Thirst for Adventure Time

I don't really attend fan conventions for recreation anymore; I think that once you've worked enough of them, it kind of kills the magic. I think it has been around a decade since my last "non-working" trip to a con, which I went to for one afternoon with my husband. We saw actors from Game of Thrones, Star Trek, and other geek hits... but it seemed like out of everyone, the person my husband was most excited to see was Olivia Olson. She not only spoke about her television series, she actually sang "Daddy, Why Did You Eat My Fries?" for an enraptured audience.

If you're thinking "huh?" -- so was I, in the moment. That's because I'd never watched any episodes of Adventure Time, animated fantasy series that would ultimately run 10 seasons and a staggering 283 episodes (not even counting the spin-offs). My husband said at the time that he was sure I'd love the show, but it was only years later, after it had concluded, that we decided to actually start watching together from the beginning.

Not that there's anything wrong with adults enjoying a show made for kids... but it's debatable how much Adventure Time is really made for kids. In the beginning, it almost certainly was. Viewers are introduced to the far future fantasy world of Ooo, and its enormous cast of quirky characters. But as those characters recur and story arcs develop, the show increasingly incorporates deeper themes and emotions. The show grew up right along with that original audience.

Also, like every other episode of Adventure Time is a candidate for the weirdest episode of Adventure Time ever made. You watch the main characters' handheld game console clash with its own mirror-bound evil doppleganger. You get gender-swapped fan fiction about the show written by one of the characters in the show. (Repeatedly.) You see the hero's arm get severed and replaced -- twice.

All the while, you get to enjoy what may be the best voice cast ever assembled for American animation. Each episode is anchored by Finn the Human (Jeremy Shada) and Jake the Dog (John DiMaggio). Major secondary characters are voiced by cartoon mainstays like Hynden Walch, Tom Kenny, Dee Bradley Baker, and Maria Bamford. Guest stars include... well, frankly, everyone: Ron Perlman, Felicia Day, Kumail Nanjiani, Lou Ferrigno, Kristen Schaal, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Rainn Wilson, Mark Hamill, Dave Foley, Cloris Leachman, Neil Patrick Harris, Clancy Brown, Matthew Broderick, Donald Glover, Lucy Lawless, Tig Notaro, a notable number of Star Trek alumni, and so very, very many more.

Even with episodes being just 15 minutes long, it took a while to get through Adventure Time. But I did indeed enjoy it every step of the way, as my husband predicted. And now I'm a little sad it's over. (We're watching the new Fionna & Cake spin-off... which is its own unique and interesting thing. But also: it's just not quite the same "lightning in a bottle.") Still, I can get over any sadness by spreading the word and encouraging others to check out Adventure Time. It's a solid B+ from beginning to end, with many superb peaks above that along the way.