So Peanuts has made it to the big 50, that's right the 50th special. Though that doesn't seem to be a big mark and the promotion isn't really like that either. This is another special in the era where Peanuts is doing things on Apple TV Plus. (Apple TV+ The other streaming service that exists) This one again also goes with the "Snoopy Presents" name because sure alright. It's my now running motion to be slightly annoyed by that. The rest of the title, also means that that Charlie Brown is still pushed to the back for a different character. I'm not overtly bothered by that, but it does kind of get to be something as this seems to be the new way they go. This one is about Marcie, a character I do like.
Snoopy Presents: One of a Kind Marcie first came out on August 18, 2023. I will still point out that these specials are animated nicely and look good, if only the issue about how they look is how glossy the tend to end up looking. Or how some of the parts tend to look darker than what used to be a bit brighter, but will repeat that I'm glad the stewards of Peanuts , that being Wildbrain, Sony Music Entertainment Japan, and the Schulz family at least have kept he hallmark style of how they looked and a 2D look and feel. The music is at least a somewhat nice touch and feel to the idea. The character designs seem to still stick to more of the 1960's and 1970's designs more than advancing to even using the 80's and 90's clothing of some of the characters because I think they fear that.
It starts with Marcie reading a book and then Peppermint Patty calls her because Marcie is the caddy for Peppermint Patty in golf. Peppermint Patty is in the school's golf tournament. I'm also surprised that there's like a girl that looks like a mini Peppermint Patty clone. It also has interrupting Snoopy... and Woodstock. I will say Peppermint Patty and Marcie doing golf is something that is in the strips. They've also decided to have Peppermint Patty think Snoopy is a kid here because sure, it's from the comics, but she did eventually stop thinking that.
She also thinks sandals are good golf shoes/ Copyright Peanuts
It is nice to see Marcie and Peppermint Patty's friendship here being done with them nicely, though it does remove some of the rough parts that is also their dynamic, which seems to be something these newer specials seem to do. Then there's a part where Peppermint Patty is looking at the school golf cup and the names on it and saying that she'll be on their next, then Marcie wonders where the caddies' names are, then P.P says why would they do that? Marcie calls the sport a team sport, and Peppermint Patty says "yeah, me. myself, and I" then Marcie seems to get mad and tells her why don't "me myself and I" pick up the bags then. Then the special cuts to Franklin being president of the school because OK. It's oddly done there to me, like hold on? Also, also Lucy and Schroeder are in the same school as Peppermint Patty, Marcie and Franklin here because OK.
VOTE! / Copyright Peanuts
I will point out I'm also very pedantic on Peanuts. Even knowing that specials and the comic strips didn't constantly follow each other, the specials at least followed the strips in the basics. Also, we had an election plotline before. Lucy announces she's running for president (I'm scared) , Pig pen wants to run, and Peppermint Patty tells Marcie she thinks Marcie should run. Marcie doesn't think it's a good idea.
Feelings/ Copyright Peanuts
more after the jump
Marcie runs into the girl that looks like smaller Peppermint Patty with a turtleneck and cap, named Carlin and she also notices that the school hallways seem crowded because of a problem with a spot in the school. When Charlie Brown is trying to write Italy at the chalkboard it screeches, and Marcie wanted to help him but gets nervous and really can't.
Someone remembered that Marcie liked Charles and snuck this in/ Copyright Peanuts
Later Marcie thinks about the problem about the hallway, while using a nice fish underwater themed animation and the pizza problem from earlier that there could be ways to make sure that things go well. Then she goes to Lucy for psychiatric help. (uhhhh) Lucy thinks that Marcie wants to by like her (That's also scary). She has Marcie pretend to be her (I'm scared more) and she pretends to be Marcie and uses that to tell Marcie to speak up.
scary / copyright Peanuts
Then Marcie goes to help Peppermint Patty in the caddy thing. They remembered and used Joe Richkid, interesting. Peppermint Patty wins and is ready for the cup Championship. A great scene that this has is Marcie coming to see Charlie Brown for help. It's sweet and is something seen in the strips before. It's short, but nice.
Not sitting on the dock of the bay/ Copyright Peanuts
Marcie gets an idea on how to solve the hallway problem, by using arrows. (Arrows!) She gives Charlie Brown a paper on how to help him write on the chalk board. (Put the chalk on the board this time, he did last time? oh well anyway) Marcie also helped figure out the pizza problem, by having the pizza slices changed from six to eight. (What kind of mad man was doing 6 slices instead of 8 in the first place?)
Linus loves Pizza/ Copyright Peanuts
Also Marcie wins the election because her name was written in. What? That's right apparently. (Finally, good democracy) I also have to point out it's funny she beat Lucy pretty easily then. Oh, but Marcie isn't happy, though she could just say she doesn't accept, but alright. She runs away from the school and hides away at home. Charlie Brown is tasked with filling in for her as caddy and that does go well because golf.
Being President is scary/ Copyright Peanuts
Peppermint Patty worries about Marcie. Also, Peppermint Patty said the whole school was going to be there at the match and the whole school wasn't there at the match. When someone sees that she might be losing the match then everyone rushes over there. Carlin shows up at Marcie's house (glad she knows where Marcie lives) to see if Marcie can help Peppermint Patty.
Carlin/ Copyright Peanuts
Marcie decides she'll show up and help. Oh good, Peppermint Patty wins, because yes. Then Marcie decides to give a speech as class president after all and announces she's resigning and that she likes being in the background.
Pigpen became the new president which is funnier that he beat Lucy was well. (everyone beats Lucy)
Pig Pen, wearing that hat is asking for trouble/ Copyright Peanuts
Stay with me here, this is going to be a messy thing. The thing about these new specials (For Auld, To Mom and Dad, Lucy's School, Small Things) they are alright, they are feeling like they are being made out of force to keep something like they would be if this was Disney or the other major American companies and not having the original family involved. These are nice, but as someone who really has watched through well every special and reads the strip there is a slight oftness to them. Here this one shows Marcie as being someone who likes to be in the background and very introverted, which isn't a bad thing to show, but isn't really something shown in her character in the past. That's not to say she's not been showed having anxiety or having self doubt, that's every Peanuts pretty much, minus Pig Pen. She's also been shown to be assertive with both Peppermint Patty and with others, there's a whole Peanuts strip arc where she hits a boy named Floyd for calling her lamb cake. There's also an arc where she hits Thibault for being sexist. She also was shown as doing things like expressing that she likes Charlie Brown ,even more forwardly and outwardly as contrast to Peppermint Patty. This is my long way of saying that this special kind of decided to do it's own thing with the character. I find it funny how it narrowed focus as much as Lucy, for example, the two specials focused on her are saying she's more than just being a the character you saw in a couple runs of specials a year. Again, I liked that because she has been shown in different ways through the strips 60's Lucy and 90's Lucy have differences.
Marcie is one of my top tier Peanuts characters and I think she's great, and that's because she's always been interesting, quirky, and yet has her own style. She's not Lucy or Peppermint Patty or like them she has her own beat and works well. I do think this special at least understood that. But, I will say there are other Marcie fans, even some who make her their #1 Peanut and have their own reasons for liking her, and may have really liked how she was done in this special, that's fine.
The idea that being introverted is a value as much as not is a good thing to show and that was done well. Showing that some people , and showing kids, that there are people that like to work in the background without getting all the upfront acolytes and noticement is something I really haven't seen much in anything , is also a value. I liked the story told here, even if I think it doesn't fully fit Marcie, I liked the story because it was interesting and focused on something that usually doesn't get focused on.
This special like the other new specials do exhibit a warm and more a positivity to them then how some Peanuts specials in the past had a bit of harshness to them at times. I do feel that there is room for new specials to try new things, when past new specials, post Charles Schulz, were taking things from the comics directly and making stories. [Though. there are some arcs that I'd like to see animated] I don't mind that Charlie Brown hasn't been in forefront either because it's nice to see some stories about the other characters, as long as they don't like forget him.
I did like this special and the faults I found are very much my view of being engrossed in Peanuts and seeing how things are in the strips and former specials that make it feel a bit off when a special like this uses something and does something different than I 'd expect. The message this special had was good and I like how they did it and made it felt with earnest and not pandering or overtly pushy were it feels unnatural. Do check it out.
That's it for now, tune in next time, when we find out that Lucy wasn't going concede.
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