveal his violent past to them.

Berries acquired! That does look pretty convincing… what’s gonna go wrong?

That clock was not there before

cinemasins ding

…that ”bird” has insect compound eyes.

I… am too tired after work to think about the implications of this, including the possibility that all other birds I’ve seen so far have also been insects. Even though other reptiles such as lizards exist, and birds are reptiles, which is why I assumed the birds were actual birds—

The most unrealistic thing that has happened in this show so far is that Anne’s pimples went away overnight, ’cause that shit just does NOT happen

Why did Anne writer her autograph in Russian cursive?

Another great Anne face to add to the collection

I cannot believe Toadstool and Anne are taking credit for fixing the community center when the farmer and the junimos did all the work shaking my head

…at this point, maybe I should add a Stardew Valley counter too XD

Speaking of which, I just achieved perfection in my latest save file. And despite putting in over a thousand hours into the game at this point, it’s only the second time I’ve reached perfection. It’s just a lot of work, okay? Like, do I really HAVE to have full friendship with The Dwarf???

Yes, I know about perfection waivers, no, I’m not using them. I do use the Joja parrot to find the last couple of golden walnuts though, Listen, I’m really bad at Simon Says. I’ll get the 100 I need to unlock the walnut room, then I’m letting corporate parrots do my job for me.

How much do you wanna bet the statue’s gonna be demolished by the end of the episode so no one will ask why we don’t see it in future episodes?

The sculptors in Wartwood work fast, holy moly. First the big one, and these two smaller ones, including one fountain. Though to be honest, that fountain is not maybe not the most flattering depiction.

Actually, I do kinda appreciate the statues looking a little wonky, like the sculptor wasn’t able to quite catch Anne’s likeness. Which makes sense, they’ve never seen anything like her, and they were probably in a hurry. The third on in the background looks fine though

They even had a painting made! …with darker hair for some reason.

Oh, and there’s also a wood carving of with her side profile above what I think is the entrance to the bathroom. Mayor Toadstool sure knows the value of branding.

Those grapes and that bust were not there before.

cinemasins ding

Whoa, okay, Anne’s REALLY popular right now.

I wonder if there’s a lore reason for why her ”warts” are considered so amazingly beautiful, or if it’s just a gag about the frogs of Amphibialand having different beauty standards?

Hop Pop was not wearing this crown in the previous shot

cinemasins ding

I wonder if there was a joke they had to cut for time here? It reminds me of in The Owl House… it was the season 2 episode Elsewhere and Elsewhen. Tinella ”Tiny Nose” Nosa was there during the party in the establishing shit, with a cocktail, but in the next shot, she was gone and the cocktail was knocked over. I felt there was supposed to be some kind of joke there that got cut for time too.

TOH Counter: 17

Yeah , that was my reaction too to seeing Anne smear butter all over her face. I hate being sticky and oily. The only hand creme (that I’ve tried) that I can actually use regularly is O’Keeffe’s Working Hands, ’cause it dries within like two minutes.

I was right on the money, Mayor Toadstool is using Anne’s popularity. Speaking of money, we get to see a currency symbol here, on the sign. I’m assuming that’s the sign for copper pieces?

Jeez Louise, the townsfolk really don’t trust Anne, huh? Lemme guess, that mask is gonna come off and everyone is gonna panic thinking she’s contaminated the whole marketplace with her deadly human disease

I have been tricked, backstabbed, and quite possibly bamboozled. Like wow, way to be immediately disproved XD

Okay, what’s the conflict gonna be then… Anne gets famous because of her ”warts,” but then they start fading and the people hate her again?

On a brighter note, I was right about the political ads in the last segment being relevant, as it turns out that Mayor Toadstool is loosing footing in the latest polls. Also, his assistant’s name is Toadie, There is a non 0% chance I will forger this between this and whatever next epsiode he appears in.

I notice The Mayor says that people hate ”us,” not ”me…” it’s kind of an interesting detail, since it seemed like Toadie’s job was just to be Toadstool’s assistant and walking soundtrack…

Anyway, love the ”He cares about you now!” sign, that’s funny XD

Oh, and I just noticed, instead of glowing mushrooms, he’s got… glowing eggs? To illuminate the room. Also, golf exists in Amphibia. Hmm… a despised rich political figure who plays golf… huh… that might be about someone in particular…

And that reference I made to Mayor Lewis in the last segment feels pretty prophetic now XD

So there is gonna be an election. Next month he says…

So, what I’m thinking is that this segment is gonna be about The Mayor using Anne’s newfound popularity due to her ruby red ”warts” to boost his popularity with the people somehow. Anne will go along with it either because it means the townsfolk won’t hate her anymore, or because he promises financial compensation (which the Plantar family needs). Then, at the end, her pimples start going away, and the whole thing falls apart.

Breakout Star… makes me think of an artist having a big breakthrough… Ooh, maybe Sprig’s gonna get to play his fiddle and sing a bit more!

Although… this is probably really out there, but Breakout Star also makes me think of lie… and escape artist, like Harry Houdini

Aha, breakout as in a disease breaking out, I see.

…when did this first air again?

Hm. Could be worse timed, I suppose.

(Also, don’t worry about me seeing spoilers, I didn’t read anything or scroll lower than this box)

Phew, okay, not a deadly disease then, just pimples. That’s normal for a girl your age, Anne. Just don’t pop* them Anne, I know it’s tempting, but don’t do it, you’ll run the risk of infection and scarring. And given that you’re in another dimension with completely different biology, letting foreign bacteria in to your face wounds might not be a great idea.

I still get pimples occasionally, which I always thought was weird, because I’m old, I always thought that shit was supposed to stop once my body was done with that whole puberty thing. Then I found out that stress can actually cause pimples… so yeah. That explained it. Sometimes I don’t consciously recognize when I’ve been stressed out, but then I’ll notice pimples popping up, so in that way, it does kinda work like a warning sing to take things easy for a bit.

It’s kinda funny that Anne burst out from the trap door, screaming at the top of her lungs, startling the others, and when they rightfully panicked, she was like ”Whoa guys, calm down, what got y’all hopping??” As if she didn’t scare them half to death XD

*(Future Lampman here: the morning after I wrote this, I found a pimple on my arm, and popped it without a second thought. Can’t even follow my own advice -_-)

Is it just me, or is Sprig’s right arm longer than his left arm in this scene?

Whatever, I would’ve never noticed if I didn’t pause here to grab the screenshot. The actual important part is that Anne fears these colorful additions to her face are gonna scare the townsfolk. Which, considering the reaction of the Plantars… yeah, fair.

So are these… actual plants? Or are they animals? Like the doom tree from a couple of episodes ago, which was just a bug hiding inside a tree stump, are these things bugs camouflaged as plants? Or maybe like caterpillars in their cocoons, disguised as beans? Or maybe they’re parasites that want to get eaten by bigger insects or birds? Or again, are they actually plants that evolved a defense mechanism where they make a high pitched sound when chewed to scare away herbivores?

I kinda like that last idea… shit, that’s actually kinda cool… I should write that down in my big book of ideas to use if I ever write an original fantasy novel

My liveblog of Amphibia S1E5: Breakout Star will begin shortly!

Turns out Anne also always wanted to try road rage. Unfortuneatly Unfortunatly Unfortunatly Unfortunately, these unusually speedy hedgehogs are a little more prone to holding grudges than Mrs. Sadie Croaker.

Agreed sick emoji

Missed opportunity to do an Akira slide here shaking my head

Also, secret compartments and oil slicks? Bessie is basically a living Bond vehicle. Frog James Bond, call him James Pond.

Not gonna lie, this one got a chuckle out of me XD

Oh, she was actually just messing with him! Good on ya, Mrs. Croaker, that’ll teach the little whippersnapper some manners XD

Everyone following YLTTTP once I finally get around to publishing the next chapter

(It’s coming real soon guys I promise, the first draft is almost done)

This looks nice, but I know this position is going to be comfortable for all of five seconds before Anne’s arms get tired from holding up that big book. Or maybe she’s taking this as an opportunity to work out while reading. Typically, people will use audiobooks for that, but Anne’s more of a traditionalist in that sense.

The cavalcade of callouts continue; this is literally me, like all the time, ’cause my sleep schedule is messed up beyond belief -_-

Literally me whenever I laugh (I am secretly evil and a bad person inside)

And on this slightly ominous note, we end the first segment of this epsiode episode. Pretty fun, I gotta say, there were a couple of gags that had me chuckling. Plenty of funny Anne faces, which I appreciate.

Okay, so. I thought I was gonna be able to finish the whole episode today. But then… I didn’t. So we’ll take a break here. I’ll try to finish the episode tomorrow (hopefully I’m not too tried after work), I’m almost halfway through the second segment and I’ve got Tuesday off, so it shouldn’t be impossible. Worst case scenario, I’ll publish it on Tuesday.

This is what people keep telling me about my fanfics, but I never believe them.

Yeah, there are better ways to add fiber to your diet than munching on handfuls of spinach. Like beans and peas, good sources for both fiber and protein.

Uh oh, just like I predicted before, there is some kind of predator close-by. How is Anne ”I’m so out of shape” Boonchuy gonna be bale to beat it?

Hmm… what animals even eat snails? Like in real life? And please, no ”the French” jokes in the comments, that’s too easy

A hedgehog! A giant, scary hedgehog I assume.

Hedgehogs are cool, I’ve seen one or two around… I remember when I was younger we discovered on hiding in a pile of leaves in our bike shed… I think there was also one living in some bushes along the barn wall, right next to where the chicken coop is now.

Anyway, defeating a hedgehog shouldn’t be too hard Anne, I hear that if you steal its rings, it’ll be vulnerable.

Oooh, the hedgehogs were camouflaging themselves as those spiky bushes, that’s kinda cool.

Is it just me, or do these things look more like a mashup of hedgehogs and wild boars? That makes them instantly more scary, ’cause wild boars are freaking scary. I’ve heard stories of people hitting boars with their car, the car get totaled, and the boar walks away.

Actually, with the spikes, these things are kinda like Gloson. Gloson is a creature from Swedish folklore, which is a large boar with glowing eyes, fangs, and razor sharp fur on its back.

Love how I called out the measurements earlier, and here’s actually a reference to Wartwood’s first units of measurements, named after Priscilla Gullet. It’s like these writers are in my head! They know my every complaint and critique before I make it!

Oh, Sprig’s gonna have to try and hitch a ride with the old lady he insulted before? This can only end well.

You are a better woman than me, Mrs. Croaker.

Also, name drop! That means she’s definitively going to be relevant. Hm, lemme guess… Hop Pop’s old flame?

Chat, do we think Mrs. Croaker’s ladybug genuinely can’t go any faster than this… or does ol’ Sadie hold more grudges than she’s letting on?

Alright, so that was fun for a little bit, but the fun montage music ended when they landed in this little clearing, so I’’m gonna go ahead and say the conse are about to quences

Also, RIP Sprig, we knew ye a little bit

Aaww, poor girl got scared after the fall. And her shell looks pretty beat up too :(

Look at what you’ve done, Spranne

This episode is just full of callouts directed specifically at me skull emoji

So much for you being on the varsity tennis team, Anne.

I mean, to be fair, Bessie is one big gastropod, and itäs not like you can put her in neutral

Maybe I’m tired from work, but this frame broke me, I’m laughing so hard you guys XD XD XD

Alright, so Sprig’s going to get Hop Pop, which is probably the right thing to do in this situation.

Although… I did kinda notice but didn’t comment on it before, but the bushes surrounding this clearing look kinda spiky… and Anne’s here alone with a Bessie hiding in her shell…

I’m thinking Anne might get attacked by some kind of forest monster and has to defend Bessie. When Bessie sees Anne protecting her, she’ll come out of her shell and be willing to… run(?) again.

If you think about this, this is basically Escape of the Palisman from The Owl House… if Anne encounters a large bat monster who gets a plot line established but it’s never followed up on, I’ll call shenanigans.

(Actually, since there’s a new line of TOH graphic novels coming out, maybe we’ll finally get some answers about the Bat-Queen? One can hope, right?)

Oh my Titan you guys, this is literally what I predicted before! I’m so good at watching cartoons for kids!

Ok, there’s another ad for Mayor Toadstool, there’s definitively going to be an election at some point.

Also, an old lady on her lady bug, that’s cute.

Also, also, according to the swamp slushie sign, they use miles as a measurement in this world… which is weird. And not in a ”why do they speak English” kinda weird, no, I mean, why would anyone use miles as a measurement? There are actual, real measurements you can use that don’t require you to answer a riddle before you can convert them.

(Future Lampman here: I was rewatching this part and realized that this old lady is in the intro. I dunno if that means anything, but now I know)

Conglaturations Anne, you have already caused an accident. You’re winner 🏆

I’ve got good news for you, Sprig! You can just be angry and mean to people whenever!