Entry posted by Akano
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Yet again, my brothers suggested I do something that they've done. This time it was "watch Gravity Falls," a show which I knew of but didn't know much about. I have now finished the first season, and I must say it's a brilliant, funny show. In no particular order, what makes it stand out is
- The humor - By and far an important aspect of any comedy, the humor of Gravity Falls resonates very well, from the lamest pun to the brilliant stuff they get past the censors (and, wow, do they get a lot past the censors. This is a Disney show, right?). Expertly crafted and leaving me wanting more in the best way possible.
- The story - while not the most story-heavy series (a lot of the episodes are very standalone and can be watched without missing much of previous episodes), the story that is ongoing is very engaging. Gravity Falls, OR is a place where weird, paranormal stuff happens. Our main characters want to know why, thus we want to know why, and their curiosity becomes ours in a genuine, unforced way.
- The relationships are believable - Dipper and Mabel, the two main protagonists, are twin siblings who are sent to their great uncle (or, you guessed it, Grunkle) Stan's tourist trap, the Mystery Shack, for the summer. And they have a relationship that is completely believable (and as a twin, I can fully attest to it). Even when they have a scuffle or conflict, at the end of they day they can hug it out and not hate each other, which is very refreshing in a kids show. Also, the characters are not just defined by single character traits; for instance, Mabel has a fantastically overactive imagination and looks at the world from a very different angle than most of the other characters, but she's never called stupid or foolish by the others. Soos, the Mystery Shack's general repair and groundskeeper guy, who is overweight and sometimes dull-witted, is not defined by these traits, nor is he mocked for them; everyone treats him as they do everyone else, which is also really refreshing to see in a kids show. As for romantic relationships,
In the current season (2), Dipper confesses to Wendy that he loves her. Her response is that, while she thinks Dipper is too young to date her (she's 15, he's 12), she genuinely enjoys hanging out with him and wants to be friends. There's no awkwardness coming from her side. She even acknowledges that she heard him whisper this fact under his breath before, and it didn't bother her. She likes Dipper as a friend, makes it clear without hurting his feelings, and asks him if he wants to hang out later. There is no subtext, no lingering question in the air of where the relationship will go, and no dancing around the issue. And they remain friends. I love this scene because it teaches kids that telling a crush you like them when they don't like you doesn't end tragically; in this case, it was handled in a very mature manner between two teenagers with more tact than many middle-aged adults are portrayed to handle such a situation in other shows. That's quality writing.
This show has provided me with a lot of laughs and a fun world of mystery, and I look forward to what else it has in store.
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