Adventure Time
Series, 2010, The 2010s, Set in The Land of Ooo
Adventure Time is #1 of 18 in release order and #1 of 18 in chronological order in the Modern Cartoon Classics.
The story
Young Finn and his shape-shifting dog buddy, Jake, go on a series of surreal adventures as they journey through the postapocalyptic Land of Ooo.
Adventure Time recap
Finn, a human boy, and Jake, his shape-shifting dog brother, are adventurers in the Land of Ooo, a candy-coloured world full of princesses and monsters. Their friends include Princess Bubblegum, the scientist ruler of the Candy Kingdom; Marceline, a thousand-year-old vampire; BMO, their living game console; and the Ice King, a lonely wizard who keeps kidnapping princesses. Early seasons are mostly one-off quests, but the show slowly reveals that Ooo is Earth a thousand years after the Great Mushroom War, a nuclear catastrophe. The Ice King turns out to be Simon Petrikov, an antiques dealer driven mad by a magic crown, who once looked after a young Marceline after the war. Later seasons follow Finn growing up: first loves with Bubblegum and Flame Princess, losing an arm, meeting his human father Martin, and finding other humans on a distant island. The Lich, an undead force of extinction, is the recurring great villain. The last season, Elements, Islands and Stakes miniseries lead into a war between Bubblegum and her uncle Gumbald.
Adventure Time ending explained
The finale, "Come Along with Me", has Finn and Bubblegum's side fight Gumbald's army until GOLB, a god of chaos, rises and threatens to swallow Ooo. Finn ends the war with a song, Simon's old partner Betty merges with GOLB to cure Simon of the crown, and Bubblegum and Marceline share a kiss. The story is framed a thousand years later by BMO telling it to two new characters. Distant Lands (2020 to 2021) and Fionna and Cake (2023 to 2025) continue it.
Where to watch Adventure Time
Adventure Time is streaming on Hulu and HBO Max in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 8.7/10
Where it fits
- Release order: first, before The Legend of Korra.
- Chronological order: first, before The Legend of Korra.
What to watch before Adventure Time
Nothing. Adventure Time is the first of the Modern Cartoon Classics essentials, so it's the place to start.
Cast
- Jeremy Shada as Finn the Human (voice)
- John DiMaggio as Jake the Dog (voice)
- Tom Kenny as Ice King (voice)
- Hynden Walch as Princess Bubblegum (voice)
- Olivia Olson as Marceline the Vampire Queen (voice)
- Niki Yang as BMO / Lady Rainicorn (voice)
- Pendleton Ward as Lumpy Space Princess (voice)
- Polly Lou Livingston as Tree Trunks (voice)
- Ava Acres as Jamaica (voice)
- Justin Roiland as Earl of Lemongrab (voice) / Starfish Martian (voice)
- Kumail Nanjiani as Prismo (voice)
- Emo Philips as Cuber (voice)
Created by Pendleton Ward.