Adventure Time: Ricardio the Heart Guy Rewatch
May 29, 2015 5:28 AM - Season 1, Episode 7 - Subscribe
Finn is suspicious of a new resident of the Candy Kingdom. Is he right to be worried, or is he just jealous that Princess Bubblegum is starting to pay more attention to Ricardio?
Guest appearance by George Takei!
Guest appearance by George Takei!
In "Understanding Comics", Scott McCloud talks a litte bit about how cartoon-like renderings of the human face make a figure easy for the reader to identify with, whereas more detailed, realistic renderings tend to make a figure seem fundamentally more external to the reader. I seem to recall that he mentioned that the distinction was one used a lot in anime and manga.
I think that's what the storyboarders are doing with Ricardio here: in contrast to all the minimalist character designs that are usually crowding the screen in "Adventure Time", Ricardio has a lot more detail to his face. It makes him stand out more, and makes him read as a bit uncanny. Or rather, I guess I should say, a bit more incrementally uncanny than would be the case anyway, given that we're talking about an autonomous walking, talking human heart that functions as an even worse stalker than the Ice King himself.
posted by Ipsifendus at 7:52 AM on May 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
I think that's what the storyboarders are doing with Ricardio here: in contrast to all the minimalist character designs that are usually crowding the screen in "Adventure Time", Ricardio has a lot more detail to his face. It makes him stand out more, and makes him read as a bit uncanny. Or rather, I guess I should say, a bit more incrementally uncanny than would be the case anyway, given that we're talking about an autonomous walking, talking human heart that functions as an even worse stalker than the Ice King himself.
posted by Ipsifendus at 7:52 AM on May 29, 2015 [4 favorites]
Takei's voice is great for that uncanny effect too. He seems like a really warm and genuine guy in real life, but he's got this big, deep, freaky voice that sounds like something from a dubbed movie. (IIRC, he actually did used to do voices for dubbed movies too.)
And of course, the whole scenario just makes Ice King even more pathetic. His freaking heart is so desperate to be rid of him that it's trying to escape his chest! Although weirdly, Ricardio seems scary and kind of evil in a way Ice King doesn't. Ice King is messed up, but he's more delusional and pitiful than evil. He seems almost like an overgrown child, grasping and petulant but desperate to find love. But Ricardio seems to have a real twisted, mean streak. Maybe he's the Ice King's id, without the civilizing influence provided by what's left of Ice King's brain.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:50 PM on May 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
And of course, the whole scenario just makes Ice King even more pathetic. His freaking heart is so desperate to be rid of him that it's trying to escape his chest! Although weirdly, Ricardio seems scary and kind of evil in a way Ice King doesn't. Ice King is messed up, but he's more delusional and pitiful than evil. He seems almost like an overgrown child, grasping and petulant but desperate to find love. But Ricardio seems to have a real twisted, mean streak. Maybe he's the Ice King's id, without the civilizing influence provided by what's left of Ice King's brain.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 7:50 PM on May 29, 2015 [2 favorites]
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posted by drezdn at 6:57 AM on May 29, 2015