The brainchild of prolific Newgrounds animators, Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, Smiling Friends is the new Adult Swim animated comedy that has been taking over the Internet lately. There's good reason for that as it is honestly one of the funniest and refreshing comedy shows out there right now, bringing the fun and spontaneity of Internet animation to the silver screen. Despite the undoubted enjoyment I got from this show, it is not undeserving of valid critique that I hope doesn't get overshadowed by the moment the series appears to be having right now.

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The series is extremely fast-paced with just joke after joke after joke. And just when you think the plot has gone totally off the rails, the show will reel you back in with its an awkward, believable back-and-forth of dialogue. A common bit on the show is to have these goofy cartoon characters just talk like normal people and have realistic reactions to the crazy world around them. I've watched these episodes multiple times, and find myself laughing everytime for there'll usually be something I missed on first viewing that adds layers of comedy to the surreal situations.

It's no wonder the show has caught on so much with its mix of random and relatable bits. It has captured that specific brand of "Gen Z" humor that lent itself naturally to lots of memes and fan work inspired by the project.

I will note however, towards the end of Season 2, it does feel like they were getting too comfortable with this formula of "random thing happens and then characters talk about it realistically." With only 17 episodes so far, it does not overstay its welcome, but a Season 3 will have to innovate before this style of humor gets old.

However, plenty of Adult Swim shows have surreal plots and improvisational dialogue. The thing that really sets Smiling Friends apart is its impressive mix of animation styles. The showrunners have brought with them lots of talented people to guest animate characters in a variety of styles that make the show a treat to watch. The show will use stop-motion, PS1-style rendering, and rotoscoping to keep episodes fresh and interesting to watch. If you aren't laughing at the dialogue, you'll be entertained by all the fast animation and easter eggs in the background. It's overstimulating in all the best ways.

Alongside guest animators, the show also has plenty of guest stars that might only be recognizable to those who are online like David Firth or the Red Letter Media crew. I won't spoil some of the particularly surprising cameos, but I appreciate that they're not intrusive. Scenes with them are not reliant on the viewer understanding the reference and are funny on their own.

So far, this review has been a pretty unabashed praise of the show and I cannot deny all the enjoyment I've gotten out of it, but there is an issue with it that has been creeping up on me throughout the final weeks of Season 2's airing. This section has minor spoilers but it's an episodic comedy. It doesn't really matter.

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Smiling Friends is a series that's often portrayed as "wholesome" and "positive," but in reality it is an unrelentingly ironic show that can be mean-spirited and takes almost nothing seriously. That's not inherently bad at all! I love media that is just straight silliness and often enjoy dark humor when it's done well. But, due to its irreverent nature, it can be hard to discuss the problematic aspects of the series without being told "it's not that deep" or "you're looking too much into it." Just because the show doesn't take itself seriously, doesn't mean its not worth examining the messaging the series puts out, even if unintentionally.

Let's start with the objective shortcomings: Smiling Friends very much feels like a boy's club. A white boy's club specifically. No female characters that ever get to be in on the trademark "natural dialogue" bits, besides one line from Charlie's girlfriend, Zoey, who never speaks again for the rest of the series. Besides her, every female character falls into three categories: attractive (always white) woman, evil lady, or hysterical housewife. While the male cast are allowed to be somewhat fat, the female characters all look the same unless the joke demands they be ugly.

As for non-white characters, there are none that aren't just one-note stereotypes played by a white voice actor doing an impression; see the Mexican soundcloud rapper or the Brazilian beggar. I can't be sure, but I don't think this was an intentional decision. But, it does definitely show a biased worldview where "white male" is considered the default and all others are considered variations or entirely different.

This is odd to me since other long-running Adult Swim shows from the Wild West that was the early 2000s, like Aqua Teen Hunger Force and Venture Bros., would eventually develop and get better with representation as time went on. So, it makes Smiling Friends feel weirdly behind-the-times for such a new series.

There's also plenty of just eyebrow-raising moments I can't make heads or tails of. Usually a good show with edgy humor like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia or Curb Your Enthusiasm will make it very clear who the jokes are meant to be making fun of, and what side the writers are on. Smiling Friends, however, is very ambiguous about it, where it's hard to tell when jokes are genuine, or ironic, or double ironic even!? Despite seeming like the show doesn't want to make a definitive point on anything, the show treads on political and societal topics all the time. This begs the question a lot.

• What are the writers' true feelings with these multiple episode plots involving cancel culture?
• Why does Pim's wholesome fantasies always involve a traditional stay-at-home wife and mother?
• Why did the showrunners have a character, whose whole joke is being disgusting, call himself "r*****ed?"
• What the hell did they mean when they had the Boss sarcastically say "All cultures are equal. There's no such thing as a bad culture." after almost getting beheaded in a foreign country?

I've seen people from all sides take these jokes to mean anything. It could mean nothing or everything or both or neither because the show never makes a definitive point about anything. It's annoying at best and concerning at worst.

Does this mean I dislike the show or can't recommend it? Well, no. I enjoy plenty of work that may be based off of problematic worldviews and can still enjoy it. Though I do believe these are genuine criticisms that shouldn't be dismissed, they are implicit enough I think you can enjoy the show regardless.

I bring it up not only because it's worth critiquing but also because the show has garnered a large following of people who may not be aware. I see a good amount of people being parasocial about the showrunners and assuming they are super wholesome allies. Enjoy the show, make fan art, take what you want out of it, but be aware and critical as well, that's all. I hope Season 3 not only changes up the formula and opens up the writer's room for some differing perspectives.

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With those caveats, I would still recommend Smiling Friends! It's a really funny series and I'm interested to see if this inspires a new wave of Internet creators getting their hands on bigger projects!

• My favorite episodes were S1E6, "Enchanted Forest," S2E5, "Brother's Egg", and S2E8 "Pim Finally Turns Green." I think the show works best when it focuses on one plot/concept and just runs with it.
• My least favorites were S2E2, "Mr. President," for having really lazy jokes and S2E7, "The Magical Red Jewel (aka Tyler Gets Fired)," for its scattered plots and previously discussed uncomfortable implications.
• Season 1 was more consistent but Season 2 had greater highs.
• This show is insanely quotable and has infested my friends and I's vocabulary. I'm relieved to see online I'm not the only person that has gotten some vocal stims stuck in my head out of this show.
• I wouldn't say Smiling Friends' humor is revolutionary as much as it just puts on TV the kind of comedy animators have been doing online for years. Here's some Newgrounds/YouTube creators you might like if you enjoyed the style of Smiling Friends.
• speedoru has that great surreal comedy with impeccable timing
• Aaron Long (he animated on the show :D) and his Sublo and Tangy Mustard series is great if love natural, but entertaining dialogue.
• Lyle Wrath, works with a lot of talented artists and makes actually funny video game parodies imo. He also did some voicework on the show.
• Joel G, if you like the experimental animation of Smiling Friends, you'll love his work
• FilmCow, an OG titan of classic YouTube who is still making vids with his iconic brand of awkward dialogue
• Joel Haver (another guest on the show) is a beast who will just post full-on film-length productions on YouTube sometimes
• check out Newgrounds, it's not as needlessly edgy as the old days and there's a lot of good stuff on there that doesn't get traction on YouTube!

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If you like:	100 jokes a minute mixed-media animation natural dialogue Internet-style humor	you shall smile

If you dislike:	relentless irony a formula that might get old by the end some iffy material	you might not smile?