Fionna and Cake – Gender-Swapped Adventure Time Spinoff

Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward has given adult fans something they’ve long desired: gender-swapped versions of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, played by Madeleine Martin and Roz Ryan as Fionna and Cake, respectively. Together, they embark on all kinds of beautiful adventures alongside all sorts of oddball new characters!

Not unlike Adventure Time’s Everything Everywhere All At Once, Fionna and Cake also tackle grief and regret head-on while reminding us of our paths through the multiverse.

Characters

Adventure Time was an instantaneous hit that delighted viewers of all ages, particularly its gender-flipped protagonists, Finn and Jake. Now, Adventure Time is back with Fionna and Cake – two female bunnies who’ve been transported across magical dimensions in search of new adventures – who find themselves transported into multiple universes simultaneously.

Madeleine Martin and Roz Ryan, who voiced Finn and Jake in the original series, return as animated avatars in this sequel series. Alongside them are many familiar faces from across the multiverse and many curious new beings that join in this adventure.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake stands out by being more adult-themed than its predecessors, including more mature language and deeper themes such as dealing with feelings of malaise or disappointment when life doesn’t live up to your expectations.

However, it remains enjoyable and endearing despite this, with delightful characters led by Marshall Lee and Donald Glover, who show their acting chops beyond musical projects.

The adventures of the gang through various fantastical landscapes provide many comical laughs. Their experiences take them to places such as medieval castles, pirate ships, and mining towns; each set is uniquely captivating and visually impressive due to the various animation techniques employed to add charm.

Outside of the diverse lands, Adventure Time: Season Two features many subtle references that remind viewers of its original series. For example, its signature sarcasm remains present, and characters utter actual swear words and use language full of sexual innuendo in dialogue exchanges.

There are several nods to the original series as well, such as a parody of its “Where Are They Now” montage in “Crossover.” Additionally, Cake has changed from her bunny form – in tribute to fans who wrote fan fiction featuring her and Cake on Tumblr during the early 2010s – into a more human shape, an acknowledgment to those who created fan fiction featuring them both online.

Storyline

Adventure Time’s Fionna is an ambitious dreamer with big ambitions; her counterpart, Cake, is more realistic and grounded. However, once Fionna finds herself living out her fantasies in a magical universe where magic exists, she quickly learns that there can be significant repercussions for fulfilling one’s dreams – mainly if this involves alienating loved ones along the way.

The series opens with a rat-shaped bus racing through pastel Tokyo against a background of white buildings, showing Fionna Campbell (Madeleine Martin) donning a Sailor Moon-esque outfit and accompanying cat Cake on an adventure that eventually leads them on an all-out hunt against an enemy who seeks to wipe them from existence.

Through the season, Fionna and Cake explore different worlds. They visit Wizard City, where wizards behave just as silly in our universe as in Wizard City itself; Villain World, where vampires have almost wholly eradicated all other forms of life; and an alternate reality version of Princess Bubblegum’s candy kingdom that has now been gender-flipped.

The creators of the show wanted to push its content further, exploring more adult and dark concepts such as swearing and partial nudity, as well as some shocking deaths.

But that is what makes the show truly remarkable, as it still keeps a lighthearted tone with its characters and humor while adding deeper layers that adults will appreciate.

Fionna and Cake serve as the epitome of such relationships: often bickering yet mutually supportive. Their friendship is essential in their survival when things seem hopeless.

The show provides a new layer of Multiverse lore, with female versions of original cast members as well as gender-swapped versions of characters not previously seen in this setting. We see an example where Wildberry Prince walks a dachshund that looks similar to Hot Dog Prince or Fern and Abracadanielle operate a tour bus together.

Animation

Fionna and Cake is an animated television spinoff of Adventure Time on Cartoon Network created by Pendleton Ward and Adam Muto, who worked on its original series. Fionna and Cake targets young adult audiences.

The series follows Fionna Campbell and Cake, her shapeshifting cat. Together, they live and work as tour bus guides but dream of fantastic adventures outside their city life – glimpses of their previous lives come in the form of near-nightly dreams that fade before morning arrives.

One of the hallmarks of great animation in this series is how well it captures character emotions – for instance, Cake’s response when she sees Simon back in his Ice King form is spot on, as is Simon realizing he doesn’t need to be Ice King anymore in an episode where this realization occurs.

Another remarkable aspect of this show is the voice acting. Aside from some familiar voices from Adventure Time’s original version, there are many newcomers. Melissa Villasenor, Cristina Valenzuela, Chelsea Peretti, Phil LaMarr, and Robbie Daymond each agent at least one character here; other notable guest stars include Kayleigh McKee (Scarab) and Sean Rohani (Prismo).

Overall, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake should not be missed by fans of the original series. Its creators have prioritized story over silliness, and it succeeds on every front. The new show has its own distinct identity that stands out among Cartoon Network catalog offerings while offering an engaging overarching narrative exploring humanity, love, and friendship, making this show truly enjoyable over multiple viewing sessions without losing its charm.

Reviews

Fionna and Cake is a spinoff series set years after Princess Bubblegum and Cake parted ways at Adventure Time’s conclusion, following them into adult life together with Fionna working as a beleaguered bus tour guide while her cat survives an apartment filled with chaos and messiness. Her struggle between life commitments and dream-chasing resonates deeply with viewers.

But Adventure Time remains an enjoyable show that prioritizes story over silliness while not losing the big, hearty nonsense that first won over viewers. Furthermore, in its new form, Fionna and Finn feel more relatable than ever. Even as she attempts to stay afloat by slapping customers in the face and taking their money, many viewers can relate.

The series explores important themes such as grief and depression. Similar to Finn in Adventure Time: Distant Lands: Obsidian, who struggled with his grief over Jake’s death, Fionna attempts to cope with hers but finds solace in friendship with Simon; both characters are at different stages in their healing journey; Fionna accepting what has happened while Simon remains denial-prone.

At its core, it is an incredible series that not only explores deep themes but is animated with stunning animation. Its use of color, light, and shadow harkens back to traditional Japanese anime, while its playful yet evocative visual style creates an atmosphere that’s both magical and slightly unnerving.

Overall, I find this show to be one of the few to make me experience anxiety, sadness, empathy for characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and shock all at the same time. Additionally, its acting is unparalleled for a cartoon series, while the character designs are absolutely outstanding.

Roz Ryan stars as Fionna and Cake, her cat companion when not working as a tour guide. Tom Kenny as Simon Petrikov from Adventure Time joins Donald Glover as Marshall Lee – Marceline the Vampire Queen’s gender-swapped human equivalent! Kayleigh McKee, Pendleton Ward, and Cree Summer make up Destiny Gang members; new episodes air weekly until Sept 28. Max offers this series for streaming viewing!