by Aaron Schweitzer, Editor
I remember when Cuphead launched on Xbox and I saw a lot of my friends playing this game I had never heard of. When I asked about it, I heard things along the lines of, “That 2D animated side-scrolling video game is really hard!” As someone who found a love for video games with the NES, SNES, and SEGA Genesis, I’m used to 2D side-scrolling video games, but not any recent ones, and certainly not any that are too difficult! Then came summer where I came across two friends at camp playing this game, and two things happened. First, I saw what they meant by the game being really hard. Second, I fell in awe with the way this game is presented.
Regrettably, I still have not played the game yet myself, but I was very excited for The Cuphead Show to come out when I saw it announced. I mention my past with this game because while these are two very separate entities, how you feel about one is going to impact how you feel about the other. As someone with minimal history, I see the genius of the way they adapted the story, and as someone who is still very unfamiliar with the game, I can see a lot of easter eggs thrown in that simply feel natural to a show-only viewer. When starting The Cuphead Show, I had no clue what to expect, but what we got I think is terrific.
The thing to understand about the game is that it is a love letter to classic animation of the ‘20s. The style, grain, and filter all play homage to the golden age of animation. In a similar vein, The Cuphead Show plays homage to the classic Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry, Mickey Mouse,and Scooby-Doo! Where Are You? era of animation. It probably resonates mostly with Duck Tales. The show has some through lines, but ultimately each episode stands on its own as a slice of joy to bring a smile to parents and kids alike.
I want to leap off on that note because when I saw the show being rated TV-Y7, I was really confused. While the game is animated, it can be quite violent with the villains and gameplay. Nothing outrageous, of course, but it is still a shooter game during the levels. When I realized what was going on, I think TV-Y7 is appropriate. So, if you’re thinking of watching this with your kids, I would say there’s nothing of too much caution except a cartoon version of The Devil and Hell that are pretty comical and don’t get too much screen time.
The show is focused on the adventures of Cuphead (Tru Valentino) and his brother Mugman (Frank Todaro) living with their father figure, Elder Kettle (Joe Hanna). As kids, they get into all sorts of misadventures, and the whole thing is full of charm. There are not a ton of voice cast members in here to steal the show, but Wayne Brady has an appearance for an episode that oozes his charisma. With 12 episodes that are about 10 minutes apiece, it is really easy to binge the whole season.
As I sat and watched this show in three sittings, it was added to the list of Netflix shows that you don’t skip the intro for. While I don’t generally skip intros anyways, it is usually an excuse for me to check my phone or something else to distract me for a few seconds. But just like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the theme song had me engaged every time it played. The greatness of the music doesn’t stop there though, as it is delightful in every episode. Whether it is with a musical number or simply the score to an episode, here we are days later and I cannot get the music out of my head. In terms of creativity, The Cuphead Show wins on every level.
Okay, back to you gamers out there, here is a prime example of a way I think the show adapts the material well for what it hopes to accomplish. The game has a rather dark lore, and you get the sense they are only just starting to build something by the end of this first batch of episodes, but it incorporates a lot of lore from the game. For example, one of the boss fights in the game is versus a giant carrot, and the show dedicated an entire episode to Cuphead and Mugman fighting a carrot (in identical artwork) to protect Elder Kettle’s tomatoes. That is not the only example of characters who are taken right from the game with a slight twist, but I hope you check out this show and have some fun with it.
If you were looking for an adaptation of the game, this is not it. If you are looking for a new animated series with some darkness and depth, this also is not it. What The Cuphead Show is, however, is a really enjoyable two hours with incredible music, visuals, and voice work. It would be really hard to sit down and watch this without a smile on your face. Watching the show has lit a fire under my seat, because now the game jumped to the tippy top of my video game queue. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this lighthearted, simple show and I hope it doesn’t take them too long to get more episodes out there!
Grade: A-
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