Month: May 2017

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Guardians of Sunshine” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

GOS 1.png

Original Airdate: February 21, 2011

Written & Storyboarded by: Tom Herpich and Ako Castuera

Adventure Time has such an expansive and absurd world that a change in style can still necessarily fit with the general tone of the world on one condition: as long as the characters and environment still feel as though they are a part of the Land of Ooo. That’s why some of the upcoming guest animated episodes end up failing. While they keep the style and tone unique, the characters and environment don’t feel equivalent to the ones we’ve invested so much time and care into.

GOS 2.png

It isn’t necessarily a traditional guest animated episode (it was actually animated in house by Jacky Ke Jiang; be sure to check out some of his other stuff, it’s terrific!), but Guardians of Sunshine takes our main duo through new dimensions and animation style while still staying true to the essence of Adventure Time. It helps that, while it is animated differently, it’s still written by series regulars Tom Herpich and Ako Castuera. Upcoming episodes like A Glitch is a Glitch and Water Park Prank feel like they’re written by people who are trying to understand the show, but just can’t quite get their grasp on it. This episode blends new styles with consistency to detail in terms of characters, giving it a better chance to succeed.

GOS 3.png

And boy, is this one fun. Not only does it feel like a blend between vintage Atari and something of the late 90’s variety, but it captures the spirit of video games so well and so hilariously. The great little touches like the choppiness of Finn and Jake’s arms and legs, Finn’s face playing Pong, and Jake’s randomly pointy head are just so irresistibly silly. The general movement and design of the villains is so fluid and visually interesting; I especially like the way Busybee floats so smoothly and vibrantly, yet still has a blank, happy expression on its face. It makes me chuckle every time.

Adam Muto mentions in the commentary for this episode that he believes this is the first time in the series where the stakes feel high, and I could agree with that statement. Never before have Finn and Jake risked actually dying, and the tension of using up the few lives that they actually do have makes it a bit of a nail-biter. Of course, we know our heroes aren’t going to actually die, but there’s something compelling about putting characters in legitimate danger that simulates the notion that something bad really will happen. Adventure Time has pulled off that notion time and time again, but this was the first time it felt real.

GOS 4.png

This is undeniably one of the most enjoyable episodes of the season. Plenty of terrific gags, a blend of CG to mix things up a bit, and a compelling adventure to send our two main protagonists on. If there’s one thing that brings down this episode, it’s BMO’s treatment. Man, do I feel bad for the little guy! It legitimately pains me to see all of the villains break through the side of him like that. It’s actually sort of interesting that we get to see the little console as the “only sane man” of the group. Typically BMO is prominent for his childlike innocence, but I almost sort of like seeing him in this light for a brief amount of time. I just wish Finn and Jake would feel a little sorry for what they put him through, but it’s okay. BMO’s sending their asses back to the video game world, cheat code style! 

Favorite line: “Easy-peasy, livin’ greasy!”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“The Real You” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

TRY 1.png

Original Airdate: February 14, 2011

Written & Storyboarded by: Rebecca Sugar & Adam Muto

Finn’s crush on PB is certainly endearing, but it isn’t one of the stronger points of the series. It is a crucial part of the first few seasons and it does lead to terrific tension and development as the series progresses, but the concept of the “younger boy liking an older girl” or unrequited love in general is very common in most animated series like Gravity Falls or Foster’s Home, heck, even live action shows use this trope. That’s not to say the show uses them badly, but it’s just sort of treads similar waters. The aspect that makes it a bit more interesting is that it brings out one of Finn’s major character flaws: his social awkwardness and willingness to risk anything for Bubblegum.

TRY 2.png

I’m also not one to insinuate that a character flaw is necessarily a bad thing; it can be, but in a majority of situations, it makes the main protagonist appear more interesting. Having a character that is flawed and imperfect helps the audience to better identify with the characters and its world, and using a pre-pubescent Finn’s crush on PB is a perfect example of that. It’s easy to empathize with Finn’s deep feelings of infatuation for Bubblegum and pinpoint it as a developmentally appropriate stage of life.

That being said, Finn’s desire to become smarter to impress the princess is very enjoyable and almost works as a trip through memory lane for anyone who is Finn’s age or remembers being an awkward and quirky preteen. We’re treated to some delightfully silly gags along the way: the school of worms, Finn and Jake studying while making a beat out of their blinking, Jake shrinking down small but still drawing a face on his finger, and the return of Choose Goose! Hearing Jeff Bennett’s Hanna Barbera-esque voice as CG is always a treat, and never fails to make me laugh.

TRY 3.png
First ever appearance of the giant crater within Earth. Awesome!

Speaking of voice acting, Jeremy Shada gives a terrific performance of Finn in this episode. He hilariously pulls off the “mad with power” inflections and overtones, and really puts everything into making his character feel as authentic as possible. It shows how great Shada is as a voice actor, and just how well he is able to follow Finn’s progressions of age and altercations. My only complaint is that we don’t get to spend more time with “smart” Finn. Finn doesn’t actually put the glasses on till about 7 minutes in, so it feels like we don’t get to enjoy his presence nearly enough. The scene with the class of worms was humorous, but it could’ve easily been substituted for some more crazy Finn.

TRY 4.png

This episode also marks the end to one of the most recurring possessions thus far: Finn’s golden sword (a.k.a. Scarlett). Scarlett is one of the most identifiable objects in the entire series, and pretty much any promo you’ll ever see for the show has Finn wielding his golden sword. It’s only appropriate that the sword is sacrificed in this episode, however. This is the beginning of Finn’s upcoming entrance into his teenager years, and signifies the end of an era for himself. The sacrifice also showcases the honesty and truth behind Finn’s feelings for PB: he’s willing to give up one of his most prized possessions for her love. Of course, it was unintentional, but hey, smart Finn had it planned all along! Soon he will be entering more dangerous and difficult challenges, as well as further awkwardness between himself and Bubblegum.

Favorite line: “I can’t help it, man! I’m all about stupid!!”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“The Silent King” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

TSK 1.png

Original Airdate: February 7, 2011

Written & Storyboarded by: Cole Sanchez & Jesse Moynihan

The Silent King starts off by bringing the audience directly into the action without establishing characters or plot. In any other show I’d probably call it out for its lack of context, but it’s one of the many charms of Adventure Time: it can start and end on any given confusing absurdity and still feel fitting with the world and the characters in it.

And there’s no better villain to showcase this quick introduction than Xergiok, the goblin king. Right off the bat, the episode does a great job by showcasing his ludicrousy in both his actions and rapidly changing design. Seriously, Adventure Time is, for the most part, on-model in terms of character design, but Xergiok’s appearance shifts are straight out of Ren & Stimpy!

TSK 2.png

At the center of this episode, however, is the characterization of Finn’s role as a hero. As shown through the treatment of the goblin people, Finn is certainly not a utopian ruler that allows all of his loyal subjects to wait on him. Rather, Finn just likes kicking evil’s ass and doing what he believes is morally right inside. In any other show, Finn most likely would’ve gotten power hungry and would transform into a dictator that is no better than Xergiok by the end of it, but AT has a great deal of consistency with how its characters are portrayed and what seems most in character for them. Finn’s actions just seem to come so naturally, and it’s entertaining to see him getting legitimately frustrated over Gummy trying to help him, yet only being a giant annoyance.

TSK 3.png

The full upscale battle between Finn and Jake ala Jakesuit (its very first appearance!) vs. Xergiok and the Earclops is the type of battle we haven’t quite seen from the show until this point, and it’s extremely rewarding. It’s a fast-paced, jumpy experience with some terrifically creative means of defeating the Earclops, which are also hilariously designed, by the way. I really wish that we could get more Jakesuit battles throughout the series, because if this episode proved anything, it’s worthy of many more exciting battles.

I previously mentioned in my review of Crystals Have Power that Jesse Moynihan’s drawings looked a bit messy and flat, but the floppiness of his drawings is definitely toned down significantly in this episode and are much more similar to those you’d see in a typical episode of AT. It definitely took Moynihan some time to get into the groove of drawing the characters, but his work and learning definitely shows in this episode.

TSK 4.png

It’s also appropriate that Finn doesn’t try to aim toward changing the perspective of the goblin people in order to fit his vision, as he’s fully willing to accept his role as a helpless king. The fact that the goblin people don’t change by the end of the episode but are still able to live in a happy environment with a non abusive ruler was very endearing and happy. Finn chooses a decision that benefits everyone involved, including himself, and is able to go on living his life as a hero: what he was truly meant to be.

I wonder what Whisper Dan is up to these days. I feel as though him and Box Prince would get along just swimmingly.

Favorite line: “I’m not gonna spank your hams!”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“The Pods” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

TP 1.png

Original Airdate: January 31, 2011

Written & Storyboarded by: Kent Osborne & Somvilay Xayaphone

I’ve never really liked the fact that people refer to Adventure Time episodes as filler. The series follows a nonlinear storyline, and aside from the miniseries(s) and some lingering story arcs, it’s a show that consistently has a lot of “filler” episodes. I mean that in the nicest way possible too, as some of the episodes that are labeled as unimportant in regards to the continuing story are also some of the best (Thank You, All the Little People, Hall of Egress, etc.) Despite that, there are episodes that fit the description of filler that just aren’t bizarre, funny, or experimental enough to stand out on their own. The Pods fits that description.

TP 2.png

Again, not to say that this is an awful episode, as there’s nothing that it actually fails horribly at in a writing or animation aspect. The plot is just so simple that I could see any modern day cartoon such as Chowder or The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack tackling it with their own characters and little would change. Adventure Time’s willingness to be different from every show on television is really what sets it apart from every other animated series, so choosing a simplistic plot and not really bringing anything new to the table is a bit disappointing.

While the idea of the three magical beans is simplistic, it does lend itself to some intriguing possibilities, but unfortunately, the episode doesn’t really take advantage of it. For instance, do we actually ever find out whether the pigs are evil or the wands are evil? I know the pigs were involved in destroying a town, but how do we know that the wands weren’t having some kind of influence on their behavior? Even though it’s never revealed, the show doesn’t treat this as a possibility. We’re just supposed to assume it’s the pigs. I could picture an alternate scenario within this episode where Finn and Jake have to decide whether to reprimand the pigs or destroy the wands. The actual reveal doesn’t occur until there’s only two minutes left in the episode, so the timing could’ve been used much more efficiently to flesh out that idea. Or, I dunno, maybe the ice cream is evil? It is high in cholesterol.

TP 3.png

Besides fantastical alternate plot ideas in my head, the episode just doesn’t lend itself to many great jokes or depictions of the characters. I really feel like they could’ve went all out and just had Finn going completely insane trying to figure out which of the pods was evil and which was not. Even having Jake run off to the ice cream contest while Finn ends up going crazy watching the pods lends itself to some really funny and interesting concepts. Or somehow tying Jake’s desire to win the ice cream eating contest into the story could’ve strengthened it.

So yeah, this is a pretty mundane one, and one of the weaker season two episodes. I gotta say though, I’m a sucker for those pigs in silly costumes. They’re adorable!

TP 4.png

Favorite line: “Actually, I’m a Gnome Knight who was magically transformed into a frog. And then I decided to continue being a knight.”