Category: Adventure Time

Adventure Time, Animation

Season One Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Season one of Adventure Time introduced me to one of my favorite shows of all time. It was revolutionary for introducing us to wonderful bright and dark characters within the glorious Land of Ooo. And while I enjoyed it quite fine the first run and the second run, how does it weigh in as a whole?

Characters

The first season introduced us to a majority of the series most prominent characters: Finn, Jake, Ice King, Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, and (partially) BMO, as well as some secondary characters: Lumpy Space Princess, Lady Rainicorn, Tree Trunks, NEPTR, Magic Man, and so on.

The depictions of these characters aren’t nearly as fleshed out as they are in later seasons, but it’s a very nice introduction to a lot of the fun elements each character has to offer. Finn is vibrant and pure, Jake goes with the flow yet is also bombastic in his own way, Ice King is sad and insane, Princess Bubblegum is sweet yet very passionate about her kingdom, and Marceline is playful and sometimes devious. We get some see some glimpses of development between the characters, including Finn’s characters flaws, Princess Bubblegum’s darker tendencies, Ice King’s more depressing side and his growing admiration of Finn and Jake, and Marceline’s transitioning from Finn and Jake’s adversary to one of their best friends. The characters’ more in depth personalities and unique dilemmas aren’t explored as much as they are in later seasons, but they’re certainly represented as fun characters to want to spend time with.

I’ve said this time and time again but Finn and Jake’s relationship is really the strong point of this season. I firmly believe any good show has to have some heart at the center of it, and Finn and Jake really embody every endearing aspect of this first season. Energy, compassion, and fun is carried with them at all times when they’re on screen, and I can’t think of a time I was legitimately not enjoying myself watching them.

In fact, it’s a pretty impressive feat to not be able to name a character off the top of my head that I truly disliked that was introduced in this season. I’ve mentioned before that I’m not the biggest LSP fan, but her role in the first 26 episodes is pretty minimal and she doesn’t really steal the spotlight as much as she does in later seasons.

This was just a delightful introduction to some of my all time favorite characters. While they would only develop more as time went on, everything about these characters that is later fleshed out is practically inserted in subtle moments throughout everyone’s actions. Of course, the only reason they’re able to become so complex is because they start out so simple. And as Adventure Time has proven time and time again, simplicity can be the route to something much greater.

Artwork

The aesthetics of the first season could really be dedicated to Ghostshrimp’s beautiful background work. He seriously knocks it out of the park with  the many designs, skies, and general landscapes that he’s created. GS played a key part in designing the Land of Ooo, and what he conducted was some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve seen in an animated series in years. Here’s some of my favorites:

I can’t really think of a specific storyboard artist that stood out, as I don’t think any of the episodes had the unique individual artwork that each storyboard artist possesses in later seasons, but the artwork is simple and fun. There are a few design quirks, however. Jake’s eyes and jowls are generally a lot larger than they are in following seasons, and he just looks kinda off. In addition, the characters are drawn with more cartoony and expressive faces, and Finn will frequently be drawn with eye-whites, which is somewhat distracting to me. Pendleton Ward has previously claimed to have hated seeing Finn with eye whites, as Finn is easier to connect with the audience through his simplistic dotted eyes, making him feel more real and less like a cartoon character.

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Otherwise though, this season is one of the most expressive and jumpy in terms of animation, considering the series becomes much more grounded later on. That being said, it is delightful to see Adventure Time in a Ren & Stimpy fashion in terms of its animation, but also, I’m glad the series didn’t stick to being outrageous and borderline schizophrenic in movement and facial expressions as it progressed.

Writing

In terms of humor, this is also the show’s most random and arguably juvenile approach at laughs. This leads to some very hit-or-miss jokes and gags, which honestly depends on your sense of humor. For me, the absurd humor works a majority of the time, but at other times, not so much. And I love the wacky dialogue within the series, but there’s only so many “shmowzow!” “slamacow!” “algebraic!” catchphrases I can sit through and not roll my eyes at.

In terms of individual writers, Adam Muto and Elizabeth Ito really killed it this season. They really know how to write good AT, which is likely how they got promoted to showrunner and supervising director respectively.

In terms of writers in general, a good chunk of them didn’t end up continuing to work on the series after the first season, so it was sort of difficult to adopt the styles or visions of writers such as Sean Jimenez, Luther McLaurin, J.G. Quintel, Armen Mirzaian (who sadly passed away three years later) or even Niki Yang.

So while the writing is a bit too 5th grade at some points, I have found myself laughing a lot more than I thought I would while rewatching.

Top 5 Best Episodes

5. Evicted! – A great introduction to one of AT’s most complex characters with a vibrant and fast paced song and some great character interactions as well.

4. The Enchiridion! – A terrific adventure and spotlight episode for our main character with loads of whimsy and quirky characters.

3. Dungeon – An exciting dungeon crawl with some hilarious one-time villains, as well as continuing to build on Finn and Jake’s relationship.

2. Ocean of Fear – An interesting look at Finn’s psyche and the realization that fears are not something to be ashamed of or ignored in any way.

1. What is Life? – The first episode to humanize Ice King and transform him from a psychotic jerk to someone who is completely lonely and devoid of anyone’s love and affection. Also, I fucking love NEPTR.

Top 5 Worst Episodes

5. Slumber Party Panic – Not necessarily a bad episode by any means, but somewhat of a poor start to the series considering that it throws a lot at the audience at once while also including no proper introductions at all.

4. When Wedding Bells Thaw – A somewhat misconstructed look at Ice King’s insanity that results in making the entire episode feel messy.

3. Business Time – An episode that focuses more on Finn and Jake’s lazier sides, which sucks most of the energy out of our main duo and ends up being somewhat of a bore.

2. The Gut Grinder – A generic and predictable plot that AT seems above and a season finale that disappoints.

1. Memories of Boom Boom Mountain – An episode that focuses more on the absurdity and randomness in terms of humor, and one that feels especially misconceived and all over the place when it comes to story.

Final Consensus

Season one of Adventure Time certainly isn’t my favorite season of the show; it’s practically the series at its most basic form, with somewhat childish humor at times and much less lore or complex adventures that are seen in later seasons. However, I found myself really enjoying the first season when watching again, and just find it so interesting how much the series has drastically changed over the years.

So season one of Adventure Time may best the weakest of the bunch in my opinion, but it’s a totally fun ride down memory lane to see how these characters were and what they have become. And of course, it really does show the world through Finn’s perspective. It’s bright and colorful and very silly and zany because he’s only 12, which fits with the overall theme of growing up within AT.

This isn’t a season I plan on rewatching a lot, but I’m glad I got the opportunity to take a look at it once more and I hope all of you that haven’t consider giving it another look as well.

Adventure Time, Animation

“Gut Grinder” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: September 27, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Ako Castuera & Bert Youn

Adventure Time season finales typically leave us off in some sort of cliffhanger. Season two’s finale involved Princess Bubblegum’s biological age changing and the Lich’s entrance into Ooo. Season three’s had Finn finding a brand new love interest, as well as the introduction of a new main character. Season four’s was a high stakes journey to another dimension. Season five’s led to Finn discovering that his human father is alive. Season six’s, while more satisfying than others, also involved PB being dethroned and the King of Ooo stepping into power. Finally, season seven’s was a segue into the Island miniseries. Therefore, season one is really the only season that doesn’t leave the show on some sort of cliffhanger (besides the fate of beloved secondary character, Sharon), but no matter, as long as it’s a well-written episode, you don’t need that sense of unsatisfactory and wanting more. Unfortunately, Gut Grinder is probably season one’s most lackluster episode, regardless of being a season finale or not.

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It’s not necessarily an awful episode, per se, but it’s one of the few AT episodes in general that goes in a very predictable and generic direction. We know exactly what type of story this is going to be the first time it’s mentioned that the Gut Grinder looks like Jake, and the rest of the episode throws little surprises to counter our general expectations. Of course Jake isn’t the Gut Grinder! I got exactly what I thought I was going to get, and that’s pretty sad to say for an AT episode. Part of what’s so great about this show is that I literally never have any idea what’s going to happen, and when I believe that I do, the writers throw some sort of curveball or twist that completely catches me off guard. I’m not really sure how you could change this episode to make it less foreseeable. It’d actually be sorta cool if the Gut Grinder was a shapeshifter, which would also tie into Jake’s backstory. But alas, only so many seeds can be planted in one season.

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Aside from the main plot, the humor is pretty so-so in this episode as well. Besides Finn’s hilarious “justice never sleeps”, I can’t really think of anything in this episode that got a laugh out of me. I’m usually in tune with the show’s random humor, but the ending with Sharon posing as Jake because she “thinks he’s hot” just didn’t do it for me. Why would she dress up like a grotesque version of Jake to steal gold if she’s attracted to him?? Bitches be trippin’.

It’d be unfair not to judge this as a season finale though, and as a season finale, it’s pretty poor. Yes, I know the season two premiere aired only two weeks later, but in context, this really just is not a satisfying way to cap off the first season of one of the most groundbreaking cartoons in recent history. I don’t really blame this on the staff though; I’m not even really sure if it was meant to be intended as the season finale, what with the unreliable aspect of production codes and all that nonsense, but this was when the show was just getting off on its feet anyway. Besides, like I mentioned, it’s not like anyone had to wait months to see the next episode anyway, as It Came From the Nightosphere aired literally two weeks later. I just would’ve been a bit more satisfied with His Hero as the season finale instead, as we end a pretty impressive first season on a pretty “meh” note.

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And that’s the end of season one! Thanks to everyone who has been reading this blog the past couple months, and thank you to everyone who has been patient with its unreliable schedule (it’s bound to stay a bit uncoordinated throughout the next two months, but I’ll try my best to remain consistent). Before I get started with season two, I’ll be doing a full review of season one, along with a small bonus review on top of that. In the meantime, stay tuned, and stay mathematical!

Adventure Time, Animation

“His Hero” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: September 20, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Kent Osborne, Niki Yang & Adam Muto

Billy is one of the more ambivalent characters in the series. He’s no where near being a major character, but most of the secondary (Magic Man, Martin, Susan Strong) and even some of the tertiary characters (James Baxter, Gunther) have had their backstory revealed, and Billy seems to hold with him a deep amount of baggage throughout his epic journey. The only thing we really learn about him through this episode is that he once defeated the Lich King (first appearance, by the way) and that he completed a bunch of other heroic tasks, only to have lost his heroic nature down the line, and that’s about it. Luckily enough, that’s all we really need to know about him for this delightfully hilarious introduction episode.

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Lou Ferrigno’s distinct voice really does a terrific job of giving life to Billy’s character, and I really like the direction they took his character in for this specific episode. They could’ve made him a flawless, egocentric hero who looked down upon Finn, but instead they made him a hardened has-been who has become cold towards the world around him. Finn’s impressionable and easily influenced youth is a good contrast for this, and it makes sense that’d he try his hardest to be the best hero he can be, even though he makes everyone’s lives worse in doing so.

I haven’t said this a lot for any of the past 24 episode I’ve reviewed, but this episodes is really, really funny. There’s a lot of really great dark humor with just how far Finn and Jake go to accidentally fuck up the citizens of Ooo’s lives. I especially feel bad for that Cobbler, he literally hasn’t done anything wrong but F&J keep putting him through hell. On the other hand though, he’s a spazzy little twerp, so it diverts itself from complete tragedy. Also, this is Finn’s first time taking on the role as doctor Finn! It’s less than a minute, but it’s cool that he’s taking on his mom’s footsteps before he was even interested in his mom’s footsteps.

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Of course, this episode gives us the first big boost of wisdom from the series:

“Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.”

It’s certainly not among some of the most philosophical and thought-provoking exchanges in the series, but it’s one of those basic life lessons that only Jake could carry out so eloquently and smoothly. Anything you want to be good at will start out with a bit of sucking, but if you keep pushing forward, that sucking can manifest into talent. While the boys don’t succeed in being able to help others without violence, they do succeed in sticking to their own guns and being able to change Billy’s perspective on helping others once again.

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The Three Wise Men from Finn’s belly button were correct in claiming that Finn is the greatest hero in all of Ooo. Despite his young age and lack of life experience, Finn stays pure and true to what works for him, as well as what works best for other people. Billy, on the other hand, gave up on his ways through social experiences and gave into the world’s many hardships. Billy may be a renowned hero who defeated the Lich and slayed a bear, but Finn’s youthful purity and instinct to fight against anything is evil are exactly what the people of Ooo need.

Adventure Time, Animation

“What Have You Done?” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: September 13, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Elizabeth Ito & Adam Muto

I mentioned in my review of When Wedding Bells Thaw that I believed that episode felt a bit scattershot when tackling the Ice King’s sociopathic nature. What Have You Done?, in my eyes, was a much better look at both the sympathetic and sociopathic sides of Ice King’s character.

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This episode continues where The Duke of Nuts left off with transforming Princess Bubblegum into a cute and pretty damsel in distress to a somewhat tyrannical ruler whose best interest is always in the Candy Kingdom. We don’t really get to see the full effects of this transformation till later in season five, but it’s nice that this side of her character was introduced in the first season, rather than coming completely unexpected later on. Speaking of things introduced and developed more later on, we’re also introduced to a potential origin of the crown, as Ice King claimed to have made the crown with the magic that he stole. This seemed as though it was a continuity error up until the backstory of the crown unraveled in Evergreen. I really love how this show can build on non-sequiturs or one-off jokes four or five seasons after they are introduced and create them into a coherent plot thread.

What really works in this episode is continuing the Ice King’s development from an insane, pathetic jerk to insane, pathetic, and a jerk with a heart of gold. The episode acknowledges that, while he is crazy, he typically means well in his actions, and even when he means well, he can still be stubborn and obnoxious. He’s a perfectly fleshed out and yet convoluted character that constantly leaves you on the edge of your seat on what he’s going to do next.

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The scenery in this one transitions from dark and chilling to dark and illuminating, and the background music complements both tones. I’m pretty sure that’s a hammered dulcimer conducting most of the score in this one (correct me if I’m wrong) and it really does a standout job at capturing some of the grittier moments, such as IK in jail, as well as some of the lighter moments toward the end of the episode. This episode has some great Simpsons-type humor in the background as well; one of the codes on PB’s book reads 5318008, which of course is the universal code for boobies, and Ice King has “I.L.P.B.” carved in his castle (I love Princess Bubblegum). Also, this episode introduced Bubblegum’s interesting bilingual ability to speak German. Maybe the mother gum formed in Germany? Theories!

And of course, any episode that ends with Jake happily carrying Finn through the Candy Kingdom gets a thumbs up from me. Also, fun fact: when this episode first aired, there was a random commercial break after Ice King flies off when Finn and Jake let him out. It was totally and completely absurd and made me think I was getting a two-parter. But sadly, I wasn’t. Boo.

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Adventure Time, Animation

“Rainy Day Daydream” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: September 6, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Pendleton Ward

People often turn to Rainy Day Daydream when considering good starter episodes for those looking to begin watching AT. I concur with this notion and believe that this episode, along with The Enchiridion, really define and introduce the overall goofy and adventurous aspects of the series. Rainy Day Daydream, written and storyboarded by creator Pendleton Ward, may be the Pen Ward-iest episode of them all. It’s reeking with his creativity and silliness, it’s an overall charming depiction of the characters he created and holds so dear to him.

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There are loads of creative concepts in this one. From knife storms to Conversation Parade video games, the episode is oozing with creativity in its very first minute. Throughout the years watching it, I’ve always had mixed emotions about the imagination aspect in this episode. On one hand, it’s an impressive feat that the episode manages to throw so many creative monsters and obstacles in without ever actually showing them, but on the other hand, it would’ve been cool to see the actual designs of some of these creatures and traps. It’d be a bit more interesting if the episode was half nothing happening, half Finn and Jake’s point of view.RDD 3.png

But what we got was still tons of fun, and I really love Pen Ward’s influence on his characters. This is the only episode to be solo written and boarded by Pendleton Ward, so it’s interesting to get to see his vision of an AT episode completely on his own. The way he writes Finn and Jake is so likable and charming, and why shouldn’t it be? These are his characters, and Ward knows them better than anyone. I also really like how he allows F&J to have moments to just shoot the shit for a bit and hang out; there’s a scene where the boys flee to the attic and Jake finds some banana candy and juice and shares it with his brother. It takes up a good thirty seconds and is completely unrelated to the rest of the episode, but it’s just so enjoyably random and laid back that I really don’t mind. I like that Finn and Jake are two characters that can just sit back and enjoy life, yet still be entertaining to watch.

And this episode does its damnedest to highlight all the likability of each character: Finn’s enthusiasm and love for anything thrilling and adventurous, and Jake’s “bombastic personality” and love for thinking outside the box. Most importantly though, it highlights Finn and Jake’s terrifically crafted relationship, and the heartwarming and fun aspects of it. The more I think about it really, the more I realize how the show managed to make an amusing and exciting adventurous episode without even leaving the tree fort. It takes two strong main characters to carry that out, and I’m glad this show has Finn and Jake to turn their boredom into something very enjoyable for us.

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“Good dog.”

Adventure Time, Animation

“Henchman” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: August 23, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Luther McLaurin & Cole Sanchez

Aside from Heat Signature, another Marceline-centric episode, Henchman is an episode of Adventure Time I’ve most likely viewed the least amount of times. That’s not to say it’s bad either (nor is Heat Signature, for that matter) I’ve just happen to revisit it much less frequently than other episodes. However, upon watching it again, I’ve realized how important it is as a developmental episode for Marceline. Marceline’s relationship with Finn and Jake was left off ambiguously in Evicted!, and it was clear that more had to evolve before the three of them can be considered friends. Here, Jake doesn’t budge, but Finn and Marceline begin to develop a true friendship.

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I really miss episodes like this especially. Sometime after season three, Finn and Marceline’s friendship just sorta dies out. Of course, they still hang out from time to time, but really, the show has done its best to shift its focus off of their friendship and more so onto Marceline and Bubblegum’s relationship. Don’t get me wrong, PB and Marcy’s relationship has developed beautifully throughout the series, but I really miss Finn and Marceline just being able to hangout. They’re just two cool people having fun. Watching them onscreen together is always a delightfully good time, and that’s exactly what this episode does best.

One of the true highlights is that this is the first continuity heavy and developmental episode; Marceline’s return, Jake’s fear of vampires, Finn and Marceline bonding, Marceline drinking the color red, and the return of the Duke of Nuts and family. When I first saw it, it was nice for me to see that Adventure Time was a show that didn’t ditch its secondary characters. Of course, this is the last time we ever get to see the Duke of Nuts, and I do hope that he was able to get his life together through therapy and rehabilitation. That dude deserves it.

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Of course, the backgrounds and scenery are beautiful as always. There are some really rich nighttime colors (outside the Duke of Nuts castle) and some very colorful and bright contrasts (the strawberry patch). I really like how predictable and unpredictable the trials that Marceline put Finn through could be at times as well. You always know there’s a twist, but you’re never certain on how they’re going to be a twist. You’re half expecting Marceline to go through with her demented plans at times, but simultaneously reminded that somehow something is going to subvert it. Really good way of keeping things creative and investing in a somewhat predictable premise.

I’m not a big shipper, but I gotta say guys, I really love when Marceline and Finn hangout. Of course, I know it would never work because of the thousand year age difference, but their interactions between each other are just so cute and fun. They really bring out the most exciting and amusing sides of both characters, and watching them feed off of each other in this episode is just so delightful and charming. I really love the way this episode ends with both of them finding a newfound respect for each other. And of course, I feel as though Finn’s influence on Marceline helps her to become a better person. Or vampire. Or half-demon. Whatever. Also, I’ve always a big fan of Marceline’s wardrobe changes, and her outfit in this episode is one of my favorites. In most of my crude notebook doodles, you’ll usually find Marceline sporting this outfit.

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So while I’ve viewed this episode sparingly, it’s proved to be one of the most entertaining, as well as the most developmental episode of season one.

Adventure Time, Animation

“Donny” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: August 9, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Kent Osborne, Adam Muto & Niki Yang

Sort of interesting how this episode and the last one have both dealt with our protagonists coming to term with the fact that some jerks are just bound the be jerks (or in this case, have to be). Donny certainly isn’t nearly as interesting as Magic Man; MM is so apathetic and sadistic that it makes him stand out from almost every other character in the series, while Donny is borderline just your stereotypical jerk/bully character with not much that makes him standout. I feel like it could’ve been a good “you can’t force people to change who they are” episode, but what we got was just fine.

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I actually really do like the connection between Finn and Donny. Instead of simply chastising Donny for his behavior, Finn does his best to be positive and try to help correct Donny’s wrongdoings, even after Donny fucks up BMO. Also, this is BMO’s first speaking appearance in the series! After a couple episodes of being nothing but a lifeless game console with arms and legs, he finally speaks up. It’s probably worth noting that after this episode I never questioned the fact that Jake was naked after this episode. I always just generally thought every episode after this “he has pants woven from spider webs”.

As usual, the backgrounds in this one are beautiful. This show never does a nighttime shade wrong; the nice darker blue palette is really illuminating and blends extremely well with the characters. The concept of the why-wolves is also a delightfully bizarre and clever idea. The idea of “obnoxegen” was a bit worthy of an eye roll, though.

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In the end, despite the episode being fairly light and humorous throughout, things turn out a bit tragically for our anti-hero Donny. Although he happily returns to his life as a jerk in the end, it’s clear that he greatly appreciated and benefited from Finn’s company. Finn was the first person to believe that he could be more than just a bully, and if the end shows anything, it’s that Donny has learned something from spending time with Finn and has learned to care and empathize for others, even if the world calls for him to be a jerk. That’s true heroism right there. It’s a shame we never get to see Donny again. He really should’ve been the special guest host of Ooo’s battle of the bands.

Adventure Time, Animation

“Freak City” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: July 26, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Pendleton Ward & Tom Herpich

Magic Man is surely one of my favorite recurring characters, and one of my favorite villains in the series. There’s something about his apathetic nature and general disregard for anything and anyone that just gives him such a strong presence among mostly non-sadistic or cynical characters. I’m also a sucker for jerks with tragic backstories, and Magic Man fits the mold perfectly. Has anyone ever noted the similarities between MM and Ice King? They’re both Tom Kenny voiced wizards who tragically lost the ones they loved which drove them to near insanity and sadness. Parallels!

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It still surprises me just how delightfully vicious MM’s actions in the episode are. My blood still runs cold from the sight of that bird’s skin turn inside out, and turning Finn into a giant foot was hilariously wicked. Still, it’s a bit upsetting to me that he ends up disappearing for the majority of the episode. A good chunk of the remainder of the episode is mostly just Finn adjusting to living life as a foot, and a couple of the other poor souls who were transformed into limbs. I would’ve preferred bit more of Finn and Magic Man working off each other, but what we got with the multiple discarded body parts was perfectly passable. Anytime we get to hear Finn’s auto-tuned voice with trippy backgrounds is certainly a highlight. I also find it odd that these limb people never returned later in the show. They’re all pretty funny in their own right and have their own definitive characteristics. Also, their designs! They’re so unique looking and so well detailed that I can’t believe that were never featured in the show again. I really hope they all come back together for the show’s endgame.

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The most noteworthy thing about this episode, however, is that Jake totally has a foot fetish, you guys. He has some odd obsession with wanting to be a foot that he notes that Finn won’t understand till he’s older. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but it just kinda seems like something they stuck with overtime. He likes getting his feet kissed by clowns, and I remember him continuously talking to his foot in Hey Ice King! Why’d You Steal Our Garbage? (pretty solid game, by the way). Maybe Tier 15 involves turning into a giant foot or something? I dunno.

I continuously mention that season one is riddled with great life lessons for Finn, and this one is subtle, yet important. Some people are just giant dicks in life for no reason, and there’s not really anything you can do about it besides accept it. You can try your best to change them, but it usually won’t work to your avail. I’m not sure if that’s what Finn gets out of it in the end, but I’m pretty positive that’s what Magic was trying to teach. And it’s taught in a humorous Magic Man-y way, considering that’s mostly how MM attempts to hammer in life lessons.

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This is also the first episode storyboarded by Tom Herpich, who is honestly one of my favorite storyboard artists on Adventure Time. He’s written for such classics as Lemonhope, Escape From the Citadel, Evergreen, and The Hall of Egress. This episode isn’t necessarily up to his best work, and I can’t even really figure out which part of the episode he worked on (the storyboard oddly claims that Luther McLaurin and Armen Mirzaian worked on this epsiode) but it’s a decent introduction to a character he was surely much fond of, Magic Man. And of course, Pen Ward’s quirkiness and charming influence on his characters helps boost this to be a genuinely very likable episode.

Adventure Time, Animation

“The Duke” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: July 19, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Elizabeth Ito & Adam Muto

If you ask me, I think Princess Bubblegum is certainly one of the most fleshed out and developed characters on Adventure Time. While every character has their spotlight of hidden depth and character development, Bonnie Bubblegum has grown the most beyond her original stereotype of “the pretty princess”. Though the show has pandered to her by making her character seem so one-dimensional, this is the first time we get to take a gander at her darker side. And booooy, is it fun.

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Like a lot of the first season episodes, The Duke offers a somewhat generic premise, but it goes in a somewhat interesting and delightful direction that I don’t really mind it as much. After Finn and Jake mess around with some bottles, they accidentally turn Peebles green and bald. So begins her descent in psychosis. I think the most interesting thing about her freakout is that it was never built up upon in past episodes. She’s just completely batshit whilst she was mild-mannered and friendly the past 5 or 6 episodes she was in. Again, it sort of adds to her character while also acknowledging that this is most likely a pre-existing side of her personality.

Aside from that though, the backgrounds and designs in this episode are terrific. First of all, the Palace of Nuts is awesome. I don’t think I’ve ever given Ghostshrimp proper credit on this blog before, but his background work for the first season (and every following season he’s worked on) is outstanding. The details of the castle and landscape are terrifically mapped out and the colors of the sky and kingdom are beautifully vibrant and poppy.

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What I like most about this episode is the introduction of two characters who really deserve more screen time than they’ve ever received: The Duke of Nuts and the Duchess of Nuts. The Duke of Nuts is an enjoyably polite character, and I especially enjoy anytime Steve Little does a voice for the show. The Duke’s voice inflections would later be transferred to Turtle Princess and Nurse Pound Cake, but I especially feel like the voice fits this character. I dunno… something about Steve Little voicing an anthropomorphic nut just seems so right. In addition to PB’s psychosis, the Duchess of Nuts is another “nutty” (I’m really sorry for that one guys) character whose personality and presence is so strong that I’m only wishing we could’ve seen more of her. Also, that squirrel who is unhealthily obsessed with Jake debuts in this episode, and boy is he a riot. I wasn’t really crazy about his subsequent appearances, but just the ambiguity of his character in this episode cracks me. Why won’t Jake answer his fan mail? Since when does Jake have a holographic advice column? Also, I need a full length rip of his background score.

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Most importantly though, this episode offers an important life lesson for Finn, given by the Duke himself: “Making mistakes is part of growing up, and you never really stop growing,” which basically translates to “you’re gonna fuck up a lot in life, but hey, that’s just life.” Even if you do consume barrels of pudding and turn your crush green and bald, you still have opportunities to redeem yourself. Which is exactly what happens in the end when Finn and Jake step in for Bubblegum at the Grand Meeting of Ooo Royalty, only to get. It’s a shame we don’t get to see more of the Duke, I really hope that he got that pudding deficiency regulated. I know how much of a struggle that can be.

Adventure Time, Animation

“Dungeon” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: July 12, 2010

Written & Storyboarded by: Elizabeth Ito & Adam Muto

One of Adventure Time‘s strongest influences, as well as creator Pendleton Ward’s greatest inspiration, are the Dungeons and Dragons video game series. While I was never a D&D junkie, or even a big roleplaying game fan myself, there’s no denying the impact it has had on society. From numerous pop cultural references to even immensely popular actors such as Robin Williams (God rest his soul) have admitted that its one of their favorite games of all time. It really seems like all of that passion towards one of the most popular roleplaying games of all time went specifically into this incredibly fun episode.

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One of the first things I noticed while rewatching this episode is that this is the first episode where Finn’s voice is noticeably changing. It’s only a slight change, but the reason I mentioned this was to make an observation on how Jeremy Shada’s voice work as Finn has developed so naturally throughout the years that it’s barely even noticeable when it begins to change. For example, though I think Zach Callison’s voice work as Steven on Steven Universe, while his inflections are terrific, his transition through puberty has been a bit less gradual. It’s understandable; he’s 19-year-old trying to force a 14-year-old’s voice, so it’s bound to be less natural sounding. Finn’s voice has always replicated a gradual journey from adolescence into adulthood.

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In addition, this is the first episode to really stress the differences between Finn and Jake. Finn is, of course, the energetic and pure hearted hero, while Jake can be a giant lazy fuck at times. It brings out the strongest parts of each character, but also makes an effort to still make Jake likable and fun to be around. In addition, we’re showcased to some creative and fun video game esque villains. Demon Cat, voiced by Clancy Brown, is an incredibly designed and amusingly creepy character. I love how his approximate knowledge of everything coincides with his limbs not fully connecting to his body. Nice little touch!

There’s also a Bucket Knight who grows when adding water and an evil Guardian Angel. All of these foes are so interesting that they could easily have entire episode devoted to them, especially that evil Guardian Angel. I wanna know what her deal is. The real draw of this episode, however, is the relationship between Finn and Jake. Jake is written terrifically in this episode; once it’s revealed that both Finn and Jake couldn’t make it through the dungeon, Jake doesn’t gloat or rub it in Finn’s face, but instead goes so far as to help Finn win a bet against. That’s true friendship right there.

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This is a delightful fun romp. AT has done several terrific dungeon episodes following this one (Dad’s Dungeon, Mystery Dungeon, Dungeon Train, Hall of Egress, etc.) and Dungeon is no exception. It highlights everything that makes the first season so great: lots of poppy animation, high energy, a lot of random humor, very creative locations and characters, and two likable heroes in the spotlight. What more do you need?