The Cuphead Show is an animated series produced by Netflix based on the video game of the same name. After Arcane and Castelvania, Netflix returns with another transposition from the gaming world. In this case from one of the most original video games of recent years in terms of aesthetics. The video game (and later the series) of the brothers Moldenhauer, is a tribute to the classic cartoons of the thirties. The Cuphead show is a hilarious series, which will make fans of the video game happybut will also be able to entertain the laymen, children and adults alike.
Cuphead: a videogame tribute to the old cartoons
Cuphead is a video game that in recent years has appeared on all the Youtube and Twitch channels of every gamer around the world. This game, from which the series is based, is a heartfelt tribute from its creators (the Canadian brothers Moldenhauer) to a type of animation that characterized the cartoons of the thirties. Cuphead is a very difficult video game, which focuses entirely on a frenetic gameplay, bordering on a rage game. The protagonists are Cuphead and Mughead, two cup-headed brothers who must confront a myriad of extravagant bosses. What makes the video game iconic, however, is the graphic style. Environments and characters are drawn and animated by hand, as it once was. For a video game it is an absolute unicum. The designs refer to the Silly Sinphony of Walt Disney and the surreal and subversive cartoons of the Fleisher brothers (the creators of Popeye and Betty Boop). The passion for inanimate objects that come to life, typical of the animation of that distant era, has resumed.
The animated series
A few years after the release of the video game, Netflix decides to produce its own transposition: The Cuphead show. Transposing a video game is never an easy task. There are countless unfortunate results. In this case ? Let’s say that the final product is a pleasant, amusing animated series, which has been able to maintain the spirit of the video game hybridizing it with typical elements of modern animation products. The graphic style is maintained, but the rendering is not like in the video game, since the drawings and animations of The Cuphead show are not handmade.
The transposition
Cuphead is a video game that falls into the Bullet Hell shooter category. It is an ultra frenetic genre, which sees an exaggerated rain of bullets on the screen. In fact, in Japanese, the genre is defined as danmaku, which means “bullet curtain”. How do you transpose something like this? Can not be done. Like this The Cuphead Show refers to the Looney Toones style, structuring the series in self-contained episodes, with a running plot that exists but is nothing more than an ephemeral expedient to insert wild gags. Indeed The Cuphead Show, does not have a solid history. There’s the devil claiming Cuphead’s soul. But this narrative gimmick is a simple means to present a series of comedy gags and old-fashioned slapstick. Is that a problem? No because the result is a light and sparkling series, reminiscent of the old cartoons of Bugs Bunny and company. The devil who tries to steal Cuphead’s soul recalls an eternal clash between Tom and Jerry, or between Willy the coyote and Beep Beep.
Cupheads and Mugheads
The two protagonists are brothers. Mughead is the most fearful, but also the one who often resolves the situation. Cuphead on the other hand is impulsive and always ends up getting himself into trouble. It’s not the trouble that seeks him, but he is the one who often seeks trouble. Their sympathy is what drives the series. The countless misadventures, of which the two brothers are the protagonists, are in the comic style of the twenties, hyperbolic and unruly. The devil, who is the main antagonist, is a really good character. He always tries unsuccessfully to collect Cuphead’s soul. But in the end he’s one of those villains you love. The other characters that appear are equally grotesque and hilarious, and all come from the beloved video game.
Concussions
The Cuphead Show is a funny and sizzling animated series. A nice homage to the old Cartoons of the Fleischer brothers, animated with the rotoscope. They are short, quick episodes reminiscent of The Looney Toones or Tom and Jerry. Exaggerated situations, grotesque and hyperbolic characters are immersed in a surreal world. Cuphead and Mughead are hilarious and always end up in crazy mishaps. The whole series is out of whack. If you were born watching Bugs Bunny and company, this series is for you. It is suitable for children, but will also delight the older ones. Especially if you are a fan of the game. The ending says To be continued….Thank goodness because once you get to the end, you want to see more of this crazy and absurd world.
We want to give thanks to the writer of this short article for this incredible content
