Tag: Graham Falk

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Lady Rainicorn of the Crystal Dimension” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: April 16, 2016

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

Before we start, I wanted to make a brief announcement. By next summer, this blog will be wrapping up, as I move into the final few seasons. I should have a schedule out at some point for the remaining 50-or-so episodes and when their respective reviews will be posted. Not sure about post-blog content yet, but I am starting up a podcast reviewing animated programs in general that I’m particularly psyched about! I’m sharing this because I have an open application for anyone who might be interested in co-hosting with myself. If you’re interested in applying, feel free to do so and you might have the chance to work with a huge dork like myself! The application will be open until the first week in December, so I’ll keep advertising on the blog until then. On with the review!

It’s easy to see why Lady Rainicorn is the virtually the most ignored main character in the series. Like so many other unintelligible or foreign characters from other miscellaneous TV programs (Kenny from South Park, Coco from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, Boomhauer from King of the Hill, etc.), Lady is difficult to incorporate into main stories because a majority of AT’s audience, including the characters themselves, do not understand Lady’s Korean (or whatever language she speaks in dubbed versions) dialect. Lady’s native tongue is primarily what makes her interesting and unique, but while the other prominent characters begin to develop and change throughout the series, Lady and the other unintelligible characters I mentioned tend to generally lose focus, as the initial charm of their character cannot compete with the changes surrounding them. That being said, I do love Lady as a character. As unique as her voice is on its own, I actually think that she possesses a more intriguing trait that ties into my fondness for her: she’s perhaps the most normal and mature character in the series. It’s odd to say that when referring to a sentient rainbow unicorn, but it’s the truth; while the main cast is either enjoyably goofy (Jake, LSP, BMO) or filled to the brim with baggage (Princess Bubblegum, Marceline) or somewhere in between (Finn, Ice King), Lady proves to be the most laid back in her behavior and the most stable when it comes to her emotions. Now, that doesn’t mean she has no problems, as seen in this episode, but she’s matured to the point where she’s confident enough to tackle her issues head on and dismiss them accordingly. And we see her do just that in this episode, where she not only confronts her hateful past boyfriend, but her past in general.

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It’s important to note that this is the first episode in the series to use subtitles to translate Lady’s dialogue (among others) to the audience. I’m kind of half and half about this decision; on the one hand, I feel like part of the charm regarding Lady also contributed to the fact that the audience was never spoon-fed when it came to trying to decipher exactly what Lady is saying, whether it be theorized guesses, or just working off of body language and tone. On the other hand, I’m… not entirely sure this episode would work without them? It’s hard to say, because I want to claim that I’d be able to get through this one fine without subtitles, but I’ll never truly know because I’ll never have the option to do so. So, ultimately I feel as though it was a fully necessary decision, but one that I will always feel a bit iffy about just because I generally feel like it takes away part of the fun about Lady’s character. The only other issue I have with the subtitles actually doesn’t apply anymore; when this episode first aired, the giant fucking Cartoon Network logo took up half of the screen and covered parts of the dialogue, which was hella distracting. Luckily, DVD and digital releases mean I no longer have to complain about this minor inconvenience anymore! On the whole, it is really cool that a majority of the dialogue in this episode is spoken in Korean. I don’t know how well the younger kiddos are into reading written dialogue, but I still think it’s cool for the sensibilities of non-Korean speaking lads to be challenged by watching an entire 11 minute block of Korean speech. That’s also implying that any younger kids actually watched this episode, what with the fact that CN completely gave up on advertising by this point in time, which led to record-low ratings for this episode, but I digress.

While this episode is somewhat intended to be a Lady-focused episode, T.V. takes just as much spotlight when he essentially lures Lee in, LR’s former boyfriend, and instigates the main conflict of the episode. While I do enjoy this one overall, I think this is the episode that made T.V. go from a pup that I just didn’t care much for, to my least favorite of his siblings. He really has no motivation in the entire episode, and merely is there to, as I mentioned, drive the conflict forward and to be as selfish and lazy as possible. A lot of people would argue that Kim Kil Whan is more unlikable because of his actions in Ocarina, but I think that Kim Kil Whan is at least a less hollow character. KKW is certainly harsh in his actions, though he’s driven by his desires to ensure that his father leads a worthwhile life (in his eyes, at least), while T.V. is simply driven by his desire to do whatever he wants and to mooch off of the people who treat him better than he deserves to be treated, and he still gets rewarded by the end of the episode. It really reminds me of all the Lumpy Space Princess episodes where she acts like an absolute asshole to others and suffers no repercussions. Just leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth. 

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Thankfully, the other two main characters of this episode are much more enjoyable. I think Lee is a particularly interesting villain with a unique voice (he’s actually portrayed by former storyboard artist Bert Youn, awesome!). I like how Lee isn’t necessarily one-dimensional in his bigotry, as he’s more so seeking socio-economic security, rather than being racist for the sake of being racist. Lee wants to root for whoever’s on top, whether that means demeaning those different from him, or going against his own species as a result. But he isn’t just a straightforward villain, and he’s actually quite charming, for the most part. This especially factors into how Lady and Lee ended up together to begin with. While Lee is obviously rebellious and close-minded, it seems like he actually treated Lady well, for the most part. He was seemingly kind, loving, and even intended on keeping her away from his more elaborate plans to harm dog-kind. Of course, he’s clearly shown to be manipulative when Lady does find out, and likely cares more about his rank within the Crystal Dimension more than he actually cares for her. It really does ring true to me that toxic people are typically the most charming individuals you come across: they’re funny, down to have a good time, and bring with them loads of energy and immediate social gratification. It isn’t until later that the charm begins to fade and the true ugliness of these beings begins to show, in which Lady gradually picks up on as she spends time with Lee. That’s the other factor regarding toxic people: those who surround them are sometimes the nicest souls out there, but easily impressionable and ignorant to seeing the cons of humanity. Their entire backstory is told successfully through the use Lady’s easily seen progression and the clear implication that prejudice following the Rainicorn-Dog Wars still exists in the mainstream.

There’s a lot of really neat subtext regarding the post-Rainicorn-Dog Wars world. It’s very clear that, while prejudice is still rampant, there are means of progression in terms of some citizens. It’s clear that the native language of rainicorns is Korean, while dogs primarily speak English. Bob and Ethel (who make their triumphant return!) use translators, likely because they want to adapt to the changing society and to communicate with other dogs around them. While other characters like Roy speak in English entirely… which is strange, because he seems to be on board with Lee’s whole plan, but it could also mean that he too is tired of conforming to the standards that society has pushed onto him. I’m just glad that Fred Stoller got to provide his talents for the show. And I just noticed that their names are Lee and Roy. Leroy. Hm.

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Keeping in tradition with the rest of this episode, this one just looks awesome. Crystals Have Power previously introduced us to a considerably less interesting Crystal Dimension, but this one is awesome. I love the combination of bleak, subdued backgrounds, coupled with the bright and colorful crystals that surround them. There’s so many locations and backdrops that were specially made for this episode; background designers Andy Ristaino and Chris Tsirgiotis really put in all of their effort to ensure that the Crystal Dimension feels big and expansive, and they truly made something beautiful in the process. Not to mention, it allowed for them to have as much fun with making everything as crystallized as possible. Even the clouds are crystals! Aside from backgrounds, this episode has a keen sense of character design to it as well. It is so clearly Graham Falk’s work, and that fact really shines through when looking at all of the different dog designs that he drew up. I too love that he made a valiant effort to divert from making all of the dogs look too similar to Jake, but also made it apparent that he didn’t want to make them too different either. Falk’s zany sense of humor is also apparent as always, but most prominent when Lady merely uses a newspaper to wade off the opposition of Lee’s dog guards. That had me in stitches.

One main criticism I have about this one is that I don’t really like how it ends. Aside from the T.V. aspect I mentioned earlier, I feel like the crystallized sandwich has no real payoff. I guess it is somewhat of a humorous tie-in to Jake’s love of sandwiches, and that dogs in general have some special kind affection for the food item in general, but I just don’t really get how it works and why it consumed Lee, but not T.V. And the way T.V. saves the day by simply placing the sandwich back in the box is really lame. I feel like Graham Falk wrote in this aspect to merely drive the conflict of the episode, but didn’t really have anywhere to go with it from there. It really feels like a rushed and barely thought out conclusion.

But, in general, I think Lady Rainicorn of the Crystal Dimension is nice. I don’t think it’s particularly great, but after seven seasons, it’s entirely necessary for Lady to have this type of star role for an episode. It’s an interesting exploration of her backstory, and the backstory of the Crystal Dimension in general, with silly gags and animation scattered throughout. It has its issues story and character-wise, but it’s one that provides for a strong exploration of one of AT’s most mysterious characters.

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Favorite line: “Prayer works!”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Summer Showers” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: January 7, 2016

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

Just as a heads up for all you blog readers, this will be the last week where reviews are posted semi-daily. As my schedule begins to get busy, I’ll resume posting at least once or twice a week (with the exception of breaks) which should lead up to the beginning of summer 2019, where this blog will begin to come to an end. Though, there’s no need to worry about that now, as there’s still tons of other episodes coming up that I couldn’t be more excited to cover.

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For now, we have Summer Showers. Viola is one of my favorites of the pups, and it’s a shame that this is only star role to date. She’s actually the pup who gets the least amount of flack and screentime, and is often sidelined by her siblings Kim Kil Whan and T.V. (who are, ironically, my least favorite of Jake’s children). Regardless, she makes a lasting impression in her first prominent role, not particularly because her personality is exaggerated like her other siblings, but because she’s down to Earth and easily relatable, and represents the anxieties of a young adult quite nicely.

I probably have said this an endless amount of times by now about various different characters, but Viola’s character is carried a lot by the talent of her voice actor, Paget Brewster. It’s actually funny, because I could’ve swore Viola was voiced by Maria Bamford at first, as Brewster hits on all of those same notes of sensuality and commitment. In addition to her voice, Viola’s role in the episode itself is really what helps to define the struggles of her character and to make her a thoroughly captivating protagonist. While it can easily be drawn to a matter of how the world of theatre works (and as a former theatre kid myself, I can confirm this as realism), it also shows the issue of being caught in a job or position that isn’t exactly something to brag about or even to be proud of.

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Of course, one can learn to accept their duties as simply a start-up position that they can gradually work their way up from, but one of the bigger burdening pressures (that I can relate to especially as someone who is soon going be graduating from college) is the belief that your parental figure will be disappointed and let down. This is exactly what Viola experiences when meeting with Jake at a local coffee shop. I think Jake’s relationship with Viola is definitely the sweetest out of any of his kids, and it’s so delightful to see him as genuinely proud and full of joy over Viola’s successes. Of course, this probably only stresses Viola out more, though it wasn’t Jake’s intention. His brief moment of doubt and guilt within his own parental skills is definitely sad, but it’s reassuring that he does experience immense pride in the success of his kids, and sweet to see that he is actively trying to see them more. Also a nice touch: he’s wearing Joshua’s hat again!

Initially, I was somewhat bothered by Lumpy Space Princess’s harsh portrayal throughout the entirety of the episode, but I’ve really warmed up to her in subsequent appearances. It doesn’t feel like she’s being an asshole just for the sake of being an asshole; LSP truly feels like a passionate director who isn’t particularly nice or fair to her cast, but is set on having her vision fulfilled as much as possible. And while it’s somewhat dull, the Summer Showers play seems to be actually good. It isn’t materialistic or an attempt to play off of LSP’s vanity, like The Prince Who Wanted Everything was, and seems like Lumpy Space Princess put legitimate work into making it coherent and engaging. It’s a surprising feat for herself, and no matter how aggressive she gets during said production (in somewhat humorous notions; I love how she consistently treats Viola like an actual dog), it all contributes to the internal stress that overpowers her. While LSP views Viola as a mere lackey, the two are more alike than she could have expected. LSP too suffers from anxieties regarding the fact that she may not be able to create a successful life for herself, and instead of venting her own issues out in retaliation, Viola is charismatic and listens to LSP’s every word, trying to please her by getting the raindrops just right.

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The middle part of the episode can get a bit dull, as it’s mostly just a completely straightforward depiction of the summer showers play, which isn’t inherently interesting on its own, though not particularly painful to watch in any means necessary. Tree Trunks, Crunchy, and Mr. Cupcake get nice side roles, and something that always strikes me as especially funny is Mr. Pig’s over-the-top reaction to Tree Trunks having a kissing scene. The guy already has to deal with a demonic child in his house, but he also has to juggle Tree Trunks’ bullshit on top of all that. He may be the most stress-ridden person in Ooo.

That charisma carries through in Viola’s every step, as she takes it upon herself to learn all of the lines to the actual play, and commits to being the best stagehand possible. She’s truly shown to be dedicated to her work in every way necessary, which only helps to show her breaking point when LSP selfishly casts herself in the role after everything that Viola has accomplished. It’s a nice to see that, even if she is mild-mannered and a bit of a pushover, Viola does have her limits. It does provide for her to have her moment of victory, and to even still commit to the role that she was intended to play.

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And even though LSP was duped, she still gets her moment of victory when the play proves to be a success (with a cute multi-handed clap from Jake), and Viola experiences her own euphoria in more than one way. While Jake is supportive of her role within the play, he’s even more enthralled by the fact that she ran the “special effects” department. While not everyone can say that their parents are supportive of them in any endeavor, Summer Showers does show off the benefit of having supportive parents by your side, no matter what endeavor you take up. It’s truly sweet to see how affectionate Jake is toward his daughter’s passion, even if it isn’t exactly what she is engaged in herself, and to see that she’s able to breathe easy, knowing she has the approval of her family. Except for that dick Kim Kil Whan, who didn’t even show up to his sister’s play!

Summer Showers is definitely one that’s “nice,” and I think that’s the best word I can use to describe it. It has nice character portrayals, a nice story, and nice individual moments. Certainly not mindblowingly dramatic or even exceptionally funny, but an entirely pleasurable experience regardless, mostly because of Viola’s terrific presence. Some moments are a bit dull throughput, but they’re completely justified by Finn’s hilarious reaction to the play itself. I think we’ve all been there at one point or another, buddy.

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Favorite line: “DON’T INTERRUPT ME WHEN I’M BERATING YOU!”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Cherry Cream Soda” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: November 4, 2015

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

As far as I’m concerned, the only thing more offensive than Root Beer Guy’s death is his revival in Cherry Cream Soda. I wasn’t particularly mad at the fact that the show initially killed off Root Beer Guy back in Something Big, as I never thought that RBG’s character needed any subsequent appearances outside of his debut. He was a lot of fun in Root Beer Guy, and it was nice to see him in brief cameo shots afterwards, but he doesn’t have the type of personality that truly leaves me wanting more. My main gripe with his death was that I thought it was presented a bit tastelessly, and I would have preferred just never seeing RBG again than to have him kicked off in such a mean-spirited way. But of course, a ton of people were upset with his death, and I’m sure that was part of the reason the writing staff decided to resurrect his character once more. It’s not even like Prismo, whose revival at least provides for an important episode down the line. RBG was simply brought back for the sake of this one episode, and instead of being the fun reunion that Is That You? was, Cherry Cream Soda mostly has me scratching my head and asking “why?” At this point in the series, it’s quite frustrating that Adventure Time cannot simply just commit to killing off a character. This isn’t even an instance that provides for a juicy or interesting story, like with Prismo, and later with Glob and Fern. Cherry Cream Soda genuinely feels like a waste of my time.

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The strongest part of this episode is definitely the beginning, and I don’t even mean in comparison to everything else. Cherry Cream Soda going about her day, unable to move past the grief that surrounds her with each waking morning, was legitimately good stuff. The atmosphere is sad and ominous, and carried a lot by the backgrounds, music, and terrific voice work from Anne Heche. Heche is definitely the best part of this episode, devoting her full energy to every single line presented to her. Of course, I don’t know at all what it’s like to be a struggling widow, but the situation is presented so well that CCS still has my fullest sympathy. There’s many poignant exchanges, mainly between CCS and her newly wedded husband Starchy: “I love you, baby, but isn’t there an expiration date to this grieving thing?” “I don’t think it works that way.” It’s quite frankly a melancholic sentiment that reinforces how the pain of losing a loved one never truly disappears, especially early on. There’s also that depressing opening statement from CCS of, “one day at a time,” which is an optimistic viewpoint in its own right, but typically translates to struggling.

The flashback reveal that CCS and RBG were literally “made for each other” is also an interesting concept that really sheds to light on how the Candy People operate. While it doesn’t seem ill-intentioned, PB’s behavior once again comes into question on whether or not the methods of creating her people were actually orthodox or not. On one hand, it is nice that PB created two beings and automatically paired the two with one another – it’s almost like character constructing, in a way! But on the other hand, she never gave Cherry Cream Soda or Root Beer Guy the option to be alone or even to get to know each other. This may relate to PB’s failure to understand just how much humanity that her people do possess, and that not everyone can be as dumb and half-witted as Cinnamon Bun.

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That’s pretty much where the good stuff ends, as Cherry Cream Soda bids a final farewell to her late husband. Might I also note that RBG being revived by lightening is the single most uncreative revival this series has ever pulled. In a world full of magic, the episode uses a method that is absolutely banal.

What follows this lightening strike is just… weird. I know that’s a vague statement on its own, because AT as a whole is an inherently obscure series, but Cherry Cream Soda is unusual in all the wrong ways. It feels like the episode is trying to be really quirky and jokey with the way that Root Beer Guy and Starchy interact with Cherry Cream Soda, but after the already established macabre tone from the first act, it’s kind of tough to get behind this story taking somewhat of a goofy turn. It’s also just really… uncomfortable. I get why Cherry Cream Soda is pissed at RBG and think the pain that she conveys is legitimate, but I also think it’s unnecessary for Root Beer Guy to get shit all over. I mean, he literally sacrificed himself so that he could potentially save all of the Candy Kingdom (and possibly Ooo) in the process, and now he’s suddenly alive out of nowhere. Did Cherry Cream Soda expect him to NOT come back and feel like everything is normal? I really don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling or even who I’m supposed to be rooting for. This feels like the exact wrong episode to put Graham Falk behind the helm. Granted, Falk storyboarded the original Root Beer Guy episode, so it only makes sense that he would also board its successor, but his style is way too zany and comical for a complex scenario such as this one. But it’s not only that it’s complex, it’s also that I just don’t really… care. I cared about Root Beer Guy and Cherry Cream Soda’s relationship in Root Beer Guy mainly because of the comically melodramatic tone that episode took on, but here, it really just does not work. It’s not fun in the slightest, and that’s fine that the episode wanted to take a more dramatic turn, but my investment in the withstanding of Cherry Cream Soda and Root Beer Guy’s relationship is little to none. The humanity that both characters showcased in both Root Beer Guy and the beginning of Cherry Cream Soda are what make their characters legitimately poignant, but when you take out that humanity and substitute it with a bizarre, unlikely situation, it kind of kills what made their characters interesting to begin with.

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I’ll give Cherry Cream Soda this, I do like the scene with (the newly christened) Dirt Beer Guy within the Candy Tavern, mainly because I had missed seeing Lady and Jake together after such a long time. But, that scene ends as quickly as it starts, and we’re treated to a truly off-putting squabble between Starchy and DBG. I’m typically impartial to Starchy, but he’s painfully unfunny and unlikable in this scenario. The bits towards the end where Starchy attempts to get rid of DBG are paced so awkwardly and unremarkable that I honestly remember thinking to myself, “if this is what season seven has to offer this early on, AT might be in trouble.” Luckily, that statement was soon retracted, but the bad taste of this one still remains. The ending scene where CCS chooses to dump Starchy, and then get to know Dirt Beer Guy, somewhat makes for a nice ending, but it’s also slightly confusing. I mean, the main thing that is different about CCS’s husband is his physical appearance, but it seems like he’s pretty much the same person that he always was. And, even though they never got a chance to “take it slow” before, didn’t years of being married give CCS and RBG a chance to really get to know each other? So, I get what the ending is trying to accomplish, but I feel like it’s somewhat squandered in its execution. I do like Cherry Cream Soda’s line of “one date at a time,” that mimics her first statement in the episode, but I also feel as though Cherry Cream Soda ends pretty much out of nowhere. Again, this is a series that usually features abrupt endings, but this one felt especially unceremonious.

Cherry Cream Soda is just simply a shit show of tonal confusion, and one that really, really makes me wish that Root Beer Guy just stayed dead. I’m usually fairly forgiving with plot points and story arcs that I don’t particularly like because I grow to appreciate how they affected the series in the long run, but I can honestly say that Root Beer Guy’s revival may be one of the most POINTLESS stories that Adventure Time has ever told. There’s that bit of lore regarding the creation of the Candy People, but that’s about it. I feel as though I have gained nothing from this episode and his subsequent appearances. I really would have liked if Cherry Cream Soda just committed to the “CCS is a sad widow who is trying to get by each day” story, because that was most certainly the most well done aspect of this episode, but even those bits are made absolutely pointless by the fact that everything ends up alright in the end. We’re instead treated with an uncomfortably harsh story that’s nowhere near as poignant or interesting, and one that is most definitely among my least favorites.

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Favorite line: “Honey, I’m fairly upset that you remarried.”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Orgalorg” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: June 3, 2015

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

As a whole, I think I’m pretty neutral to the idea that Gunter is truly a space deity. I mean, on the one hand it’s kind of funny and clever, especially since it ties back into a small gag that was established all in the way back in It Came From the Nightosphere and also that it’s an unlikely backstory that I would expect from Adventure Time’s most ambiguous character. But on the other hand, I’m kind of curious as to what it actually adds to the series. As far as I’m concerned, Orgalorg could have been cut out of the series almost entirely and not much would be lost, so it’s weird to me that the writing staff even decided that this was a story important enough to introduce at the very end of a season and then effectively glance over for the remainder of the series. In addition to that, I don’t really care enough for Gunter as a character to actually want to see his backstory explored. He’s primarily a gag character whose sole purpose is to add comic relief or to work off of Ice King in some way. But going back to my original point, it’s not something that actively bothers me or strikes me as story carried out in an absolutely horrible way. Granted, I really don’t care a ton about the history explored in Orgalorg, but Graham Falk’s oddball style blends with this one quite seamlessly, and helps to give it a compellingly off-putting atmosphere.

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I think the beginning goes on waaaay too long, but in a way that’s actually pretty amusing and still reels a couple chuckles out of me. It’s pure Ice King goodness, as he starts out knitting various different “tummy yarmulkes” and takes his sweet time to eat a piece of a cheesecake (with sleeping gas very poorly concealed inside). Again, I can’t argue that it’s not drawn out, but it’s executed in such an absurd way that I can’t help but enjoy it. Like, Ice King got out the cheesecake, took one bite, and then mentions that he’s getting full. No wonder the dude probably weighs less than Finn. Absurdity continues to ensue once the sleeping gas is released, as a penguin party is underway.

The party of Gunters is a lot of fun; the penguins on Adventure Time often help to provide for some of the show’s silliest moments, and this is no exception. I also like the random inclusion of LSP at the Gunter party, because apparently this is the only crowd that actually invites her anywhere. Oh well, at least she was getting along good with Gunthalina. Gunter is a character that’s hard to get into because of how little we’re able to actually understand what he’s feeling at any given time, though Falk does a pretty good job at keeping him expressive. Him leaning into the walrus as he envisions a comet was a pretty well-timed scene, and one that transitions into the bizarreness that is the remainder of the episode.

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The red-ish filter that encapsulates the Gunter’s perspective helps to emphasize that off feeling, and Gunter’s flashes of trauma are a legitimately neat way to capture his shifted mindset. The scenes to follow are delightfully trippy as well, as Gunter feels compelled to create wooden silhouettes of familiar faces from his past. The music in this one really ups the unsettling tone, as Tim Kiefer tries his hardest to make the audio as unnatural as possible.

Once transitioning over to the alien planet where citizens are notified of Orgalorg’s revival into society, things get even crazier. It’s rare that we actually get to see a full-blown alien society within the Adventure Time universe, and these beings are especially likably bizarre and unique in their designs. They provide plenty of funny lines, such as the elders’ disgust with “makeouts” and their desire to inform people of Orgalorg because of it. This is where Orgalorg’s backstory is presented, and while it’s cool to see side characters like Glob and the King of Mars once more, and the narration itself from one of the elders is also quite delightful, I feel like the history itself is kind of half-baked. So Glob cast Orgalorg down and the weight of the Earth turned him into a penguin? Why? Even if the form simply cast him into a smaller version of himself, why would he then just become indistinguishable from every other penguin in the world? It’s absurdity that doesn’t really work because I think it’s sacrificing what is supposed to be a story that’s legitimate lore-building, but kind of fails because I don’t think a lot of it adds up. Also, if this happened eons ago, then why is Glob shown with headgear in the flashback? I know that’s kind of a nitpick, but it’s somewhat more distracting when the You Forgot Your Floaties was only two episodes earlier and was clever in referencing the G-Man’s flowing hair.

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The flashes of Gunter’s past following this backstory are good fun and it’s nice to see actual painted drawings within the show itself for a change. Another big gripe I have with this flashback sequence is that there’s also a small bit of discontinuity: as Gunter is riding on a boat, there’s a letter “G” labeled on his sail. Though it can be considered up for debate and ambiguous enough, the obvious implication is that the “G” stands for Gunter, which doesn’t make sense, because Gunter wouldn’t have even gotten the name until he became Ice King’s companion. Again, I might be nitpicking here, but it’s little stuff like this that really bugs me in the grand scheme of things. I guess someone may have noticed it, but left it up for interpretation as to what the “G” could stand for, but it’s likely that it was just missed in translation. Speaking of missed in translation, Ice King stupidly mistakes Gunter’s literal brain gushing out as a mere infliction, and sees to it that his little buddy’s wound is treated. Little does Ice King know what actually lies ahead for the penguin. Which will be mentioned once more and then never, ever again!

Orgalorg has its flaws: there’s bits of discontinuity, unconvincing pieces of information, and an overall story that I think in general is not inherently as intriguing as it wants to be. But it does get the tone right, and I think it cleverly carries the episode where the story does not. I kind of enjoy this one in the same way I enjoy Ghost Fly; it’s weird, unusual, and silly in some areas, with a hint of disconcerting elements to really execute the visual and tonal elements within. So I think Orgalorg actually works in presentation much better than on paper. It’s the backstory of a character that I don’t particularly care about, but I enjoy visiting it still for its heavy atmosphere and visual flare.

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Favorite line: “It’s like… a big yarmulke… for the tummy…”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Ghost Fly” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: October 28, 2014

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk & Cole Sanchez

Ghost Fly is essentially a “Halloween” episode that was used to fill the gap between Joshua and Margaret Investigations and Everything’s Jake, which aired roughly three months between each other. This was the longest gap between AT episodes for a while, and I truly mark this period of time as AT’s downfall in terms of popularity and treatment on the network. More month to two month long gaps became frequent, individual promos started to vanish, and it became apparent that, for whatever reason, Cartoon Network just didn’t care for the show as they once did. But I’m going off on a tangent; Ghost Fly is a refreshing return to form after so many episodes of Finn and Jake hanging on the sidelines. Granted, it suffers a bit from a weak premise, but it still decent fun regardless.

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One thing I like about the beginning of the episode is the fact that it starts out raining, though has no actual role in the story. I know that sounds like a weird bit of information to mention, but I always like environments and backgrounds that are casually presented and don’t necessarily have any effect on the actual world. Often rain is only used in animation to set the mood or have some sort of purpose in the overall story, but I enjoy how Adventure Time is able to have these subtle moments without rhyme or reason. As I mentioned, it is quite refreshing just to see the boys hanging out and enjoying each others company. It’s almost as if we’re paying a visit to them and seeing how their lives have been going since their last adventure. Finn’s reading up on his fanboy-ish interests, BMO’s continuing to practice his martial arts abilities, and Jake is suffering from a nasty case of restless leg syndrome. Jake is generally presented as the star of this one, and I enjoy seeing him in a bad/funky mood for a change. From Joshua and Margaret Investigations to Jake the Brick is one big bomb of Jake episodes that feel insightful on so many levels of Jake’s character. It’s almost as if the staff realized how much attention Finn was getting the last season, and wanted to continue to flesh out Jake’s character as well. Of course, we don’t get anything too heady; Jake isn’t the type of character that needs to be really dramatic or introspective, but the show finds great ways of continuing to develop his character without necessarily making him have Finn-level psychological issues.

Here, Jake deals with stress and moodiness, but in a way that’s both humorous and fun for his character. Seeing him so frustrated for seemingly no reason is quite enjoyable, and shows that even a relatively carefree, happy dude like Jake is susceptible to his own moments of contempt. Only contributing to these feeling is the fly who descends to a Limbo-style plane after being killed by Jake, which drives the main plot of the episode. The concept of a ghost fly chasing Finn, Jake, and BMO around the Tree Fort is another pretty simplistic idea at the hands of Graham Falk that doesn’t lead to a ton of great comedic opportunities, but one that certainly doesn’t reach the lows of Sad Face either. Ghost Fly does, at the very least, star a cast of characters I can get behind and enjoy unconditionally. In addition to that, it’s also notable that this is the first Graham Falk episode in which he had help from a partner, that being Cole Sanchez. While upon rewatching, Sanchez’s drawings are pretty noticeable in terms of style differences from Falk’s (Falk tends to mimic the season one models of both Finn and Jake more so than other storyboard artists), though the writing and humor styles of both writers seem to blend quite cohesively. And there certainly are a fair share of funny concepts and ideas in this one, but none that hit the mark especially hard.

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I think the main premise in general is especially unremarkable. The ghost fly itself doesn’t benefit from an interesting character motivation, voice, or design (though the ghost sheet he sports is pretty cute). The character of the ghost fly is exactly as one would expect, and though it can be silly how much BMO and Jake hype up the threatening nature of this creature (apparently ghost flies cause polio?), I don’t think the ghost fly itself is an inherently interesting foe. The tiny scythe it carries around makes it a formidable threat, though I’m not sure I fully get behind that aspect of its character. I mean, in the Adventure Time world, are ghosts able to inflict actual pain onto living beings? It seems like that is contradicted in Ghost Princess, as well as even in the earlier stages of this episode, where the fly casually phases in and out of Jake’s body. I can even get behind his possession of Finn, though I have trouble believing that the fly would actually be a legitimate threat after all the rules the show managed to set up around the nature of ghosts. I think it would have made more sense, as well as opened up more humorous opportunities for the episode, if the ghost fly simply tortured the boys by buzzing back and forth, unable to be touched/killed. This would have also tied into Jake’s stressful angst, which barely has a part in the remainder of the episode.

Granted, this one isn’t without humor. I actually think the scene with Peppermint Butler is a really great addition as both moody and absolutely hilarious. It’s nice to see Pepbut back in his element after his star role in Nemesis, and even more funny that a dark, twisted being like himself has his limits. Without his bag of mystic objects, he almost immediately flees and throws himself out the window, a hysterical response that even shows a bit of his humanity. It’s also cool to see him being utilized by the other main characters for such deeds; Finn and Jake, who were previous uneducated on Peppermint Butler’s true nature, now seem to both acknowledge it and kind of adopt it into their own lifestyles, and allow Pepbut to be so open and laidback about such a topic.

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There’s also that bit of Graham Falk weirdness that doesn’t always translate to good humor, but is interesting, as well as mildly confusing. After years of watching this one, I still have no idea what the hell the joke is supposed to be when Finn accidentally turns his circle into the shape of a woman. I guess it’s mildly funny in terms of obscurity, though I’m more perplexed than amused by it on each viewing.

I think the best part of Ghost Fly is the connection made between the ghost fly and its desire to fulfill unfinished business. It’s cool to see this element of the Dead World brought back once again, and Jake briefly being killed by BMO to visit the ghost fly’s plane of existence is a ton of fun. It’s pretty sweet in its visual quality, as everything is engulfed in a light blue transparency, and the tension does feel relatively high, since the ghost fly proves to be a decent threat within his own plane. Though the true icing on the cake is when, after the fly receives said unfinished business, he is immediately squashed by Jake. Which really raises the question: where do ghosts go if they’re killed by other ghosts? Do the go to a NEW plane of existence, or are they disposed of all together? In that case, I feel bad for that table that was reaped by the ghost fly. Rest in pieces.

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The way the episode ends is truly the highlight, however, as BMO’s overconfidence in his own martial arts abilities failed to save Jake, and he had to be revived at the hands of Dr. Princess. It’s hilariously dark to think that Jake could have legitimately DIED over such an instance, and adds to list of the many different ways that Jake has nearly ceased to exist over the course of the series.

This one is decent fun. It’s certainly unremarkable; out of all the season six episodes, this one usually comes to mind the least. It isn’t bad by any means, but there’s not much that helps it excel either. As is, it’s a simple breather episode that acts as an opportunity to revisit the lives of our main heroes. It might not be particularly great, but it’s refreshing regardless.

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Favorite line: “They carry diseases, such as tuberculosis, polio, dysentery. They leave those little fly doodies on your soul!”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Sad Face” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: May 12, 2014

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

Sad Face is one that most people strongly dislike, though I’m somewhat on the fence with it. On the one hand, I like how the general premise of “sacrificing your own art for the general public” is executed, and I think it’s done so in a genuinely poignant way that could even be looked at as an allegory for Adventure Time’s changing state as a whole. On the other hand, it stars Jake’s tail. And that’s pretty much the main problem with the episode.

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The idea of Jake’s tail, or “Blue Nose” as he’s referred to, being the star of his own episode seems like an idea that might be just bizarre enough to work… but it really doesn’t. Blue Nose is a bit too enigmatic for us to even understand what his mindset is throughout the episode’s duration, or even if he has a mindset at all. All we really know about him is that… I guess he feels as though his act is underappreciated and so he conforms to the audience’s standards and is unhappy in doing so. The circus leader favors Goralina, the giant squirrel (or normal-sized squirrel to anyone that isn’t a bug), as a performer, which angers Blue Nose to the point where he breaks Goralina out of her chains so the two can run off together and… start their own circus? Even though Blue Nose wanted Goralina dropped from the circus, and so starting his own circus would only continue said issue? Unless Blue Nose wants to release Goralina so she can experience life outside of her treatment as a circus act? I dunno, it’s too confusing and strange, and I don’t see how anyone could really grasp what this character’s actual motivation is. I don’t think it’s really supposed to be clear cut, as it is Jake’s tail, but the episode does as much as it can to view everything from Blue Nose’s perspective, and I think it would be objectively more interesting if Blue Nose was being viewed from the perspective of other characters as this really sophisticated performer. Not that these other characters are anything special either. The only other supporting player in this one is the Ringmaster, and he’s so… bleh. Not funny, not interesting, doesn’t really have any defining character traits… he’s every Ringmaster you’ve ever seen in any movie or TV show, and Sad Face doesn’t do much to expand on his character from that one-dimensional stance.

Aside from a character perspective, this one isn’t really that funny either. I know that’s weird to say, because humor isn’t the first thing I look to experience within an episode of AT, but this is a premise that’s so silly in its concept that’d you’d think that Graham Falk, who solo-boarded this episode, would try and incorporate some decent jokes down the line. Falk’s episodes are usually never filled with laugh-out-loud jokes, but his past two entries, Root Beer Guy and Shh!, had enough laughs to properly engage me throughout. Sad Face isn’t trying to be that funny, but it really only makes the experience duller. It’s a pretty straightforward carnie story, and it isn’t subversive enough (aside from the added surrealism) to actually have me invested in its plot. And also, there’s no real stakes in this one. Adventure Time manages to get through some episodes without a true conflict (Jake the Brick is a good example we’ll visit down the line) though, as I mentioned, there really isn’t much that’s keeping me invested as is, so the lack of stakes only adds to how dull the experience actually is.

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Yet, I don’t think this one is absolutely terrible. It’s not entirely entertaining, though I wouldn’t say it’s quite as boring as an episode like Box Prince. There’s a couple things I like about it; first off, NEPTR and BMO bonding more is adorable. I’m glad this is a friendship that is more commonplace within the rest of the series, as it makes for some terrific interactions between Adventure Time’s cutest main character and cutest side character. Aside from that element, the atmosphere can be quite nice in this one. I love the little bee marionette dance that Blue Nose performs during his first act, and it’s actually a quite poignant display. Granted, it doesn’t make much sense, but the soft music really helps to add a melancholic tone to the entire sequence. Graham Falk is often one of the less dialogue-heavy writers, so the music and visuals typically do the storytelling, and it sporadically is carried out well in this one. Also, as mentioned before, the whole sacrificing aesthetics bit is pretty cool when you look at how Adventure Time is viewed following this season. Many people wanted the show to return to its zany and adventurous roots after an entire season of what many called “pretentious garbage.” Blue Nose’s first act can certainly be looked at as how the fans responded to AT’s more experimental outings, while his second act can be interpreted as the fandom enjoying more of Adventure Time’s lighter and sillier material, much to the artist’s dismay. I don’t think this was the intention at all, as I don’t think that the writers actively predicted that season six would be viewed this way, but it’s still an interesting concept in hindsight.

Overall, this one doesn’t do much for me. I don’t think there’s anything actively terrible about it, but there’s nothing really actively “good” about it either, besides those few moments I mentioned previously. Sad Face is just kind of there… there’s nothing that makes it stand out aside from its wildly unique premise, but even then, I don’t think it’s even executed in a bizarre enough way to work. Sad Face has one strong benefit: it’s one I can chat about lightly before the epitome of polarity that follows after it. This is it everyone… next episode: Breezy.

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Favorite line: “Too much artsy. Not enough fartsy.”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Root Beer Guy” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: December 2, 2013

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

Root Beer Guy is a diversion from the typical Adventure Time formula and centers around a character we know little to nothing about. The past episode James did so to its derailment, though this one effectively makes me care about this newly introduced character in a single minute than I’ve cared about James in any of his individual appearances.

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Root Beer Guy isn’t a completely new character, however. Root Beer Guy has made several background appearances throughout the past few seasons, so his inclusion in this one as a regular Candy citizen feels much more connected to the world of Adventure Time and not just a random entity. For years, we’ve seen the wacky jobs that Candy citizens possess, from Banana Guard positions to edgy tavern owners, but this is the most humanized example of the Candy Kingdom. On the one hand it’s odd, because The Enchiridion! gave us a glimpse at a kingdom that does nothing but wiggle their arms around and party all day, but this Candy Kingdom seems like a simple mundane example of everyday adulthood. Yet, that’s what works to this episode’s strength.

Part of what makes Root Beer Guy so likable, is the fact that he’s so simple. He represents the mundanity that everyone fears in adulthood, but the life of an man spending most of his days in an office is a sadly realistic reality. Experiencing his days exactly the same, with nagging anxiety about his life passing by around him, and the burden of the inevitability of the future growing more by the day (maybe it’s also because I have a part-time job in telemarketing, but I partially feel his pain). The beginning of the episode goes through great lengths to show the stagnant nature of Root Beer Guy’s life: his dead-end job and pushy boss, his casual train ride home, the repetitive nature of his dinners, and a somewhat awkward relationship with his wife. The first few scenes do a good job of showing that Root Beer Guy isn’t necessarily depressed, but striving for more from his everyday life. This is shown in his reaction to Finn and Jake battling the ogre (a callback to the aforementioned The Enchiridion!), his interest in graphic novels, and his own novel that he’s been working on for quite some time. It seems pretty obvious, though, that his own novel isn’t entirely a passion project, but an escapist project where he can easily place himself in the shoes of the main character “Joe Milkshake.” Root Beer Guy is merely a dreamer who wants a life of excitement and constant action, but is unable to do so by what the circumstances of life have dealt him. This is all established within the first few minutes.

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The way Finn and Jake are incorporated into this one is a lot of fun as well. Not to diss the later episodes that exclude Finn and Jake, but this one does a great job of having the focus be on separate characters while still including Finn and Jake in some of their most humorous moments. I love the way they’re painted in this one; they’re as absurd and disconnected as possible. Obviously we know that Finn and Jake didn’t actually kidnap Princess Bubblegum from the second that element is introduced, but their commitment to being as shady and unusual as possible is great. Moments such as when they take long strides through the streets of the Candy Kingdom with their arms still or when Jake easily tricks the Banana Guards with an entirely poor imitation of Princess Bubblegum are what really help to shape the humor in this episode.

But the episode still primarily centers around the life and adventures of Root Beer Guy, and that’s perfectly enjoyable as well. I like Root Beer Guy, and I really want to seem him succeed by the end of it. Again, a lot of his charm comes from his simplicity, as well as some terrific voice acting from Jack Pendarvis in his first ever voice acting role (aside from his work on the ever-strange Rudy & Gogo Famous Cartoon Show). I care about his relationship with the equally interesting Cherry Cream Soda, who simply wants attention from her husband and will go through several different methods to do so, no matter how kinky. Honestly RBG, you’re a fool for not paying attention to your French maid-dressed wife. All jokes aside, what makes this dynamic work is, again, the simplicity and realism within RBG and CCS’s characterization. The Candy Kingdom is full of crazy and silly characters, so to view the story of a member of this race that is more down-to-Earth and relatable is a refreshing change of pace that also works as potential worldbuilding. It not only makes me care for RBG, but also the entirety of the Candy Kingdom as a whole. It makes this entire area feel more like our own world, and more like a world that we can potentially relate to. Also, Root Beer Guy’s novel and indecisiveness with his writing style is hilariously relatable to me. I experience the same exact issue with rewording statements nearly every time I post for this blog.

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This episode is just as great in terms of visual appeal. Graham Falk returns once again for his second storyboarding gig on the show, and man, his influence and emphasis on silly expressions really help his episodes soar. His style is virtually different from any other storyboard artist on the show, and it allows for some really stretchy, evocative, and wacky character expressions that are practically eye candy.

It’s also scattered with funny moments outside of Finn and Jake’s influence. This is one where the Banana Guards are possibly at their finest, and their stupidity feels more refreshing than tedious. The melodrama between RBG and CCS, while captivating, is also quite delightfully silly on some aspects, namely the French maid outfit mentioned earlier. And I also enjoy the inclusion of another newly introduced character, Buck Pudding. Buck is the perfect example of a somewhat haunting, yet completely innocent redneck ally to our main protagonist. I’m glad he got at least one cameo appearance after this episode.

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The conclusion ties things together nicely; Root Beer Guy is able to have his moment where he saves the day, and he’s rewarded appropriately. I am glad that we are able to see RBG have a happy ending. Given AT’s somewhat sadistic and darker tendencies to its lesser known characters, I’m glad Root Beer Guy is able to have his happily ever after, where he appropriately ditches his typewriter to live out his own real life adventure.

And that’s mostly what this one boils down to: just a fun adventure featuring a rather subdued and unbeknownst hero, but it works really well. I enjoy the character exploration of Root Beer Guy, the solid animation and character drawings, and the lovely bits of humor sprinkled throughout. I think Root Beer Guy also works as a key indicator of how interesting it can be for Adventure Time to explore lesser known characters. Obviously it’s be done before with episodes like Thank You, but I think Root Beer Guy in particular paved the way for future episodes such as Lemonhope, Little Brother, Hoots and so on. It’s an experiment that I think works out exceptionally well, and one I continuously enjoy upon revisiting. If only Root Beer Guy’s legacy could be kept as perfect as this episode left it…

Favorite line: “Nice place to hide a body if you’re into that sort of thing.”

Adventure Time, Animation, Lifestyles

“Shh!” Review

Adventure Time Reviewed

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Original Airdate: May 13, 2013

Written & Storyboarded by: Graham Falk

Shh! is storyboard artist Graham Falk’s debut on Adventure Time. Wasn’t familiar with Falk before he joined the AT staff, but his roots in more cartoony and expressive material, like The Untalkative Bunny, have allowed for some really interesting looking drawings on Adventure Time. Aside from season one, we’re not used to seeing cartoonish and squishy looking poses and expressions from the show, so Falk’s methods always add a bit more charm and likability to the sillier episodes. And I think it was well fitting that his first episode is one that partially pays tribute to silent cartoons of the past.

I think the stronger parts of this one do come from the first half, when Finn and Jake commit to their use of title cards to communicate with each other. There’s a lot of really funny visual gags during this portion, especially the fact that nearly every single card that Finn wrote is supporting Jake somehow. My favorite being “I love you, Jake” which Finn angrily uses to respond to his speed-writing brother. It’s both adorable and hilarious. There’s also the funny bit of build-up to BMO believing Finn and Jake are aliens where they both try to communicate with him using “the juice?” and “me too.” Real smooth.

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BMO freaks out and flees the area, which puts his get together with his bikini babes on hold. The song that BMO plays is by Lake, the band that sings the outro for AT, and No Wonder I is a really great tune! Next to Rebecca Sugar, Lake provides some of the best tunes for the series, including this one, the ending theme, and two songs that we’ll visit later on. You can listen to No Wonder I on YouTube here.

The second of the portion of the episode definitely slows down a bit, just because I did enjoy all of the jokes that came out of Jake and Finn communicating through signs, but I guess there wasn’t a ton they could do with them that would span out an entire episode. Instead, we do get some nice bits, like the Spider with gloves on his hands and the mice using the running wheel, which are all moderately cute, and provide some cool designs equivalent to old Mickey Mouse cartoons and Warner Bros. shorts pre-WWII. There’s also that sad dude who lives in the wall, and it’s a longshot, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a full episode based around that dude. His existence and depression intrigue me.

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After Jake tries to reason with BMO and fails (which features a pretty great shot of Jake shrunken down to be smaller than BMO; have they done something like this before? I think it’s the first time they’ve attempted something like it) the two boys proceed to axe up their wall for some reason – maybe they are possessed by aliens afterall – to get BMO out. Cue the bikini babes, and in an episode full of great visual pieces and character designs, these girls really freak me out a little bit. Their really detailed humanoid bodies and their simplistic eyes and mouth just don’t complement each other very well, and this is an instance where I wouldn’t have minded the addition of eye whites and nose features. Afterall, the guy inside the wall had them! I do like their inexplicable ability to fly, however. 

The climax is decently fun; I like the way Finn and Jake are just emotionless throughout the entire battle, because the bikini babes aren’t exactly formidable opponents. I like the way the babes face of with the boys, using pinches, dancing, and volleyball techniques to inflict damage. Also, love the one shaking maracas with the title card “the jam”. It provides for a funny ending once Finn and Jake surrender their and explain their day to BMO, and BMO just says “fuck it!” followed by a dance party. Even the Party God showed up for this one, which always provides for a stellar get together!

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Overall, this one’s light fun. I don’t find myself getting into it that much, but it has its fair share of funny and enjoyable moments. Again, the overall designs and drawings in this one are interesting enough to carry the episode, along with some good bits of writing along the way. Not anything remarkable, but a nice entry regardless.

Shh! was dedicated to Armen Mirzaian, who tragically passed away in a car accident months prior to the airing of this episode. Mirzaian wrote and boarded for three episodes in the first season: What is Life?, Business Time, and The Jiggler.

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Favorite line: (passive aggressively) “Oh dang, the toast?”