The people that know me well, know for sure I can spend hours talking about this cartoon, telling you the theories from internet, the ones I’ve made, the literary references, the subplot, etc. I’m not kidding when I say I’ve watched it around 8 or 9 times, mainly because I had to show it to different people in different occasions, you’ll see, there was a point of my life in which I decided to make one of my missions to show people how amazing this cartoon is.

I have to keep talking about cartoons, in my last entry I said I was going to talk about movies but I couldn’t resist introducing you to this masterpiece because well, I love it deeply and the animation is one of the best things my eyes have seen. Also because if you put together the 10 episodes you get a sort of a 2 hours movie which I think it’s pretty cool.

I’m talking about Over the garden wall. And hands down I have to say this is probably the best show Cartoon Network has produced and let me tell you, CN has (or had) some really good shows; Adventure time for example, is known for being the most lucrative and popular cartoon from this studio but even when you can find Finn and Jake in the soap, I don’t think it could beat Over the garden wall (OTGW for short) in plot and animation. Don’t get me wrong, I love Adventure Time but I’m not talking about it, so yeah, let’s go on.

My gold rule is “Don’t get spoiled and don’t spoil others” I will try hard to stick to this rule but it’s going to be difficult, it would be better if you watch it because I can’t promise anything.

OTGW it’s a miniseries produced by Cartoon Network which was aired in the fall of 2014, if I remember well, it’s was around the beginning November. It’s the story of two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who suddenly get lost in the woods and they are trying to get home through this forest called The Unknown and that’s pretty much everything, while they go through it they are going to meet different characters that will either help them or just confuse them more in their trip to go home.asd.jpg

Even when the plot may sound the simplest thing you’ve heard I’ll say that’s not even close to what in reality this cartoon it’s showing you. As you advance in the series and if you put attention to it you’ll realize and think “this is too dark to be a show for kids” but of course kids wouldn’t even realize what is really going on, however the story it’s very charming and very humorous, kids for sure would enjoy it but I don’t think it’s made for that kind of public. OTGW it’s also full of presages and metaphors and the real story ends up being darker than you think.

When the story begins, we see how our two kids are already in the woods, and Wirt (the older) suddenly realizes they are lost, one of the things you can notice is that neither of them can remember how they got in there. Pretty much like a dream, you never remember how a dream started, right? Keep this on mind.

The boys travel through the forest meeting different characters, but the ones you’ll see more are a woodsman, who tells the kids to be careful and beware The Beast, which is in the woods and seems to be hunting them, and a bluebird called Beatrice who joins the two kids in their adventure, Beatrice says she would guide them and take them to Adelaide, a woman that can help the boys go home.

Here’s one of the literary references and probably one of the favorite of the fans. If you know the Divine Comedy or Dante’s inferno, you may know how’s called the woman that guides Dante through heaven to reach the afterlife: Beatrice.

So, think about this?

The kids are suddenly walking in this forest they don’t even know how they got there, they actually spend days walking and reach absolutely no point close to their home, in the beginning of the story it’s clearly fall, however around episode 7 or 8 you see it’s already winter, just how many days or weeks have been these kids walking in this magical forest?

I’m just going to tell you the main theory: The Unknown it’s the afterlife and the brothers are stuck in a Limbo.limbo.png

OTGW it’s full of dark secrets that you may get after watching it a couple times, and even when it’s a cartoon it’s a very mature show with a pure sense of comedy that portrays very real characters and has a beautiful animation and wonderful music.

I’m biting my tongue not trying to reveal everything, I’d love to say every single detail and theory but the reason why I’m doing this is to try to get you into watching it, I know getting a show spoiled makes people lost the interest on it.

So the last thing I have to say it’s, take two hours of your day and go watch it. Seriously, watch it.

You won’t ever regret this decision.

And beware the beast, the beast it’s out there.

 

DGAC