Netflix recently released their latest adult animation show Disenchantment (with the help of Simpsons‘ creator Matt Groening) and it’s subpar at best.
With a fairytale/medieval backdrop, Disenchantment follows Princess Bean (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) just as she’s about to be wed. But of course, things don’t go exactly as planned.
Bean is pretty much the most unladylike, least stereotypical princess you’ve ever met — she drinks, gambles, and gets high with the help of her own personal demon. So with the help of Luci the demon and Elfo the magical elf, Bean escapes her dreaded life as a wifey-to-be.
The premise sounded great and the trailer showed promise. Watching a tomboy princess start down her own hilarious path sounded right up my alley. And with Abbi Jacobson voicing Bean, the show had no choice but to be hilarious, right?
Oh so wrong.
Each episode is so slow-moving that somehow a 26-minute show feels like an hour. Sure, there are some funny one-liners (particularly by the demon Luci played by Eric Andre), but there’s little to no action.
I thought that perhaps the first episode was just slow because it had to set everything up. Pilots are often hard to nail perfectly, after all. But the second episode was just as big of a snooze-fest. (This isn’t hyperbole — I literally fell asleep halfway through).
It’s so frustrating when a show has all the potential in the world and yet, can’t seem to make it happen.
In this case, the blame falls on both the script-writers and the video editors. Abbi, Eric, and the other voice actors do their best with the material they’re given, but that can only take a show so far.
In order for a tv show like this to work, there has to be a fast wit and a spark of energy. Unfortunately, Disenchantment lacks both. And beyond that, there’s really nothing more to say.
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