Adventure Time: Fionna And Cake (2023)

“If just being born is the greatest act of creation, then what are you supposed to do after that?”

As I am sure is the case for a good number of you, the show Adventure Time was an important part of my childhood. While starting out as just a cartoon, as it kept airing it began to mature along with its audience, tackling more complex themes such as helping those with Alzhimers, deadbeat parents, physical disabilities, and queer relationships, shown with enough subtlety and nuance that anyone can understand. Even now, rewatching the show, I am shocked by how much more I pick up on with each viewing. So while I was interested in this show the moment it was announced, I was skeptical, especially due to its new TV-14 rating, worrying me if it would fall into the all too common pitfalls of adult animation being overly crude and without depth.

Fortunately, it seems that the only thing that’s changed is that they can say the quiet parts out loud now. Our protagonists, Fionna Campbell and Simon Petrikov, are both at a crossroads in their lives where they feel that every day is the same, painfully mundane, routine that lacks any sense of meaning. However, they (along with Fionna’s cat Cake) end up going on a journey where they all find a new reason to live. The show’s portrayal of depression is incredibly realistic, and something that I found extremely compelling to see. The writing is excellent, and the visual creativity is on a whole other level. This show is certainly one of the best things I have seen all year, and with how well it has been doing on Max, it wouldn’t surprise me if a second season would soon be in the works.

Highly recommended. 10/10.

-Adventure Time: Fionna And Cake is currently streaming on Max.