The first of 3 Miniseries, Adventure Time: Stakes focuses on Marceline the Vampire Queen (Olivia Olson) as she enlists Princess Bubblegum’s (Hynden Walch) help in curing her vampirism. Deposed in a bizarre special election by a con man known as The One True King Of Ooo (Andy Daly), Bubblegum lives in her uncle’s old shack at the edge of the Candy Kingdom.
Even with this setback, the science-obsessed princess is able to remove Marceline’s vampire essence in an experimental procedure. At almost the same time, nearby farmers report the draining and theft of their livestock and blame the newly un-undead Marceline. It comes to pass that the spirits of the vampires she staked as a teenager have reconstituted themselves from her vampire essence and taken advantage of their newfound freedom to rebuild their lost empires. The miniseries culminates in an epic battle between Marceline and her old nemesis The Vampire King (Billy Brown).
Followed by Islands and Elements, this miniseries was a successful experiment that aired at the end of Adventure Time’s seventh season. Watched in succession, it sets up the beginning of the show’s 8th season. Viewed on its own, Stakes is an excellent choice for any fans of the hard-rocking vampire queen as it explores the 1000-year-old history she refuses to share and shows how she earned the title of the vampire queen.
Much like in previous seasons, the post-apocalyptic elements on display are impossible to ignore and create some interesting interplay between the speculative fiction and fantasy elements in the plot and setting. Fans of Finn and Jake may prefer plot lines that center on the boy hero and his dog brother, but viewers seeking character development around Marceline and Princess Bubblegum will want to see these episodes. While past seasons have dropped subtle hints about Marcie and PB’s past, Stakes takes the time to delve into their personal relationship and various bonds. This Adventure Time miniseries is an excellent choice for children’s section collection development. Highly recommended.
What type of film collection could benefit from this title?
Media librarians seeking to expand children’s collections with crowd pleasers but lacking in physical space would benefit from adding Stakes or any of the other Adventure Time miniseries to their library shelves.
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