Imagine this: you’re in fourth grade and it’s finally the weekend. No more worrying about the one-page math assignment on addition (with decimals!), who will dominate the monkey bars at recess, or listening about Suzie’s sticker collection. It is just you, the couch, and Saturday cartoons.

You turn on Cartoon Network and you hear the happy little ukulele-tune and you know “Adventure Time” is about to start. You can’t wait to watch another humorous adventure between the brave and cunning Finn and his stretchy dog Jake. Life is good.

However, what if I told you that this “kids show” has an underlying meaning that will actually change your adult life? That this show isn’t just about a bunch of random adventures between a boy and his dog? That Hulu currently has all ten seasons waiting for you to indulge and learn about the skills you wish you had in middle school? Well, I am about to blow your mind.

The entirety of the show revolves around the friendship between adoptive brothers Finn and Jake. It dives deep into their creativity, respect for one another, and how they always have each others backs. 

As we grow up in a society fueled by toxic masculinity, many men are taught to not talk about their feelings and end up having a tough time really opening up to their friends. The bromance between Finn and Jake helps to show the viewers that being able to tell the people in your life that you love having them around is normal.

They also spend a lot of time committing heroic acts. Finn and Jake are shown several times saving princesses and townspeople and that they represent their entire identity on selflessness. The duo will also beat up the occasional bad guy when needed. 

However, the show shows the antagonist’s point of view as well as Finn and Jake’s, often going into depth of perhaps why they commit the terrible acts they do. Most shows focuses on the heroes, but Adventure Time explains that even the bad have feelings, too.

Also, a plot actually begins to develop past season one. The show starts to focus on other characters, such as Ice King, Marceline, and Princess Bubblegum, and goes into depth on their back stories, learning about their parents and other major influences on the characters. The show begins to talk about how the Land of Ooo was developed, and that it actually is a post-apocalyptic world.

Not only that, but Adventure Time reveals a bunch of mature themes throughout the show. It shows Finn and other characters experience heartbreak, betrayal, making mistakes, and family abandonment, but it also shows how the characters grow through tragedy and how they’ve changed. A lot of the concepts are real and hard to comprehend at times, but the show encompasses a ton of everyday issues that many haven’t learned how to handle yet.

The show also helps the viewer to see that although many of the characters experience trauma that shape who they are for the entirety of the show, there is light in their struggles. There is always something inspirational that one can learn from conflict, and that is implemented several times throughout the show.

Adventure Time is one of the most mature and analytic animated shows I have seen in a while. There are several traits one can observe through the show, whether it be family issues to break ups to even mental illness. All in all, I would say that this show is a great watch for anybody who is a kid at heart but likes an intense and deepening plot.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10 beans