Adventure Time: Distant Lands
Adventure Time: Distant Lands is an American animated television limited series developed by Adam Muto and produced by Frederator Studios and Cartoon Network Studios for HBO Max. It is a spin-off of the Cartoon Network series Adventure Time, which was originally created by Pendleton Ward. The series consists of four hour-long streaming television specials; the first special premiered on June 25, 2020, followed by the second on November 19, 2020, the third on May 20, 2021, and the fourth on September 2, 2021.
The series at large follows the adventures of Finn and his best friend and adoptive brother Jake, a dog with magical powers to change shape and size at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, where they interact with the series' other main characters, including Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and BMO. Distant Lands focuses on new and returning characters in previously unexplored areas of the Adventure Time universe.
Production
Concept
Adventure Time follows the adventures of Finn the Human, and his best friend and brother Jake, a dog with magical powers to change shape and size at will. Finn and Jake live in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, where they interact with the other major characters, such as Princess Bubblegum, Marceline the Vampire Queen, and BMO. Common storylines revolve around Finn and Jake going on the titular adventures, discovering strange creatures, and battling monsters to help others.Background
On September 29, 2016, Cartoon Network officially announced that Adventure Time would end. Storyline writing for the initial series ended in mid-November 2016, and the show's final script was pitched to storyboarders on November 28. Voice recording for the initial series ended on January 31, 2017. Several of the show's crew members were then hired for Cartoon Network's Summer Camp Island, created by Adventure Time storyline writer Julia Pott. The Adventure Time finale, "Come Along with Me", aired on September 3, 2018, to a largely positive reception.Development and casting
Unlike the previous seasons, the specials debuted on HBO Max, the video on demand service from WarnerMedia Entertainment. The Distant Lands specials have their origin during the production of the show's tenth season. Because the show had had success with specials and miniseries in the past, the writers started to pitch a number of stories that could be told in longer formats. Two big ideas that emerged during this time were storylines focusing on BMO in space, and another focusing on Marceline and Bubblegum's relationship. Production for these longer stories, however, was halted when the series was cancelled. Later, when HBO and Cartoon Network began to revive the series for the HBO Max streaming service, the Adventure Time writers went back to these old ideas, and in time they generated the four Distant Lands specials.Many of the cast from the original series returned for the specials, including Jeremy Shada as Finn the Human, John DiMaggio as Jake the Dog, Niki Yang as BMO, Hynden Walch as Princess Bubblegum, Olivia Olson as Marceline the Vampire Queen, and Steve Little as Peppermint Butler. New characters included Glory Curda as Y5 and Simone Giertz as CGO; both of them were already fans of Adventure Time before joining the cast. Guest voices include returning cast members Maria Bamford, Ashly Burch, and Ron Perlman, as well as Randall Park, Stephen Root, John Hodgman, David Bradley, Chris Fleming, Isabelle Fuhrman, Andy Daly, Ron Lynch, Tom Scharpling, Bill Hader, Julia Butters, Patti Harrison, Toks Olagundoye, Edi Patterson, Bex Taylor-Klaus, Dana Snyder, Duncan Trussell, SungWon Cho, and Anthony Head.
Longtime Adventure Time executive producer Adam Muto returned to oversee the production of the specials, with Jack Pendarvis, Anthony Burch, Jesse Moynihan, Christina Catucci, Charley Feldman, and Kate Tsang serving as part of the writing staff. Storyboard artists who worked on these specials included Ashlyn Anstee, Jim Campbell, Iggy Craig, Megan Fisher, Laura Knetzger, Hanna K. Nyström, Maya Petersen, Anna Syvertsson, Mickey Quinn, and Serena Wu. Miki Brewster served as supervising director for the specials. From June to September 2019, Jenny Goldberg briefly served as art director for the specials, after which original series art director Sandra Lee served in that role. On April 21, 2021, HBO Max announced that the airing sequence of "Wizard City" and "Together Again" would be switched, with the latter airing before the former. After this announcement, Adam Muto explained that, initially, only three specials had been ordered, but that "Wizard City" was added on later and was the actual last special to be made.
The end credits of the final special "Together Again" feature a dedication to four deceased members of the show's cast and crew: Polly Lou Livingston, Miguel Ferrer, Michel Lyman, and Maureen Mlynarczyk. Livingston and Ferrer had provided the voices for Tree Trunks and Death, respectively; Lyman and Mlynarczyk, on the other hand, had been sheet timers on the original series.
Episodes
Reception
Reviews
"BMO"
Reception to "BMO" has been mostly positive. Rollin Bishop of Comic Book wrote that the special's biggest strength is that BMO is "the most innocent and also the most prone to misadventure" compared to the other Adventure Time characters, which made the special itself a "solid watch from start to finish." Others called "BMO" a "blend of dream logic, comedy, and surreal heroism". Other reviewers praised the show for recapturing the magic of the original show, with Petrana Radulovic of Polygon arguing that it shared the same "melancholy feeling" as its parent series. Other reviews were not as positive. Grace Z. Li of Vulture called the special "disappointing" even while praising the performance of BMO. Dave Trumbore of Collider singled out the pacing for critique, writing that the special seemed rushed "when it comes to story beats and character development."A number of reviewers commented on the episode's social commentary. The voice-actress for Y5, Glory Curda, argued that Y5's story has a lot of context and is representative of coming out into one's identity, defining the self with whatever terms are comfortable for a person. Alexander Sowa of CBR argued that Hugo is a futurist akin to Elon Musk or Steve Jobs, whose characterization is "a clear satire of modern-day corporations and capitalists." Sowa also argued that contra Hugo—a capitalist and colonist who "destroys the world around him"—Y5 can be seen as a fighter for equity who pushes for a new form of social organization that is fairer to the inhabitants of the Drift. Joe Matar of Den of Geek noted similar themes, saying that the story is about those living in Drift realizing that "their Elon Musk-esque tech capitalist overlord is destroying their world," which forces them to come together and rely on one another. Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times likewise noted that the special hints at social commentary toward the end, referring to the destruction of Earth, the nature of resource management, the importance of cooperation, and "the way that certain human billionaires look at space as an escape pod."
"Obsidian"
Writing for The A.V. Club, William Hughes gave this episode an A, calling it "fan service at its finest" with "plenty of the usual lovely Adventure Time touches". Additionally, Rebecca Long also gave a positive review of the episode for Polygon. She wrote that the episode gives fans the "emotional payoff and answers" they have been yearning for and that the special uses the plot to explore Marceline's childhood trauma, her romantic history with Bubblegum, how the two are interconnected, and fills in gaps about her past. Long also stated that while the special is not "as offbeat" as BMO, it is heavier in terms of emotional weight and plot, and making clear that "romantic subtext" in the original show has "always been straight-up text." At the same time, she states that not all interactions between Bubblegum and Marceline are loving, that the special has flaws due to a conventional structure and storytelling, even with some "inconsistencies in Princess Bubblegum's character design," but is still heartfelt and effective, complete with new music, with Marceline and Bubblegum having "a shared future that feels real." The episode was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award, taking place in 2021, for Outstanding Kids & Family Programming, praised for using the plot to explore Marceline's childhood trauma, her romantic history with Bubblegum, how the two are interconnected, and for giving Marceline and Princess Bubblegum a "shared future that feels real."Rosie Knight of IGN wrote that the special was a "perfect example of why made such a huge impact." Knight contended that the special's strongest asset was "how accessible it is to new viewers", given that both "hardcore fans" as well as new viewers who had little understanding of the characters could still come together and "enjoy this fantastical romp about aging, falling in love, and settling down". Knight further complimented the special for its message that Marceline's power comes from her love of Bubblegum. Knight also applauded the "Monster", which she argued is as iconic as "I'm Just Your Problem" and "Everything Stays". Knight concluded her review by noting that while the special could be seen as mere "fan service", it is "fan service of the highest order", "a wonderful animated episode", and "a fitting addition to Adventure Times legacy." Petrana Radulovic of Polygon argued that 2020, when it came to all-ages animation, was a "glorious gay celebration that was unheard of just five years ago," the development of Marceline and Bubblegum's relationship in the "Obsidian" episode. She specifically said that Obsidian was a "perfect end to this big gay year in animation," while noting that there is still work to do going forward.
Alexander Sowa of CBR described the episode as "a story about time," including various flashbacks, and is a story about immortals, with Sowa saying that Bubblegum and Marceline will "remain young at heart" even as their human companions die. Sean Cubillas had a similar description. He stated that the episode had "plenty of emotion and heart," adding that the episode showed that Marceline has grown up from what she was like in the original series, how Bonnie and Marcy met one another, and how they broke up in the past. At the same time, Princess Weekes of The Mary Sue, before the episode aired, said she found it reassuring because for queer representation "it is important to acknowledge that loving someone doesn't fix emotional issues or personality flaws." At the close of 2020, The New York Times named "Obsidian" one of "best TV episodes" of the year, calling it "the best excuse for existence."