What Is the Calamity Box?

Amphibia Episode 16 Review/Recap

We are sixteen episodes into Amphibia’s first season, with only a single week of episodes left. The show’s done a good job at building the relationships between characters so far. Regarding the overarching plot, though, Amphibia’s been slower, esepecially regarding the mysterious Calamity Box. We learn a little more about Anne’s music box, though, in this episode.

Family Fishing Trip

It’s time for the Plantar’s annual fishing trip, and Sprig’s looking forward to spending time with Hop Pop. His plans are derailed, though, when Sylvia’s coming with them this year. Since Anne’s busy trying to learn how to parasail, Sprig’s left all alone and upset at Sylvia ruining his plans.

Jealous, Sprig tricks Sylvia into going to get a flower from a nearby island. Only it’s not an island, it’s a giant crab. Feeling guilty, Sprig commandeers Anne’s hang-glider and rescues Sylvia. While upset at Sprig, Sylvia understands that he feels jealous. All she wants to do is be a part of their family. In the end, the entire Plantar family gets to go fishing together like Sprig wanted. Except for Polly, who takes Anne’s hang-glider.

Bizarre Bazaar

Sprig finds an egg ticket to the Bizarre Bazaar, a secret, traveling market that comes to WartWood once a year. Against Hop Pop’s advice orders, Anne and Sprig sneak out the bazaar. They hope to find someone who knows about Anne’s music box (AKA the Calamity Box). They see all sorts of strange and amazing sights, but right as they find someone who may recognize the Calamity Box, Anne’s backpack gets stolen!

The only way to get it back is in a race against the legendary “Wrecker”, which the pair almost win. Then The Wrecker pulls a Blue Shell from MarioKart and wins. Surprise, The Wrecker’s true identity is Hop Pop!

Hop Pop followed them to the Bazaar because he knew they’d show up and get in trouble. Anne ends up admitting that she was too impatient to get home and decides to trust Hop Pop’s connections, letting him have the box. Unbeknownst to Anne, Hop Pop secretly buries the Calamity Box on the Plantar farm grounds later that night.

Review

I’m going to ignore everything about the first half of the episode, because the Bazaar was more important. I did like seeing Sprig get jealous over the change to his family tradition, but I was more interested in watching Anne fail at parasailing. The cutaway was fun to look at, though. Mainly because Mrs. Boonchuy was voiced by the mother of Matt Braly, the show’s creator.

The Bizarre Bazaar didn’t reveal much in the way of the Calamity Box, but it left us with some important clues:

First, there are artifacts that have designs similar to the Calamity Box.

Second is the lizard woman. She seems to know about the Box, and she thinks Anne’s the one she’s been “searching for”. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but I know it has some significant meaning.

Last, is the fact that Hop Pop lies to Anne and buries the Box in his yard. All this leads me to believe that the Calamity Box is something powerful and potentially dangerous. What it’s purpose is, though, I don’t know.

There are four episodes left in the first season of Amphibia. Either they give us a major clue about the truth, or will make us ask more questions. That’s what a good show does: building up for the next season. This episode gave us a look at the forces at work in Amphibia, and I loved it.

I give “Family Fishing Trip” and “The Bizarre Bazaar” a 4/5

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