Adventure Time: Side Quests Season 2 Review - MovieBuzz

For the uninitiated: Side Quests follows young hero Finn and his magical dog best friend Jake as they embark on adventures across the fantastical land of Ooo - partying with cloud people, punching evil in the butt, and generally treating the apocalypse like a playground. Season 2 keeps that anthology-adjacent spirit alive, favoring self-contained escapades over serialized doom. The genres listed - Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy - tell you everything about the tonal menu: one episode you're in a candy kingdom, the next you're in a cosmic freakout. John DiMaggio returns as Jake, Sasha Knight voices Finn, and the whole thing streams in English on Hulu as of October 2.

Here's the thing about Side Quests: it's the television equivalent of a bag of sour gummies. There's no nutritional pretense, but the craftsmanship is undeniable. Season 2 understands that a short runtime is a feature, not a bug. Each installment gets in, lands its jokes, and gets out before the premise wears thin. That discipline is rarer than it should be in modern animation, where spin-offs often mistake "more lore" for "more fun."

DiMaggio remains the secret weapon. Jake is the kind of role that could coast on catchphrases, but DiMaggio keeps finding new shapes - literally and vocally - for the character's easygoing chaos. He's the cool older brother energy the show runs on. Knight's Finn, meanwhile, has grown into a genuinely charming lead: earnest without being saccharine, dumb without being annoying. The dynamic between the two is the engine, and it hums.

What's impressive about this season is how it deploys its fantasy toolbox. The cloud-people party episode is a standout - a swirl of pastel visuals and escalating absurdity that plays like a fever dream directed by someone who loves you. The "punching evil in the butt" mission statement isn't just a gag; it's a thesis. This is a show that refuses to take villainy too seriously, and in an era of grimdark everything, that refusal feels almost radical.

That said, the anthology-ish structure cuts both ways. When an episode lands, it lands. When it doesn't, you're left with twenty-odd minutes of whimsy that never quite clicks into gear. A few entries in Season 2 feel like B-sides - fun in the moment, forgotten by dinner. And while the self-contained approach keeps things accessible, it also means the season lacks a real crescendo. You finish it smiling, not gasping.

Visually, the show remains a flex. The color work is candy-bright, the character animation loose and expressive, and the sci-fi/fantasy mashup aesthetic lets the artists go buck-wild whenever the plot calls for it. It's the kind of animation that rewards pausing - background gags everywhere, if you've got the patience to hunt for them.

Is it essential viewing? For the faithful, absolutely. For newcomers? Start with Season 1; this isn't a franchise that punishes you for arriving late, but it does reward context. What Season 2 proves is that Side Quests isn't a cynical IP cash-grab. It's a bunch of creative people having a genuinely good time, and that joy is contagious.

Pros

• DiMaggio and Knight's vocal chemistry remains the show's MVP
• Short, punchy episodes that respect your time and attention span
• Gorgeous, candy-colored animation packed with background gags
• The cloud-people party episode is an instant comfort-watch classic
• Refreshingly unserious approach to fantasy villainy

Cons

• Uneven episode quality; a few feel like filler
• No real season-long arc to build momentum toward
• Humor occasionally leans too hard on randomness over craft
• Newcomers may feel like they're missing an inside joke

Adventure Time: Side Quests Season 2 is exactly what it promises: a delightful, low-stakes hangout with two of animation's most beloved heroes. It won't change your life, but it will absolutely improve your afternoon. Stream it on Hulu, grab a snack, and let Finn and Jake punch your bad mood in the butt. 7.9/10 - worth the trip to Ooo.