Over the Garden Wall

⭐10/10

I reviewed this one in the early days of Weview but wanted to go again because my thoughts have changed. This has turned into my ultimate fall/ Halloween comfort watch, and we've watched it every fall for the past few years. I absolutely adore this show. 

Back then, I kinda just said I enjoyed the show but didn't think to much of it, and worst of all, I said I'd never think about it again. Are you kidding me?! I'm not totally sure what makes a show have staying power, but this one has it. I mean, it's a beloved cult classic for many, so I'm not alone in this. This show has a total runtime that is shorter than most movies, and still we're talking about it years later. 

Its a very simple premise. Elijah Wood and his younger brother get lost, and have to find their way home, but they are lost in a sort of spooky, magical land and have to get through culty farmhouses, woodland horrors, etc., to get home. But it's a kid's show! While it still has a spooky aesthetic, nothing here will give you nightmares. Its truly that perfect middle. 

Its not hilarious, but it's very charming and witty throughout. The music is absolutely fantastic and adds a ton to the atmosphere. The voice acting is wonderful, some of Elijah's best post-Frodo work, and Greg is one of the great actual-child performances you will ever witness. Still, I think the most endearing quality is the animation and character design. Its creative, simple yet unique, spooky but wholesome. The designs of these scary things almost seems Ghibli-esque, not in style but in the way they stick in your memory. I just absolutely love this show as a combination of multiple art forms. 

A few more highlights: 

-Jason Funderburger. That's all. 

-the Aunty Whispers episode is truly spooky 

-all of the frog's names, and also his solo

-that no good Jimmy Brown

-that cop at the end (just kidding, happy Halloween)

-love that arc with the lantern and the edlewood branches. What wonderful naming

-some pretty nice emotional moments with Beatrice, Sarah and the woodsman

-love when they get to the barn with all those culty jack-o'-lanterns. So cool

I dunno, I feel like I could sing the praises of this show forever. I feel like it's not a show that will blow you away the first time you watch, but I truly think it's a show that gets better with every rewatch. I would consider myself a true fan, similar to other children's media like Avatar or Anne of Green Gables - just things you can always come back to to stoke the imagination, make you laugh and feel things. Its a ten, but maybe not a traditional ten, one of those classic hallmarks of the season.