Warning: SPOILERS for the recent The Amazing World of Gumball finale. Do not look ahead if you do not wish to be spoiled.
Magolor's Coffeehouse
Editorial 02: Remembering The Amazing World of Gumball
Magolor, Marx, and Gryll were sitting in seats in front of the control panel of the Lor Starcutter. Magolor, looking less than chipper, said, "Hello everyone, and welcome back to Magolor's Coffeehouse."
"In case you haven't noticed," Marx said, also looking down in the dumps, "we're upset because we just watched the end of The Amazing World of Gumball… and it was horrible."
"Well, 'horrible' isn't the best word to describe it," Gryll added, who was also crestfallen. "A better word would be 'disappointing.'"
"For those of you who didn't watch the finale, or need a refresher," Magolor continued, "allow me to summarize the episode. Elmore Junior High's superintendent arrives on the scene— which I must say is cool because he's an actual, live-action person— and he plans to stamp out all cartoonish behaviour in the school. But not only is he removing their cartoon logic, he plans on turning them into full-on humans. Gumball and Darwin figure out his plan, and they use cartoon logic to turn his friends back to normal. A confrontation with the superintendent reveals him to be Rob, a supporting character-turned-antagonist, in disguise. Rob tries to justify his actions, but he gets knocked out before he can explain himself. That night, at the school, he reveals that he was turning the people into humans in order to give them the ability to escape their world. Right after he says this, the floor beneath him gives way and he falls into the Void, ending the series on a literal cliffhanger."
"This sucks," Gryll remarked. "Not only did this wonderful series end on a note as bad as the original Teen Titans, but Cartoon Network doesn't even acknowledge that the show's over. And since we still haven't gotten a say on a potential Gumball movie, I think we can all agree that the series will never continue, like it or not."
Marx sighed, a dreamy look in his eyes. "This show was the best. It took every trope in cartoon history and turned it on its head!"
"Yeah," Magolor responded, "just like in 'The Job'. You know how cartoons these days end up going back to normal by the next episode in order to keep the show going?
JonTron: As you know, accepting the status quo is paramount in this country! How do you think we keep special interest groups lobbying so efficiently?
"Well, The Amazing World of Gumball took this trope and cranked it up to eleven. So apparently, the lazy father Richard having a job is such a huge deviation from the show's norm— which it must be, if they're making this episode— that it threatens to tear apart space and time itself! Sure, you can avoid the status quo by having continuity, like the later seasons do, but making an episode like this is what defined this series during its early years as something the world has never seen before."
"These types of pop culture stabs tend to be the focus for a lot of episodes," Marx took over. "'The Spoilers' is about Gumball and Darwin avoiding spoilers for a recent movie they haven't seen yet, much like the recent events involving a certain superhero movie. 'The Upgrade' is about Gumball's robot friend Bobert receiving an upgrade that makes him function worse, just like every Apple product ever made. 'The Test' does it twice, with online personality tests and 80's sitcoms. Best of all, they do it with high-quality animation that you can't get enough of."
"Speaking of animation," Gryll spoke up, "'member all those animation changes in certain episodes?"
"Oh, I 'member," Magolor answered. "One of my favorite examples of this is 'The Puppets', where it turns into a Don't Hug Me I'm Scared episode. They even got the DHMIS directors, Becky Sloan and Joseph Pelling, to make that part of the episode."
Gryll said, "I liked 'The Fury,' where the episode turns into an anime!"
Marx decided to give his input. "My favorite is 'The Ollie'," he said. "It was crazy, fluid, and it had that skater theme that the episode was going for. Beautiful animation and wonderful execution, in my opinion.
"The regular animation is really good, too," Magolor said. "The combination of 2D and 3D animation, as well as live-action backgrounds, sets this apart from other cartoons that just use one of these mediums. There's even some little aesthetics that add to the uniqueness of the show, like how the camera shakes a little sometimes. It gives the show that home movie feel, which given how weird the rest of the show is, only adds to the stew of random the series already is."
"What made the show awesome to me is how incredibly meta the show can get," Marx said. "In 'The Money,' the Wattersons go bankrupt, and they lose more and more of their belongings until the animators of the show run out of money, and the animation process for the show starts to go in reverse. Not only does that break the fourth wall, but it wages nuclear war with the fourth wall, and wins in only two minutes!"
"Plus there's the whole story arc with Rob," Gryll added, "the forgotten side character who became the main antagonist. He's well aware of the fact that The Amazing World of Gumball is a show, and he uses this to his advantage in the Season 4 finale, 'The Disaster'. In it, he acquires a remote control that allows him to control everything in the world of Elmore, as well as the TV broadcasting it. Think of Bubsy messing with your TV in Bubsy 3D, except it actually has purpose. His awareness of the false reality he lives is the entire reason he does what he does in the series finale. He knows that the show is cancelled, so turning the residents of Elmore into real people is the only way they can pass the fourth wall and escape this world's destruction. Sure, the show ends on a bleak note because of this, but you gotta admit, the show's writers know what they're doing."
"Speaking of the writers," Magolor said, "the writing and humor in this show is impeccable. Gumball's sardonic remarks and the show's humorous satire make the writing quality if the series as good as, if not better than, the first few seasons of The Simpsons."
For a moment, no one says a word. They exchange glances at each other, and they take turns opening their mouths, hesitating, and then contemplating something to say. Finally, Gryll has a lightbulb moment and says, "We still haven't talked about the songs yet."
Marx and Magolor simultaneously groan at Gryll's suggestion.
"What's your problem?" she asked. "I thought you guys would love to talk about the show's quality tracks."
"The problem is that there's nothing to talk about," Marx said flatly. "Nothing we say can do the songwriters justice about what a wonderful job they've done."
"Yeah," Magolor spoke up. "When's the last time your favorite cartoon had a dope rap about etiquette?"
(That one song from the episode 'The Singing" [yeah, I know, which one?])
Billy: [Rapping] Billy Parham in your house
Turn me up but not too loud
For fear of disturbing someone
Enunciating to the masses, mm-hmm.
I'm here to tell you of the relevance of etiquette
'Tis quite important, though I fear you might not get it yet
Feet on the seats
I'm sure I don't approve
Hold the door for the ladies
When they go through
Wipe your feet
When you're entering a neighbor's house
And when he chews,
A gentleman will always close his mouth
Close his mouth, close his mouth
The speed a virus spreads is beyond belief
When you sneeze, please be sure to use a handkerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief, a handkerchief, a handkerchief, a handkerchief, a handkerchief, a handkerchief…
[While saying the preceding line, he performs the enigmatically popular dance move known as "dabbing."]
Marx and Gryll awkwardly stared at Magolor, while Magolor remained oblivious to it. After a moment, he notices what his two friends are doing, and he asks them what the problem is.
"I can't believe you just said the words 'dope rap'," Marx said, still weirded out.
"Well believe it, buddy, because I went and done it!" Magolor retorted.
"So to sum up," he continued, "The Amazing World of Gumball was the best cartoon to come out of the Cartoon Network Renaissance, and we're all sad to see it go. I hope the network decides to make the movie, because if they don't, then this would go down as the most depressing cartoon ending in modern history."
"With the series over, I think it would be best if I would get into reviewing cartoon Fanfiction, especially TAWOG. You know, as long as the stories are nothing like this:"
A New one Begins
By: ABAV
After the events of the Nazi Movement Germany has conquered most of Europe, and Western United States. Not ready to let go of the old way of living Gumball and Darwin escape and learn to have faith and hope and show people that they can win. It is their job to save a doomed future from dictatorship.
All three friends shuddered at this particular Fanfiction. "Even the description gives he the heebie-jeebies," Gryll said weakly.
"Well, that's all for now. I've got a review to finish," Magolor said, turning to the audience. "We'll see you next time on Magolor's Coffeehouse!"
The End
Performed by Magolor, Marx, and Gryll
Special Thanks
Channel Awesome
Keldeo the Critic by Matthais Unidostres
Kirby H by DokiDokiTsuna
JonTron - Goosebumps: PART 1
South Park
And a big thank-you to Ben Bocquelet, for creating such an amazing world. May your future be bright.
RIP The Amazing World of Gumball (2011-2019)
Have a Fanfiction that you want me to review? Let me know in the reviews for this story. Be sure to leave me the title and author.
Alternatively, I've set up a forum for this. You can leave your suggestions here: TinyURL: y3cmmjjg
Oh! I also have a poll on my profile. I encourage you to go there and vote.