#1 Happy Family USA

I'm in the midst of watching the show and the animation style is solid, it's fun that it takes place in the '90's, and I can tell it has an overall positive message to send.

I know I'm not the target audience for the content I just don't quite get it yet. It hasn't made me laugh once. I believe that it's probably targeted towards adult first generation Americans which is cool 😌

Does the grandma turn up again? I really enjoy the code switching conversations and how the codes match the time period. I find the disclaimer at the beginning a bit unique though South Park does the same thing 👌

The whole student seducing teacher concept I could go without unless they build it up to something terrible I'd like to see that.

I would like to have a bit of a dialogue with a fellow film major about what consists of offensive versus tongue in cheek for depictions of nonwhite characters in adult animation. A few months ago I watched that animated reboot of good times and it was raked across the coals for being offensive. But I need to stay in my own lane as a Caucasian person I know 👍

Anyway it's a nice animation style, and a thought out premise and doing a retro vibe is cool. I think maybe I just like my animation a bit goofier? Something like that.

I laughed so hard as this reminded me of my upbringing in an immigrant family attempting to assimilate in a new country, but only making it worse as we could not shake off what the local folks called "strange culture behaviour" (Sicilians associated with those gangsters. So you could say that after the release of The Godfather, our lives was never the same as we had to live up to the hype). But this animation series has an edge as it deals with Muslims living in New York on the aftermath of 9/11. To top it all off, it is blessed with the comedic talents of Ramy Youssef, as writer and the voice of the young Rumi Hussein, trying so hard to just be a normal kid, but met with racial intolerance and other obstacles associated with the horrors of pubescence. A fresh perspective on growing up in a hostile environment with a zany family making it even more complicated for poor Rumi...

The TV show Ramy is a wonderfully introspective meditation on modern life as a religious minority. But it's not really funny in a ha ha way, which is strange because creator Ramy Yousef is known as a stand-up comedian.

This might be closer to the mark for those looking for a combination of introspective and funny Ramy.

The show is based on Ramy's memories (also mentioned in his stand-up act) of growing up as a bullied Muslim in the wake of 9/11. It adds a serious satirical punch to the typical high school tropes without getting too preachy.

The show has a few gimmicks that feel a little scatter shot. His crush on his teacher fantasy or the occasional musical number blurs the line between fantasy and reality in a way that wouldn't be out of place for Family Guy or Solar Opposites.

On the upside, jokes that miss are rare and there are a few stand-out characters: Ramy's teacher is a wonderfully strange mix of spacey, tone-deaf, non-plussed and misguidedly enthusiastic. Ramy's grandmother has a dependably humorous voice and serves as a niqab and is a traditionalist contrast to his integration-minded father who's funny in the opposite direction.

With time, there's every reason to believe this show will grow on its first season foundation.

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Sometimes, you're not in the mood to think too hard. You're not looking for an emotional rollercoaster or a cinematic masterpiece-you just want something that makes you laugh, keeps you entertained, and lets you tune out the world for a while. That's where shows like Family Guy and The Boondocks come in. They're smart but silly, wild but thoughtful, and perfect for those moments when you're bored and just want something to watch.

These kinds of shows are perfect when you're bored because they don't demand much from you-at least on the surface. They're entertaining, fast-paced, and often outrageous, but if you pay attention, there's always a little something deeper going on. That's what makes them so good: you can enjoy them casually, but they also reward you for engaging with them on another level.

Sitting amidst the many derivative adult family sitcoms, #1 Happy Family USA stands out as portraying Middle Eastern immigrant cultures, warts and all. In some ways it is reminescent of The Boondocks, using satire to comment both on internal problems as well as discrimination. Like that series this one may hit too close to home for some, so take it with discretion.

The animation is relatively fluid compared to most other adult sitcoms in recent history. The character designs themselves remind me of Cartoon Saloon's work, with flat colors and big, vibrant irises.

Overall a strong recommendation.