Relationships fold into each other, webbing together livelihoods and possibilities no one could ever fathom possible had they not met those they cherish in their lives. Dreams, nightmares and visions alike all seem as though they could come true when the right people are nearby. In “Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake,” we get to see how such significant relationships break and build as Simon and Fionna learn to appreciate the worlds and relationships they are given. “Fionna and Cake” was short but sweet, telling a beautiful story of a pair of people who felt they had seen everything undergo self-realization through a new of adventure, discovering what is truly important to them and finding those aspects in others when they wake up from their derealized former selves.
The overarching plotline of “Fionna and Cake” — Fionna fighting for what could be and Simon struggling to find meaning in his life — changes dramatically as the story goes on. As they hop from universe to universe, the pair slowly learns of the horrors of other worlds, and they learn to be grateful for their universes. Fionna comes to miss her relationships with others, realizing that, even without the magic of other worlds, her friends brought her magic in their own small ways. Fionna’s best friend Cake, however, only really wanted two things: to be with Fionna and to feel like herself. Everyone has the right to fight to live freely as themselves, and no one should be forced to choose anything over that. Though Fionna’s altruistic nature is righteous and fair, Cake’s more selfish wants are something many viewers can relate to. They both grow from static, simple characters who only care about leaving their worlds to more dynamic, caring individuals who find things they’re willing to fight for. In the end, they both get what they want; Cake can live as herself, and Fionna gets her world back — the two learned to fully trust in one another and in the future.
As for Simon, viewers see more and more of the nature of his relationship with Betty, his former lover, slowly revealed as the season progresses. We come to learn that life for them was never 50-50: Betty had given up her entire future just to be with Simon, sacrificing herself over and over again and giving into Simon’s ideas out of love. She kept doing this until she was pushed to make the ultimate sacrifice: merging with villain Golb to save Simon and the land of Ooo. He never wanted it, but his choices ultimately eliminated any other option. And even then, Simon couldn’t see this for what it was: a last chance to change his perspective. It had taken him years, decades, to understand that he had to change his perspective on life and his relationships to truly move forward. Of course, he ultimately accepted that he was not as good of a partner to Betty as she was to him, prioritizing his life instead of making Betty happy by occasionally prioritizing her.
With the finale “Fionna and Cake” released, nothing but relief and satisfaction washed over me. The closure for Simon, the happy ending of Fionna and Cake’s universe, and the synchronicity of all of the universes put a smile on my face. However, I’m also left with more questions: Will we receive more story on other secondary characters like Choose Goose? What happens to Prismo and his depressive tendencies? Will we see more of Finn in the future, possibly a future where he isn’t constantly running away from his problems? Pure excitement follows for what possible stories the Adventure Time universe could possibly tell, and I hope with all my heart that I get to hear them.
Daily Arts Writer Avery Adaeze Uzoije can be reached at auzoije@umich.edu.