Finished reading it? It's a true story about the time I broke my arm skiing! The full story (including the circumstances leading up to, and following, the actual event) is pretty hilarious, and eventually I may tell it in this space; it's a great story, I promise!
But if life has taught me anything, it's that I could be better at recommending stories to others. When I get in the obsessive state I mentioned yesterday about a story, I usually try to share it with everybody I know. I commonly receive responses ranging from mild disinterest to out-and-out irritation, and it's only rarely that somebody actually follows up on something I recommend. My wife has told me that I simply come on too strong, turning people off with the forcefulness of my recommendations. Maybe that's the case! Still, I can't help myself; anything that brings out the passion in me brings out a lot of passion.
The upshot of this is that I'm going to use this space to inflict on you whatever form of media is obsessing me at the moment. It's nice, because conceivably I can get the satisfaction of knowing I've shared my obsession without the uncomfortable expectations that go along with contacting somebody directly, telling her what she should read/watch/play, and then asking her every day if she's followed up on it.
Ahem.
So, here's what's got me in a tizzy currently:
Before I started actively watching Adventure Time, I did catch a few episodes here and there on TV. In that context, it made absolutely no sense; it was so ridiculous that I barely paid attention to it, and figured it was simply intended for people on drugs to trip out and have a good time. Harmless, but not for me, I thought.
I was so very, very wrong. And no, I'm not on drugs now.
One of my friends kept bugging me to watch the show -- he simply wouldn't take no for an answer, even though I told him I wasn't that interested. Finally, just to get him off my back, I sat down and watched from the beginning.
The first episode was cute, wacky, and pretty funny.
The second episode was seriously crazy, but not in a psychedelic way, more like a ridiculously nerdy and hilarious way.
The third episode captured my heart, and I knew that I wanted to watch more.
And since then, I've only fallen more in love with the show. The animation itself is good enough, but visually it really shines in the character and environmental designs; the people (and animals, and animate pastries) are drawn simply, but they're still wonderfully expressive, and the little touches scattered throughout the backgrounds of every scene make watching it a delight (who throws an entire plate of spaghetti in his hamper, anyway?)
There's also great dialog, incredible voice work, and some of the catchiest songs I've ever had the pleasure of hearing.
The plots of each 10-minute episode are good, but they mainly serve as showcases for the fantastic job the show's creators do in fleshing out the characters and the world, and making you care about them.
I'm in the middle of season 3, and it's so good that I basically spend all day looking forward to sitting down and taking in more of this show.
I love it. I love it. It is far and away among the best shows I've ever seen. More than anything else, it believes in itself. These are real, living characters, and they're presented so deftly that I've found myself on the verge of tears (of both sadness and joy!) numerous times while going through the show.
You should watch it; its creators have earned that. Season 1 is available on Netflix Instant right now. Get to it!
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