Adventure Time more entertaining than Futurama?

[Lazybones]

As much as I enjoy Futurama it is on the chopping block again and that leaves a void.

I have been hearing about Adventure Time for a long time now and at a glance looking at the artwork I just wrote it off as another brainless modern cartoon..

After watching a few episodes however I think I am hooked.. The show is rather dark, weird and awesome at the same time.

[Darren Dirt]

Just accidentally found a clip from AT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCZOZFg-HxA

My ears just told my brain -- that's HIM, BENDER!


JEEZ over even just the past five years, Mr. DiMaggio has been busier than Steve Buscemi and Morgan Freeman combined!

[Mr. Analog]

The first season or two is GREAT and then it starts sliding downhill (at least for me).

It has a huge teen/early-20-somethings fan following and has been very profitable for Cartoon Network. In 3 years they've pumped out 128 episodes, that says a lot to me.

There are a few good cartoons just around the corner that you might also find enjoyable as well as other successes like Gravity Falls

[Thorin]

Yup, my kids have been watching Adventure Time and Phineas And Ferb, and both these cartoons I can sit through and enjoy.  Although Adventure Time hasn't gotten a lot of playtime lately, just because it doesn't seem to be on when the kids are flipping channels.  Whereas Phineas And Ferb, that gets re-broadcast a lot plus we DVR it plus we have the first couple of seasons available through the Xbox.

Oh hey, Gravity Falls is one my daughter had on just yesterday, I caught it and it was entertaining as well.  Although I was a little confused at first not knowing who is who.

[Mr. Analog]

Phineas and Ferb is surprisingly entertaining, though I haven't seen it in a while, Dr. Doofenshmirtz is one of the best characters I've seen in a long time.

Other upcoming shows of interest:

Steven Universe: Steven is the youngest member of a team of gemstone themed superheroines, he's basically a normal kid whose powers haven't manifested yet.

Lakewood Plaza Turbo: Imagine if the world functioned on video game logic, now imagine if characters reminiscent of your favourite arcade games are running a convenience store. It sounds kind of silly but looks kind of fun.

Wander Over Yonder: A project that Craig McCracken started a LONG time ago is finally coming to fruition. This one promises to be really good.

Anyway, there are A LOT more shows that are new and/or getting another season in 2013/14, but these stand out as interesting because they appear to break the mold a little.

My only criticism so far is that a lot of the more interesting stuff seems to be using a kind of same-y design ethos.

[Thorin]

So back to the original topic title, whether Adventure Time is more entertaining than Futurama.  I really enjoy Futurama because there a lot of nerdy jokes in there that 30-somethings would resonate with.  But then Adventure Time has D&D jokes that 30-somethings would resonate with.  And Adventure Time (from what I've seen) seems more whimsical, where Futurama seems more in-your-face.  Is one better than the other?  I'm not sure, but I know if either are on TV I'll sit and watch it.

[Mr. Analog]

Futurama is "zingier" and very much focused on humour with sometimes dramatic things happening (if Seymour waiting for Fry doesn't make you cry I don't know you). It's WAY more into self-referential meta-humour, the thing that has been the main killer for me though is the use of topical humour (the whole Susan Boyle thing ugh, eye-rolling-ly lame now),

They've really explored a lot of interesting country without leaning too much on Flintstones/Jetsons level "here's something contemporary but made absurd by being in the future"

On the other hand you have Adventure Time which parodies a lot of entertainment directed at children (an episode looks like it will be a play on morality and then subverts it at the end) and intentionally uses its absurd qualities to hide the actual messages its trying to convey (like the whole affair with Ricardio).

It can be very abstract at times but really weaves a universe that is fascinating to watch at first. They go deep with most of their characters over time, turning even the most one dimensional villain into a much more complex, even tragic, character over time.

I like both for different reasons but I will for sure miss Futurama when it is gone as I don't really see anything as a replacement at the moment.

[Lazybones]

For me it comes down to, did you actually uncontrollably laugh in the last few episodes? Or do a whooohohoho I can't believe that happened.

Just watched the Tokyo drift Futureama and kind of went meh through the whole episode.. I still enjoyed it, but just not as enthusiastically.

Was watching Adventure Time and laughed out loud when the poor gate keeper got canned because he was in devil pajamas. Or almost all of the awkward relationship dialog (translated and not) when Lady Rainicorn is introduced.

Maybe it is just something new...

[Mr. Analog]

I think it's both things, Futurama has been less laugh out loud funny of late whereas Adventure Time was fresh for a while.

I'm in that zone with AT at the moment though too, it's not quite as snappy as when I first saw it.

[Mr. Analog]

So, an update regarding Steven Universe dropped late yesterday, the show has gotten a complete re-design and it's very ... angular. I knew the pilot was too good to be true.

On the plus side a lot of people who were complaining that it looked too similar to Adventure Time no longer have that problem.

[Thorin]

Oh hey, Gravity Falls is one my daughter had on just yesterday, I caught it and it was entertaining as well.  Although I was a little confused at first not knowing who is who.

Wow, interesting to look back a couple of years and see what I thought was "entertaining" back then - Gravity Falls is an awesome show!  Which is why I'm so sad it's ending after season 2: http://shmalexsmirsch.tumblr.com/post/133619326491/goodbye-gravity-falls (not cancelled, rather finished, as in the story's all done and they're not milking it).

I think this makes me about as sad as when Kim Possible ended, and Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H..

[Mr. Analog]

Yeah the fanbase exploded when it happened
http://shmalexsmirsch.tumblr.com/post/133619326491/goodbye-gravity-falls

There is a lot of speculation on the reasoning behind the decision

[Lazybones]

Adventure time just did a whole miniseries with Marcelline which was rather interesting.