Adventure Time (TV Series) Fionna and Cake (2011) User Reviews

I actually liked the ending of this episode

[Rectangular_businessman · 9/10 · 8 April 2012]

I know that the major criticism made about this episode was mostly concerned with the resolution of it. However, I think that the ending was something pretty funny and clever, and in many ways, it is a brilliant resolution if you take in consideration most of the events that take place in this episode.

Not only the characters are different, the overall mood is somewhat changed in relationship with the rest of the series being far more romantic and mostly humorless. And that's why the ending worked so well: If it feels as something unrelated with the rest of the series, it is because it is indeed something unrelated. A story within a story, where the typical events from more common episodes are seen from a different perspective, and not only for the whole gender-belt thing, but also for the way in which it is developed.

In that way, the resolution which at first seems some kind of lazy "It was all a dream" scenario turns into something brilliant and convincing.

Prince Gumball is frozen and impersonated by the ice queen in part of an elaborate trap for Fionna and Cake.

[camthayne7 · 7/10 · 3 March 2013]

I for one would like to say that i liked this episode, it was different which is what i was looking for in it; unlike the gentleman above me. It is enough like the regular Adventure Time episodes that you can see where its coming from, but it isn't one of them. For instance you can tell that Fionna and Cake are based from Finn and Jake but they aren't just Genderbent versions of them, they have their own personalities.

Sure there is less humor, but Shakespeare tragedies aren't funny and you don't hear people calling them crap. Some of the humor is still there though, it's just a different style but that is not necessarily a bad thing; your supposed to get to know the character like they're a person and not just dots of light on a screen. What i notice about Fionna is that, while she isn't generally funny, we do get to see her personality more in full; she's more of a person than an entity. I think this is meant to be more serious than comedic.

The ice queen turned out well, its good to see a villain that isn't a complete goof; aka. ice king. She actually seems evil, and is noticeably more vicious. Her plan is cruel and if it weren't for a few details, it might have worked. Less banter more ass kicking. This episode is worth watching.

Set in an alternate universe

[calvinharris_fan · 10/10 · 30 November 2020]

The episode idea of Fionna and Cake may have already been done to death in other animated series but the way it is handled is Adventure Time is incredibly fun. There are slight changes to the characters besides the obvious such as Fionna being older to accommodate the plot but that gives the characters depth and uniqueness rather than just them being carbon copies of their canon counterparts.

Overall, one of the best Adventure Time episodes to watch on a down day.

Clever spin

[Mr-Fusion · 10/10 · 10 May 2016]

Take a cursory look at 'Fionna and Cake' and it's just a simple gender-swap episode - which, at present, feels like it's been done to death. But this is one of my very favorite episodes, partly because it's so well constructed, and also because of the voice cast. Madeleine Martin makes Fionna an endearing character; same for Roz Ryan as Cake (and I'm not even a cat person). And it's topped off with a meta ending that's very clever. It just works in every sense.

As soon as I saw this for the first time, I wanted more Fionna and Cake - which is why we only get one every so often. As good as this is, it's still a gimmick, and its welcome should never be worn out.

But damn, gimmicks are rarely this good.

10/10

Doesn't live up to the hype

[bigbosspjb-2 · 5/10 · 23 August 2011]

I love Adventure Time, everything from their sneaky adult humor, to the total randomness of events surrounding the main characters. When I heard they were doing a gender swap episode I welcomed it with open arms. Not as much as some "die-hard" fans, who within a moment's notice started writing their own gender-swapped fanfic stories, but you get the idea. I mean sure, Neil Patrick Harris was set to do Prince Gumball, and NPH is a funny dude, so I was excited to see that. When the episode was leaked on Youtube earlier this week, I managed to get a full look at Fionna and Cake in it's entirety and what a goddamn mess it was.

You've probably seen the opening scene already if you watched the comic con preview. If not, then the show starts off exactly like any other Adventure Time episode, except all of the characters are inexplicably gender swapped without any reason, including voice actors. Now the voice acting wasn't god awful, but there wasn't a lot of effort put into it. Usually when Jon DiMaggio as Jake screams or laughs, you can hear the soul put into it. Everyone in this episode sounds tired, bored, and just barely able managed to phone in the script's dialog. Speaking of which, there aren't any jokes of being noteworthy. As in, there weren't any jokes. Yup, an Adventure Time episode without any discernible humor. You heard me.

Fionna is an awkward teenage girl with a crush on Prince Gumball. The episode starts out with Fionna rescuing Gumball from Ice Queen. Gumball asks Fionna out on a date to which she blush-fully accepts. Cake (who tries WAY TOO HARD to sound like the token black lady) throws in a few too many "you go girl!"s to encourage Fionna. Fionna and Prince Gumball share a sentimental Disney-esq Musical scene and date each other at Prince's ball. During the ball, Prince Gumball reveals himself to actually be the Ice Queen. Fionna defeats Queen and rescues Gumball, after which she declares she chooses to be friends with guys because she's still a young woman and will date whenever she chooses to be ready.

That's it. Word for word that's EXACTLY what happens to the Genderswapped. There weren't any jokes. No randomness. No sneaky humor. Just a young girl's crush on a handsome boy and a valuable lesson to boot. Sounds like some crappy fanfiction written by a 13 year old girl right? Here's the best part, after the Genderswapped are done with their story, it turns out the Ice King was actually reading a fanfic to Jake and Finn! And they admit that the story was crap! It's like the whole point of the episode was to make it as poor as possible just so they could point out how poor it really was. Who does that!? Honestly! But y'know, Adventure Time has these hardcore fans that no matter what you say or how much truth is in your words, they'll still contest you claiming it's the greatest show on Earth and can do no wrong. But this here is America, and as God as my witness I shall not be deterred from expressing my right to freedom of speech in tearing this episode a new hole. It was crap and you know it was crap! Stop lying, you're only making it worst for yourselves! The more crap you eat the more crap they'll feed you! Demand better writing! Demand better jokes! No more simplistic animation! Make them work for it! It's yours! Don't give it to them! Make them fight for it!

I Hate Fionna And Cake

[thomasmagri · 5/10 · 22 March 2024]

I felt like making a review today, so here we are.

I personally hate Fionna and Cake episodes. If these were regular episodes with Finn and Jake no one would care. It's just a regular episode with a gender swap.

I love Adventure Time, but the show could have finished in 5 seasons if these stupid, sandbagging episodes didn't exist. Every episode should further the universe, not do nothing. Because of the Fionna and Cake series the rest of the lore feels a bit rushed.

Personally, if it was me who was making the show, I would make a bunch important episodes in every season. Every season equally moves towards the final episode. Also, less episodes in each season.

When the episode ends, nothing has happened. My problem is that it turns out that the whole thing is just fan fic Ice King made. Maybe they could've made it so that Fionna and Cake ARE real but from a different dimension and they meet Finn and Jake and defeat the Lich or something like that. But they don't, and they have 10 other Fionna and Cake that don't further the plot at all.

So what I think is that when the producers didn't have enough money to make actual episodes they made Fionna and Cake episodes.

5/10 Very sandbaggy.