Bluff's Castle Corner

  (You get a cookie if you get the reference I put in the title) Smiling Friends is the latest [adult swim] series. It was originally a pilot, but proved so popular that [as] greenlit it. As expected, the full series received so much hype upon release, which surprisingly ran eight episodes at once. The show revolves about two Technicolor humanoids -- the ever-cheerful Australian Pim (pink) and the cynical Charlie (yellow) -- as they embark on a quest make people smile, hence the show title. Well, in every good show, you need conflict. Their attempts to bring happiness to the world prove to be rather difficult. Like with most [adult swim] cartoons, the animation is intentionally simplistic and choppy, yet it evokes a particular charm. It even mixes other mediums, such as CGI, claymation, and live-action, sort of like The Amazing World of Gumball.  Also, Zach Hadel, the co-creator of the series, is a Newgrounds user, which explains... a lot. There was a particular article b...

  El Deafo  is yet another awesome Apple TV production. It is based on the book of the same name by Cece Bell. It is semi-autobiographical about her being deaf, with cartoon rabbits. It is had now been made into a three-part miniseries.  Cece Bell narrates the series, while cartoon rabbit Cece is voiced by a real life deaf girl. The first episode demonstrates how a serious infection caused Cece to lose her hearing. It doesn’t hold back from showing all the new and scary thoughts little Cece head.  The sound design also muffles the characters’ speech, so you can really immerse yourself what it sounds like when you are hard of hearing. Bell’s narration also lampshades how back then, deaf kids didn’t use sign languages, so they use lip reading instead. And how TV shows didn’t have subtitles. Luckily, these have changed.  Speaking of TV, Cece witnesses a show where a deaf girl is bullied, and called "Deafo". While hurt by this at first, she reclaims this for her Sup...

  We Bare Bears was one of the best CN shows of the 2010s decade. It had a chill atmosphere and a lovable crew of characters. The episodes focusing on the trio when they were cubs became so popular that they almost overtook the show, and caused the main show to end and this presumably non-canon spinoff to be greenlit.  It seems as though baby spinoffs are making a come-back. First, Muppet Babies got a reboot. Then, we got Total DramaRama and Kamp Koral. Finally, We Baby Bears . If you haven't seen We Bare Bears, this show is still accessible, as it focuses on the characters traveling to different dimensions using a magic box, attempting to find a home. It's also VERY heavy on the anime influence, what with the shiny eyes, shoujo roses, and 'kawaii' aesthetic. Although, a K-pop group performs the theme song. The series also reminds me of the anime that Nick Jr aired in the 80s and 90s (yes, really) like Maya the Honey Bee, Adventures of the Little Koala, Maple Town Stor...