This is.... interesting. I'm really not sure what to say about this show. This is the first show I've watched for the sole purpose of reviewing it. I watched a total of five episodes, which I think was enough to get a feel for it.
The show follows Gumball, a blue cat, and his best friend, a goldfish named Darwin. Together the two go on all sorts of adventures together as they battle sentient bananas, spiders, and puberty.
Animation: ???
I CANNOT give the animation for this show a grade. It's impossible. The art is so strange or unique or whatever you wanna call it. It blends live action, claymation, 2D animation, 3D animation, and any other medium you can think of into one insane jumbled mess. I'm gonna try breaking it down for ya.
I really like the 2D animation. All the main characters have a very interesting design, and I enjoy watching them go on wacky adventures together. For example, one of the characters, Penny, looks like some kind of peanut with antlers. Her design fascinates me.
I also like the live action part of the show (mostly the backgrounds), even though it's not the most traditional way to do things. With the use of shadows and reflections, the characters really look like they belong in these environments, and it gives the series a really unique feel.
Now we get to the problem I have with the animation. The 3D animation, and other methods. Some 3D characters, like a T-rex who attends school with Gumball and Darwin, look distinctly out of place in the environment. Puppets, dolls, clay figures, etc, also look out of place.
Sound: B+
There's not really any memorable music in this show. There are a couple of songs they put it for comedic effect, and they're okay, but it's nothing that great.
I fell in love with the voice work, however. The voices are cute when they need to be, violent when they need to be, etc. The show itself is very colorful and the voices really reflect that. It's really a pleasure to listen to.
Writing: A-
The writing isn't amazing, but there's always one or two really good laughs each episode. It's always entertaining and it reminds me a lot of the good old Cartoon Network shows I used to watch.
The characters are somewhat derived, but the show puts a unique spin on them. For example, the father is your average cartoon father. A bumbling moron who screws everything up. However, the dad in Gumball is also extremely insecure in his masculinity. And who wouldn't be if they were a huge pink bunny and a stay at home dad? Gumball is your typical trouble maker, but he actually has enough common sense that his problems are more relatable than in other cartoons.
Overall: B+
The Amazing World of Gumball is a fascinating show, and it's really growing on me. The animation might be too strange for some people, but if you're willing to overlook the odd aesthetic, you're left with a pretty solid cartoon.
Thanks for reading. Lemme know what I should review next. Peace out!
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