Smiling Friends continues to be what other "adult cartoons" fail and sometimes actively refuse to be.
Where other shows find edginess and intelligence in nihilism and negativity, this one works as an antidote -- partly in how its heroes endeavor to bring joy to an absurdist world (though they oft learn that some of its sadsacks only find joy/purpose in even darker places). Where other adult cartoons look ugly on purpose (supposedly to scare kids away), Smiling Friends is bright, colorful, and appealing to look at -- for all its grotesque and agonized-looking characters.
And of course, it's still a joy to behold for those of us who have followed its creators since Newgrounds, OneyPlays, SleepyCast, or wherever you might've discovered them. It was wild enough to see these people get a show on Adult Swim and eventually have said show on the HBO Max "Adult Swim" banner right alongside Rick and Morty. But to get an ad on the Las Vegas Globe for a "Season 2 premiere" that turned out to be an April Fool's Gag? Truly we live in the most blessed of timelines.
The show continues to combine the strengths of its creators. Zach "Psychicpebbles" Hadel has a knack for creating hideously cute critters in a quick moment and Michael Cusack has a way with big expressions. In this new season, we also get the best emulation of PS1 graphics that has ever been attempted, complete with bit-crushed audio for that particular character. An equal amount of care has been put into the old-timey video game promo.
The animation is better than ever and there's additional humor to be found in it if you know where to look, such as the way some random object will be over-animated and fluid while a little blob fella is zipping across the screen with a two-frame running cycle. The character animation -- the poses, the blink-and-you'll-miss-them tics/gestures, the simple yet expressive faces -- is brimming with detail, and we do get some off-model gags at the right times (once again, usually in a way where you'll barely notice them). Finally, it is still very funny that someone like Zach, to whom goblin mode comes so naturally, plays one of the most normal guys in the show.
Needless to say, I cannot wait to see what's next... in May.
Where other shows find edginess and intelligence in nihilism and negativity, this one works as an antidote -- partly in how its heroes endeavor to bring joy to an absurdist world (though they oft learn that some of its sadsacks only find joy/purpose in even darker places). Where other adult cartoons look ugly on purpose (supposedly to scare kids away), Smiling Friends is bright, colorful, and appealing to look at -- for all its grotesque and agonized-looking characters.
And of course, it's still a joy to behold for those of us who have followed its creators since Newgrounds, OneyPlays, SleepyCast, or wherever you might've discovered them. It was wild enough to see these people get a show on Adult Swim and eventually have said show on the HBO Max "Adult Swim" banner right alongside Rick and Morty. But to get an ad on the Las Vegas Globe for a "Season 2 premiere" that turned out to be an April Fool's Gag? Truly we live in the most blessed of timelines.
The show continues to combine the strengths of its creators. Zach "Psychicpebbles" Hadel has a knack for creating hideously cute critters in a quick moment and Michael Cusack has a way with big expressions. In this new season, we also get the best emulation of PS1 graphics that has ever been attempted, complete with bit-crushed audio for that particular character. An equal amount of care has been put into the old-timey video game promo.
The animation is better than ever and there's additional humor to be found in it if you know where to look, such as the way some random object will be over-animated and fluid while a little blob fella is zipping across the screen with a two-frame running cycle. The character animation -- the poses, the blink-and-you'll-miss-them tics/gestures, the simple yet expressive faces -- is brimming with detail, and we do get some off-model gags at the right times (once again, usually in a way where you'll barely notice them). Finally, it is still very funny that someone like Zach, to whom goblin mode comes so naturally, plays one of the most normal guys in the show.
Needless to say, I cannot wait to see what's next... in May.