

...I secretly whisper poetry to myself in my room at night.

We live at a time, when the animated medium has gained completely new connotations than it ever had before. Today, when someone says "cartoon" or "animated movie", our mental pictures go way beyond classic Disney movies or Hanna-Barbera series. That is because at some time at the break of the millennia, works such as South Park and The Simpsons began to redefine the medium in the public consciousness.Nowadays, the genre has become a frontier for the impossible stories and fantastic ideas that could not make it onto the screens as live-action projects. In a way, that was the purpose of animation from its conception, but as the time went, on, the ideas and stories got crazier and wilder. Creators were also not afraid to explore themes and topics that until then were only portrayed in more serious forms of visual storytelling. Soon, critiques, parodies and fantastic caricatures of our world began to find their rightful place among the many frames of animated media.But every once in a while, comes along something, that manages to subvert all expectations one might hold towards the genre at the time. Whether it is for its plot, characters or the visuals these cartoons seem to almost always end up on the "make it" end of the spectrum. Most prominent examples these days include works such as Rick and Morty or BoJack Horseman, but among them, came something different. There was one story, that did not try to distance itself from the childish beginnings of its genre, but exactly the other way around, tried to capitalize on it and bring back the spark it has lost in the modern era of adult nihilistic cartoons.That story came out just few days short of the most relevant time of the year. On the November 3rd 2014 Over the Garden Wall first aired on the Cartoon Network, prolonging the spirit of Halloween few days longer up until four days later, when it bid farewell to the audience with the wonderful last episode. During the span of those five days, ten episodes have been released, each with an individual run-time of ten minutes, making the entirety of the series just around 100 minutes long.Originally only products of an animated short that aired more than a year ago, brothers Wirt and Greg visited television screens in a company of their friend Beatrice and began a wonderful journey of growing up and growing old. Tome of the Unknown was an animated short, that aired on october 24th 2013 and was met with a moderate success. The audience was intrigued by the art style, that used colour palette completely different from its contemporaries. The ten minutes were accompanied by warm colours and dim hues, that reminded of atmosphere of the mid-century cartoons.Themes displayed within were also fantastic and child-like, further iterating on the classic animation formula. Screens were filled with talking blue jays, innocent ramblings of a little boy and various characters made entirely out of vegetables. It was either the most wonderful acid trip in the world or a sign that the old school animation was making a comeback.And in a way, it actually did. More than one year later, Over the Garden Wall came up on the screens of the excited fans, who were in dire need of a new show to watch or were simply tired of the ubiquitous adult themes that filled every cartoon at the time. The show has brought childish innocence and horrors of growing up back into the medium.The story begins with two brothers, Wirt and Greg, walking through a dark forest, when a blue jay offers them help in getting out. Their surprise at the unusual companion introduces us to the fact that they are not yet familiar with the supernatural and by the end of the first episode, the audience is aware of the horror the woods hide within. These, however do not stop the brothers from desperately trying to find their way out, despite not knowing where they are in the first place.On their journey they meet a number of odd fellows, including, but not limited to pumpkin people, talking animals and aristocratic frogs or even demons from the deepest depths of human imagination. Every encounter and episode can be attributed to some of the problems one may face as they grow up through their teenage years and metaphorically portrays different struggles not exclusive to this stage of life.The series discusses themes such as greed, misunderstandings and hidden intentions or even fear of rejection, as we see one of the main character stressed-out and paranoid as they try to find the person of their love interest. All of these topics are put on the other side of the line that divides them from the youthful innocence. That characteristic to the younger brother, who sees the world through his eyes of a young child and behaves accordingly, creating lots of trouble for himself, his brother and whomever happens to be with them.Safe to say, the dynamic between the character is wonderful. As they walk through the mysterious world of the Unknown, the troubles they face stem from their relationships as often as they do from the beasts that haunt the woods they explore.Despite its child-like nature, it still packs a few scares and some terrifying imagery that is guaranteed to remind you, that it is the spookiest time of the year. Despite the animated horrors it may provide, the series still manages to maintain a wholesome and heartwarming atmosphere. It also excels at bringing out the best of the worst situations without it feeling forced or immature. Unlike its contemporaries, it believes in happy endings and the good that is hidden in the human nature.Sadly, with such a short run-time, there is not much left to say about Over the Garden Wall without spoiling any of its important plot points. And with that, I recommend you watch this wonderful series that is guaranteed to warm your heart in an age, where animation aims more towards nihilism and further away from its awesome beginnings.