The early 2010s was definitely a turning point for Cartoon Network, especially for its British division, Cartoon Network Studios Europe. Why? Because at the turn of this decade, they managed to get its first TV show off the ground. A show that managed to be the network's longest-running co-European production, as well as their most successful. (As of now). And while I don't put it on the same level as 'Adventure Time', I still think of it as a solid show that can appeal to audiences of all ages. That show is 'The Amazing World of Gumball'.
The show revolves around the life of the title character, a young cat named Gumball Watterson and his goldfish friend Darwin. Each episode would involve the duo going through childhood situations and dilemmas. And each one would escalate to become crazier and crazier as it goes on. Whether it's coping with their inter-species family or interacting with a cast of colourful and quirky characters. Both Gumball and Darwin would try to resolve their issue with any hair-brained scheme. Like most people, I severally underestimated this show at first. I thought this show would just relay more on style than actual substance, but to the surprise of many older viewers, the people behind it were able to pull off a lot with its various characters. The more episodes I've seen of Gumball, the more I noticed how it tries to push the boundaries of what is acceptable in children's entertainment. I'm not exaggerating when I say the world of Gumball is a bizarre and mixed up one. The show takes place in Elmore, a town inhabited with anthropomorphic animals and talking objects. But what makes it different from 'Chowder', is that the universe of Gumball is closer to real life. After all, there are 2D characters in a 3D environment. Every character is done in a different animation style, making them look as diverse and distinct as their personalities. It follows the tradition of using mixed media in comedic cartoons; as it adds dynamic angles and perspective to enhance the visual gags (as well as other editing techniques). The show doesn't just rely on its visuals, the dialogue uses a lot of similes and it can also be meta with its humour. The stories can also explore a number of concepts, they aren't afraid to exaggerate the scenarios Gumball and his family is put into. It makes it feel like a family-friendly version of South Park, except it doesn't rely heavily on social commentary and that it doesn't gross me out. You can tell Ben Bocquelet took inspiration from events from his own childhood, though I doubt he froze time or was possessed by a ghost hahahahaha.
Where the show is strongest at is its humour. It contains many verbal and visual jokes, that come very quickly that you may find yourself laughing at the ones you catch. You might say that they can be for an acquired taste like the visuals. There's a gag at any moment, that you can't help to giggle at how it catches you off guard. The humour doesn't come off as random, nor does it rely on being non-sequitur, as the strange phenomena fit with the world it takes place in. With such a strange world, they're many memorable characters. Chances are you might have known characters like these, or you were these characters growing up. Even though most of them are talking objects, they're people with distinct traits. One may look at these characters at first glance and think of them as archetypes from other sitcoms, but they manage to be done in a way that deviates from such characters. On one hand; the father Richard is similar to Homer Simpson or an early Peter Griffin, on the other Penny is a love interest with a mystical secret. It helps some of the interactions between these characters lead to cute scenes.
So with all these things said, how come I don't regard Gumball as one of the best shows from Cartoon Network or the 2010s for that matter? Well, like other animated shows from this decade; there are at least a few flaws with it that can be seemingly unnoticeable. Maybe it's just me but the show tries to balance the fantasies of its universe and the fantasies in the character's head, and it isn't always even. Also, the way it tackles certain topics is a lot like walking on a tightrope, and if you don't have that balance, then you'll slip up. But it mostly keeps steady and seldom crosses that line. It's these characters that can make or break a story, which can result in a mixed bag of moments. And that's the best way I can describe Gumball, a mixture of designs and jokes.
Bottom line; I wouldn't say that 'The Amazing World of Gumball' is all that......well amazing. But would I say it's bad? Not necessarily. I still think it's a decently enjoyable cartoon. In an age where children's programming is offering so much variety, Gumball finds a middle ground in order to appeal not just to kids but kids at heart. And I don't object to showing it to kids if it makes them laugh and think at the same time. I may have mentioned this before, but this show is an interesting contrast to 'Regular Show', only this exaggerates childhood scenarios. But whereas Regular Show is laid back, Gumball is spontaneous. I'd say this because it couldn't have come out at a better time. Throughout the 2010s; we've seen animated shows where normal scenarios are blown out of proportion, or have something deep and interesting to say beyond being outlandish. These bizarre shows paved the way for more variety in animated programming, which made me more optimistic about what was airing. And Gumball isn't an exception. Now that we're at the tail end of the decade, it figures that Gumball is ending along with it. It's gone on as long as any of those CN shows, though it did so without revealing too much. From what I heard, the last episode left off on a cliffhanger. Let's hope that Cartoon Network has that conclusion in the works and that they don't make the same mistake they did with 'The Cramp Twins'. But I digress. Gumball is certainly worth checking out, not just to jokingly ask if the makers were on drugs. I'm also optimistic about the future of European cartoons. No matter who you are, we've explored Gumball's crazy world at some point or another.
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