Adventure Time Thesis

For those of you who don’t know, Adventure Time is a cartoon created by Pendleton Ward and published by Cartoon network. The show first aired in March 2010 and follows the adventures of Jake the Dog and Finn the Human as they explore dungeons, fight monsters, and save princesses in the magical Land of Ooo. Although at first glance the show can seem fairly childish and random, it would be a shame to let this initial judgement stop you from watching it. Over the years the creators of ‘Adventure Time’ have, at least in my opinion, built one of the richest narrative universes of modern television. Its characters are complex and wonderfully developed, its backstory is expansive, and considering the show’s young primary audience, the themes it discusses

In the first episode of the series, entitled ‘Marceline the Vampire Queen’, we see Marceline approach Princess Bubblegum asking to become human. A procedure that turns out to be a success, but has the unintended consequence of causing the re-emergence of some old and powerful enemies. Enemies that Marceline, Princess Bubblegum, Finn, and Jake all later team up to defeat.
The Series has 5 antagonists (The Fool, The Empress, The Hierophant, The Moon and The Vampire King), each one symbolising a card from a traditional tarot deck. The antagonists of the series show a great variety of motivations and personalities. The Childishness of The Fool, The Nostalgia of the Hierophant, and the terror-inducing calmness of The Moon are all elements that make each of the antagonists unique and interesting. These characters are made all the more impressive by the exceptional performances of the show’s voice acting

Although the battle against these antagonists is in itself entertaining, it also acts as a vehicle to develop the relationships between characters and their backstories. The series features many of the shows recurring themes and storylines, not only just referencing events from the main series but also developing them in a meaningful way. This is seen most effectively in the seasons’ second episode, ‘Everything Stays’, an episode framed almost entirely as a flashback that answers many of the questions posed about Marceline’s origins and Ooo’s past. .References to The Hyomans , Jakes fear of vampires, and the Grass sword also make somewhat cameo appearances in the series, with subtle references to earlier episodes ,such as in the line ‘Hungry looking Rainbows’, provide a good amount of humour for fans of the show. Although the series deals with some quite serious and complex themes, they are constantly weaved in amongst this humour, leaving the show truly enjoyable for both a young, and adult