Character Look: Finn the Human

The main character of Adventure Time is Finn the Human. He starts off as a 12 year old human boy living in the land of Ooo. He goes around Ooo with his adoptive brother Jake, a magical dog. 

Finn is implied to be one of the last humans in Ooo, the rest having been wiped out or gone extinct by some reason. The show hasn't been very clear about this so far, so when they clarify this I'll get back to you on it. 

Finn was adopted when he was a baby by Jake's parents Margret and Joshua, which lead to the two of them living together and being best friends, rather than a master/pet relationship that would be initially assumed. The two of them live together in a tree house in the Grass Lands, along with BMO, a sentient video game console. 

He is very close with his older brother, frequently going to him for advice or help in defeating a foe. This relationship is one of the cornerstones of the series, with the pair relying on each other in the various mishaps they find themselves in.

Finn is shown to be very morally good, unable to bring himself to harm any innocent person or creature. This strong morality is what leads him to be a hero around Ooo. This also allows him to get along with most of the residents of the land, aside from those with evil intentions. 

He has been shown to have many friends throughout Ooo, including Princess Bubblegum, Marceline, Lumpy Space Princess and many more because of his friendly and helpful nature. 

Overall Finn is a good protagonist. He makes for a likable character that's easy to root for, yet still has flaws and feels real. 

I've only scratched the surface with Finn. There is so much more to him as a character, both in personality and back story, than I can cram into this blog. I don't want this to turn into a wiki. So with a basic understanding of one of the driving forces of this series, stay tuned for more. Up next: The first of the episode posts!

Further reading: Finn on the Adventure Time Wiki

The Land of Ooo

One of the strangest and most interesting things about Adventure Time is its setting. The show takes place in the Land of Ooo. Upon first glance, it’s just another off and magical world with nonhuman residents. There are different lands, with different types of characters inhabiting each one. With things like the Candy Kingdom and the Hot Dog Kingdom, it feels like a typical and childish fantasy setting.

But the world is so much more than that. Throughout the show there are references to a great disaster, known as the Mushroom War. It was through this war that the land of Ooo came to exist.

The implication is that the Mushroom War was some type of nuclear war, and the resulting radiation created all the different types of beings in the world. The creator, Pendleton Ward, has said that the show does take place in a post-apocalyptic world. Hell, it’s even flat out stated that the Ice King and Marcaline lived before the war and survived through whatever happened, though not without some difficulties.

I'll get more into the Mushroom war when I get closer to the episodes that deal more with it and its implications.

There are other hints of a former civilization such as old cars and technology, even bombshells that appear in the background throughout various episodes. These give a very real sense to the dark undertones of the show and make those who watch it curious about the events that led up to our heroes existence.

Adventure is on the Horizon!

So I just recently watching the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time. For those of you who don't know, Adventure Time is a cartoon following the exploits of heroes Finn the Human and Jake the Dog in the magical land of Ooo.

If I have to explain who is who, I recommend you stop reading 
this and promptly go think about your reasoning skills.

This gem is often overlooked for its silly tone and slightly nonsensical plots. But under the mostly crazy situations is a rich and strange back story on the land and how it came to be. From the heavily implied nuclear holocaust  to tales of love and friendship, Adventure Time isn't just the average children's cartoon. 

Its a well written tale that is misunderstood by a lot of people who just hear about it in passing. Before I got roped into watching one of the episodes by a friend, I just thought it was a silly cash in on the trend of random humor. But its so much more than that. 

It has characters that all have unique ways of how they came to be and motivations beyond the typical archetypes seen in most children's cartoons over the past few years. There are some things in this show that are genuinely dark and touching, without pandering or being heavy handed. There are some sly jokes that you won't catch at first, but make for a good chuckle once you catch on to them. It treats its background and origins seriously, and builds on the world that been created.

So for this reason, I decided to start this blog. Not only to get my ideas and feelings about the episodes out, but also to get people to understand this show and why I love it.