Smiling Friend is an adult animated series that aired on the Adult Swim programming block on Cartoon Network. It was created by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack.

Pim Pimling (Michael Cusack) and Charlie Dompler (Zach Hadel) are employees of the nonprofit organization Smiling Friend. Their employer Mr. Boss (Marc M.) sends them out into their town to bring smiles to their neighbors. Unfortunately, this leads to misadventures into an enchanted forest, haunted woods, hostile countries, and crazy cooks who challenge their resolve.

I had no idea what to make of this series at first. I am a huge animation enthusiast, so a co-worker recommended this one. I owe that guy a beer.

At first, I was a little thrown off by its dark sense of absurdist humor. As I watched, I found that amongst all of the violence, innuendo, and mixing of animation mediums, I actually had a pretty good time.

Pim and Charlie are the perfect guides through these bizarre adventures. They encounter so many obstacles with each having a different perspective. Pim is optimistic and cheerful while Charlie is sarcastic and ambivalent. They play off each other and it brings a lot of the humor together.

Some of their interactions feel flippant while others are intense, but deep down, each episode has something to say about happiness and joy. If you just go into it for the surreal environment and crass comedy, you might miss it, but I was surprised by how much I found their simple messages to be profound.

It takes a lot of imagination to bring this together. We see traditional animation, rotoscoping, CGI, live action, claymation, and so many other styles of blended medium that it feels chaotic, but you embrace the chaos after just one episode. I was along for the ride, but definitely make sure there are no kids around when you watch it.

Check out the trailer below:

PARENTAL CONCERNS: Disturbing images, Crude humor, Strong foul language, Extreme cartoon gore, Sexual content

What do you think? Let me know in the comments below. Tell me if there is a comic book, movie, or novel you would like me to review. While you are at it, check out my reviews of season two of The Rising Of The Shield Hero and Mind Over Murder. Don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe for more posts like this one.

Connect with me on social media. You can support StudioJake on Locals.

This article has been updated.