If you were late with your previous entries, exceptionally quiet in class or feel you need extra credit for whatever reason, comment on either or both of the Extra Credit entries (Hayao Miyazaki, Adventure Time.) The more you do, the more extra credit you accrue.
Post ONE reaction ( minimum 250 words) to the combined reading (and listening) linked. Students are encouraged (but not required) to additionally respond to other student reactions.
"Castles in the Air: The gorgeous existential funk of Adventure Time." By Emily Nussbaum
"An 'Adventure' For Kids And Maybe For Their Parents, Too: An NPR Interview w. Lev Grossman"
"An ode to Adventure Time, one of TV’s most ambitious — and, yes, most adventurous — shows." By Dan Schindel
3 comments:
I remember watching Adventure Time as a kid, and it wasn’t until reading these articles that I fully comprehended just how weird the show could be. I feel the cartoon medium of the show lent itself to the wacky, fever dream-like episodes, as cartoon logic always seems to bypass realism without sacrificing believability. The Vox article goes into more depth, citing various characters and their oddities. What I love about the show is how a lot of aspects of it seem to stem from “dumb” or “funny” ideas, but eventually get fleshed out, adding to the depth to the world and its characters. Lev Grossman in the NPR interview mentions Ice King, who is a recurring antagonist in the show, obsessed with kidnapping princesses. For much of the show, he is seen as just a crazy old man, who is honestly more of a nuisance than a true villain. Later on, we learn his backstory, and that his crown is cursed—while it keeps him alive, it is the source of his madness. His obsession with kidnapping princesses stems from the warped memory of the love of his life, whom he referred to as “his princess.” He understands that there is a hole in his heart, and it is something he constantly tries to fill, but again, the crown has twisted his mind, resulting in his obsessive hobby. This completely reframes him as a character, and enriches the story with so much more depth. I love when something as unserious as Ice King’s compulsion to kidnap princesses is flipped to become a critical part of his backstory.
I also don’t believe that his whole story was planned from that start. The Nox article talked about how some side characters ended up getting entire episodes for themselves. I believe that, when brainstorming for new episodes, the writers of the show chose to spend time adding depth to the existing world and characters, rather than introducing more and more wacky, weird concepts, just for the sake of novelty. Ice King is just one example; there are a plethora of times when existing storylines were fleshed out and given new layers. While it never shied away from the fantastical, Adventure Time always stayed grounded in its characters and emotional impact.
-Boss
I've never watched the show Adventure Time, but it was interesting to read about how a cartoon made primarily for kids can address difficult topics in a way that makes sense to younger audiences. I attended the Inside the Writers House session with Lev Grossman, so it was interesting to read his perspective on the show in the NPR article. The NPR article describes how the show deals with Jake seeing his own death, and how the showrunners tried to make an upsetting plotline palatable for younger audiences. I think a lot of middle grade and young adult fiction needs to understand its audience in this way. I was recently thinking about this in the context of The Hunger Games, which I think is a really good series that is probably directed at the wrong demographic. The Hunger Games addresses lots of interesting issues, but when I first read the books as a kid, I didn't really understand the characters' perspectives or why they were fighting in the first place. I was mostly just scared of the violent parts of the book and didn't really stop to think about what the Capitol and the districts represented.
I think the "emotional honesty" Ulaby mentions in her article is a really important part of media directed at children and young adults, but I also think that books and shows need to understand their demographic and introduce younger audiences to concepts and themes in ways that will make sense for them. A sad, scary episode of Adventure Time would likely just scare children and would not leave them with any meaningful message. An episode such as the one described here, though, where characters deal with concepts like death in ways that do not scare or upset the viewer, can serve as an introduction to difficult concepts that help young audiences make sense of the world.
I thought the NPR article was really interesting because it explained why Adventure Time became popular with both kids and adults. At first, I assumed it was just another random cartoon, but after reading the article I can understand why so many people connect with it emotionally. The article points out that the show is funny and weird on the surface, but underneath it deals with serious topics like death, loneliness, memory, and identity. I think that balance is what makes it stand out from a lot of other children’s shows.
One part that stood out to me was the discussion about the Ice King. The article explains that he is more than just a villain because his story reflects real struggles like losing memories and changing as a person. That made me realize how cartoons can sometimes explore complicated emotions in a way that feels easier to understand. I also liked the idea that parents and kids can watch the show together and take away different meanings from it.
Another thing I found interesting was how the creator said the show came from imagination and childhood experiences rather than trying to force lessons onto kids. I think that makes the series feel more genuine and creative. Overall, the article shows that animation does not have to be “just for kids.” A show like Adventure Time can entertain people while also making them think about deeper issues in life.
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