A vibrant color palette, cute animated characters and creative plots are once again packed within just 22 minutes of each episode in the newest season of “Bravest Warriors.”
The show was introduced to the world by “Adventure Time” creator Pendleton Ward in 2012. Cartoon Hangover is an original YouTube channel that posts the episodes of “Bravest Warriors.” The channel focuses on producing unique and unconventional cartoons for viewers. Each episode features two different stories, typically split down the halfway mark.
Cartoon Hangover joined the video platform in 2012 and has since worked with animators all over the world, bringing shows like “Bee and PuppyCat” to the cartoon world.
For the first time, every episode of “Bravest Warriors” will be available for free in the United States and exclusively on Cartoon Hangover’s channel.
Season one is available on Prime Video. The rest of the show, including season one, can be watched on YouTube. There are currently 82 episodes, including this latest season, which has 26 episodes total.
Ward’s animated series focuses on four teenage heroes in the year 3085. They venture throughout space together, acting like typical teens in puberty, but still saving lives and battling monsters.
The show has the same nostalgic and silly vibe as “Adventure Time,” with a similar animation style and incorporation of funny, yet odd, lingo.
One of my favorite moments is in season one when Daniel “Danny” Vasquez gets some sass and tells another character, “If you don’t want our help, up yours!” He continues to throw a pre-censored middle finger.
As an “Adventure Time” fan, I honestly just did not expect this sort of sass. This kids’ show is enjoyable for adults in the same way as the other show and more — “Bravest Warriors” has even more adult humor than “Adventure Time.”
The animation is crisp and errorless. As Beth moves, so does her dark hair. Plum has a cute purple color palette and pointy ears. Christopher “Chris” Kirkman always has a snazzy fit with a collared shirt. Candles have moving fire lit on their wick, casting a pretty glow on the characters.
The first episode of the fourth and final season begins with Danny entering his parents’ abandoned room. He stumbles upon many old photos before realizing that his parents are missing. In an effort to find his parents, Danny travels with Chris on a mission to go to the badlands, which sets the stage for the rest of the episode.
The sound effects are great for everything happening, from the slap of goo on Danny’s face to metal clanks throughout. The soundtrack jumps from heroic hype for Danny to heartfelt tunes when he makes a realization about the bugs that took over his childhood area.
Catbug, who is half cat and half ladybug, is adorable. He takes off his cowboy hat and switches it for a detective hat during the episode. Things are getting serious now, and we follow Catbug for the rest of the episode as he ventures to solve a cupcake thievery.
Seeing the cute little Catbug alien upset and sassing everyone as he interrogates was funny. At the end of the episode all I am concerned about is how did Chris wipe with those cuffs?
The show is a lighthearted comedy that gives me some random flashbacks of my teenage years, but in the best, non-embarrassing ways. There are personalities in your favorite characters and small jokes that you do not quite catch during the first watch.
The second episode is set up as going back an hour in time to see how the characters had to fight maggot-dominated versions of the team.
It reminded me of the first episode of “Adventure Time” when Finn and Jake had to protect the candy people against the candy zombies. Random waves of nostalgia hit during the show while learning the personalities of these warriors, and I love it.
During the second half, we see the Scaly Williams Day Dance Competition. This is one of those episodes where we are really hit with the fact that these are teenagers. Chris initially approaches Beth to talk about going with her this year, as they have every year since they were kids. But he is surprised to find she has a new date.
I felt so bad for Chris during this episode. It was interesting to see how Chris was experiencing jealousy paired with his teenage rage and confusion.
After the plot is finished and the night is about over, I must say I hope to see justice for Chris, as he is what I would say as “down bad tremendously.” But the episode sets some solid groundwork for future episodes with them.
The third episode of the season we watch Danny stand up for himself and get a teardrop tattoo on his chest, which I thought was hilarious in this cute cartoon.
The animators included new characters. One was a buff bear, which sort of reminded me of the boss polar bear from “Castle Crashers.”
Overall, the show’s final season is off to a perfect start, and the episodes are available to anyone who wants to watch them on VRV, a streaming service owned by Crunchyroll, LLC and run by Sony. The new episodes can be watched with a subscription.
This show is also great for when you are tired but not tired enough to fall asleep. I enjoyed a few episodes before bed, like a kid trying to catch their cartoons before bedtime. Ward has yet to create a show I do not enjoy. His imagination is full of a bright color palette and random characters that make up a silly but interesting plot.
The show is perfect for “Adventure Time” fans with the same character styles and a similar cast of fun and unique creatures like Catbug. The music swivels between perfectly fun and whimsical to epic battle music. It is a show you can begin from anywhere. You might be missing some character development, but you can still enjoyably follow whatever adventure the team embarks on.
