
It's Adventure Time - coffeecodecouch
http://theholenearthecenteroftheworld.com/
======
silencio
Amused and happy to see this on the front page of HN. Adventure Time is one of
my favorite shows of all time.

My husband and I had an Adventure Time themed wedding a month ago and we
turned a whole slew of people into fans that way - our cake baker, some of the
venue staff, a whole bunch of our friends and family. Unlike MLP and other
shows where I feel like I have to explain things for people to get started, AT
is generally great enough that I just tell people to watch any episode and
then just blow their minds explaining some of what's going on in the show at
large that they might not have picked up on. Love it.

Cake (and we even got CN's permission for it! suck it disney!):
[https://www.flickr.com/photos/argon/13347167874/](https://www.flickr.com/photos/argon/13347167874/)

His and hers flowers with Finn and BMO: [https://scontent-a-
sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/t1.0-9/p480...](https://scontent-a-
sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-
ash3/t1.0-9/p480x480/1962693_10152306904399648_141489450_n.jpg)

And one of the centerpieces ;) [https://fbcdn-sphotos-
c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1.0-...](https://fbcdn-sphotos-
c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-
prn1/t1.0-9/p180x540/1964952_10152374309819388_545707268_n.jpg)

~~~
aray
Also, the creators have been working on a short made-for-youtube cartoon show
(~5 minute episodes) called "Bravest Warriors". If anyone here likes Adventure
Time, check it out:

[http://bravestwarriors.cartoonhangover.com/](http://bravestwarriors.cartoonhangover.com/)

(Also the character designer from Adventure Time is working on a new cartoon
called Bee & PuppyCat, also in a similar awesome vein
[http://beeandpuppycat.cartoonhangover.com/](http://beeandpuppycat.cartoonhangover.com/))

------
jboggan
This quote from NEPTR (The Never Ending Pie Throwing Robot) made me sad and
touched in a very deep way and made me realize that Adventure Time isn't just
a kids show:

"Creator, I am eager to commence the creation and propulsion of pies forever,
but my pie-hucking appendage is... malfunctioning, and my oven lamp is cold,
and my tank treads do not roll! They only do skids! Why, creator? Does it
please you to watch me struggle?"

The line is a joke but the delivery just makes me feel a deep existential
angst.

[http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Neptr/Quotes](http://adventuretime.wikia.com/wiki/Neptr/Quotes)

~~~
negativity
There's no reason to question a creator that is not sentient.

~~~
yhntx
I'd also add that NEPTR does not know that he was created somewhat
accidentally by an unskilled creator and that his intended body plan did not
become realized. Both points that are also quite tragic and close to home for
some cosmologies.

------
mnl
Adventure Time is one the greatest things coming from recent American pop
culture. It's not only imaginative, creative, fun, loving & caring and
emotionally daring, twisted and complex beyond the naive first layers meant
for present day children, and those work for them too. It connects with this
old Gen-Xer in deep ways. There you have the Cold War angst, the fear and
uncertainty we all were brought up with, which now has vanished like a
nightmare, but it's still lurking inside. The technology in the post-
apocalyptic World of Oo (delicious names) shows tokens of that age, BMO is a
Mac, there are VHS tapes and CRT TVs, everything is old but has that timeless
charm of the things you learnt first. And there is so much Sesame Street vibe
deep down there, we were really educated by it. It's a love song from grown up
kids to grown up kids. An uncertain world, full of charm and hidden dangers
with pure heroes that make mistakes and surprising foes that have their adult
reasons.

Just a quote. Episode "Beyond this Earthly Realm", Ice King is watching static
on TV (how cool this was?), he can alter it because of his ghostly condition
in that scene, and then he comes up with this:

“What do you think, Finn? Can we pull back the veil of static and reach into
the source of all being? Behind this curtain of patterns, this random pattern
generator... so clever. Right here in every home, watching us from a one-sided
mirror.”

This is unassumingly awesome.

------
tokipin
Besides the fact that the creator(s) are clearly geniuses, I think a big part
of the awesomeness of the show is that those creators are abstract people. One
example was when Finn (the human) suggested that they should pretend to be
defeated by a tiny little army of little mushroom people because he pitied
them and wanted to give them confidence. To this, Jake (the dog) said
something like "no way man, it'll ruin my stats".

Or NEPTR's "You cannot tell, but I am giving a thumbs up."
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTTplK3kin8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTTplK3kin8)

In other words, the humor/atmosphere is much geekier than what you'd expect to
find on a television show. The only other show I remember with this aspect is
Futurama, except that Futurama is overt with its jokes, whereas Adventure Time
has many shades of subtlety.

~~~
eiliant
Why are those two examples abstract?

~~~
tokipin
The idea of "stats" is a gamer thing, but Jake is talking about "stats" as
applying to real-life scenarios.

Then there's the idea that a robot is "doing a thumbs up" in some sense or
another that doesn't get across through the physical realm. That's how I
perceived it, aynyway.

~~~
Agathos
"Stats" were a sports thing before there were video games, or even before
integrated circuits.

~~~
tokipin
the show is often dungeons & dragons-y, so i assume it was in that context.
regardless, you wouldn't use the jargon of "stats" when talking about real-
life scenarios. and besides this altogether, there are countless examples. i
just randomly picked two that i could remember. there's an entire episode
("All the Little People") that is a playful exercise in abstraction. but maybe
"idea humor" has a better connotation

~~~
Agathos
But taking a dive doesn't cause stat damage, except to your HP. Unless the
mushroom people drain levels.

I actually saw "All the Little People" as an advanced version of The Sims.

------
thelambentonion
Adventure Time is one of those wonderful shows that evokes very strong
emotions from its fans that are very difficult to put into words.

I've gone through a few drafts of this comment trying to explain what I love
so much about it, but I can't seem to think of anything that wouldn't just be
rehashing what either Pendleton Ward or Maria Bustillos have already covered
in the article.

All I can say is that I highly recommend this show to everyone, as it's the
only thing on TV that I make sure to follow as-it-airs.

EDIT: Just wanted to add that I watched S06E01E02 again this morning and
remained completely blown away by the writing, acting, and animation. Ron
Perlman plays a Lich King that feels dangerous in a way that few other
"children's story" villains come close to.

------
twidlit
The Ice King is one of the most tragic characters ever written in recent times
right next to Gollum. When you consider he was pivotal to how the Earth
survived and how he protected a main character throughout childhood at a great
ongoing personal cost - its astoundingly deep. The lore/universe is also very
imaginative in the right way (somewhat grounded but very creative). Highly
recommended. Watch Season 1 and 2 before judging because S01 is a little
rough.

~~~
pervycreeper
Also observe the physical resemblance of the Ice King to his creator,
Pendleton Ward.

------
danford
I think a lot of people like cartoons like this because they're forced to be
clever with the jokes, whereas something made for adults just throws the
sexual innuendo and adult oriented content right at you, not to mention there
is little to no philosophical discussion to be had on the average sitcom. You
can re-watch adventure time and regular show over and over and each time catch
something you missed before.

------
jdreaver
[MEGA SPOILERS]

One of the best scenes in Adventure Time is when Ice King goes to Marceline's
house to jam. It turns out the "lyrics" Ice King wrote were actually messages
to Marceline the little girl that he wrote hundreds of years ago, before the
crown turned Simon into the Ice King.

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vknDUJ3MM1M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vknDUJ3MM1M)

~~~
coffeecodecouch
Woahwoahwoah... That episode was absolutely amazing and was the first time it
became clear to me I was no longer watching just another kids show, but
finding out what you just said before actually seeing it for the first time
would be like finding out early that you-know-who was you-know-who's father.
Please consider putting a [MEGA SPOILERS] tag at the beginning of your
comment.

~~~
jdreaver
Indeed, that is when I really appreciated the depth of this show.

I went ahead and put the spoilers tag :)

------
WiseWeasel
In a similar vein, I've been loving the show Space Dandy, which is like
Adventure Time's (slightly) older brother from across the Pacific; it's co-
directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, of Cowboy Bebop fame.

Bringing it closer to Adventure Time than Cowboy Bebop however, it includes
the work of a wide range of artists in different episodes, and isn't too
minded by continuity. It also benefits from surprisingly bearable English
voice acting and translation in Adult Swim's dubbed version.

Here's a review:

[http://www.avclub.com/review/space-dandy-is-more-than-
cowboy...](http://www.avclub.com/review/space-dandy-is-more-than-cowboy-
bebops-demented-li-201062)

------
MichaelGG
This is one of the few cartoons my children and I can completely enjoy
together. Most cartoons just suck, and most "anime" that's good isn't properly
dubbed into English which makes watching things a bit slower. (Although for
Evangelio 3.03 I read every line, like I would a book, to her while watching.)

It covers interesting themes, but skips out on sexuality (mainly cause I'd do
a poor job explaining such jokes off-the-cuff to my daughter). Yet it's fun
enough that they never lose interest, unlike some Star Trek episodes.

~~~
ShardPhoenix
Isn't Eva a little hardcore for someone not yet old enough to read?

~~~
MichaelGG
They both can read, just not fluently enough to fully enjoy subtitles.

The rebuilds, so far, seem _relatively_ not-so-violent, and at least not
violence for violence's sake. The only hardcore scene I recall overall is when
Unit 2 gets eaten in one of the earlier movies. And it's all redeemed by
destroying and or recreating the world anyways.

------
vezzy-fnord
Is Adventure Time really as amazing and revolutionary as some proclaim it to
be? The way some describe it here makes it sound like it surpasses the entire
roster of the classic Cartoon Cartoon era, which I'd like to doubt.

I pretty much gave up on Cartoon Network a long time ago when it met its
downfall, and have moved on with life. The only animation I've watched since
then has been Ralph Bakshi.

~~~
Yen
As someone who grep up during the Cartoon Cartoon era, and am a big fan of
many of those shows (Power Puff Girls and Dexter's Lab were quite good), I'd
say yes.

At the very top level, Adventure Time actually has serial elements, as opposed
to Cartoon Cartoons' strictly episodic nature. Character's actions in previous
episodes have real and lasting consequences.

------
ScottWhigham
As the parent of 6 and 10 year old boys, I do not let them watch the show.
"Why?!" you ask? Because I can't trust the commercials shown by Cartoon
Network. I've recorded shows for myself on CN and the commercials are... racy.
"Yes, Scott, but I bet those shows are on after midnight!" You'd be right, of
course. The things is though that 6 and 10yo precocious boys know how to get
the DVR to show all upcoming shows. So if they asked for "all upcoming shows"
of Adventure Time, do you think they will care that they are recording a show
that comes on at 2AM vs 2PM? No, of course not. They'll just look for episodes
they haven't seen and record them ASAP. But I sure as hell care which one they
record! The commercials on at 2AM vs. 2PM are quite different.

The bottom line, for me, is that if your station sells commercials to "anyone
with money" then my kids are not allowed to watch your channel.

------
vonklaus
I guess I am alone in being completely unable to relate to this at all. I am
sort of shocked to find myself confused and off-put by a top submission on HN.

I like to assume that HN is a very broad filter for the most relevant high-
level & low-level technology, media, news, discussion and tangentially related
topics.I understand the need to have a broad focus, because restriction is
friction and seemingly unrelated content can be extremely useful sometimes.

However, I don't find this cartoon particularly innovative or interesting, and
to me (someone uninitiated) I would have trouble picking it out from the horde
of look-alikes on cartoon network. Collaboration in media and cartoons have
been around for ages, and adult cartoons have been around since the simpsons.
Maybe this deserves to be here, but I could think of a lot of content I would
rather see at the top.

~~~
dang
You're not alone. I thought it was borderline for HN, because it didn't strike
me as intellectually engaging, but we were persuaded not to penalize it by the
fact that the article was unusually in-depth (or at least long).

It's important to realize, though, that Hacker News isn't just for articles
about tech and startups. That's a common but wrong misconception. We want a
wide range of intellectually interesting articles. That's been true for as
long as HN has been HN.

~~~
bradleysmith
I don't like meta-talking about what is good or bad for HN generally, but when
I saw dang had chimed in, I felt obligated to leave an opinion. Like the top
comment, I was both amused and happy to find this content on HN.

Given Adventure Time's regular toying with ideas like SCIENCE vs. MAGIC,
boundaries of morally responsible science, D&D meta-geekery (character
alignments), machine sentience (BMO), and all of the games it plays in gender
& identity roles and other existential weirdness, I always assumed it's adult
audience would be strongly represented on HN.

Not only was the article the most in-depth analysis of the show I've ever come
across, but the comments here contain intelligent discussion and observation
that lead me to similar analyses and content like Adventure Time.

This was a perfect article for HN, as I use it; identify things tangentially
interesting to the 'hacker' mind, in all it's different forms, and provide
intellectual discussion on it.

Thanks to OP for finding it and you (dang) for allowing the discussion to
remain. Glad to have seen it.

EDIT: for clarity

~~~
ryanobjc
I suspect there is the confusion between what appears to be 'childish' and
what is sophisticated. Things can be "childish" but also sophisticated, a la
Adventure Time.

Ultimately, I have met a number of people who are so incredibly serious (and
usually fairly young) that if it isnt a math paper, it's a waste of humanity.
If only our brains worked like that!

Embrace neurally diverse experiences!

------
JoeAltmaier
Sorry, I have a visceral revulsion for this show. Its not the crappy
animation, nor the macabre characters. Its not the plots. Its because I had to
suffer through it over every single meeting of our game-invention club for
several years. The proprietor of the card shop where we met had it on, and we
met at the same time each week. It would distract everyone, made it hard to
get real work done, and slowed our progress for months.

I hate it. Hate, hate, hate it. Hate it.

------
cfreeman
I might be an idiot but I reloaded the website 3 times and turned adblock on
and off before I realized it was an article and I just needed to scroll down.
Being on a macbook with low-resolution screen and no visible scrollbar doesn't
help. Still, what is "theholenearthecenteroftheworld.com"? Why don't they
identify what they are at the top of the site?

~~~
telvda
It seems that this website is just dedicated for this one article. Which
originally was from: [http://www.theawl.com/2014/04/how-adventure-time-came-
to-be](http://www.theawl.com/2014/04/how-adventure-time-came-to-be)

------
plg
Where can one watch adventure time episodes online?

~~~
pokpokpok
[http://www.watchcartoononline.com/anime/adventure-
time](http://www.watchcartoononline.com/anime/adventure-time)

------
pubby
Unfortunately the writing seems to be getting worse and worse over the years.
There were lots of nerdy jokes in the early seasons, but at that time they
were done in a celebratory way. In many of the newer episodes it feels like
mocking. See "Vault of Bones" for example. Not to mention all the "preetreen
drama" introduced.

~~~
pokpokpok
I agree that it dipped briefly after the first season, but lately the show has
had amazing maturity and depth. as well as being hilarious in a slightly less
zany way.

------
farhanpatel
I cant believe no one mentioned Rick and Morty. Co-created by the creator of
Adventure Time and Community.

The main character is a hacker scientist who with his grandson fight aliens,
explore parallel dimensions and save the world from destruction!

------
DiabloD3
I am unabashedly a fan of Adventure Time.

------
ShardPhoenix
I love(d) Adventure Time but it's (IMO) suffering from the same problem as
many good American shows, which is that as long as it's profitable the network
keeps it going even after it's run out of creative steam. I'm sure there are
still good episodes but I've mostly lost interest in the thing as a whole.

------
Splendor
That was some nice writing. All 11,000+ words of it. Kudos to Maria Bustillos.

------
Numberwang
x

------
ZeppelinDePlomo
No reason to be top on HN.

~~~
vonklaus
You & I are the only people that feel this way apparently.

~~~
ZeppelinDePlomo
And we all get downvoted. These people surely feel strongly about their
cartoons.

