Xavier: Renegade Angel S1/2

You're likely to hear a lot of criticism for this show, and with good reason: People often become frustrated when faced with things they don't understand -- and it certainly doesn't help that the show is purposely abrasive, with unlikeable characters, a million sight gags/puns/lines hitting you a second, and the worst "art style" imaginable.

However, the abrasiveness is part of the humor, and that's PFFR's whole thing (look at Wonder Showzen or some of their music): Alienate people as quickly as possible so you can leave the people truly for looking beyond the surface to find brilliant, unique art. And with Xavier, what you have is a show not for the masses at all -- and certainly not for the typical Adult Swim set. This is a total work of GENIUS, and I don't throw that word around very often.

Surreal, bizarre, seemingly-100% nonsensical at times... but so, SO unbelievably consistently hilarious, intelligent, and clever. Have you seen a television show lately that you could describe as "mindblowing"? Probably not. Well, this is your show. It's probably way too intelligent for the average Adult Swim viewer... hell, it's probably way too intelligent even for the people who enjoy the show! There's ALWAYS some new line to pick up on. I've watched some episodes 10 times and still catch new things. It's hard to describe in detail how absolutely INSANE this show is!

But if you're the typical Adult Swim fan, you may want to pass on this one... however, if you're into the films of Lynch, Giuseppe Andrews, Jodorowsky, etc. or the music of The Residents, Harry Partch, Captain Beefheart... you know, the truly bizarre and "outside" part of the entertainment world... you will most likely love this exploration of existentialism and absurdity. This show is probably the most insanely and violently brilliant thing on television. Ever. So unbelievably packed with sight gags and clever quips, an 11 minute episode has more energy and ideas than entire seasons of pretty much every other show you can think of.

Never have I seen an animated series explore these themes. It attempts so much with what little it has. It's not random at all... one little line has layers and layers of depth. I'll admit it's probably a bit hard to take at first (as any truly groundbreaking art is), but remember that it's just a show that makes fun of the dangers of spirituality. With that in mind, you should be able to see the beauty. Personally, I think this is without question the most brilliant thing I've seen in forever, and I've fallen so hard in love for it that it's ridiculous. I've actually TURNED ON MY TELEVISION lately, just to watch this show. Will most people like it? Probably not. But if you want something truly unlike anything you've ever seen, get this immediately.

This show is nothing short of amazing. The people who created this are clever writers, appealing to an intelligent viewer by delivering what those who don't quite understand it think is absurd and unfunny. The truth is, it's anything but.

This is an intentionally poorly animated, comedically fast-paced glimpse into the twisted, surreal world of Xavier, an aesthetically (not to mention morally) objectionable wanderer (and wonderer), with delusions of philosophical grandeur. As Xavier lands himself in situations born almost completely out of his twisted incompetence and inability to reason, he attempts to further understand himself and nearly always fails.

Comedically, this is a real gem. The attention to detail elevates this from a 'weird cartoon' to something that has very obviously had a lot of thought and care invested in it. The show has many layers, from odd almost dream-like logic to the beyond-impressive word play, to the conveyance of some very intelligent ideas and concepts (which unlike South Park, for instance, it doesn't always turn into the main focus of the show). It's a show that can move dramatically in completely unexpected directions, often from just a turn of phrase or an internal after-thought. In that way it's very similar to Wonder Showzen (from the same creators, PFFR), but Xavier takes the surreal humour to a whole different level! I'm loathe to say "if you don't like it, you don't get it" about comedy shows because it's invariably a cop out from a proper justification, but some of the criticism this show tends to get is as a result of aspects (deliberately dubious animation, consciously offensive stereotypes, etc.) that the creators intentionally set out to exaggerate, pervert, satirise and mock. There's often a very tangible commentary on social responsibility to the sub-text and in amongst it's absurdity lies some occasionally deep stuff, apparently lost on it's critics.

In summary, I haven't been this excited about a comedy show since, well, Wonder Showzen.

Watch this show if you want to be completely mind f***ed. It sometimes makes little sense but that's kind of the point. Not really for people that aren't open minded. As much as it doesn't make sense, it is really clever. It's trippy as hell to say the least. It's not for all, though, because it's confusing and one of the most obscene shows i've seen. Also, a lot of people will be turned off by its psychedelic dialogue. But in my opinion, amongst all the "ramblin' on", it can be quite philosophical. You'll probably either love it or hate it, but give it a few views before you decide; you never know.