In the year In 1991, MTV was still known for its music videos and endless reruns. RidiculousnessIt was a haven for experimental, weird and boundary-breaking series. liquid television. The 30-minute show from Beavis and Boot-head To the history-making science fiction series Æon Flux. One of the single most innovative animated series to come out of the '90s, the off-kilter series won countless awards, influenced future sci-fi for decades, and is now available for streaming thanks to Paramount+.
The cartoon that changed everything
Æon Flux In the year It's unlike any other anime in 1991, which, for perspective, also includes Nickelodeon's first season. Doug And Rugrats, Black duckAnd Dark Water RaidersBut in short two-minute episodes, it left a lasting impression. The shorts b liquid television Created by Peter Chung and featuring what would become his signature style, he throws in fine details and often background art to enhance the visuals of each character. They often consisted of tall and lanky men who acted like marionettes. Thinking the six, two-minute sequences would be the series finale, Chung killed off Æon, but the shorts proved so popular that they returned for a second season, and this time, expanded to five minutes.
With more screen time to unlock the future Sci-fi dystopia of Æon FluxChung instead plays Æon, a skilled assassin working for Monica's city-state while maintaining tradition, dying in a variety of ways, from the gruesome and accidental to the comical, in each and every five-minute episode. Her relationship with Trevor Goodchild, the gifted scientist who runs Brainy's country, is full of love and hate, and their tumultuous love affair with trying to kill each other is the focus of much of Season 2. Æon dies constantly and it seems like a gag that each episode takes place in a different continuity Rick and MortyBut it was especially weird in 1991, because no cartoon had ever done anything like that before, but that's just one of the ways the series stood out.
Æon Flux Season 3
In chapter 1 and 2 of Æon Fluxno one is talking. Every short bit of dialogue is left out and it's mostly silent, but Chung's animation manages to tell complete stories in each episode, greatly aided by the expressive features of the characters. That changed in Season 3, when instead of shorts, the cartoon got a full season of 30-minute episodes, and these are now available to stream. Priority+ Finally, Æon stopped dying in every episode, and as dialogue was added, the characters became more fleshed out, especially Trevor, who became an amazing villain you could hate.
Although not as popular as the original silent shorts, Æon Flux Season 3 maintains the high quality of animation and is telling a dark story that will make you question who is right, Æon or Trevor. You won't have an answer at the end of episode 10, but you'll have plenty to think about and argue with the rest of the fandom about 30 years later. Cartoons aimed at adults that explore dark and mature themes are more common today, especially thanks to increased accessibility. AnimeBut in 1995, this was mind-blowing.
Influence Æon Flux It can't be defined by American animation because this animated series inspired a generation to experiment with bolder, bolder designs and use animation as a different kind of storytelling medium, beyond Saturday morning cartoons. Unfortunately, most people today think of the 2005 live-action film first Charlize TheronIt has very little to do with the original cartoon and will be one of the biggest box office disasters of the year. If you've seen the movie, know that the original animation is superb.
Æon Flux Season 3, the only one with "regular" length episodes and dialogue, is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Source link