The adult animation scene for television has seemingly felt bloated with too many showrunners trying their hand at making the next “Family Guy”. Most of the newer shows display a large amount of crude humor and language in the hopes of appealing to their demographic, only to be shunned for being immature and predictable. However, one recent show goes against the norm and provides a viewing that is both funny and refreshing.
“Smiling Friends” is an animated series that premiered on Adult Swim back in 2022. Its first season was a huge success, which led to its second season coming out in 2024, and will likely be getting a third season in the future. What made this show different from the rest was the style of humor that combined random chaos and realistic settings into a colorful world full of different animation styles. Claymation, rotoscoping, and other animations are used to portray the simple plot of a company dedicated to making people smile.
While the show can be graphic at times and display dark themes, it usually wraps up in an unexpected and wholesome manner. You can tell that this show strives to depict positivity and optimism, which opposes the often cynical nature of other shows. The cheerful tone of the show reminds me of “Bob’s Burgers”, which also has a wholesome heart guiding the messages of each episode. Smiling Friends is far from formulaic and always manages to mix up the formula in every episode to keep viewers entertained and laughing. It is a fantastic show, and I highly recommend it!
