Last year, (Des) charm came to Netflix generating very different reviews The reason?The animated series was written by Matt Groening, the acclaimed creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, his fans eagerly awaited Groening’s new proposal, though they were not sure what to expect.
Critics have taken a closer look at all aspects of the series and, after a somewhat unstable start, have come to praise this satire set in a middle-aged environment.
- The (un) enchantment temporarily departs from its predecessors.
- The Simpsons portray a recognizable gift that seeks to parody today’s American society.
- And Futurama invites us to think about the future.
On the other hand, the (Des) enchantment takes us to the past, a past with clear allusions to the Middle Ages, but with a fantastic component with clear mythological influences and full of superstitions.
In a kingdom called Land of Dreams, does Princess Tiabeanie live?Bean to friends. It all starts when, after agreeing to marry earlier, the young princess decides to flee and escape her marital duties, because she prefers beer and adventure to marry a prince she doesn’t like.
Bean embarks on a journey trying to find himself and escape conventionalism, triggering endless catastrophic and crazy situations. During her trip, she won’t be alone. Next to him will be Luci, his personal demon who will try to take her to the dark side. , and Elf, a little elf tired of the optimistic and joyful life of his village who will immerse hem with the darkness and depression of the human world.
In a very funny way, Matt Groening creates an environment in which we do not return, but which, in the end, ends up pleasing. With its newly released second season, we unveiled some of the ideas behind (Des) charm.
I must admit that at first the idea of a new Matt Groening series for Netflix puzzled me, it has been a long time since The Simpsons and Futurama came out and the audience and animation trends have changed dramatically, we all have nostalgic memories of the best. years of The Simpsons and Futurama, but today things are very different.
Has Futurama been cancelled? And even misunderstood? And The Simpsons is far from their time of glory and splendor. Series such as Family Guy (Seth McFarlane, 1999) grew a little in the shadow of Groening’s creations, but ended up relegating them and forcing them to take on new forms that don’t work very well in a classic like The Simpsons.
So why Netflix?Why does this mean a new form of creation, more freedom for creators?Both in the right and the wrong way. There is also a clear trend towards serialization, and it is precisely here that one of the problems of the (Des) charm resides.
Far from being ephemeral and self-concluding episodes, (Dis) enchantment is close to a common series, with a scenario that develops gradually, with cliffhangers that try to stop the viewer and a simple abuse of humor.
The problem is that (Des) charm is not supposed to be serious, but comedy, and in less comedy it’s more. The shorter and more condensed, the better. The viewer doesn’t want to be glued to the screen, but to laugh.
Humor, in turn, tends to fall into absurdity, which was not a problem in The Simpsons and Futurama, because there was a balance between criticism and absurdity, but in medieval satire, the crazy aspect tends to eclipse the critic, who is not up to it. to the task and is not sharp enough.
Comparisons are inevitable and, perhaps, if he hadn’t been in the shadow of his predecessors, (Des) enchantment wouldn’t have found so many problems adjusting. In his defense, it could be said that, while this new format may confuse the viewer, it ends up being positive.
As we progress through history, we discover a more complex, fun, and progressive universe that meets expectations. It should also be remembered that The Simpsons did not shine in the first episode, but gradually conquered us.
Are the characters well written and alluding to other series?Do we see a clear influence on Game of Thrones? They end up creating a story that hides a lot more than it looks. You may not like (Des) charm in the first episode, but you’ll find yourself stuck in the middle. In the second season, the formula is repeated and everything will finally make sense.
If anything characterized his predecessors, it was the fact that they approached criticism of the parody. The cartoonish portrait of the present and the future marked Groening’s animations, which eventually became classics. (Des) parody charm not only the past, but also the present, as it adapts to the new demands of our time.
So isn’t it surprising that the protagonist is a woman, a princess who is unac delighted with her time?See what redundancy? He decides to take charge of his life, even if it’s catastrophically.
Bean is not a fairytale princess, she is not the princess who personifies the exemplary values of the Middle Ages, in fact, it is a real disaster. Everything goes wrong and sows chaos wherever it goes, has problems with alcohol and, physically, beauty is not personified either.
With his peers, Elf and Luci, do you lead a trio that sometimes resembles Futurama’s Fry, Bender and Leela?Respect the differences. It’s a trio that’s in the craziest situations.
Criticism of women’s inequalities is evident from the start, and Bean defies the rules and follows his instincts. In this second season, have we seen a whole parody of medieval societies?But also the most current.
The series ridicules the figure of the king, shows him as a puppet used by his advisors for his benefit. Among them is a kind of cult that alludes to the Iglesia. Ni the king nor the people seem to be very important. Everything in the palace moves out of interest, while the king takes abundant meals on his throne, totally oblivious to the situation of his kingdom.
Superstition and religion intermingle with the cult that dominates the Land of Dreams. Thus, we observe characters who do not believe in science, but in magic; condemn witchcraft and dominate public opinion at will.
In this way, the king’s counselors are the ones who really take charge of the Land of Dreams. They engage in a kind of ritual of a sexual and religious nature, while dictating the norms of society.
The first season of (Des) Enchantment was an aperitif, a presentation of Terra dos Sonhos and the rules that govern it. The second season, already more mature, explores more deeply everything that was intuitive in the first, begins to put the finger on the wound. The wound and surprises with a criticism that finally keeps more reminiscences with the real world and our historical past.
The series says goodbye again with an ending that maintains the suspense and leaves us wanting to retake the adventures of Bean, Elf and Luci, it does so without giving up a very neat aesthetic that resembles steampunk.
With a cartoonish and crazy view of our past, it seems that, little by little, the (Des) enchantment finds its place and who knows if, in the end, it will remain in our memory as its predecessors.