5 - Non-Stereotypical Female Characters

     Adventure Time, as we all know, is filled with a wide array of diverse characters; majority of which are female. Most of the female characters are princesses, like Lumpy Space Princess (LSP for short), Flame Princess, and the well-known Princess Bubblegum, but we also have others like Marceline, the vampire queen, Fionna, the gender-bent version of Finn, Cake, the gender-bent version of Jake, and many more. If you aren't aware of all the princesses that exist on the show then you can check out this link for the list of all of Adventure Time's princesses, including some mentioned in the comics.

     Now, if there's one thing to take note of, it's that these female characters are not the stereotypes. Most of the time, they are very genuine and have quite realistic personalities. Though at some times, the princesses may become damsels-in-distress whenever the Ice King kidnaps them, there are other times when they get to fight for themselves. Like, for example, in the episode Lady and Peebles, Finn and Jake are kept as prisoners by Ricardio, the Ice King's former heart, and it was up to Princess Bubblegum and Lady Rainicorn, a half unicorn and half rainbow creature who's Jake's girlfriend, to save the day. Giving the women in the show these kinds of opportunities is actually pretty great since it doesn't stereotype them in the process, and the women who watch the show can actually learn to appreciate it since it won't seem like a bunch of clichés.

     In this one article, that I found in my research, entitled Pendleton Ward explains how he’s keeping Adventure Time weird which was written by Charlie Jane Anders, Ward states that 

it's hard creating cool female characters, like Princess Bubblegum, because "there's so many stereotypical girl characters, and the easiest thing to do is the opposite: girl power, making them extremely intelligent or extremely tough. I just want to make girls that are normal, just like Finn is normal." He likes writing Princess Bubblegum because she's not just great at science, she's also kind of a "goofball, and her experiments are wacky. She's not the smartest person in the universe."

 So, thanks to Mr. Ward, we get to enjoy watching all these characters who aren't those typical girls that you could find in other cartoons. Like, Marceline who loves rock music and fights for herself when she needs to. For example, the episode Memory of a Memory, Marceline's ex-boyfriend stereotypes her, like ordering her to make him a sandwich, but after finding out that he tricked her, she breaks up with him. 

     I also came across another article on the same topic. It was entitled Why I Love 'Adventure Time' which was written by Myrna Waldron who is a feminist writer/blogger. She explained the things which she liked about the show; mainly how the female characters are depicted. Here is a statement she made in one part of the article,

I also practically exploded with joy at the final scene where Fionna talks about how she has lots of guy friends, but isn’t interested in/isn’t ready to date them, and that there’s nothing wrong with that. THANK YOU. It’s incredibly frustrating how many people think that somehow something is missing if you don’t have an official romantic partner, or that men and women can’t have a platonic friendship. Shippers could do well to remember this - you can like someone without wanting to bang them.

This is also one thing to admire in the show. It makes Fionna seem even more independent and that's good since it would inspire little girls, who have seen this episode, that romance isn't the most important thing to accomplish. These kinds of things do take time, so at the moment, they should just have fun. Also, I feel like, by doing this, it interests the viewers even more; making them want to watch just to see how Fionna's relationship with her guy friends will ever develop into. 

     The fact that Adventure Time creates female characters who are not stereotypical, unlike in some cartoons, actually attracts a lot of female adult viewers; another factor to add to the list. 

4 - The Dark Past

     You should probably know by now that Adventure Time is also known for having a "dark past". Its setting is in a post-apocalyptic world where most of the inhabitants of the Land of Ooo are mutants, like the candy people of the Candy Kingdom, the different princesses, the talking animals in the forest, etc. However, despite this fact, the writers of the T.V. show are still able to make everything in it joyful, playful and almost child-friendly. Could this type of sugar-coating be another reason why adult viewers find the show so interesting?

     In my research, I came across an article called ‘Adventure Time’: Post-apocalyptic ‘candyland’ attracts adult fans which was written by Noelene Clark. It talks about how the show began, how the writers were able to come up with the ideas and such, and of course about how the show's past attracts adult viewers. Here's a quote from the said article,

“I think that’s what makes the show interesting, if anything,” Ward said. “It’s candyland on the surface and dark underneath, and that’s why it’s compelling, I think, if at all. Those are my favorite kind of emotions — the ones that conflict with each other, and they feel weird inside of you.”

 So, that's probably why the show has a dark past, and the fact that this kind of idea is actually so compelling is a great one actually. A lot of people would always expect something post-apocalyptic to be so sad and hopeless, but with Adventure Time, it actually gives us a whole new perspective of the subject. Making us rethink that sort of idea. So the whole thing isn't really something of what we expect. We might see Finn and Jake exploring the depths of the ocean using a submarine and notice that there are destroyed buildings, cars and streets at its bottom, but they would still be having fun doing their own business, and that only arouses more interest in the viewers since, naturally we would want to know more. But as Ward has stated, they won't dwell too much in the show's past since it would be too depressing.

     If you think about it, being in a post-apocalyptic world is not really something that most children would be able to understand. However, the writers of the show don't really focus on writing for the children or adults. Most of the time, they just write what they think would be funny or what they like to write. I found this article entitled, Inside the Fun Factory: An Elucidating Discussion with Pendleton Ward, the Creator of Adventure Time which was written by Max Eddy, wherein Ward says that, 

“I think we just write to make ourselves laugh,” he said. “We just write for ourselves. We try to crack each other up, that’s what we do. We don’t sit down and try to tailor jokes for kids or for adults. We just write stuff that we think is funny and hope everyone else thinks it’s funny.”

This is probably the reason why some jokes would be questionable if it were for children or not, but, then again, this is probably why adults like watching it too. Besides having to be child-friendly, the show practically has no restrictions. Now that we know that it has a dark past, it is up to the writers on how they wish to show some moments that would show significance while still being able to please the kids. One good example for this technique would be the episode I Remember You. The episode focused more on Marceline, the Vampire Queen who was abandoned as a child, and the Ice King who used to be called Simon Petrikov but due to his crown's powers of the ice (the one that he's wearing now) it drove him insane making him lose his memories of being human. It showed us what happened between the two characters' past but it also did not tell us a lot about that topic. It was like a quick flashback explaining how Marceline met the Ice King and how precious her stuffed toy really was to her (since it was given to her by the Ice King when he found her wandering alone). So, by doing this, it made the viewers, both young and old, feel compelled to learn more. I mean, that one episode raised so much questions. Leaving them all unanswered would be a shame. So showing more episodes that dip into some times in the show's past is another great way for the writers to interest more viewers. It kind of acts like a reserve tank wherein, if ever the writers do run out of ideas, they could always try making episodes that involve things from the past.

     So, to sum it all up, a children's show that has a dark past but is still able to be joyful and fun can actually attract a lot of adult viewers. Especially since, it is accompanied by writers who write about anything they can come up with, as along as they find it humorous.

3 - Nostalgia in Adventure Time

     We all know that Adventure Time seems to be filled with a lot of weird and random adventures, but have you ever noticed how you could relate to some of them? Like, for example, the episode called Rainy Day Daydream wherein whatever Jake imagines actually comes true. When he imagined that there was lava on the floor, it actually happened and they couldn't touch the ground otherwise, they would melt. Interesting since, that was one of the most relative childhood games that any adult would love to reminisce. That was probably what Pendleton Ward wanted to do with that episode. Reminisce on his childhood again.

     People say that "nostalgia", meaning: a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends, could be one of the reasons why adults love to watch Adventure Time. Now that I think about it, I believe it could be true. There are some times in the show wherein one could really relate to Finn and Jake's adventures while learning from it as well. Through my research, I came across an article entitled, ‘Adventure Time’: The Animated Kids Show You Should Be Watching, written by Sky Friedlander, stating a few reasons why one should be watching the show. The first reason which he stated was that it had "The nostalgia factor". This was further backed up by the research that Mike Rugnetta, the host for the PBS web series Idea Channel, made for the very same statement. Here is the said episode.

     Here's the statement made by Friedlander, I quote, 

 He (Mike Rugnetta) argues that nostalgia is at the root here, with Finn and Jake eliciting warm memories from us old fogies as they travel their world, discovering new creatures and ideas, and saving the day.

 With that in mind, it's no wonder why a lot of adults could be watching the series. It's like, as they watch Finn and Jake go on another adventure, they wait for moments that they can relate to or just reminds them of their childhood. This is most probably due to the fact that the writers of the show write the stories as if they themselves were living the lives of these characters and stories that they would come up with would come from their ideas from their childhood. At least, that is what Pendleton Ward said during his interview with Co.Create. So, since these ideas are coming from adults who base them from the ones they had from their younger years, then it could be the reason why other adults find it all so nostalgic. Indeed, this is a good reason to be watching Adventure Time.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the Study

     Adventure Time is a T.V. show that is made for kids, or at least that was the target audience. The show itself is quite simple, being about a human boy named Finn and his best friend named Jake, who's a talking magical dog, who both likes to go out on adventures. Every day they meet all kinds of creatures and do all kinds of quirky fun things. It is this kind of story telling that attracts children to keep watching the series. Not to mention, the animation and the way the characters were drawn so simply and in such a cute way is also another eye-candy for the young viewers. 

     Pendleton Ward, the creator of the show, stated that he just set out to make a children's show; One that he would have enjoyed as a child himself. With Adventure Time, he was able to succeed at that goal. It became a huge hit with the children. However, they say that, although the show is for children, it has teenage humour. This is due to the fact that the people who make it don't restrict themselves when coming up with jokes and puns. They don't bother themselves with the idea of whether the children can understand it or not. This is probably another reason why it attracts more viewers.

     Adventure Time has a lot of eye-candy which attracts children to watch it. The way everything is drawn is quite simple yet there are times when they decide to put in a lot of details, mostly just to emphasize the situation or the character's emotion. Also, the manner the characters are designed are quite unique and adorable as well. Another factor that attracts children to watch it. Its humour is also something to note. Although not all the jokes can be understood by children, there are still some that others can still appreciate which probably makes kids feel more interested to watch.

     However, despite the fact that Adventure Time is targeted at children, there are a lot of adults who also watch the show. Whenever one would go to a Comic con or a cosplaying event, he would always see young adults and maybe even ones in their 30's or 40's dressed in Adventure Time characters. Now it is not unusual for adults to be watching cartoons, especially if they are really targeted for adults. However, being that Adventure Time is a show made for children, adults happen to enjoy watching it just as much as kids do. This could be due to the fact that it has some jokes that could only be understood by older people but what other factors make adults feel so interested in the show? 

     At first glance, one would think that this show is definitely for kids judging from how the characters look so colourful and the settings look so magical. But after watching a few episodes, you would start to take notice of some things that's not really just for kids, like the show's dark past. The place where Finn and Jake live, the Land of Ooo, actually takes place during a post-apocalyptic era wherein humans have become extinct, making Finn the only human being left. But even if the show has this dark mysterious past, they still make it fun and happy through all of Finn and Jake's adventures, probably another reason why adults must enjoy watching this show.

     However, this study intends to learn more. This paper will deal with what exactly makes the show so appealing to adults. It will focus on the factors that make adults watch Adventure Time.


B. Statement of the Problem

     This study aims to answer this question:

     1. What are the factors that make adults watch Adventure Time?


C. Significance of the Study

Animators. Animators, who are either just starting their careers or are already familiar with the business, would be able to find this research helpful due to the fact that it can help them learn more about how they can make a cartoon that can be both appealing to child and adult viewers just like Pendleton Ward's Adventure Time. Also, they could use this knowledge to come up with their own techniques on attracting these viewers.

Adventure Time Fans (Mostly Adults). Fans of the T.V. show, especially the adults, can find this information useful if they also wish to learn more about how their favourite show is able to attract the kind of viewers it gets. It could also help the adult fans realize that there are a lot of other viewers their age as well.

Adults and Teenagers Who Want to Prove a Point to Their Parents or Friends. This research can help those who want to prove to their parents (or even to other people) that not all cartoons are "only for kids". Even adults watch the T.V. show, Adventure Time, and enjoy it like the children do.

Future Researchers. This paper will be useful to future researchers who will make similar studies with this topic since there are not a lot of studies on this subject. 


D. Scopes and Limitations

     This study will mainly focus on the factors that make adults watch Adventure Time. So it will also discuss how the show works; its characters, setting, story and possibly some of its relevant episodes. It will also mention what the children enjoy about this show and as well as the adults.

     We will no longer discuss every episode that they have released, only the ones that will come up during the research or will be of significance. We will also not discuss whether the show is really meant for children or not since we have already established that it was initially targeted at them.


E. Materials and Methods

     This research uses a descriptive method since the researcher describes and discusses related articles found on the World Wide Web. Please note that majority of the information in this research is found through the internet. The rest is through surveys which will be done by asking adults and young adults questions, like if they watch Adventure Time and what do they like about the show. This will either be done personally or through the use of the internet once again.


F. Definition of Terms

Cartoon - A simple drawing showing the features of its subjects in an exaggerated way, esp. in a newspaper or magazine.

Character - A person represented in a play, film, story, etc; role.

T.V. - An abbreviation for the word "television" which is the broadcasting of a still or moving image via radiowaves to receivers that project a view of the image on a picture tube.

Eye-candy - Visual images that are superficially attractive and entertaining but intellectually undemanding.

Cosplaying (Cosplay) - Short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants wear costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. 

Pun - A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings.

Post-apocalyptic - Set in a world or civilization after an apocalyptic fiction, which is a sub-genre of science fiction that is concerned with the end of human civilization due to a potentially existential catastrophe such as nuclear warfare,pandemic, extraterrestrial attack, impact event, cybernetic revolt, technological singularity, dysgenics, supernatural phenomena, divine judgement, runaway climate change,resource depletion, ecological collapse, or some other general disaster. 

2 - Adventure Time Appeals To Both Child And Adult Viewers

     Even if Adventure Time was originally aimed at children, it has somehow attracted the adult audience as well. Quite an unbelievable feat that they have made since it is not something that can easily be done. Pendleton Ward would simply say that they just "luck out" but I guess that it is what you would expect from the way they wrote the stories. So weird and random yet still entertaining to watch. How do you suppose were they able to do it?

     As a viewer, I can say that I appreciate and enjoy how the story goes. There will be some episodes that will either inform us about a certain character's past or personality, then suddenly they will show more of Finn and Jake's random adventures, then, at some point, they will return to showing us more information about the same character. I know it sounds confusing but I actually find it to be a clever technique. It keeps us viewers waiting to see what happens next. And another interesting thing is that some of their random episodes would actually be part of some bigger story, like in one episode when Finn and Jake meet a bear who only wants to be a hero like Finn. So Finn decides to give him the "Enchiridion", the hero's manual, not knowing that the bear was actually tasked to get that book from him in order to give it to the Lich. It's simple stories like these that make me enjoy watching this series.

     Through my research, I was able to come across this article written by S.E. Sinkhorn. It was about Adventure Time and Cross-Audience Appeal. Here, she explained how the makers of the show were able to make it so that even adults could enjoy it. She stated that the writers never forget their target audience. Which, I guess, is true since most of the time everything is just quite humorous. But even so, the show can be mysterious. Especially in terms of the show's past. The show takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. Not really something that all children could understand. But maybe that's why adults love this show. Sometimes they do come up with things that they can understand which, in the end, are also quite humorous. Another thing that I would like to mention is how the writers don't restrict themselves from the idea that maybe the children won't be able to understand some of the jokes or puns. They just go for whatever idea they can come up with. Here's a quote from the article, 

Many times, people assume entertainment for children needs to be simple and superficial because kids can't understand or relate to anything else. Not true. Kids can think a character saying "ALGEBRAIC!" in place of "AWESOME!" is just as hilarious as adults.

This is another reason that makes the show so great and so appealing to viewers of all ages. Because it doesn't have a lot of restrictions, everyone can enjoy the simple humor that is put in it. However, I guess that is why the show needs parental guidance. Not all of its content is found acceptable for children. Most of the time, Cartoon Network does a lot of editing before they can air some episodes, nevertheless, I guess that's one more reason why adults are interested in it. The idea that the show is not 100% purely for children is definitely something that attracts them.

1 - What Makes Adventure Time So Great?

     Who knew that the cartoon "Adventure Time" would create such a huge impact on Cartoon Network. To think that the creator, Pendleton Ward, only wanted to make a cartoon that he would have enjoyed as a child. It's amazing how its unique and simple design made it as popular as it is today. But what exactly does make this show so great? And how does it continue to captivate its audience?

     Well, simplicity is best. Initially, the show is about a boy and his dog who goes on all sorts of weird and magical adventures. And it is due to this that they are able to come up with different stories for the show. In fact, it's like it has no boundaries. They could even defy logic and it would still be entertaining to watch. It is why the show has become such a big hit with its viewers. Everyday is a new adventure waiting to happen and no one knows what would happen next. I came across an article, during my research, in the website Den of Geek which explains this. The author, Robert Mclaughlin, wrote about how the show is so unique and imaginative that it was able to catch the attention of both child and adult viewers. And how rare it is to be able to find a cartoon that does that.

     The show is interesting to watch. Its diverse characters make it more fun to create stories. You could never run out of random adventures for Finn and Jake since everything in their world is almost possible. I mean, they even came up with Martians living on Mars whose king is Abraham Lincoln, half unicorn and half rainbow creatures called Rainicorns that apparently used to eat humans, candy people from the Candy Kingdom who explode when they get scared, small partying bears that like to party in a monster's belly, and A LOT more. The possibilities are just endless with this show. Here's a quote from the said article,

This is the first cartoon in a long time that is pure imagination, and its non-reliance on continually referencing pop culture (okay, apart from the Auto-Tune machine), and the general outlook is positive and fun.

It is definitely one of the reasons why it is so fun to watch and that's what makes it so amazing. You just never know what to expect. Another factor that makes it unique is that, unlike in most cartoons wherein the characters would be stuck in a permanent childhood, the characters of Adventure Time age while they progress. Which is something I appreciate about this show since not a lot of shows are like that. It's interesting because it's fun to watch them grow. And due to the fact that anything could happen in the show, it has also developed a shroud of mystery in some of it's episodes. Because of this, it makes the viewers want to watch more just to try to find out what could have happened in a character's past. Another reason why this show is so captivating.

     So far, the show has been making a great impression on its viewers. It's as if the people who have made it has finally devised a perfect plan to make it interest their viewers for a long time. I hope that other animators could be inspired to do the same when they decide to create a cartoon. I know that it won't be easy, but I guess that is what makes Adventure Time such a gem. To think that this is what has become of a simple children's show.

Introduction: Factors That Make Adults Watch Adventure Time

     I have been watching Adventure Time ever since I first saw it on Cartoon Network during the year 2010. It caught my attention because I enjoyed how the characters were drawn and how the story progressed. It's about a 14 year old boy named Finn who goes on different kinds of adventures with his best friend, Jake the Dog, who has magical powers that allow him to stretch into anything. They live in a Tree House with a living game console named BMO and are friends with Princess Bubblegum, who rules over the Candy Kingdom, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and Lumpy Space Princess (LSP for short), who looks like a floating purple cloud. I know, it sounds strange and magical already. But it is a children's show.

     But even if the show was aimed for children, a lot of adults watch it too. And I wonder, why is that? What do adults find in Adventure Time that's so interesting? Do they watch it for the same reasons that we do? I mean, I understand that there are some cartoons that adults like to watch, like Family Guy or The Simpsons, but Adventure Time isn't like those shows. It's purely imaginative and playful. So how come it was able to catch the attention of a lot of adults? And how come it hasn't attracted all of them? Well, through this blog I intend to find out why. I will be writing about the factors and the possible reasons why Adventure Time has become a favourite to some adults.

     As I have mentioned before, the show is mainly about Finn and Jake. Finn is actually the last human on earth probably due to the Mushroom War (which was probably a Nuclear war) and the fact that Rainicorns, half unicorn and half rainbow creatures, ate humans. But now they eat soy-people since they assumed that humans were extinct. Meanwhile, Jake is a talking dog. He didn't acquire his stretchy powers from birth. In theory, he got them as a puppy when he played in a magic mud puddle. Also, his parents adopted Finn when they found him stuck to a leaf in a forest when he was a baby. Which is how Jake and Finn became best friends. Also, Jake's father was an adventurer which is why they want to become adventurers too. To follow in his footsteps. The shows main antagonist would probably be the Ice King, whose real name is Simon Petrikov. He used to be human until he wore the crown which gave him the powers of ice and snow and slowly made him insane. Which is why he has no memory of his human life. However, recent turn of events suggest that he's actually a good person so I'm not sure if I can classify him as their main antagonist. However there is another who's probably more evil than him, the Lich. He is an ancient evil. The foe of the former adventurer, Billy, whom Finn and Jake also admired. As of now we know that he has been defeated. We are not sure if he is going to come back for revenge.

     As you can tell, the show has some dark secrets, like its past. And I know that the creator, Pendleton Ward, doesn't wish to dwell much on these dark pasts. But they will probably show some of the more relevant ones in some episodes. But when you think about it, will children be able to understand the kind of world that Finn and Jake both live in and what events made it the way it is today? Maybe that's one reason why adults must enjoy the show? I hope that with this blog I'll be able to find out.