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score 8/10
There was a time when I disliked this show. Now, I view it as one of the best animated series of all time, and one of the most creatively and boldly non-pandering shows in cartoon history, and this is why:
Adventure Time does not pander to traditional or accessible story structures, payoffs, exposition, or plot constructs. It does not use traditional or accessible cartoon character archetypes. It does not use traditional or accessible humor. It does not use traditional music or voice-acting. It doesn't even always use traditional emotions or dialogue. As a result, the show feels more original than anything else seen on cartoon network since Samurai Jack. Much like Samurai Jack, this show is very immersing and has a style all its own.Also like Samurai Jack, the show takes place in a strange world, where almost anything can happen, or any kind of character can show up, and it will still feel believable and consistent. Recommended for anyone who is into experimental storytelling and music. In fact, most of the soundtrack consists of formless ambient music or IDM.
Nothing about this show feels forced or phony. There are no traditional payoffs or unneeded exposition. There are lots of silent moments and strange scenes that do nothing but establish the characters and their varying types of insanity. There's lots of dialogue that can be taken a number of ways. There are no trumpet-blasts or dinky piano tunes to let the viewer know when he should laugh or be excited. The show makes it YOUR job to be entertained. It's like going to visit another world and have fun watching these characters live their day-to-day lives. No, better yet, it's like being a man from one- thousand years ago watching our daily lives. He finds them a novelty, and is intrigued, but he does not understand everything we do, or the way we talk. The characters in this show will not stop to explain anything for the benefit of the audience. For them, most of the weirdness is just commonplace. They know more than we do, but they have no reason to tell us what they know. If you are used to shows with super-tight writing where everything is conveyed to the audience, look elsewhere. This is a more challenging, atmospheric sort of show.
That being said, this is also one of the only cartoons that has succeeded in making me cry multiple times. As a warning, you will not like every episode. You may not even like every season. I don't, and unless you have very broad tastes, you won't. This show has numerous fans who like it for totally different reasons. Some are their for the back-stories and mythos, some for the adventure episodes, some for the comedy, some for the romance plots, and some for the tragedies. This show does basically everything.
Animation: Minimal, using bright colors and simple, easy designs. The animation may seem lackluster, but it's a pretty immersing style if you give it the chance, and some of the art direction and creativity is admirable. The simple style allows for an endless amount of characters, backgrounds, and stories without too much expense needed. The colors and production value get better over the course of the show. They won't look the best in the first few episodes.
Characters: The characters here are diverse and numerous. Some of the them are annoying, but most of them have depth and dimension that will slowly reveal itself over the course of the show. Many of them are immature, and most of them are insane to varying degrees, but they often have to make hard decisions or go through strange dilemmas. Anyone who SEEMS like typical archetypes will prove otherwise. My expectations were challenged by some of them. Simon Petrikov is my favorite character. Writing and Storytelling: As I said, this is a low-conveyance show. The stories are done in a freestyle, storyboard-driven manner. The writers seem to draw from Nintendo- style fantasy games like "The Legend of Zelda" or the "Paper Mario" series. The early episodes are a bit more focused on simple fun, randomness, and adventure, but things don't get interesting (for me at least) until the show reveals its true colors a bit later on. Pieces start to come together, and the viewer realizes that the randomness actually isn't as random as he might think. Without spoiling much, let's just say that the world of Ooo has a bittersweet back-story to it that makes the show infinitely more interesting once they start hinting at it. Some of the individual characters also have mysterious, semi-disturbing origins. It's what made me curious in the first place. The show deals with its various characters and plot threads at a respectable pace, often juggling many at once and becoming more complex. The "Billy's Bucket List/Wake Up/Escape from the Citadel" three- parter is what I would recommend for people who want to see the show do some more tight, well-crafted writing. This series features passage of time, continuity, and the aging of characters.
Audio: The deadpan, naturalistic voice acting can be either welcoming, or annoying, depending on the viewer or character. I like how the casting is handled. Music is experimental electronica. Musical numbers sound realistically unrehearsed, which makes them more heartfelt when used in episodes like "I Remember You" and "Lemonhope Story".
You don't have to like the show, but I at least want it to be acknowledged for the risks it takes and the creativity it encourages. People who have worked on the show have gone on to make other series like that are good for similar reasons and have helped give Frederator and Cartoon Network more of an identity again, bringing them more respect from longtime fans. Also, to warn you, this show is surprisingly not for young kids. Make sure you're at least around 12 before you watch it. Trust me.
saintbeacon 16 September 2014
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw3087496/ |
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22-11-2019 05:56:19
