Distant Lands — BMO review: the first Adventure Time special is sweet and sad

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While Animation Network’s animated series Adventure Time is an enjoyable show about experiences in a fantasy world, it’s constantly had a much deeper, sadderside Whether it’s Marceline singing to the Ice King about how he can’t keep in mind who she is or Finn hugging his mother for the first time, creator Pendleton Ward never ever held back from the psychological gut-punches. It’s fitting, then, that the first episode of HBO Max’s Adventure Time spin-off Distant Lands records that very same melancholy sensation on an otherwise enjoyable romp throughspace

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Adventure Time: Distant Lands is a prepared set of 4 specials, helmed by manufacturer Adam Muto, which follow a various set of Adventure Time characters at various times in the chronology of the series, and in various locations throughout theworld The first 45- minute installment follows loveable, genderless robotic BMO as they check out a distant space station while grappling with the isolation of their presence.

[Ed. note: This review contains minor spoilers for Adventure Time and the Distant Lands — BMO special.]

bmo and y5 poking their heads up through grass

Image: Warner Media.

The only thing at first linking BMO’s adventure to the rest of Adventure Time is BMO themself. The special takes place far from the land of Ooo, and does not consist of any other familiarcharacters BMO begins off in a rocket, wandering in the huge stretch of space, singing about being alone. They have a mission: to plant potatoes on Mars. After a meteor shower wrecks part of their ship, BMO experiences a strange drone who beams them away to a space station understood as the Drift, made up of interconnected centers.

The Drift is different from the land of Ooo, full of various life kinds than any seen on theshow A rabbit lady called Y4 (who later on begins passing Y5 at BMO’s triggering) scavenges the station looking for extra parts to bring her parents, who work for a strange figure called Hugo. When BMO’s fast thinking conserves the day by repairing a breach in the Drift’s outside, she chooses to take the little robotic back.

Though BMO checks out the Drift with enjoyment, a layer of desperation hangs overhead. The station is gradually stopping working, and the aliens are racing against the clock to attempt and fix it. BMO is blissfully undaunted, pleased by whatever they encounter, and figured out tohelp This is dramatically juxtaposed with Y5, who battles with the weight of her parents’ expectations and the approaching doom of the space station, while struggling to be true to herself.

bmo jumping on y5’s head while wearing a little cowboy hat

Image: Warner Media.

Free of any higher connection to the overarching Adventure Time story, Distant Lands– BMO feels like a chance for Muto and the team to bend their zany worldbuilding skills, filling the Drift with kooky animals and environments which evoke the crazy neon world of Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. One of the pods in the Drift is a jungle, sealed off from the rest of the residents due to the fact that whatever inside has actually altered to be meat-eating. A herd of blue blob-like animals drift above the station, grazing on the stars. Y5’s rabbit brethren live in underground burrows, just like real bunnies. It’s enjoyable to see what BMO finds next, however through Y5’s eyes, everything has a touch of poignancy.

In spite of their chipper mindset, BMO isn’t totally delighted themselves. The preliminary intro of BMO alone in a spaceship, preparing themselves for a long, lonesome presence on Mars, already sets up this sensation of unhappiness. BMO’s stories tend to lean on the melancholy– they in some cases talk with their reflection in the mirror to cope with isolation that comes with basically being immortal– however BMO is permanently favorable. In some cases this gung-ho mindset makes their sad scenarios a little more manageable. Other times, like when they’re pertaining to terms with death, it’s even more depressing.

BMO states Y5 the deputy to their constable, encouraged that the 2 of them are going to make a remarkableteam BMO is attempting to create connections. They know they can’t be a good hero and save the station without a best buddy at theirside To Y5, life isn’t so easy that its problems can be fixed by being a good buddy. BMO’s indisputable optimism can be grating, and Y5 going along with her parents’ orders feels discouraging. BMO and Y5 find out to comprehend one another and work towards the very same goal– making their ultimate parting of ways especially stirring. They have actually discovered something from each other, however need to moveon

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We ultimately find out where BMO’s one-off adventure suits the total show: Big discoveries about where the space station originated from, and Hugo’s real identity, plainly set the events of this special within the timeline. That does not add much to the existing tradition, however that’s all right, due to the fact that this is BMO’sstory The timeline discoveries add an additional layer to BMO’s isolation, making the ending discovery especially bittersweet.

Adventure Time: Distant Lands– BMO is streaming on HBO Max now. Release dates for the other 3 installations in the series have actually not yet been announced.

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Neela
Neela
I work as the Content Writer for Gaming Ideology. I play Quake like professionally. I love to write about games and have been writing about them for two years.

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