Adventure Time is a pop-culture phenomenon, the kind of television series that only comes around once every decade. It transcends the realm of kids cartoons, reaching viewers of all ages, genders, and interest levels. Even if you don’t watch Adventure Time you know of Adventure Time in some capacity. Many people don’t understand how a cartoon as peculiar as this has become such a staple of a generation. The best way to explain its emergence is with one word: heart. It is very rare when a mainstream animated series can make you laugh, cry, and even contemplate new ideas. Adventure Time has the ability to do just that – and that ability is on full display in the latest Adventure Time home release, Jake the Dad.
The set, the fifth volume of Adventure Time episodes, consists of sixteen episodes from seasons four and five of the series that run the gamut of emotions. You’ll laugh as Lumpy Space Princess tries to write her tell-all memoir of how to snare a man in the episode “Gotcha!”. You’ll find yourself contemplating the idea of having too much of a hand in the way people lead their lives in “All the Little People”. And you will definitely feel yourself tear up when you watch “I Remember You” and “Simon and Marcy”, companion pieces that shed light on The Ice King and Marceline’s intertwined pasts.
There aren’t any real special features on the sixteen-episode disc other than a section with character profiles dubbed “Little Did You Know” but that’s a good thing in my opinion. The special feature is an accompaniment to the episodes themselves, giving you a detailed pitch-style view of the inhabitants of The Land of Ooo. I like my special features supplemental!
All in all, this set is the perfect representation of high-quality animated television, an amalgamation of art, story, and characterization unlike any cartoon on television today. I could not recommend this set enough. It’s not the best introduction to the series for someone who has never watched it (there are some recurring themes and what-not that will fall flat for first-timers) but for those who are fans of the show this set is a very good smattering of episodes. And it comes with a Jake hat! What’s not to love?