Amphibia

Amphibia is an American animated television series created by Matt Braly and produced by Disney Television Animation for Disney Channel. The series features the voices of Brenda Song, Justin Felbinger, Bill Farmer, and Amanda Leighton. It premiered on June 17, 2019.

On May 15, 2019, a month before the series premiere, the series was renewed for a second season which premiered on July 11, 2020. Ahead of the second-season premiere, the series was renewed for a third season.

## Premise

The series chronicles the adventures of an independent and fearless 13-year-old Thai-American girl named Anne Boonchuy. After stealing a mysterious music box on her birthday at the advice of her friend, Sasha Waybright, Anne is magically transported to the world of Amphibia, a wild marshland tropical island full of anthropomorphic amphibians and threatening creatures. There Anne meets the excitable young frog named Sprig Plantar; unpredictable and adventurous baby pollywog Polly Plantar, the youngest member of the Plantar family; and overprotective and traditional grandfather Hop Pop who will guide her to be a true hero while discovering the first true friendship of her life as she lives with her newfound family. In addition, she also discovers that Sasha has sided with the villainous Captain Grime.

In season two, Anne and the Plantars go on a road trip to Amphibia's capital Newtopia to figure out the mystery behind the Calamity Box and to find a way to get Anne, Marcy, and Sasha back home. While Anne reunites with Marcy, Newtopia's King Andrias secretly has plans for them. Meanwhile, Sasha and her mentor Grime, the exiled captain, plan to invade Newtopia.

## Production

### Development

On February 19, 2018, *Amphibia* was greenlit by Disney Channel alongside *The Owl House*. The series was created and executive-produced by Matt Braly, previously a storyboard artist on *Gravity Falls* and later a director on both *Gravity Falls* and *Big City Greens*. According to his Twitter account, he had been working on the series for almost two years before being greenlit, though he began to conceive the project while work on *Gravity Falls* began to conclude.

On May 15, 2019, Disney Channel renewed *Amphibia* for a second season ahead of its premiere.

On June 23, 2020, the show was renewed for a third season ahead of its second-season premiere.

#### Writing

The show was based on Braly's childhood trips to Bangkok, Thailand. The series' tone was inspired by films by Aardman Animation and Studio Ghibli, while its storytelling format was inspired by *Gravity Falls* and *Steven Universe*. Braly was also inspired by video games such as *The Legend of Zelda* and *Chrono Trigger* when creating the series. According to Braly, one of the reason he created the series is because he wanted a show whose lead character had a similar arc to *Gravity Falls* character Pacifica Northwest, as he felt that "to have this character change so drastically was so rewarding, and that’s why [he] knew [he] wanted [his] own show to have some of the element as well". According to Braly, the character of Sprig went through several changes through development, with the developers constantly giving him different ages, before choosing to make the character a younger brother-like figure for Anne.

The series marks the first animated show to have a Thai-American lead. Braly, who is Thai-American, chose to make the series' lead character, Anne Boonchuy, Thai-American because he wanted more Thai characters in television series. According to Braly, Anne was loosely inspired by his grandmother. He described Anne being Thai-American as "a number one priority", as he wanted Thai-American kids to see themselves reflected on television. Braly also made the character dark-skinned due to his mother's family being tanned.

Braly chose to make the series to be centered around a frog-populated world because he felt that, due to how frogs change from tadpoles to frogs, they were perfect for the series' theme of change. Braly also implemented themes involving social classes and environmental awareness into the series, with Anne interacting with frogs of several different social backgrounds and learning to "appreciate the natural world around her".

Three of the series' four writers are women, since Braly felt necessary due to the show centering on a teenager girl. Storyboard artists are allowed to pitch their own ideas for an episode, a practice Braly took from his time at *Gravity Falls*. Braly wanted the series to feature intense sequences, yet still being appropriate for all ages, constantly checking-in whether a scene is too terrifying for children and whether is what the scene is intended to be.

### Casting and voice recording

On March 25, 2019, it was revealed that Brenda Song would star in the series as the voice of Anne Boonchuy. In April 2019, it was reported that Justin Felbinger would voice Sprig Plantar in the series. On May 15, 2019, it was reported that Amanda Leighton and Bill Farmer joined the cast as the voices of Polly and Hopediah "Hop Pop" Plantar, respectively. Over 50 actresses auditioned for the role of Anne, including Anna Akana and Haley Tju. While the role ultimately went to Song, Braly casted Akana and Tju as Anne's human friends, Sasha and Marcy respectively, instead.

On June 23, 2020, it was reported that Marlow Barkley, Mia and Ella Allan will guest star in season 2.

According to Braly, Song add-libbed several jokes during recording. Similarly, Alex Hirsch improvised several lines for his appearance in the season two episode "Wax Museum". During the COVID-19 pandemic, cast members had to remotely record their lines from their homes, after which they sent their lines to the series' editors.

### Animation

Rough Draft Korea, Sunmin Image Pictures, and Saerom each provide animation. Braly chose those animation studios due to them still working with hand-drawn animation, a style Braly favored for the series. The animators spend three to four months working on pre-production, with an episode taking about nine months to complete. Forty staff members at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California also worked on the series.

James Turner, a British illustrator most well known for his work on the *Pokémon* series of games (having created several Pokémon designs and worked as the art director for *Pokémon Sword and Shield*), provided artwork during the initial stages of the project. The series' visuals were inspired by Jim Henson's 1986 film *The Dark Crystal* and the 1977 animated adaptation of *The Hobbit*. The series' environments were also inspired by natural settings. According to Braly, storyboarding for an episode begins after its script is finished. Braly said that the different character designs for Anne and Marcy, in spite of both characters having Asian backgrounds, because the producers "never wanted to be trapped into a character design just because of what people might think an Asian person 'should' look like in a cartoon", as the characters "are representations of folks, not caricatures".

By March 24, 2020, Disney Television Animation was closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with work on the series continuing remotely. By that point, the producers had started storyboarding the season 2 finale, while other episodes were only partially completed.

### Music

T. J. Hill composed the score for the series. During production on the series, Leslie Wolfhard, wife of storyboard artist Steve Wolfhard, pitched to the producers a song, which they ended up using in the season 1 episode "Taking Charge". On July 23, 2020, Hill created a SoundCloud playlist featuring 10 tracks from the first season's score.

A song titled "Welcome to Amphibia", performed by Celia Gray Westbook, was originally intended to serve as the series' theme song. However, the song was later discarded in favor of an instrumental theme. According to Braly, "Welcome to Amphibia" was written due to orders from Disney, but he eventually convinced the studio to use an instrumental theme instead, as he disliked the song because he felt it didn't fit with neither the show nor its main character.

Hyper Potions composed a new version of the instrumental opening for the show's first "Theme Song Takeover" video. A third version of the opening, with lyrics by writer Dan Siegel, was written for the second "Theme Song Takeover" video.

The season one finale, "Reunion", features the song "Lean on Me" by Bill Withers. Braly said that he constantly listened to the song while developing the relationship between Anne, Marcy, and Sasha, so, when work began on "Reunion", Braly chose to use the song for the scene in which Sasha tries to sacrifice herself.

### Marketing

On July 19, 2018, during the *Star vs. the Forces of Evil* and *Big City Greens* panel at San Diego Comic-Con, Disney released an early version of the intro for the series.

On April 26, 2019, Disney FanFest released a music video for a vocal version of the opening theme titled ″Welcome to Amphibia″ performed by Celica Gray Westbrook and a two-minute clip during a livestream. It was discussed to be used as the intro song.

On May 14, 2019, Disney Channel released the trailer.

On May 17, 2019, Disney Channel released the final version of the intro.

*Amphibia* also included shorts, beginning with *Teen Girl in a Frog World*. The shorts premiered on September 3, 2019.

## Broadcast

*Amphibia* made its first international debut in Canada on June 24, 2019. The series also airs repeats on Disney XD USA & On Toon Disney USA.Template:Citation needed

## Reception

### Critical reception

*Amphibia* received a positive reception from critics. *Common Sense Media*Template:'s Emily Ashby rated the show 4 out of 5 stars and praised the series for its characters and themes, writing that "Sprig and Anne's adventures are a joy to behold, mostly thanks to their delightfully compatible personalities and the sweet friendship that develops between them" and that "the story illustrates issues like bullying and emotional manipulation in ways that will resonate with kids and tweens and can prompt discussions about the topics". Bekah Burbank of *LaughingPlace.com* praised the series' ability to balance its humor and its terror elements, as well as its pacing, characters, and animation, stating that "*Amphibia* is clever and goofy with plenty of jokes to keep kids laughing and just enough scary content to hold their attention. The show moves quickly and is broken into two 11-minute episodes that, at least for the premiere, form one complete chapter. The animation is bouncy and colorful and the characters are a delight". *Collider*Template:'s Dave Trumbore gave the series' first two episodes a 4 stars rating, feeling that they "[served] as a great introduction to the series".

1. ↑ Brown, Tracy (June 14, 2019). 'Amphibia' creator wants kids to feel seen with his Thai American heroine (en). *Los Angeles Times*.
2. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (February 23, 2018). Disney Greenlights Originals *Amphibia*, *Owl House* and More *Star Vs.*. *Animation Magazine*.
3. ↑ Amphibia | Disney Channel Press. DisneyABC Press.
4. ↑ Petski, Denise. Disney Channel Launching Toon Series *Amphibia* and *The Owl House*, Renews *Star vs. the Forces of Evil* for Season 4. *Deadline.com*.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 MATT BRALY ON BRINGING THAI AMERICAN REPRESENTATION TO DISNEY CHANNEL’S “AMPHIBIA”
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `HR`
7. ↑ Pedersen, Erik (May 15, 2019). Brenda Song's *Amphibia* Renewed for Season 2 Ahead of Series Premiere on Disney Channel. *Deadline Hollywood*.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Template:Cite news
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 Zahed, Ramin (June 7, 2019). The Perfect Leap: Matt Braly's 'Amphibia' Hops to Disney Channel. *Animation Magazine*.
10. ↑ INTERVIEW: Creator Matt Braly on “Amphibia”
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Radulovic, Petrana (August 14, 2020). The Disney channel series inspired by Zelda finally gets a retro-game reimagining.
12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Wonders of Animation: Talking to Matt Braly of Amphibia
13. ↑ ‘Amphibia’ creator wants kids to feel seen with his Thai American heroine
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Interview With Amphibia’s Matt Braly
15. ↑ 5 REASONS TO LEAP INTO DISNEY CHANNEL’S NEW SERIES AMPHIBIA
16. ↑ Bennett, Anita. Brenda Song Returns to Disney Channel in Animated Series *Amphibia*. *Deadline.com*.
17. ↑ Matt Braly's Reddit AMA
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 ‘Amphibia’ Creator Matt Braly on the Show’s Thai-American Protagonist & Stellar Voice Cast
19. ↑ ‘Gravity Falls’ Creator Alex Hirsch Brings Back the Mystery Shack, Sort of, via Disney Channel’s ‘Amphibia’ (EXCLUSIVE)
20. ↑ Matt Braly Dives in to Second Season of His Hit Show ‘Amphibia’
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Matt Braly’s ‘Hoppy’ Childhood Memories Inspired New Disney Channel Series, ‘Amphibia’
22. ↑ Error on call to Template:cite web: Parameters **url** and **title** must be specified.
23. ↑ Matt Braly's Reddit AMA
24. ↑ Animation Production Is Still Going, Sometimes Slower, Amid Coronavirus Crisis
25. ↑ Amphibia Creator Matt Braly Talks Season 2, Kermit the Frog, and Quarantine Struggles
26. ↑ Exciting update time! I am thrilled to announce that I am the composer for a new @DisneyChannel series called Amphibia! The show debuts Monday, June 17! Huge thank you to @Radrappy and the entire Amphibia crew for the opportunity to be a part of this incredible series.
27. ↑ 08 - Taking Charge.
28. ↑ Amphibia Season 1 Score Excerpts.
29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Celica Gray - Welcome to Amphibia (From *Amphibia*).
30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 r/amphibia - Comment by u/Matt\_Braly on "I'm Matt Braly, creator and executive producer of Amphibia - Ask me anything!!!".
31. ↑ Matt Braly's Reddit AMA
32. ↑ AMPHIBIA OPENING + BETTER QUALITY (SDCC 2018).
33. ↑ Sneak Peek of Amphibia.
34. ↑ Disney Channel Animation Celebration Panel 2019 Fan Fest.
35. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
36. ↑ Trailer | Amphibia | Disney Channel.
37. ↑ Theme Song | Amphibia | Disney Channel.
38. ↑ Disney Channel's "Amphibia" and "Big City Greens" are Joined by Kermit the Frog - D23 Expo 2019.
39. ↑ Amphibia TV Review (en). *Common Sense Media*.
40. ↑ TV Review: Disney Channel's "Amphibia" (en). *LaughingPlace.com*.
41. ↑ 'Amphibia' Review: Disney's Frog-Out-of-Water Series Delivers Compelling Characters (en). *Collider*.