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Dec 28, 2016isaachar rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
My favorite post-apocalyptic children's cartoon. Adventure Time is one of those shows that functions simultaneously as a bright and song-filled children's cartoon and as a campy scifi series for adults. It takes several episodes to put the pieces together, but as you watch Adventure Time, you realize it takes place after humanity destroyed itself (for the most part) in nuclear war. You also learn that the anthropomorphic talking creatures and robots are all the product of various surviving entities rebuilding civilizations in their own images. The story keeps getting deeper as you move through the seasons, as do the character backstories. The story centers on two adventuring heroes. There's Finn the human, who fears nothing and lives for adventure. Then there's shape-shifting dog Jake, his best friend and adoptive brother. The primary supporting characters include Princess Bubblegum, the super-genius monarch of the Candy Kingdom. She's far wiser and older than she allows the heroes to believe. Marceline the Vampire Queen from the Night-o-sphere (an analog to the Netherworld), who drains the color red rather than blood and is an foe turned best friend to Finn and Jake. Last, there is the villain-turned-friend-turned-mild-nuisance Ice King, voiced by Tom Kenny (Sponge Bob, Mr. Show). One of the most interesting characters on the show, the mad Ice king has a magic crown that allows him to control ice. Formerly known as 'Simon', the Ice King is the last surviving human of pre-apocalypse world, and was originally a hero before his crown and immortality drove him insane. All of this may sound like a bit much for a children show, but the crazier science fiction and fantasy elements are buried in simple adventures, songs, and cheery hi-jinks that you'll find in most cartoons aimed at adolescents.