This is my favorite episode this far!
Animation appears to be getting better, too.
I really love how Kiara was pictured in this episode, which is probably my favorite thing about it. First of all, in this episode, it really felt like she is a teen, and I'm convinced she's quite a bit older then she was when she met Kovu for the first time. She also seemed a bit older then Kion too, despite them appearing to be the same age. I kinda theorize that she is in fact a few human years older then him, but Kion takes after Mufasa and is larger then most cubs his age would be.
What I loved the most is the way Kiara acted in this episode, because it's much more similar to her original character. In SP, Kiara is slightly hesitant to be a queen, and it's nice to see this trait returned to her even if it's for a different reason. I like how she didn't want Bunga bowing before her... I know it was meant to be funny, but to me it felt like something her SP-self wouldn't want, either. She also treated everyone rather politely, and unlike what I was expecting, was kind and respectful when delivering her orders, while in the first episode, she just acted... uh, snobbishly.
I'm glad Tiifu and Zuri reappeared in this episode, even if they didn't really do much. There's one interesting thing I've noticed about the girls - both of them strongly encouraged Kiara to enjoy her royal privileges and take charge over others, which makes me wonder if maybe, in some shape or form, they've been a bad influence on her which made her change over time, but also partially embrace becoming a queen. In SP, Kiara appeared to be a bit lonely, quickly jumping at the opportunity to make friends with Kovu and play with him. But her friendship with Kovu was short-lived, so if she met Tiifu and Zuri some time after that, they might have been impressed with the fact that she's the future ruler, even if they themselves didn't know much about what being a fair ruler means. As she hanged out with them she slowly became more like them, in my theory. Speaking of which, their behavior also made it feel like they might see Kiara more as a future queen then for who she really is, albeit I doubt it's on purpose.
But then where does Kion fit it? I've seen someone here propose a great theory that Timon and Pumbaa found Bunga in the jungle. Maybe the siblings were very close before, but once Timon and Pumbaa moved to Hakuna Matata falls, Kion started hanging out with Bunga and leaving Kiara out, which essentialy made her turn to Tiifu and Zuri.
I also like how they purposely made Kion the one with a small problem here, not wanting to be ordered around by his sibling even if she has a point. Usually in toddler's shows, the main protagonist tends to be the one teaching others lessons, but Kion is taking a different course and that's great. Making mistakes is a part of growing up and learning. And not only that - they have shown that Kiara should listen to Kion, too.
The elephant burial part was great too, and I didn't really expect the show to take such a darker turn and talk about death so openly. I really love the lesson that part held, that ones that passed away should be remembered and honored for who they were, and not some traditional speech.
Not to mention that the time it too Nala, Simba and Zazu to get there really reminded me of the time Zazu tried to take them to the water hole back in the first movie.
What I didn't like is Mufasa's short appearance, but unlike with the previous episodes where I feel here wasn't necessary, here I actually feel he should have had a lot more to say, considering he had problems with his brother too. I really hoped he would have mentioned Scar to Kion, or that Kion argued for a bit. Instead, it feels like Mufasa comes and says something and Kion just goes along with it.
Also, what's up with Simba being so much closer to Kiara then Kion. I know she's a future ruler, and he can sympathize with her about that, but still... he nuzzles her and supports her and then turns to Kion and is like... oh, you too, I guess.
Posted: January 29th, 2016, 4:45 pm