Close Enough

I'm going to be in the minority of reviewers (and viewers) here I think by not having seen Quintel's Regular Show. So it wasn't until Close Enough that I first encountered his blend of magical surralism wrapped in acute observation.

The format is basically that of a classical nineties kids' cartoon - a half-hour show cut into two separate narratives (with a few exceptions) this leaves it very little room to faff around and the dizzying speed at which each segment ramps up the strangeness is genuinely breathtaking. The cost of all this brevity means that the central cast can feel a little undefined but Close Enough admirably straddles a refreshing line between caricature and observation that doesn't feel too mean or judgemental.

As someone fairly close to Quintel's age myself it's strangely uncanny to see a television cartoon so precisely aimed at my generation - which no doubt will alienate many and date it severely in years to come but there's an oddly engrossing indulgence to the focus. Close Enough isn't perfect but with its charming tangents and its deft lack of meanness it's... C-

It's.... clo...

You get the picture.

In early 2017, Regular Show finally came to conclusion on Cartoon Network and around the summer of 2017, JG Quintel made a new cartoon...for adults! Close Enough! It was originally planned to air on TBS, but for reasons it has been delayed lots of times, which led the show into production hell. But thanks to HBO Max, we won't have to worry anymore. HBO Max is the new home for Close Enough, I've watched the first episode (from the Annecy International Animated Film Festival on June 15, 2020) and it was pretty good. The humor, the characters, the writing were all good. Close Enough is one of those cartoons that truly fits very well in the box of adult animation, yet the only problem with this show is the 11 minute run, I was expecting it to be at least a 25 minute run, but hey, that's Close Enough. Get it?! I consider this show to be one of my favorites and I will recommend anyone to watch it and I also can't wait for more episodes on HBO Max. I give Close Enough a 9.5/10

After we had so many cartoon shows releasing since the success of Rick & Morty that were more or less... Well how do I say... Meh.

This show is finally another highlight on the animation horizon. Especially in the first few episodes they had some outstanding story ideas and well thought out jokes that you didn't see coming at all. I'm really excited to see where this show is going with more seasons.

Before starting, I must clarify that this is the second series that I observe thanks to a close friend's recommendation. After marathoning it in the last four days, it is clear to me that "Close Enough" is one of the best animated adult shows that has been released in the last year and I would dare to say that it can also be considered as one of several potential long-term hits for the newly launched HBO Max streaming service.

Although Season 1 has some bizarre moments and others that can be slightly boring, it stayed at all times loyal to the series' original premise and as a result, the final product turned out to be satisfying: excellent plot development and execution, very good and charismatic characters that you will feel occasionally identified (especially the audience that is in my age segment, 18 to 29 years), and funny moments that will make you laugh...And most importantly, you don't necessarily need to be a fan of "The Regular Show" to watch it.

The truth is I'm so happy that the series got renewed for two more seasons, since its great potential is more than clear. Now it remains to be seen if the future seasons can continue to maintain the high standards of Season 1 to the point of being a potential contender to other series of the genre such as Rick and Morty, South Park, among others.

It was a bet that paid off well in the end.

Now I haven't seen regular show, but if it's anything like this I need to watch it. Close enough is an amazing show so far. Key word "so far" I would give this a nine because well, it's insanely funny, the animation is good and the characters are likeable. But I haven't seen enough of it to really get a good grasp of it.