The Legacy of Adventure Time
How the influential series managed to appeal to both children and adults.
As far as cartoons go, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an animated show with as much variety, creativity, and mind-bending visuals as Adventure Time, which follows the adventures of a young boy named Finn and his best friend Jake the Dog across the Land of Ooo.
The Emmy award-winning series was created by Pendleton Ward — whose credits include the web series Bravest Warriors and the recent Netflix show The Midnight Gospel — and aired from 2010 to 2018 on Cartoon Network.
The series also contributed to a new golden age of animation where animated shows aimed at younger viewers began exploring more mature subject matter and thought-provoking themes that weren’t usually found in cartoons.
And with the release of the Distant Lands special on HBO Max, now’s as good a time as ever to dive into the imaginative world of Adventure Time. So with that said, here are some of the reasons why the influential series connected with viewers everywhere, and why it’s definitely worth a watch.
More Than Just a Kid’s Show
It’s hard to believe that a show featuring a shapeshifting dog and sentient candy people would actually tackle topics like religion, mental illness, and the meaning of existence, but Adventure Time’s vibrant animation and whimsical fantasy setting allowed the series to explore any type of storyline you could imagine.
While the first two seasons feature more light-hearted adventures and a self-contained format, the series eventually incorporated complex storylines and mature themes that were brilliantly conveyed through its concise narratives and abstract imagery.
The episode “Astral Plane” is a perfect example of this. Throughout the episode, Finn finds himself contemplating his life as he astral projects across the Land of Ooo. He watches over several characters, ascends to the sky, and eventually makes it to space, where he has a conversation with a god-like figure about what the point of existence even is.
This is some pretty heady subject matter for a cartoon that doesn’t shy away from the occasional fart joke. But that’s kind of the magic of the show. It manages to encompass many different aspects of life through the use of surreal concepts while, at the same time, having the freedom to just be a silly cartoon filled with childish humor. Speaking of which…
Its Unique Brand of Comedy
Part of the show’s charm is how it manages to incorporate modern comedic sensibilities with surreal scenarios to create an upbeat yet subversive tone throughout the entire series. Finn’s optimistic energy and Jake’s carefree attitude are ridiculously infectious and add so much comedic value to the overall vibe of the show. The jokes can even get downright morbid, but the dark humor somehow works as it’s juxtaposed with the show’s whimsical aesthetic.
And I’d be remiss to talk about the humor of the show without mentioning the incredible non-sequiturs that are usually found at the end of each episode. From a tiny manticore berating himself for being trapped in a metaphorical “prison of shame” to a tart toter spilling out an existential soliloquy that’s as hilarious as it is bewildering, the show always seemed to find the perfect way to punctuate each episode with an unexpected ending that’s sure to leave viewers with one final laugh before they move on to the next episode.
Anything Can Happen in the Land of Ooo
If there’s one thing you can expect out of an episode of Adventure Time — it’s that you never know what your gonna get. The strength of the show comes from the unique scenarios the characters are placed in, and with the series being set in a fantasy wonderland where anything could happen, there are endless storytelling possibilities for each episode.
Take an episode like “The Hall of Egress,” for example. This episode finds Finn trapped in a cave where he can only maneuver around if he maintains his eyes closed. He manages to escape the cave and make it to the outside world, but whenever he opens his eyes, he’s sent back to the cave, and the whole scenario starts all over again.
The idea alone is already pretty ingenious on its own, but the show goes the extra mile by capping it off with an ambiguous ending that’s open to interpretation. The fact that it manages to pull this off in 11 minutes while also leaving the door open for discussion is downright impressive, and it’s a great example of thoughtful storytelling that respects the viewer’s intelligence.
Other episodes feature all sorts of inventive concepts, such as Finn living out his entire life in an alternate dimension made of pillows, Jake narrating the life woodland critters as they attempt to survive a stormy night, an entire playthrough of a card game, and a mostly silent story about the connection between a snow golem and a fire pup — which is as adorable as it sounds.
The Tragedy of the Ice King
Beyond its imaginative world and quirky sense of humor, Adventure Time also featured plenty of emotionally potent storylines that added a heavy dose of pathos to the otherwise easy-going narrative. And if there’s any character that surprised viewers more with the amount of depth they had lying underneath — it’s the Ice King.
His tragic existence is fully showcased in the episode “I Remember You,” which centers around his paternal relationship with Marceline. The episode features a masterful blend of comedy and drama as it focuses on the dynamic between the two characters, and the complicated emotions that come from dealing with a loved one who’s suffering from mental illness.
Throughout the episode, Marceline tries to connect to the person behind the Ice King’s madness, but it’s clear that he’s no longer the person he used to be, which leads to them finding some sort of connection through a series of emotional musical numbers before launching into the titular song.
The fact that the show managed to take what used to be a one-dimensional villain like the Ice King and transform him into one of the most emotionally resonant characters of the entires series is beyond impressive. And it also retroactively adds an extra layer of depth to his past appearances.
Paved the Way for Other Shows
Several storyboard artists and writers who were involved in the series eventually went on to develop shows of their own. One of the most notable examples includes Rebecca Sugar, who went on to create Steven Universe, which was universally praised for its exploration of complex emotions and mature themes. The show also played a major role in normalizing LGBTQ representation in children’s cartoons.
Other examples include Pat McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes), Kent Osborne (Cat Agent), Skyler Page (Clarence), and Julia Pott (Summer Camp Island). So it’s plain to see that the amount of talent involved in the show is just staggering, and it’s hard to imagine what the industry would look like nowadays without this groundbreaking series.
The Evolution of Finn’s Character
One of the best aspects of the show is watching Finn grow up as the series progresses. At first, he’s presented as a happy-go-lucky hero, but as he goes through his adolescent phase, he starts to deal with more complicated scenarios that challenge his entire worldview, and he even makes some questionable and self-serving decisions along the way.
This leads to him going through a period of self-reflection, where he experiences all sorts of internal dilemmas, like the weight of past mistakes, the pain of heartbreak, the emptiness of depression, and a general lack of direction in life — which is incredibly valuable for younger viewers who are still figuring things out for themselves.
At one point, Finn is given the choice to ascend to a new state of being so he can be free from his earthly life, along with all the random chaos and absurdity of existence. He ends up making an interesting choice that sees him finally reaching some sort of understanding of his place in the world.
And by the end of the series, he’s a more well-rounded individual by learning from his past mistakes and accepting the things that are beyond his control — which is all any of us can really do.
