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.