Entry #4: Adventure Time's Existentialism

Many people think of cartoons as funny/creative animation for kids, but some cartoons are deeper in philosophy than others. Adventure time is one of my favorites in philosophy and existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophical movement that focuses on the individual's experience and the meaning of life.

The story starts with a human boy named Finn and his magic dog named Jake. Often dives into complex storylines about trauma, loss, and the repercussions of having power that's beyond your hands. I often rewatch some of the episodes where loss and philosophy were the initial premise. For example, Finn had gotten information on how to find his biological father. For him to get to his father, Finn needs to kill a divine entity where he would be taken to a top secure prison where his father resides. 

Finn finds his father trapped in a crystal, and like any son he frees him. While trying to talk to his father, he shrugs him off and is quickly trying to find a way out of the prison. Finn was obviously upset about his dad not feeling happy to see him. When Finn heard his best friend yell for help he had to choose between him or letting his father go. 

While trying to pick between the two, Finn sees his father climbing up a bridge to get into a portal that goes into another dimension. He picks his best friend, tired, wet, and drenched from the water. He looks up at his dad and gathers up the strength to climb up as well. He became inches into catching his dad. Finn was now stuck between the two platforms, one that was going into the portal and one that was still on the ground. Unexpectedly Finn tries to grab both platforms that were pulling away from each other. After a brutal tug, he loses his arm. While falling to the ground he sees his father heading into space.

Many would take this scene in the episode as dark and dejected. As it is a cartoon, many kids see the metaphor of the feeling of not having your father or parents accept you. When I was a kid seeing this episode I remember feeling sorry and sad for Finn's situation. There are plenty of episodes that explore the mental states of the characters and how they evolve with the ordeals around them. Check out the scene!!!