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Description

Shut it off. Did you hear me? The doctors said I have cancer.

Someone once asked me to do a scorecard on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and my response was "maybe someday"-- that day has, inevitably, come. I thought it would take until like 2023 or 2024 for me to finally see all of ATHF, but my God, this show is tiny. 140 episodes, a movie, and a direct-to-DVD movie coming out on November 8th, 2022 (at the time of writing this).

HISTORY: Aqua Teen Hunger Force was a hallmark of my circle in 2019 and 2020, for better and for worse. The amount of out-of-context scenes that I, and many others, found hilarious was enough to ignite a major interest in ATHF. It even got me to watch a number of episodes, and, believe it or not, I was watching ATHF in January 2020 along with TMNT 2012, but I randomly stopped watching both at some point in their first seasons. In the case of ATHF, I stopped at MC Pee Pants.

  Nevertheless, I always kept ATHF in mind since it definitely appeared to be a show that was up my alley-- it is obviously a show that you need a specific taste for, and I think it more than appealed to me based on the handful of episodes I watched. Multiple Meat, One Hundred, all the S1 episodes until MC Pee Pants, Ezekial, Der Inflatable Fuhrer, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and especially Boost Mobile-- all of them left a lasting impression on me, and were just as funny on rewatch too.

I officially started my binge of ATHF on August 11th 2022, and finished on October 21st, 2022. Not too shabby, especially since I was watching a multitude of shows during this period... and I still am nowadays. I'm surprised that I found it in me to finish all 139 episodes + the movie before Plantasm releases in about 2 weeks from now (Note: I wrote this description in October if you couldn't tell, and this note was written back then too as acknowledgement that I won't be releasing this scorecard until December).

ANIMATION: I want to say that the animation of ATHF is awful and the show's worst aspect, because anybody that takes a look at it will come to the conclusion it was made with essentially 0 budget, and they're not wrong on that front... but I don't think the animation is bad or even a fault of the show. Quite the opposite: I love the shoddy animation and think it enhances the inane nature. In fact, the times where they'll actually animate characters, they'll either look funny or be fluidly animated-- the cheapness factor comes from the fact that these animations are recycled. For the record, season 1 specifically borrowed backgrounds from Hanna-Barbera properties most of the time.

  In regards to the overall art direction, I love the background designs and props-- there's a surprising amount of detail to be found in them, compared to the rather limited and sometimes simplistic designs of the other characters. You'd think that they'd clash with one another, but it works weirdly well and indirectly sells the kind of show you're in for.
  Even the character designs complement the erratic style this show is going for, as they're some of the funniest ones you'll ever see. Realistically drawn humans with stilted animation (and designs evocative of Hanna Barbera), a floating box of french fries, a literal wad of meat, and two 8-bit sprites with extremely limited animation. Fun Fact: I consider Master Shake to have the funniest character design I've ever seen, making any movement of his have me in stitches. He's literally a cup with two tiny hands that look like wings, and it's bizarre how they're able to get so much millage out of such a simple character design.
  Other effects such as explosions and fire are also clearly stock footage or minimalist effects someone put together using Photoshop-- it's stuff like this that make ATHF possibly the most shit-posty looking show you could ever imagine, and that's why I love its visuals and animation as much as I do.

tl;dr version: ATHF isn't concerned with having the most high-budget animation or style, but moreso with conveying what it's all about through its aesthetic alone. It's low-budget, but not in an ugly or apparent way as the background designs and props are mostly lovely, and the character designs can be detailed or simplistic, with some smooth looking animations when they move (albeit recycled most of the time). All of these seemingly discohesive elements somehow perfectly convey ATHF's tone and general nature: an incredibly absurdist one.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE: To be perfectly honest with you, ATHF isn't an easy show for me to review, since it does all the talking for me. It wears all of its qualities on its sleeve, and taking a gander at any screenshot or even promo art will tell you everything you need to know about it, so any kind of analysis is... futile.
  It's not like there's anything to analyze in the first place since it's purely a comedy and doesn't operate on any consistent logic. Episodes can be about whatever the writers choose, and the comedy comes from just how senseless they can get. Its style of humor is one that will either make or break the show for you, and because its illogical nature and shitposty humor is one that's always appealed to me, I ultimately ended up enjoying most of what it had to offer.

  I can't tell you why either... I mean, should I really be talking about the intricacies of an episode like Boost Mobile, One Hundred, or just about any of the episodes in my top 20? They're ones that you need to witness for yourself because even someone like me has a hard time wrapping my head around them. It's not easy to explain the events of most episodes because they can throw at you literally anything and expect you to take it-- they will sacrifice logic just to make you laugh, and I think it works since every element of ATHF is made to be as disconnected as possible.
  That's precisely why I always adored the prologues of many episodes. Early in the run, there would be these Dr. Weird or Spacecataz segments and they sparsely reappeared later on, but they would always be a joy since they'd be a way to kickstart the episode via something unrelated, yet funny. What that means is that even the setups for most ATHF episodes are jokes in of themselves, and where they'd prove to be a non-sequitur in just about any other show, they oddly work here.

  This philosophy can also extend to the characters, which is another strength that ATHF has. It's not worth going into the details about them because they're all cut from the same mold: All of the characters are pretty basic, but what makes a good number of them some of my favorite characters ever conceived is how hard they lean into said personality traits.
  Master Shake is the best showcase of this: He's a narcissitic asshole who cares nothing for anyone else, and while it is an archetype we've seen before, they take it to a whole other level that makes someone like Cartman blush. He can have his life on the line, or be repeatedly mutilated, and not give a damn that that's happening to him just because he can't put his ego away-- go take a look at the lengths he's willing to go in episodes like Super Bowl and Multiple Meat, the punchline of both of those episodes is that Shake gets what's coming to him. Everything about Master Shake makes me laugh. His design is funny, his zingers all live in my head rent-free, and the cherry on top: Dana Snyder nailed it with the voice acting. Thanks to Shake, Dana Snyder has become one of my favorite voice actors ever.

  The other characters are great too for that same reason, so I see no point in giving any of them the same treatment in terms of writing a paragraph. Meatwad, Frylock, Carl, the Mooninites, the Plutonians, and even characters that have minimal appearances like the Rabbot or the Boost Mobile phone-- I can't see myself ever forgetting them since all of their traits are taken to different lengths. Just to name one other example, Meatwad's meant to be the oblivious and innocent one, but he's so innocent that he considers "fart" a bad word-- that joke had me in stitches when I first saw it.

  The completely atypical humor and exaggeration of characters' traits is all handled so well for one solemn reason. It's the aspect that I think makes ATHF so special: the voice direction. Without a doubt, I consider this show to be a masterclass in voice direction. A lot of cartoons are overall solid or fantastc with it, but none stand out as much as ATHF. In fact, this was the cartoon to give Dana Snyder his name, and that's not to dismiss others like Carey Means as Frylock and Dave Willis as Meatwad and Carl, I think they're all excellent voice actors altogether and I wish they got more attention. The vibe that I get from their voice direction is that all three of them get together in a recording booth and have banter that isn't hinging on a script. It all feels so natural, like watching a group of friends having a fun time and cracking any kind of jokes, especially inside jokes, that they can, and what's even better is that the audience isn't left out of these so-called inside jokes.
  Whenever I watch a cartoon, I always ask myself what it's like inside the recording studio and the relationship that the VAs have with one another. I'm able to surmise that they're all competently led and have good relationships, but it's nowhere near as apparent as it is in ATHF. I get the feeling that these episodes and jokes all came from passion, from people that truly enjoyed what they were doing, and looking into the show's production proved to be exactly the case. There's an oddly wholesome feeling I get from hearing all the VAs let loose and come up with the most inane jokes that they can.

  I think that might play a role in why I have a hard time saying I truly carry any vitriol towards any episodes, including the weakest portion of the show: Season 5. I see them as more of missteps, or experimentation that didn't ultimately work out. S5 decided to focus on other characters there werent the Aqua Teens for the beginning and it was kinda awkward, so they reverted it by the end. It felt like the producers were worn out after the movie, but then followed up with S6-11, which is some of the best TV I've binged in recent memory. They did dial back the edgy humor a bit, but it was more of the usual quirky brilliance I've come to expect from this show.

  Now all that remains is... do I have any gripes with ATHF? Not exactly. I do think that, especially early on, episodes had a problem with their endings, or should I say a lack of proper endings. It's not a big deal-breaker to me, but sometimes they ended so abruptly and it'd make me say, "That's it?". I also feel like that some episodes can be a bit too random, and it's precisely why an episode like Unremarkable Voyage was kinda disappointing. Likewise, there could be the occasional joke or episode that trudged into uncomfortable territory for me-- I'm fine with raunchy humor but there are some areas that I'm not willing to go to since I don't have the stomach for it.
  Nonetheless, these moments were extremely few, but still worth mentioning as a heads up for anyone that intends on binging this show. You may adore an episode like Dickesode which has its humor centered on dicks, and I just... can't. Sorry, it's an episode I had a hard time watching in spite of its funny moments.

tl;dr version: ATHF's a funny cartoon, need I say more? It hits all the right spots for me and is sure to appeal to people in the modern day and age since its style of humor is literally like one big meme. The true factor that sells its comedy above all is the voice acting, it's so punctual yet so loose that it makes even the most unremarkable lines the funniest deliveries you'll ever hear.

CONCLUSION: I know this review wasn't super analytical or anything, but that's just because Aqua Teen Hunger Force isn't this multilayered cartoon with deep themes or anything like that... it's the complete opposite. It knows what it is, and for that reason, I actually consider it my favorite adult cartoon-- it's a series I can watch any random episode of at any time because they're all really short in runtime and manage to give me some of the hardest laughs I've gotten out of any show period. I cannot emphasize enough just how much life is breathed into every line of dialogue from the voice actors and how nearly every episode managed to keep a smile on my face.
  The low points are few and far between, and aren't even that bad at the end of the day-- the worst episode was simply too depressing for its own good, but not anything offensive.

  It's funny to me that this used to be the posterboy for Adult Swim until Rick and Morty came along, and now that that show has turned into a walking punchline, AS decided to give ATHF a soon-to-be 12th season. I don't know how to feel about the fact that ATHF was, at one point, officially over. On one hand, it had an extremely solid run, but was still tiny at the end of the day. A mere 140 episodes and it never lost its magic unlike cartoons that spanned less than it, so was it a good idea for it to end? I can't answer that. All I can say is that I'm happy it continues to live on in the occasional short-- it proves to me that Adult Swim isn't completely done with it, especially since they're now crawling back to it after Rick and Morty's fallout, and I know that if it does get renewed for more than a 12th season, it will have that same fire that made all the other seasons so great. It truly was a show made from passion, from people that were able to go to weird places with comedy and ignite a style of it that's unlike any other.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is indeed an AMAZING show, one of the funniest cartoons ever made, really. I can't say that it's a cartoon everyone will gel with, but if you have the sense of humor for it, then it's one you'll get a kick out of.

also i always forget to put a season ranking on these things wtf

7 > Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 > 1 > 6 > Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever > 2 > 4 > Aqua TV Show Show > Aqua Something You Know Whatever > 3 > 5

Description

Shut it off. Did you hear me? The doctors said I have cancer.

Someone once asked me to do a scorecard on Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and my response was "maybe someday"-- that day has, inevitably, come. I thought it would take until like 2023 or 2024 for me to finally see all of ATHF, but my God, this show is tiny. 140 episodes, a movie, and a direct-to-DVD movie coming out on November 8th, 2022 (at the time of writing this).

HISTORY: Aqua Teen Hunger Force was a hallmark of my circle in 2019 and 2020, for better and for worse. The amount of out-of-context scenes that I, and many others, found hilarious was enough to ignite a major interest in ATHF. It even got me to watch a number of episodes, and, believe it or not, I was watching ATHF in January 2020 along with TMNT 2012, but I randomly stopped watching both at some point in their first seasons. In the case of ATHF, I stopped at MC Pee Pants.

  Nevertheless, I always kept ATHF in mind since it definitely appeared to be a show that was up my alley-- it is obviously a show that you need a specific taste for, and I think it more than appealed to me based on the handful of episodes I watched. Multiple Meat, One Hundred, all the S1 episodes until MC Pee Pants, Ezekial, Der Inflatable Fuhrer, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and especially Boost Mobile-- all of them left a lasting impression on me, and were just as funny on rewatch too.

I officially started my binge of ATHF on August 11th 2022, and finished on October 21st, 2022. Not too shabby, especially since I was watching a multitude of shows during this period... and I still am nowadays. I'm surprised that I found it in me to finish all 139 episodes + the movie before Plantasm releases in about 2 weeks from now (Note: I wrote this description in October if you couldn't tell, and this note was written back then too as acknowledgement that I won't be releasing this scorecard until December).

ANIMATION: I want to say that the animation of ATHF is awful and the show's worst aspect, because anybody that takes a look at it will come to the conclusion it was made with essentially 0 budget, and they're not wrong on that front... but I don't think the animation is bad or even a fault of the show. Quite the opposite: I love the shoddy animation and think it enhances the inane nature. In fact, the times where they'll actually animate characters, they'll either look funny or be fluidly animated-- the cheapness factor comes from the fact that these animations are recycled. For the record, season 1 specifically borrowed backgrounds from Hanna-Barbera properties most of the time.

  In regards to the overall art direction, I love the background designs and props-- there's a surprising amount of detail to be found in them, compared to the rather limited and sometimes simplistic designs of the other characters. You'd think that they'd clash with one another, but it works weirdly well and indirectly sells the kind of show you're in for.
  Even the character designs complement the erratic style this show is going for, as they're some of the funniest ones you'll ever see. Realistically drawn humans with stilted animation (and designs evocative of Hanna Barbera), a floating box of french fries, a literal wad of meat, and two 8-bit sprites with extremely limited animation. Fun Fact: I consider Master Shake to have the funniest character design I've ever seen, making any movement of his have me in stitches. He's literally a cup with two tiny hands that look like wings, and it's bizarre how they're able to get so much millage out of such a simple character design.
  Other effects such as explosions and fire are also clearly stock footage or minimalist effects someone put together using Photoshop-- it's stuff like this that make ATHF possibly the most shit-posty looking show you could ever imagine, and that's why I love its visuals and animation as much as I do.

tl;dr version: ATHF isn't concerned with having the most high-budget animation or style, but moreso with conveying what it's all about through its aesthetic alone. It's low-budget, but not in an ugly or apparent way as the background designs and props are mostly lovely, and the character designs can be detailed or simplistic, with some smooth looking animations when they move (albeit recycled most of the time). All of these seemingly discohesive elements somehow perfectly convey ATHF's tone and general nature: an incredibly absurdist one.

GENERAL THOUGHTS ON AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE: To be perfectly honest with you, ATHF isn't an easy show for me to review, since it does all the talking for me. It wears all of its qualities on its sleeve, and taking a gander at any screenshot or even promo art will tell you everything you need to know about it, so any kind of analysis is... futile.
  It's not like there's anything to analyze in the first place since it's purely a comedy and doesn't operate on any consistent logic. Episodes can be about whatever the writers choose, and the comedy comes from just how senseless they can get. Its style of humor is one that will either make or break the show for you, and because its illogical nature and shitposty humor is one that's always appealed to me, I ultimately ended up enjoying most of what it had to offer.

  I can't tell you why either... I mean, should I really be talking about the intricacies of an episode like Boost Mobile, One Hundred, or just about any of the episodes in my top 20? They're ones that you need to witness for yourself because even someone like me has a hard time wrapping my head around them. It's not easy to explain the events of most episodes because they can throw at you literally anything and expect you to take it-- they will sacrifice logic just to make you laugh, and I think it works since every element of ATHF is made to be as disconnected as possible.
  That's precisely why I always adored the prologues of many episodes. Early in the run, there would be these Dr. Weird or Spacecataz segments and they sparsely reappeared later on, but they would always be a joy since they'd be a way to kickstart the episode via something unrelated, yet funny. What that means is that even the setups for most ATHF episodes are jokes in of themselves, and where they'd prove to be a non-sequitur in just about any other show, they oddly work here.

  This philosophy can also extend to the characters, which is another strength that ATHF has. It's not worth going into the details about them because they're all cut from the same mold: All of the characters are pretty basic, but what makes a good number of them some of my favorite characters ever conceived is how hard they lean into said personality traits.
  Master Shake is the best showcase of this: He's a narcissitic asshole who cares nothing for anyone else, and while it is an archetype we've seen before, they take it to a whole other level that makes someone like Cartman blush. He can have his life on the line, or be repeatedly mutilated, and not give a damn that that's happening to him just because he can't put his ego away-- go take a look at the lengths he's willing to go in episodes like Super Bowl and Multiple Meat, the punchline of both of those episodes is that Shake gets what's coming to him. Everything about Master Shake makes me laugh. His design is funny, his zingers all live in my head rent-free, and the cherry on top: Dana Snyder nailed it with the voice acting. Thanks to Shake, Dana Snyder has become one of my favorite voice actors ever.

  The other characters are great too for that same reason, so I see no point in giving any of them the same treatment in terms of writing a paragraph. Meatwad, Frylock, Carl, the Mooninites, the Plutonians, and even characters that have minimal appearances like the Rabbot or the Boost Mobile phone-- I can't see myself ever forgetting them since all of their traits are taken to different lengths. Just to name one other example, Meatwad's meant to be the oblivious and innocent one, but he's so innocent that he considers "fart" a bad word-- that joke had me in stitches when I first saw it.

  The completely atypical humor and exaggeration of characters' traits is all handled so well for one solemn reason. It's the aspect that I think makes ATHF so special: the voice direction. Without a doubt, I consider this show to be a masterclass in voice direction. A lot of cartoons are overall solid or fantastc with it, but none stand out as much as ATHF. In fact, this was the cartoon to give Dana Snyder his name, and that's not to dismiss others like Carey Means as Frylock and Dave Willis as Meatwad and Carl, I think they're all excellent voice actors altogether and I wish they got more attention. The vibe that I get from their voice direction is that all three of them get together in a recording booth and have banter that isn't hinging on a script. It all feels so natural, like watching a group of friends having a fun time and cracking any kind of jokes, especially inside jokes, that they can, and what's even better is that the audience isn't left out of these so-called inside jokes.
  Whenever I watch a cartoon, I always ask myself what it's like inside the recording studio and the relationship that the VAs have with one another. I'm able to surmise that they're all competently led and have good relationships, but it's nowhere near as apparent as it is in ATHF. I get the feeling that these episodes and jokes all came from passion, from people that truly enjoyed what they were doing, and looking into the show's production proved to be exactly the case. There's an oddly wholesome feeling I get from hearing all the VAs let loose and come up with the most inane jokes that they can.

  I think that might play a role in why I have a hard time saying I truly carry any vitriol towards any episodes, including the weakest portion of the show: Season 5. I see them as more of missteps, or experimentation that didn't ultimately work out. S5 decided to focus on other characters there werent the Aqua Teens for the beginning and it was kinda awkward, so they reverted it by the end. It felt like the producers were worn out after the movie, but then followed up with S6-11, which is some of the best TV I've binged in recent memory. They did dial back the edgy humor a bit, but it was more of the usual quirky brilliance I've come to expect from this show.

  Now all that remains is... do I have any gripes with ATHF? Not exactly. I do think that, especially early on, episodes had a problem with their endings, or should I say a lack of proper endings. It's not a big deal-breaker to me, but sometimes they ended so abruptly and it'd make me say, "That's it?". I also feel like that some episodes can be a bit too random, and it's precisely why an episode like Unremarkable Voyage was kinda disappointing. Likewise, there could be the occasional joke or episode that trudged into uncomfortable territory for me-- I'm fine with raunchy humor but there are some areas that I'm not willing to go to since I don't have the stomach for it.
  Nonetheless, these moments were extremely few, but still worth mentioning as a heads up for anyone that intends on binging this show. You may adore an episode like Dickesode which has its humor centered on dicks, and I just... can't. Sorry, it's an episode I had a hard time watching in spite of its funny moments.

tl;dr version: ATHF's a funny cartoon, need I say more? It hits all the right spots for me and is sure to appeal to people in the modern day and age since its style of humor is literally like one big meme. The true factor that sells its comedy above all is the voice acting, it's so punctual yet so loose that it makes even the most unremarkable lines the funniest deliveries you'll ever hear.

CONCLUSION: I know this review wasn't super analytical or anything, but that's just because Aqua Teen Hunger Force isn't this multilayered cartoon with deep themes or anything like that... it's the complete opposite. It knows what it is, and for that reason, I actually consider it my favorite adult cartoon-- it's a series I can watch any random episode of at any time because they're all really short in runtime and manage to give me some of the hardest laughs I've gotten out of any show period. I cannot emphasize enough just how much life is breathed into every line of dialogue from the voice actors and how nearly every episode managed to keep a smile on my face.
  The low points are few and far between, and aren't even that bad at the end of the day-- the worst episode was simply too depressing for its own good, but not anything offensive.

  It's funny to me that this used to be the posterboy for Adult Swim until Rick and Morty came along, and now that that show has turned into a walking punchline, AS decided to give ATHF a soon-to-be 12th season. I don't know how to feel about the fact that ATHF was, at one point, officially over. On one hand, it had an extremely solid run, but was still tiny at the end of the day. A mere 140 episodes and it never lost its magic unlike cartoons that spanned less than it, so was it a good idea for it to end? I can't answer that. All I can say is that I'm happy it continues to live on in the occasional short-- it proves to me that Adult Swim isn't completely done with it, especially since they're now crawling back to it after Rick and Morty's fallout, and I know that if it does get renewed for more than a 12th season, it will have that same fire that made all the other seasons so great. It truly was a show made from passion, from people that were able to go to weird places with comedy and ignite a style of it that's unlike any other.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is indeed an AMAZING show, one of the funniest cartoons ever made, really. I can't say that it's a cartoon everyone will gel with, but if you have the sense of humor for it, then it's one you'll get a kick out of.

also i always forget to put a season ranking on these things wtf

7 > Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 > 1 > 6 > Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever > 2 > 4 > Aqua TV Show Show > Aqua Something You Know Whatever > 3 > 5