Adventure Time: Season 5 (2012) Cre: Pendleton Ward

After the hugely exciting and mysterious ending to season 4, I could not wait to start the fifth season of this beloved Pendleton Ward created animated series. This most recent binge of the series has only made me love the show even more.

I didn't realise, but season 5 is twice as long as any of the previous seasons, at a staggering 52 episodes. However, this was not too intimidating for me personally, having watched the prior 4 seasons back to back, although I can see why it certainly would be for less frequent viewers.

Being so long, the series didn't really have an overarching story. Instead there were shorter arcs, lasting a few episodes, or even just the one. I appreciated that there were more two-part or three-part arcs in particular. It gave the season a sense of progression that may have been absent otherwise.

The season has another really good cliffhanger ending to set up the following season, which is extremely exciting from a fan point of view. This show always makes sure to give plenty of development to its characters and stories in understated ways.

Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio and the rest of the wonderful cast, especially Tom Kenny, Olivia Olson, Niki Yang and Hynden Walch, are once more delightful from start to finish. They're just such a lovely ensemble, with chemistry and charm.

Overall, this was a long but extremely enjoyable season. It might have had a bit less in terms of long-term arcs, but the short to moderate-length ones serve their purpose very well regardless.