Fans ofAdventure Timewill recognize the familiar character elements inBee and PuppyCat,because the series was created by the same mind behind Fionna and Cake. There are technically two series that make up this show:Bee and PuppyCat,a YouTube short series that functioned as the first season;andBee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space,the second seasonwhich is available on Netflix.
While there are several elements ofBee and PuppyCatthat are reflective ofAdventure Timeas a result of sharing a creator, there are alsoelements of several other showspresent in this series. Its animation style resembles of a lot of anime, as it uses soft, cute details to create the characters and world – especially inBee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space.
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One example of an animation technique similar to those in anime is the bubbly and colorful details of the animation, which are similar to those inSailor Moon. Another good example is how some character features look similar to some of the ones inLittleWitch Academia. The point is, people who enjoy the cheery and comfortingqualities commonly seen in the anime animation stylewill appreciate the artistic style thatBee and PuppyCatcreators have achieved.
As well as weaving together familiar animation elements,Bee and PuppyCatalso weaves together multiple genres, like fantasy, sci-fi, and action. Much like anime, this animated series is able to combine this multitude of genres and function well as a singular story.
Although genre blending seems to be trending in television right now because it creates outlets for more content, it can ruin a show if not done correctly. In most cases, when a show stacks components from more than a couple genresit feels like too muchand can distract the viewer from the overarching storyline and theme. However, in the case ofBee and PuppyCat, there seems to be a clear balance between the genres that creates a nice, fluid, structure for the plot. Because the episodes are so short and the genres it includes are exciting, the story calls for continuous beats, which makes the inclusion of multiple genres extremely helpful. By focusing a bit of each episode on tropes or beats from each of the genres, a broader range of options for how the story can be approached are presented to creators.
In addition toopening up the range of directionsthe story can take, the inclusion of blending multiple genres also opens up the range of viewers that the show appeals to. Though its colorful illustrations and light-hearted tone make it an appealing series for kids of all ages, it also has plenty of elements that are more catered to the adult viewers. There aren’t any explicitly mature moments, but it somehow manages to focus on concepts that appeal to the imagination of every level of life, both in childhood and adulthood.
While a balance among the genres is achieved in this series, it still hassome genres that hold more of a presencethan others. In particular, fantasy and science fiction seem to have the strongest influence on the story structure and the theme ofBee and PuppyCat. The fantasy elements are clearly recognizable in how Bee travels with PuppyCat continually to other realms to tackle the problems of other planets, while putting off her own problems in her own realm. This use of the journey structure so commonly seen in fantasy/adventure stories, allows the protagonist the ability to choose between her responsibilities and a distraction. It thenreflects on that decision later, after she’s forced to focus on her own responsibilities, to emphasize the point that by choosing the distraction she still was not able to escape responsibility, only prolong it.
The science fiction components are especially obvious in this series as it makes up so of the plot points that drive the story. Though the fantasy elements bring a kind of surreal,Twin Peaksfeel to the story, the show uses sci-fi much likeRick and Mortydoes: relying on some of the more uncertain, theoretical areas of science to explain the events. For example, PuppyCatfunctions very much like an alien, yet Bee doesn’t view him as one. She doesn’t view any of the different other-worldly creatures she encounters that way either – she treats everyone the same until they give her reason not to. This reflects another theme about how helping others and helping oneself go hand in hand.
Of the many impressive things that this short series achieves, the most impressive is how well it caters to the whole family. Between the multiple genres it incorporates, the familiar animation style it uses, and its contagiously mellow tone, ittruly used all of its resourcesto create a series that had something for everyone. Coming up with a show that both kids and adults can relate to and appreciate is no easy task, but the creators ofBee and PuppyCatseem to have figured it out.
