Why Fionna & Cake Is So Much More Mature Than Adventure Time (2024)

HBO Max's Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake may be a direct spinoff of the beloved animated series Adventure Time, but as it turns out, the newest series is a bit different from the original show, specifically in terms of its mature content. Adventure Time is an animated fantasy series that ran on Cartoon Network for ten seasons and follows the escapades of 12-year-old human Finn and his best friend Jake the Dog as they fight evil throughout the Land of Ooo. Now, in 2023, a spinoff following Finn and Jake's gender swapped counterparts Fionna and Cake is streaming on HBO Max.

While Fionna and Cake takes place on Adventure Time's timeline and is comparable in almost every way, the biggest difference between the two series is their content rating. Although Adventure Time could be enjoyed by audiences of all ages, it was technically rated PG and deemed appropriate for children. Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake does not follow that same standard. In actuality, this new spinoff series caters towards a more mature audience, and while newcomers may not notice the subtle rating difference, there's no doubt that fans of Adventure Time will be aware of the changes.

Fionna & Cake Is Rated TV-14 & Considered Adult Animation

Ultimately, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake is rated TV-14, and therefore is considered more appropriate for teenagers and adults rather than children. Arguably, the youngest age for a Fionna and Cake viewer should be about 12. Notably, this is a complete level up in content rating from Adventure Time's PG rating. This reason behind this is that, while Adventure Time refrained from using vulgar language or mature themes throughout its ten season run, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake has some inappropriate language and includes mentions of relationships and bodily functions.

In the end, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake's TV-14 rating makes it closer to adult animation than children's animation. Though the rating may seem like a very small difference, in reality, the TV-14 rating changes Fionna and Cake's audience entirely. While Adventure Time was appropriate for all audiences, Fionna and Cake is suitable for everyone besides children. Therefore, Fionna and Cake's language changes and content are actually a significant change from what Adventure Time offered when it was airing. Surprisingly, this is actually a good change for the Adventure Time franchise, which has always had a much older audience than its content intended.

Why Fionna & Cake's Creators Targeted An Older Audience

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake was written with an older audience in mind because the creators wanted to cater to Adventure Time viewers that had grown up with the series. Because Adventure Time was a Cartoon Network original show for ten seasons, there were an abundance of audience members who had watched the show from the beginning, when they were children, and continued to love it until its end a decade later. Plus, Adventure Time's audience generally tended to be older anyway. Therefore, Fionna and Cake's creators wanted to maintain that same audience when making their spinoff series.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the creators of Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake explained the series' more mature rating, saying, "The Adventure Time fans have grown up and people are still coming in the bottom, and they’re aging up." So, although Adventure Time is considered appropriate for children, the general audience for it is much older. Therefore, Fionna and Cake's more mature rating was suitable for this aged-up audience. Additionally, the creators made sure that Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake had the exact same tone as Adventure Time, just with slightly older characters, ensuring that Fionna and Cake still has the same magic, despite its new content rating.

The New Adventure Time Show Benefited From Its Streaming Home

Likely another strong reason for why Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake earned a more mature rating was because of its streaming platform. Fionna and Cake is available to stream on HBO Max, which is a famously liberal service when it comes to mature and graphic content. Therefore, Fionna and Cake's TV-14 rating would not have been close to a problem. On the other hand, Adventure Time spent its entire run on Cartoon Network, which is very much a children's television channel. Where Adventure Time could not stray from its PG rating, despite its older audience, Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake can finally age up the franchise.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter