Chris did the initial concept, Ashley Dickens actually made the model. She also did 3D Squelton. She's done work for Chris on his upcoming game Bowlbo aswell.
I don’t think I ever expected to hear David Firth’s voice on TV. I feel like the show could go on until Zach and Michael get bored of it, so hopefully they get a chance to do more episodes.
@@highdefinition450 Anyone they want to bring on board who is willing? The fact that Mike from RLM, and a dozen other YT creators shows they're love for the media.
@@highdefinition450 the amount of money and planning it takes to get that many cameos is pretty crazy- I think they got as many people as they actually could, there was supposed to be a ChrisChan feature too but they couldn't get him because they had already gotten Chills.
I think another asset is that the show doesn’t really revolve around “everyone is a disgusting asshole to each other” to substitute black comedy. Charlie isn’t depicted as an outright asshole, he’s just uninvested and cynical, while Pim and The Boss generally do mean well despite the latter being fucking terrifying.
I wouldn’t say totally uninvested, he more is a believer of long-term self improvement being the way to happiness, which conflicts with Pim who believes happiness is experiences and relationships.
This is one thing I really hate about shows like Rick and Morty and Family Guy. The whole family is toxic to each other and so are basically all the characters. The joke is basically “everyone hate on Jerry” or “everyone hate on Meg” etc. over and over. It gets old and boring very fast.
@@JLG629 in defrnse of Rick and Morty, they are actually addressing, deconstructing, and moving away from the "everyone hates on Jerry" stuff. Unfortunately they replaced that with incest jokes so watch at your own risk.
@@brandonclarke436 To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty. The humour is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer's head. There's also Rick's nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realise that they're not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Rick & Morty truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in Rick's existential catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub," which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev's Russian epic Fathers and Sons. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Dan Harmon's genius wit unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools.. how I pity them.
100%. There’s always a risk of people from the internet getting into TV and the final product feeling inauthentic pr filtered by executives. Smiling Friends doesn’t feel that way at all and it’s refreshing to see.
My favorite thing about SF (despite what Zach says) is the underlying philosophy of anti-nihilism. It’d be easy to go with the contemporary adult animation standard of “lol nothing matters” but SF always positions itself as a fundamentally positive “actually, improving yourself and being happy matters.” And also I like when Shrimp screams.
Even the most “nihilistic” of the main/recurring characters, Charlie, has quite a bit to say about being the best version of yourself that you can, specifically in the Shrimp episode.
This is it. THIS is the video I wish I had made on Smiling Friends. So many of these points came flooding through my mind as disconnected thoughts and reactions while watching this series, and when attempting to script it out, I repeatedly failed to communicate what makes this show so special. It's one of a kind, such a triumph for online creators, and a love letter to Newgrounds and online culture that I've never before seen adapted to TV. THANK YOU for this measured and insightful look into why Smiling Friends is the best new animated adult comedy we've had in years!
Thanks! I was kind of lucky on the script because everything just seemed to come together once I got the intro done. That through-line from NG to TH-cam to their other projects leading up to Smiling Friends is such a genuine story and seeing the Newgrounds DNA still present in the final show, like you said, that’s what makes it one of a kind. btw, I saw your video on the greatest film trilogy of all time last week and it reminded me I’m well past due a rewatch. Amazing stuff, loved hearing about the stories about the crew and designers. There’s such a huge difference between simply knowing that movies are these big, complicated things, and actually recognising the individual efforts of people doing weird things like running a 24-hour hairy foot oven to keep production rolling, you got that across so well.
@@VogJam I saw a clip of the last 1 minute of the premiere and when Alan said “I just wanted my cheese” while crucified, that’s what sold the deal, it felt like something from Aqua Teen Hunger Force and I just had to watch it. I enjoyed the 1st season, here’s hoping season 2 will arrive soon this year.
I think the main difference between smiling friends and other Internet personalities tv/film projects is that zach and co have developed not only their own style but a branch of bizzare comedy that has been missing from TV (especially In the UK) for years.
I think the biggest difference is Zach and Michael had an idea and fought for it instead of a company going "Hey you have a following......make a thing"
this isn't their first go around in the TV sphere either. I assume that prior experience with failed tv projects ultimately led to the success of smiling friends
I feel adult swim is finally finding its version of the Simpsons/family guy. Original series is always better than syndication and like how I feel Henry stickmin or among us is a love letter to flash games this feels like a love letter to flash animation. This and Rick and morty feels like the counterculture to shows like the Simpsons and family guy. They are shows that break the mold from the establishment that has been the status quo of adult animation for years.
Definitely seems like SF is finding its core audience and hopefully it’ll spread further, the fact that it’s got so many connections to the flash animation scene is even better. I see SF as a good fit on adultswim because they’re always willing to take a risk on a show and the animated comedy needs something new because it’s been so stale the last few years.
You know what Smiling Friends reminds me of, with its irreverent comedy, chaotic attitude, and happy-go-lucky theming with mixed media? The original first 3 seasons of Spongebob. Only this is made specifically for adults.
Oneyplays ramblings do be funny Best part is that if you have seen Oneyplays before, you can almost picture the process that led to each scene in an episode, assuming it wasn't straight up described in one of his youtube vids before
What I find most interesting about the show, is how sincere it is. So much of tv adult animation is drenched in nihilism and irony. But I SF they genuinely are trying to make people smile and the world is insane but not all mean spirited. . Especially compared to Adult Swim animation that can often just be as fucked up as possible for the sake of it, but while there are some of these kinds of jokes in the show it isn't reliant on them for the humor. And to think this is coming from tenured Newgrounds/TH-cam comedy animators and the psychicpebbles guy...
This is true adult humor, they did an amazing job with Smiling Friends. I hate all these so called “adult shows” nowadays that just because the use over the top sex jokes and dirty words they’re considered adult humor when in reality it makes it too childish.
@@danjoredd I agree with this soooo much. It's such a refreshing breath of air to see an adult cartoon where the characters are genuinely nice to one another.
i would like to coin the term, “teenager comedies” its is the bad “adult comedies” its too inappropriate for kids (i guess) and its too stupid for adults. teenager is a middle ground that works, but some have to have low enough standards to get at least a chuckle. (talkin’ to you Velma)
Honestly Smiling Friends is everything I sort of wished Rick and Morty was going to be. Because I first started watching thinking it'd be episodic random sci-fi chaos with crazy shit happening every episode where you could just laugh and have a good time, but then almost instantly a plot and lore started getting attached and I dropped the show instantly after the first Season. But Smiling Friends fills the gap that nobody seems to want to fill anymore and that's just having some dumb fun. It's not trying to make a greater statement or philosophical revelation. It's trying to make you smile.
I agree, I could love a show with some plot to follow but if every show just did that then it's boring. I wish people would lose the stigma of episodic shows, like Rick and Morty because even though they have a plot they usually seemed to steer away from it, and I can't help but feel like they only come back to it because the fans won't shut up about it.
@@runawayredmin8263 I‘m so glad South Park dropped the season long story mostly. It’s cool sometimes to have a bit consistence but sometimes I want to watch a proper episodic show where I can just watch a random episode and enjoy it without knowledge of what came before.
In a way, what Adult Swim are doing with Zach & Corey are what they did almost a decade ago with Tim & Eric. Trust two internet creators' crazy artistic vision and let them control so many aspects of the show.
as far as the serialization bit goes, they did a really good job in making it to where there is no through line plot, but having every episode actually happened by referring to prior events in a fashion that isnt just a in joke. they found a wonderful middle ground and i cant wait for more.
@@No-qn8jr seriel is when each episode is connected to the one before it. Something that is super serialized is like Lost where you can't start watching in the middle of a season. Less serialized is the season 1 finale of smiling friends. It makes reference to past episodes but you still understand the episode without seeing the full series
While shows like Family Guy and Paradise PD are what I like to call "adult cartoons made for kids", Smiling Friends is a kids cartoon made for adults: the characters actually care for one another and don't hate each other, the whole premise is surprisingly wholesome, and there is something of a moral taught at the end of every episode (even if it's as mundane as getting glasses). Not to mention, the mix of artstyles reminds me a lot of Gumball, which is great.
Holy shit is the analogy in your first sentence accurate, I've been looking for a way to describe adult media that tries way too hard to be edgy and ironically enough makes it infested with 14 year olds. Although you have to admit smiling friends has a fair bit of edge to it as well
@꧁Spicy Meatballs II: The Spicening꧂ I just call them Brickleberry shows, due to the fact that the creators of that made two other adult cartoons that were basically just reskins and increasingly felt the need to shock every 5 seconds.
It is criminal that you don’t have much attention. Instant sub from me from an excellent video and video essay of the best animated series we’ve had on television for a while.
Thanks for the sub and glad you enjoyed the video. I’m not too worried about the views, as long as there’s some people out letting me know I got my point across on a really good show, that’s enough for me, so again thanks for the comment and the sub.
It has the creator driven spirit that made early NG animations so great, combine that with the experimental insanity that gave us Aqua Teen, Home Movies, 12oz Mouse. When every adult animation is either a Family Guy or Rick and Morty knock off, we finally have something that breaks that mold and it's a real breath of fresh air.
11:23 Chris did the initial concept for Satan, while Ashley (Ash) Dickens made the actual model thats in the episode. She's also responsible for 3D Squelton's model and has done work on Chris' upcoming game Bowlbo.
It also helps that Zach and Micheal are (in addition to being creative) extremely smart with a deep understanding of both the human mind and the scientific equation for humor, that gives them a leg up above most internet celebrities / Netflix ‘adult animation’ writers
The jokes feel so genuine and the reactions feel so real which makes it so hilarious, Rick and Morty may have a similar adlib process on jokes but rick and morty jokes always feels like it's trying too hard to "adlib" and now it feels overused after the first season.
No one’s talking about the disturbing boss character, voiced by Marc M, or his studio SickAnimation’s disturbing unsettling form of comedy. He’s an unsung hero on this show. I’d suggest checking his shit out.
It's pretty amazing to see this show esp with the whole Hellbenders fiasco. That probably would have been amazing too but tv networks weren't ready for internet animated humor yet. Glad Zach finally got on TV and is killing it
Zach's humor is something else anyways His trump impression is the only one that is actually funny. You know the one with linkara. Because it's just hits the right spot of funny.
I think the humor is great because it's not political, even when targeting political figures. The Trump impressions aren't making any statements about whether he's an evil racist dictator or not, it's just "This guy is goofy, I wish he was goofier." and then playing out different crazy scenarios that could never happen but would be hilarious if they did. Which is an opinion that doesn't exactly lean one way or the other politically, unless you're a fringe group I guess.
What I personally love about the humor is that it finds that sweet spot of being weird and demented, but not so much that it feels incoherent, or that it's trying to hard, or just "random for random sake". Just perfect.
I remember actually standing up from my chair and clapped when I watched the last episode, and found out this whole series was a way to finally get Leo and Satan on Adult Swim as it was foretold years ago, among other things. It was more like Charlie and Satan, but still.
I had seen the meme, but had no idea it was made by these two! I used to watch Zach's videos all the time ten years ago, really happy to see how far he has come! It inspires me :)
In essence of the show, seeing the smiling friends accomplish their mission of mostly making people smile in most of the episodes make the viewer smile irl, which is like, something people need in these trying times
I got into this online animation world almost immediately when I made a TH-cam account in 2007 and I am so happy to see a show like this make it on TV and be so uncompromising. It feels like they were basically allowed to do it on their terms and I love that so much.
14:17 Smiling Friends is entirely unavailable in Australia. There’s no way to watch it without a vpn since HBO Max doesn’t operate here. As per usual, us Aussies have to miss out on great media.
God damn those clips of all the good old Newgrounds Animations really took me back. So much nostalgia. I think seeing what a couple people could achieve in terms of quality played a huge part in my interest in animation in general.
I miss the good old days when you can just hang out at one of your friend's house and watch Newgrounds flash videos together. The legacy of the old internet lives on in these shows!
I think it stands to show how amazingly this show is drawn and animated that it is difficult to watch this video without chuckling at the 3 second clips being shown in the background.
My first intro into smiling friends was on youtube. Didn't know it existed, just a thumbnail. Recognized the character as I think he called it a "Greebo" on his youtube. Then heard the voice and knew it was him. Glad he got a show. Excited to actually watch it.
I think what’s really interesting is that most of the funniest jokes and references are things you can see in Zach’s early animations and improv bits from OneyPlays/SleepyCabin. People who are long time fans of their works can remember the origins of these weird and wonderful jokes
They nearly got Chris Chan to voice a grease puddle in the murder mystery episode AFTER he got arrested and the only reason they didn't is because of budget. That's crazy!
It was not after Chris Chan was arrested. They were considered prior to that, and the reason they decided to not go through with it was simply because they exceeded their budget for cameo voice roles.
This show is incredible. Not just because of the comedy which is too tier, but the messages they are sending from each episode are so deep and meaningful. Just an incredible show.
As I hope it doesn't come anytime soon, I believe that Zach and Michael have enough integrity to let it die as gracefully as it lives. Hope to keep hearing that delightful hobgoblon voice
it truly is an amazing thing to see these niche internet animators we grew up with finally get what they’ve been working towards. brings a tear to my eye :,)
Honestly with out Cartoon network and Adult swim being as open to more experimental shows we've never would of gotten one of the best animation channels ever (though the CN part seems to be less open to more creative shows now days than they used to be) Adult swim gave us venture Bros, Rick and Morty, metalocylpes and moral oral some of the best written shows in any adult animation that don't just go for another family guy or Simpsons clone. Sure for every smiling friends you get a 12 oz mouse or Mr pickles (which was chosen over Zach's and Chris original pitch for a show) but even those shows take risk and are something new
i’ve never seen any newground’s animation or any similar animation, and i’ve never seen any of either of their content before this show, but i love this show and the fact they were able to do that exemplifies the reach this type of creator made content into main stream
I really feel as though this show is kind of a dip back into the waters that made [adult swim] such a beloved "network". In the early days, [as] would literally throw anything weird and unique on, even if just for a few episodes. After they got some traction, they started running more like Cartoon Network, with specific shows in specific blocks, and taking less chances. After a while, it kinda became a place where they were only known for Rick and Morty. I'm glad to see some chances being taken again.
smiling friends reminds me of the older adult swim stuff, like squidbillies and 12 oz mouse in terms of style and vibe with the whole "janky" adult cartoon
I think having Adult Swim pick up the show is also a significant key to their success. Ever since the early 2000's AS has been the go-to place for weird, bizarre, animated shows that no other network would pick up. I know I just KNOW that if this had been on any other network, then at best they would've shoe-horned them into being more like Rick and Morty, and at worst they would have made them be like every other horrible generic adult animated sitcom that is just bad Family Guy but worse.
This legitimately might be one of my favourite videos on the platform, and I only really have had an ostensible knowledge of psychicpebbles at most before binging the show. You're incredibly articulate and knowledgeable on the subject + the pacing of the video made it fly by. I've been blessed by the algorithm today
Honestly, this shows reminds me a lot of Regular Show. I think that’s why it’s so great. When you just let the show do whatever the fuck it wants it creates chaos and lets you be creative.
Dude. The quality is literally crazy for your channel size. I thought you were at least in the 80k range until I read comments about you being a small channel. SHOCKED. Instant sub.
When I first saw smiling firneds I didn't know much about it, then when Zach talked about it on Oneyplays I immediately went: "Holy shit, they let him actually do this!?" So far, this has been one of the best "'adult' humor" type animations to date on traditional TV. Your statements are completely spot on and I absolutely loved your video. I'm excited to see what you, Zach & Michael do next c:
It's not just about animators. Hopefully studios and networks or what have you can realize the potential of independent creators who have experience and talent that they've been honing for the past 20 years. I feel there's so many people who grew up creating during this era and it's their time to shine.
The fact that A LOT of the jokes are recycled from OneyPlays streams, but you still can laugh at them even if you haven't watched a single second of them tells how well crafted this show is. And I'm saying this from personal experience as the only thing I knew about Smiling Friends when watching it was "it was made by some guys from the internet and there's a guy voiced by Mike Stoklasa" and I absolutely loved it.
Newgrounds is a different type of good fever dream. I miss when they were part of the weird side of the internet, lots of creativity and originality. It was just batshit insane sometimes.
I think what ultimately makes Smiling Friends work are the two leads. Charlie and Pimm are probably two of the most likable protagonists that I've seen in an animated show in a while.
If Zack blew his nose he’d be out of his voice acting career.
If he even cleared his throat he would sound like a different person
One glass of water and he’s done
One cough drop and he’ll never work in the industry again
Imagine he gets a cold
First time I heard his voice I thought he was a dying child.
I KNEW Chris did that devil. He's so good at blender and 3d modeling.
With the ending music, chis just chose random guitar riffs and somehow it worked.
Chris did the initial concept, Ashley Dickens actually made the model. She also did 3D Squelton. She's done work for Chris on his upcoming game Bowlbo aswell.
@@ians_parks I’m still hyped for Bowlbo
667th like by the way
Syncing the boss breastfeeding with the word "titular" was a nice touch. Good video.
Was hoping someone would catch that
@@VogJam I couldn’t believe you were under one thousand subs. Hope to see more reviews like this, this is was astonishing 👍
@@VogJam I got it too, good one!
th-cam.com/video/9bJ18XhBWjY/w-d-xo.html smiling friend works but let’s see if this works
It's a very unique show with some insane cameos to boot. Hope they're able to keep the energy going in subsequent seasons to follow.
I don’t think I ever expected to hear David Firth’s voice on TV.
I feel like the show could go on until Zach and Michael get bored of it, so hopefully they get a chance to do more episodes.
Like who? They're friends with a ton of Newgrounds and Internet people so personally I'm not too surprised by some of them, idk
@@highdefinition450 Anyone they want to bring on board who is willing? The fact that Mike from RLM, and a dozen other YT creators shows they're love for the media.
@@highdefinition450 the amount of money and planning it takes to get that many cameos is pretty crazy- I think they got as many people as they actually could, there was supposed to be a ChrisChan feature too but they couldn't get him because they had already gotten Chills.
They almost got Chris Chan on
I think another asset is that the show doesn’t really revolve around “everyone is a disgusting asshole to each other” to substitute black comedy. Charlie isn’t depicted as an outright asshole, he’s just uninvested and cynical, while Pim and The Boss generally do mean well despite the latter being fucking terrifying.
I wouldn’t say totally uninvested, he more is a believer of long-term self improvement being the way to happiness, which conflicts with Pim who believes happiness is experiences and relationships.
This is one thing I really hate about shows like Rick and Morty and Family Guy. The whole family is toxic to each other and so are basically all the characters. The joke is basically “everyone hate on Jerry” or “everyone hate on Meg” etc. over and over. It gets old and boring very fast.
@@JLG629 in defrnse of Rick and Morty, they are actually addressing, deconstructing, and moving away from the "everyone hates on Jerry" stuff. Unfortunately they replaced that with incest jokes so watch at your own risk.
@@JLG629 that’s all you’ve gotten out of the ever evolving family dynamics of RaM?
@@brandonclarke436 To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Rick and Morty. The humour is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of theoretical physics most of the jokes will go over a typical viewer's head. There's also Rick's nihilistic outlook, which is deftly woven into his characterisation- his personal philosophy draws heavily from Narodnaya Volya literature, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these jokes, to realise that they're not just funny- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Rick & Morty truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in Rick's existential catchphrase "Wubba Lubba Dub Dub," which itself is a cryptic reference to Turgenev's Russian epic Fathers and Sons. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Dan Harmon's genius wit unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools.. how I pity them.
This was great!!!
Honestly you hit the nail on the head with "The show is made by people that *wanted* to make it."
100%. There’s always a risk of people from the internet getting into TV and the final product feeling inauthentic pr filtered by executives. Smiling Friends doesn’t feel that way at all and it’s refreshing to see.
th-cam.com/video/9bJ18XhBWjY/w-d-xo.html i hope for a season 2 but I hope for a good future for this channel too
Do show creators usually not want to make a show tho?
@@highdefinition450 do you think anyone involved in the Simpsons really wants to be making it at this point?
My favorite thing about SF (despite what Zach says) is the underlying philosophy of anti-nihilism. It’d be easy to go with the contemporary adult animation standard of “lol nothing matters” but SF always positions itself as a fundamentally positive “actually, improving yourself and being happy matters.”
And also I like when Shrimp screams.
Even the most “nihilistic” of the main/recurring characters, Charlie, has quite a bit to say about being the best version of yourself that you can, specifically in the Shrimp episode.
And his speech about how much he loves his life in the season 2 finale. I'm not even American and it makes me inspired.@@BradsGonnaPlay
This is it. THIS is the video I wish I had made on Smiling Friends. So many of these points came flooding through my mind as disconnected thoughts and reactions while watching this series, and when attempting to script it out, I repeatedly failed to communicate what makes this show so special. It's one of a kind, such a triumph for online creators, and a love letter to Newgrounds and online culture that I've never before seen adapted to TV.
THANK YOU for this measured and insightful look into why Smiling Friends is the best new animated adult comedy we've had in years!
Thanks! I was kind of lucky on the script because everything just seemed to come together once I got the intro done. That through-line from NG to TH-cam to their other projects leading up to Smiling Friends is such a genuine story and seeing the Newgrounds DNA still present in the final show, like you said, that’s what makes it one of a kind.
btw, I saw your video on the greatest film trilogy of all time last week and it reminded me I’m well past due a rewatch. Amazing stuff, loved hearing about the stories about the crew and designers. There’s such a huge difference between simply knowing that movies are these big, complicated things, and actually recognising the individual efforts of people doing weird things like running a 24-hour hairy foot oven to keep production rolling, you got that across so well.
@@VogJam Very funny to think we stumbled upon each others work within such a narrow window xD
Cheers! Looking forward to what you do next :)
cool
Hey Graeme!
Smiling Friends is one of the rarest shows that I'm genuinely interested in.
Yeah, it’s been a great show so far
@@VogJam I saw a clip of the last 1 minute of the premiere and when Alan said “I just wanted my cheese” while crucified, that’s what sold the deal, it felt like something from Aqua Teen Hunger Force and I just had to watch it. I enjoyed the 1st season, here’s hoping season 2 will arrive soon this year.
I think the main difference between smiling friends and other Internet personalities tv/film projects is that zach and co have developed not only their own style but a branch of bizzare comedy that has been missing from TV (especially In the UK) for years.
It’s definitely refreshing to see on TV and it’s great that adult swim gave them the chance to make it how they wanted.
I think the biggest difference is Zach and Michael had an idea and fought for it instead of a company going "Hey you have a following......make a thing"
this isn't their first go around in the TV sphere either. I assume that prior experience with failed tv projects ultimately led to the success of smiling friends
@@robk5488 what else did they work on? I'm not familiar
@@iCactusDog Zach Hadel and Chris O'neil had pitched a show called Hellbenders to Adult Swim previously.
The internet broke our humor and smiling friends normalized it. And I think that’s a win.
Nice Profile Name
I agree with your username
Yeah I agree with RATsnak3s as well
I feel adult swim is finally finding its version of the Simpsons/family guy. Original series is always better than syndication and like how I feel Henry stickmin or among us is a love letter to flash games this feels like a love letter to flash animation. This and Rick and morty feels like the counterculture to shows like the Simpsons and family guy. They are shows that break the mold from the establishment that has been the status quo of adult animation for years.
Definitely seems like SF is finding its core audience and hopefully it’ll spread further, the fact that it’s got so many connections to the flash animation scene is even better.
I see SF as a good fit on adultswim because they’re always willing to take a risk on a show and the animated comedy needs something new because it’s been so stale the last few years.
Tldr "it good show"
Rick and morty before season 3 episode 2, I agree with. Everything after is pretty awful.
Family guy was from adult swim lol
@@jontedeakin1986 family guy has aired on Adult Swim, but iirc it's always been a Fox property
You know what Smiling Friends reminds me of, with its irreverent comedy, chaotic attitude, and happy-go-lucky theming with mixed media? The original first 3 seasons of Spongebob. Only this is made specifically for adults.
Great comparison now that I think about it
Lets face it.
Smiling friends is pretty much the ramblings of oneyplays. They just beat everyone to the animated rambling versions
Oneyplays ramblings do be funny
Best part is that if you have seen Oneyplays before, you can almost picture the process that led to each scene in an episode, assuming it wasn't straight up described in one of his youtube vids before
What I find most interesting about the show, is how sincere it is. So much of tv adult animation is drenched in nihilism and irony. But I SF they genuinely are trying to make people smile and the world is insane but not all mean spirited. .
Especially compared to Adult Swim animation that can often just be as fucked up as possible for the sake of it, but while there are some of these kinds of jokes in the show it isn't reliant on them for the humor.
And to think this is coming from tenured Newgrounds/TH-cam comedy animators and the psychicpebbles guy...
This is true adult humor, they did an amazing job with Smiling Friends. I hate all these so called “adult shows” nowadays that just because the use over the top sex jokes and dirty words they’re considered adult humor when in reality it makes it too childish.
@@danjoredd I agree with this soooo much. It's such a refreshing breath of air to see an adult cartoon where the characters are genuinely nice to one another.
i would like to coin the term, “teenager comedies”
its is the bad “adult comedies”
its too inappropriate for kids (i guess) and its too stupid for adults.
teenager is a middle ground that works, but some have to have low enough standards to get at least a chuckle. (talkin’ to you Velma)
@@stoopy07Would you put in Hazbin Hotel in the mix? It’s humor is often times swearing-heavy and a bit too needy at times.
Honestly Smiling Friends is everything I sort of wished Rick and Morty was going to be. Because I first started watching thinking it'd be episodic random sci-fi chaos with crazy shit happening every episode where you could just laugh and have a good time, but then almost instantly a plot and lore started getting attached and I dropped the show instantly after the first Season.
But Smiling Friends fills the gap that nobody seems to want to fill anymore and that's just having some dumb fun. It's not trying to make a greater statement or philosophical revelation.
It's trying to make you smile.
afterall, making you laugh and smile is what the smiling friends do. :- )
I agree, I could love a show with some plot to follow but if every show just did that then it's boring. I wish people would lose the stigma of episodic shows, like Rick and Morty because even though they have a plot they usually seemed to steer away from it, and I can't help but feel like they only come back to it because the fans won't shut up about it.
wasted opportunity to say "its trying to make you smile"
@@bilibilibilibili I'm amazed I didn't think of this, edited now.
@@runawayredmin8263 I‘m so glad South Park dropped the season long story mostly. It’s cool sometimes to have a bit consistence but sometimes I want to watch a proper episodic show where I can just watch a random episode and enjoy it without knowledge of what came before.
In a way, what Adult Swim are doing with Zach & Corey are what they did almost a decade ago with Tim & Eric. Trust two internet creators' crazy artistic vision and let them control so many aspects of the show.
And that creative control definitely shows, that’s why Adult Swim’s a great fit for the show
Corey?
and MDE world peace
Except tim got MDE canceled on purpose
as far as the serialization bit goes, they did a really good job in making it to where there is no through line plot, but having every episode actually happened by referring to prior events in a fashion that isnt just a in joke. they found a wonderful middle ground and i cant wait for more.
Can you explain serialization in simple terms, I think I understand it but I’m not 💯 %.
@@No-qn8jr seriel is when each episode is connected to the one before it.
Something that is super serialized is like Lost where you can't start watching in the middle of a season. Less serialized is the season 1 finale of smiling friends. It makes reference to past episodes but you still understand the episode without seeing the full series
While shows like Family Guy and Paradise PD are what I like to call "adult cartoons made for kids", Smiling Friends is a kids cartoon made for adults: the characters actually care for one another and don't hate each other, the whole premise is surprisingly wholesome, and there is something of a moral taught at the end of every episode (even if it's as mundane as getting glasses).
Not to mention, the mix of artstyles reminds me a lot of Gumball, which is great.
Holy shit is the analogy in your first sentence accurate, I've been looking for a way to describe adult media that tries way too hard to be edgy and ironically enough makes it infested with 14 year olds. Although you have to admit smiling friends has a fair bit of edge to it as well
@꧁Spicy Meatballs II: The
Spicening꧂ I just call them Brickleberry shows, due to the fact that the creators of that made two other adult cartoons that were basically just reskins and increasingly felt the need to shock every 5 seconds.
I love the photoshopped bottle of wine at 8:02
The show feels as if Newgrounds and Adult Swim made The Amazing World Of Gumball
More like regular show but ya
It is criminal that you don’t have much attention. Instant sub from me from an excellent video and video essay of the best animated series we’ve had on television for a while.
Thanks for the sub and glad you enjoyed the video. I’m not too worried about the views, as long as there’s some people out letting me know I got my point across on a really good show, that’s enough for me, so again thanks for the comment and the sub.
I love that they brought in the founder of Newgrounds Tom Fulp, to voice act the guy in the wall of episode 1.
He wasn't wall guy, he was the barf guy at the family dinner. Finn Wolfhard was wall guy.
It has the creator driven spirit that made early NG animations so great, combine that with the experimental insanity that gave us Aqua Teen, Home Movies, 12oz Mouse.
When every adult animation is either a Family Guy or Rick and Morty knock off, we finally have something that breaks that mold and it's a real breath of fresh air.
11:23 Chris did the initial concept for Satan, while Ashley (Ash) Dickens made the actual model thats in the episode. She's also responsible for 3D Squelton's model and has done work on Chris' upcoming game Bowlbo.
I got recommended this thinking you we're a bigger channel and I can't believe your not one this was great
Maybe one day! Glad you enjoyed it
It also helps that Zach and Micheal are (in addition to being creative) extremely smart with a deep understanding of both the human mind and the scientific equation for humor, that gives them a leg up above most internet celebrities / Netflix ‘adult animation’ writers
8:02 to 8:06 has the smoothest wine physics I've ever seen
Meanwhile, the wine bottle is just a stock image
I love small animation gags like that
I really want Zach and Michael to succeed with this, it's just so refreshing
8:14 that was so fucking perfectly CUT that i cryed un laugh. Could perfectly be part of the show btw
Haha, it was a fluke in the editing that it matched up but I liked it too much to cut it out.
The jokes feel so genuine and the reactions feel so real which makes it so hilarious, Rick and Morty may have a similar adlib process on jokes but rick and morty jokes always feels like it's trying too hard to "adlib" and now it feels overused after the first season.
No one’s talking about the disturbing boss character, voiced by Marc M, or his studio SickAnimation’s disturbing unsettling form of comedy. He’s an unsung hero on this show. I’d suggest checking his shit out.
Where does he publish?
He’s on TH-cam, just search up sickanimation
I can't believe you included the feeding scene in the background with no context lmao
It's pretty amazing to see this show esp with the whole Hellbenders fiasco. That probably would have been amazing too but tv networks weren't ready for internet animated humor yet. Glad Zach finally got on TV and is killing it
Zach's humor is something else anyways
His trump impression is the only one that is actually funny. You know the one with linkara. Because it's just hits the right spot of funny.
The great Linkara
Don’t give him his jacket!
His jimmy carter impression was hilarious too. I love him on oney plays
I think the humor is great because it's not political, even when targeting political figures. The Trump impressions aren't making any statements about whether he's an evil racist dictator or not, it's just "This guy is goofy, I wish he was goofier." and then playing out different crazy scenarios that could never happen but would be hilarious if they did. Which is an opinion that doesn't exactly lean one way or the other politically, unless you're a fringe group I guess.
@@FemaleAnimeMaster Idk, "I can spit yellow, I can't spit green yet" seems like it has deep-running political commentary to me
What I personally love about the humor is that it finds that sweet spot of being weird and demented, but not so much that it feels incoherent, or that it's trying to hard, or just "random for random sake". Just perfect.
I remember actually standing up from my chair and clapped when I watched the last episode, and found out this whole series was a way to finally get Leo and Satan on Adult Swim as it was foretold years ago, among other things. It was more like Charlie and Satan, but still.
I had seen the meme, but had no idea it was made by these two! I used to watch Zach's videos all the time ten years ago, really happy to see how far he has come! It inspires me :)
In essence of the show, seeing the smiling friends accomplish their mission of mostly making people smile in most of the episodes make the viewer smile irl, which is like, something people need in these trying times
This
I got into this online animation world almost immediately when I made a TH-cam account in 2007 and I am so happy to see a show like this make it on TV and be so uncompromising. It feels like they were basically allowed to do it on their terms and I love that so much.
Probably the best review I’ve seen of the show. Good job.
Thanks
14:17 Smiling Friends is entirely unavailable in Australia. There’s no way to watch it without a vpn since HBO Max doesn’t operate here.
As per usual, us Aussies have to miss out on great media.
I heard that if you take all 18 booster shots, you can see Smiling Friends in real life.
You can't argue with the Science.
my favorite background gag is the devil playing rust. confirming rust is both toxic and hell
God damn those clips of all the good old Newgrounds Animations really took me back. So much nostalgia. I think seeing what a couple people could achieve in terms of quality played a huge part in my interest in animation in general.
I miss the good old days when you can just hang out at one of your friend's house and watch Newgrounds flash videos together.
The legacy of the old internet lives on in these shows!
The shot of the Sleepygang and Arin at 6:45 both warms my heart and makes me immensely sad at the same time.
I think it stands to show how amazingly this show is drawn and animated that it is difficult to watch this video without chuckling at the 3 second clips being shown in the background.
I don't know what to THINK ANYMORE man!!!
GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!
My first intro into smiling friends was on youtube. Didn't know it existed, just a thumbnail. Recognized the character as I think he called it a "Greebo" on his youtube. Then heard the voice and knew it was him. Glad he got a show. Excited to actually watch it.
I think what’s really interesting is that most of the funniest jokes and references are things you can see in Zach’s early animations and improv bits from OneyPlays/SleepyCabin. People who are long time fans of their works can remember the origins of these weird and wonderful jokes
I love how whoever animates this makes any insane person have red eyes i just love it.
They nearly got Chris Chan to voice a grease puddle in the murder mystery episode AFTER he got arrested and the only reason they didn't is because of budget. That's crazy!
Dude, source. Please
@@Deadlock239 th-cam.com/video/06R7mspyoRw/w-d-xo.html
It was not after Chris Chan was arrested. They were considered prior to that, and the reason they decided to not go through with it was simply because they exceeded their budget for cameo voice roles.
@@ians_parks Wait I thought it was because they knew chris chan wouldn't keep his mouth shut about the show if they did decide to bring him on?
This show is incredible. Not just because of the comedy which is too tier, but the messages they are sending from each episode are so deep and meaningful. Just an incredible show.
I think what’s nice about it is it feels like they’ve had fun making it, something that unfortunately can’t be said for a lot of TV content these days
As I hope it doesn't come anytime soon, I believe that Zach and Michael have enough integrity to let it die as gracefully as it lives. Hope to keep hearing that delightful hobgoblon voice
I just hope the creators don’t feel pressured to constantly outdo themselves and exhaust the plot. Keep it down to earth. 🙏🏼
it truly is an amazing thing to see these niche internet animators we grew up with finally get what they’ve been working towards. brings a tear to my eye :,)
Honestly with out Cartoon network and Adult swim being as open to more experimental shows we've never would of gotten one of the best animation channels ever (though the CN part seems to be less open to more creative shows now days than they used to be)
Adult swim gave us venture Bros, Rick and Morty, metalocylpes and moral oral some of the best written shows in any adult animation that don't just go for another family guy or Simpsons clone.
Sure for every smiling friends you get a 12 oz mouse or Mr pickles (which was chosen over Zach's and Chris original pitch for a show) but even those shows take risk and are something new
Couldn’t have put this into words better, perfect vid
i’ve never seen any newground’s animation or any similar animation, and i’ve never seen any of either of their content before this show, but i love this show and the fact they were able to do that exemplifies the reach this type of creator made content into main stream
I just love zach finally got the option to make a show. he has talked about it for many many years
I really feel as though this show is kind of a dip back into the waters that made [adult swim] such a beloved "network". In the early days, [as] would literally throw anything weird and unique on, even if just for a few episodes. After they got some traction, they started running more like Cartoon Network, with specific shows in specific blocks, and taking less chances. After a while, it kinda became a place where they were only known for Rick and Morty.
I'm glad to see some chances being taken again.
smiling friends reminds me of the older adult swim stuff, like squidbillies and 12 oz mouse in terms of style and vibe with the whole "janky" adult cartoon
Fantastic video. You somehow figured out a way to vocalize so many points that I didn’t know how to describe when I was watching Smiling Friends
I think having Adult Swim pick up the show is also a significant key to their success. Ever since the early 2000's AS has been the go-to place for weird, bizarre, animated shows that no other network would pick up.
I know I just KNOW that if this had been on any other network, then at best they would've shoe-horned them into being more like Rick and Morty, and at worst they would have made them be like every other horrible generic adult animated sitcom that is just bad Family Guy but worse.
This is a great love letter to this show.
This legitimately might be one of my favourite videos on the platform, and I only really have had an ostensible knowledge of psychicpebbles at most before binging the show. You're incredibly articulate and knowledgeable on the subject + the pacing of the video made it fly by. I've been blessed by the algorithm today
Thanks for the comment, glad you found the video. Algorithm bless 🙏
you are like the perfect person to talk about this. this really shows why this show matters a lot. thanks we ly
This is the kind of quality I’d expect from a channel with infinitely more subs, please keep this up !!
Honestly, this shows reminds me a lot of Regular Show. I think that’s why it’s so great. When you just let the show do whatever the fuck it wants it creates chaos and lets you be creative.
I really am glad they got to show the natural beauty of Mike Stoklasa in animated form
Dude. The quality is literally crazy for your channel size. I thought you were at least in the 80k range until I read comments about you being a small channel. SHOCKED. Instant sub.
Thanks for the sub. I love the editing but it’s long work so it’s nice to see it appreciated, cheers.
When I first saw smiling firneds I didn't know much about it, then when Zach talked about it on Oneyplays I immediately went: "Holy shit, they let him actually do this!?" So far, this has been one of the best "'adult' humor" type animations to date on traditional TV. Your statements are completely spot on and I absolutely loved your video. I'm excited to see what you, Zach & Michael do next c:
seeing the scene with the couple fightng and transitioning to guy with his gun up to his head had me dead
The shrimp trying on new clothes has me dead
It's not just about animators. Hopefully studios and networks or what have you can realize the potential of independent creators who have experience and talent that they've been honing for the past 20 years. I feel there's so many people who grew up creating during this era and it's their time to shine.
The fact that A LOT of the jokes are recycled from OneyPlays streams, but you still can laugh at them even if you haven't watched a single second of them tells how well crafted this show is. And I'm saying this from personal experience as the only thing I knew about Smiling Friends when watching it was "it was made by some guys from the internet and there's a guy voiced by Mike Stoklasa" and I absolutely loved it.
Out of all cartoons i have watched this is the one that actually made me laugh. Also i love the simple goofy character designs.
This some pretty high quality stuff that I was not expecting from fellow small creator
Good content and keep it up! :)
Thanks, much appreciated!
Newgrounds is a different type of good fever dream. I miss when they were part of the weird side of the internet, lots of creativity and originality. It was just batshit insane sometimes.
NICE VIDEO, this is exactly the review i searched for GREAT
having rachmaninoff’s c#minor prelude playing in the background is such a bizarre choice but i’m here for it
DUDE the Sleepycast background music softly in the background triggered me so hard in a good way lmao, thought I was watching an episode again
This show is already nostalgic already to those who grew up with early TH-cam
I think what ultimately makes Smiling Friends work are the two leads. Charlie and Pimm are probably two of the most likable protagonists that I've seen in an animated show in a while.
I just think it’s hilarious how many of the ideas are basically easter eggs from their some of their streams and videos
It feels like the early seasons of Spongebob but for adults.
The "I think this guy's a lost cause" format is so good LOL
It’s like no matter what volume you play this video it’s as if you are talking full volume in my ear.
8:06 Australian Bill Burr.
New favorite video essay on my new favorite animated show!
Super awesome points, the bit at the end about "having a guy who can do this AND this," is great
Yeah, everyone pitching in on different jobs is one of those things that gives SF that unique flavour, glad you liked it.
My mans really threw in Rachmaninov Prelude at the end…subscribed
I just notices that Pims moms wine was just straight up a png Lmao
Just saw one of the smiling friends last night and fell in love with it.
Such a specific and sophisticated explanation. . . Bravo
You absolutely deserve more credit! Phenomenal work!
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks
Very good content lad you’ll go far
Cheers
Thanks for watching
I am very happy oneyplays has had television success because I’ve loved their videos for years