Adventure Time…leaving you feeling like you’re tripping on LSD
Finn the Human and Jake the Dog are the best of friends, but they are also HEROES!!!!!!!!!! Adventuring through the Land of Ooo, Jake and Finn can be battling the Ice King one day and trying to save a mountain from sadness the next day. Adventure is dangerous but Finn and Jake are up to the challenge, and maybe Finn can even win the heart of Princess Bubblegum in the process!
Adventure Time—Season 1 aired on the Cartoon Network from April 5, 2010 to September 27, 2010. The series is made up of shorts (approximately 11 minutes) with the first ten episodes doubling up when they aired. The season won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Short-Format Animated Program (“My Two Favorite People”).
Smile!
Adventure Time has been on my “watch list” backburner for some time. For the past few years, I’ve seen more and more references pop-up to the series, and I hate being behind the ball on pop culture. I’m a fan of animated shows, and with each episode a short, I did find this a fun, quick series.
I really, really like that the shows are short. Part of the problem with animated shows in general is that they have a great concept for an episode but then have to put filler in for the rest of the episode. The Simpsons mastered the idea of having a couple plotlines a series and shows like South Park have also managed to work their shows to be equally distributed for a full length sitcom. Adventure Time doesn’t have that problem and that is part of the fun…occasionally, the show really just ends like with “Tree Trunks” and “The Duke”. It doesn’t need to continue necessarily to feel like a complete story.
New meaning to the term Bigfoot
The characters are also rather interesting because they are essentially rounded stock characters. It is supposed to be a riff on roleplaying type games and generally (if you’ve ever played one), the characters are built to the extreme with odd gifts and abilities. The same is true of Finn and Jake who feel like kids made them up. All of the characters in the series behave and act in a strange fake style…but it works (though it does rather bother me that it just sound like a cleaned up Bender from Futurama is Jake…since John DiMaggio voices both).
It is freaky, bizarre animation like this which makes me like the show more!
Visually the show is also compelling. The art is very childlike but often there is a weird smoothness too it which feels high quality (unlike something like South Park which goes the opposite direction). The series is also intermixed with moments where the art completely changes style and form which adds to the weirdness. It kind of reminds me of a Ren & Stimpy look (plus, if you look closely, a waving snail is in the background of all the episodes).
Adventure Time—Season 1 admittedly has me hooked. It is a fun series. I read a small underground comic called Sof’ Boy which had a similar feel to it (but once again more adult). Adventure Time however has much more legs than Sof’ Boy and I can see Adventure Time having a long, long life.
Adventure Time—Season 1 Complete Episode Guide:
“Slumber Party Panic”
1.1 Slumber Party Panic Airdate: 04/05/10
Princess Bubblegum’s decorpsinator serum accidentally unleashes an army of Candy Zombies who will stop at nothing to consume sugar. Unable to tell the Candy People about the danger without killing them, Finn makes a Royal Promise to Princess Bubblegum to keep the secret…with dire consequences.
“Trouble in Lumpy Space”
1.2 Trouble in Lumpy Space Airdate: 04/05/10
Jake is accidentally bitten by Lumpy Space Princess which gives Jake the Lumps. Finn, Jake, and LSP travel to Lumpy Space before Jake is permanently Lumpy.
“Prisoners of Love”
1.3 Prisoners of Love Airdate: 04/12/10
Jake and Finn are captured by the Ice King when they trespass in the Ice Kingdom. Back at the Ice King’s palace, Finn and Jake learn that the Ice King has been capturing all the princess in the hopes of finding a mate.
“Tree Trunks”
1.4 Tree Trunks Airdate: 04/12/10
Tree Trunks reveals the location of a magical apple in the Evil Forest. Joining Finn and Jake, Tree Trunks is out for adventure, but Finn and Jake quickly learn that Tree Trunks isn’t fit for adventuring.
“The Enchiridion!”
1.5 The Enchiridion! Airdate: 04/19/10
Princess Bubblegum tells Finn about a magical book called the Echiridion which is only for the righteous heroes. Travelling to Mount Kragdor, Finn and Jake must overcome challenges to reach the Enchiridion.
“The Jiggler”
1.6 The Jiggler Airdate: 04/19/10
Finn and Jake find a creature they nickname the Jiggler. When the Jiggler is too difficult to raise, Finn and Jake must find a way to reunite the Jiggler with its mother.
“Ricardio the Heart”
1.7 Ricardio the Heart Guy Airdate: 04/26/10
Finn is jealous of Princess Bubblegum paying attention Ricardio and suspects Ricardio’s intentions are not noble. Seeking to prove he is right, Finn uncovers the secret of Ricardio’s true origin.
“Business Time”
1.8 Business Time Airdate: 04/26/10
Finn and Jake rescue business men from an iceberg and the business men vow to do nothing but serve Finn and Jake. Unfortunately, Finn and Jake decide to take this idea to the max.
“My Two Favorite People”
1.9 My Two Favorite People Airdate: 05/03/10
Jake finds his time divided between Finn and his girlfriend Lady Rainicorn, but when he decides to bring Lady Rainicorn and Finn together, Jake finds it might be a mistake.
“Memories of Boom Boom Mountain”
1.10 Memories of Boom Boom Mountain Airdate: 05/03/10
Finn recalls his own troubled past when he sets out to help a mountain disturbed by all the roughhousing around him.
“Wizard”
1.11 Wizard Airdate: 05/10/10
The offer of free magical powers puts Finn and Jake on a quest to gain magic from a wizard named Bufo…but Bufo has his own plans!
“Evicted”
1.12 Evicted! Airdate: 05/17/10
Marceline the Vampire Queen comes to the home of Jake and Finn and reveals it belongs to her. Jake and Finn set out to find a new home, but learn Marceline isn’t finished with them.
“City of Thieves”
1.13 City of Thieves Airdate: 05/24/10
The discovery of a City of Thieves leaves Finn and Jake on an adventure to retrieve a stolen basket for a little girl named Penny.
“The Witch’s Garden”
1.14 The Witch’s Garden Airdate: 06/07/10
Finn and Jake find a Witch’s garden filled with donut trees. Jake’s decision to steal a donut leaves him without his powers and a quest to restore them begins!
“What is Life?”
1.15 What is Life? Airdate: 06/14/10
In an attempt to prank Jake, Finn builds the Never-Ending Pie-Throwing Robot (aka NEPTR). When NEPTR reveals he doesn’t know how to prank, Finn sets out to teach him…with an encounter with the Ice King.
“Ocean of Fear”
1.16 Ocean of Fear Airdate: 06/21/10
In the chase to capture a thief, Finn’s fear of the ocean surfaces, but Finn must learn to conquer his fear if he hopes to be a hero.
“When Wedding Bells Thaw”
1.17 When Wedding Bells Thaw Airdate: 06/28/10
The Ice King has finally found his bride, and he wants Finn and Jake’s help to prepare for the wedding…but everything might not be as it seems!
“Dungeon”
1.18 Dungeon Airdate: 07/12/10
Finn decides to go for a dungeon adventure to find the Crystal Eye against Jake’s warnings and finds himself in over his head.
“The Duke”
1.19 The Duke Airdate: 07/19/10
Finn and Jake accidentally frame the Duke of Nuts for an attack on Princess Bubblegum. As they hunt the Duke for Princess Bubblegum, will they come clean?
“Freak City”
1.20 Freak City Airdate: 07/26/10
Finn gives sugar to a Magic Man and finds himself transformed into a giant foot. Trying to transform himself back, Finn discovers he might not be the only victim of the Magic Man!
“Donny”
1.21 Donny Airdate: 08/09/10
Finn and Jake try to befriend a bully named Donny. When Donny changes his ways, a werewolf attack might mean that Jake and Finn need the old Donny back.
“Henchman”
1.22 Henchman Airdate: 08/23/10
To spare her old henchman, Finn agrees to act as Marceline’s henchman. Finn discovers agreeing to be Marceline’s slave could put his hero status in danger.
“Rainy Day Daydreams”
1.23 Rainy Day Daydream Airdate: 09/06/10
A knife storm keeps Finn and Jake indoors, but when Jake’s imagination goes crazy, Finn must find a way to shut it down.
“What Have You Done?”
1.24 What Have You Done? Airdate: 09/13/10
Finn and Jake are sent on a dangerous mission to capture the Ice King by Princess Bubblegum, but is the Ice King guilty?
“His Hero”
1.25 His Hero Airdate: 09/20/10
Finn and Jake find their hero Billy’s Legendary Crack but discover Billy has given up heroing for helping. When Finn and Jake try to help without heroing, disaster strikes.
“Gut Grinder”
1.26 Gut Grinder Airdate: 09/27/10
Finn and Jake track a creature called the Gut Grinder who only seems to consume gold. When Jake begins to suspect he is the Gut Grinder, he worries he’s lost control.
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