Adventure Time first aired in 2010 and outlasted many cartoons, surviving to the modern day. However, on September 3, 2018 the long running show saw its conclusion with a series finale that was widely praised for its ability to swiftly wrap up the story and tie up loose ends. Viewers voiced their surprise that a show running for as long as Adventure Time could finally be ending, which begs the question: How was the show able to keep up with today’s entertainment despite airing eight years ago?

Viewers voiced their surprise that a show running for as long as Adventure Time could finally be ending, which begs the question: How was the show able to keep up with today’s entertainment despite airing eight years ago?

Well, one aspect that was common in discussion surrounding the show was possible LGBTQ+ representation through two female characters. Later in the series, there became subtle hints that the characters Marceline and Princess Bubblegum had been in a relationship prior to the events of the show. Up until the finale, there was little to no confirmation, as having LGBTQ+ representation in children media has sparked debate.

During the earlier seasons of the series, the characters Marceline and Princess Bubblegum were shown to have a strained friendship.

Halfway through Adventure Time’s run, one of the staff who worked on the show confirmed that Marceline and Princess Bubblegum’s friendship was strained due to a past breakup. Other staff members attempted to say that it was a false rumor after the confirmation, however there were already recordings of the confirmation uploaded online.

During Adventure Time’s run, the LGBTQ+ representation was kept to a minimum until the very last episode. The fact that this sort of representation is illegal in many countries kept the producers from confirming it, until now.

With the series ending, representation was finally able to happen. The ratings were already guaranteed to be high, so the producers took the risk to show representation.