When I first saw the commercials for "Clarence", I rolled my eyes. It looked to be your average mindless kiddie gross-out fare with no effort put into it whatsoever. However, once I gave it a shot, I was immediately hooked.
Clarence is a show about the everyday adventures that an optimistic young boy and his two best friends go through together. There's Jeff, a square-headed boy obsessed with neatness and Sumo, a messy, rowdy, and hyperactive kid with good intentions. It's very nice to see how Jeff and Sumo's conflicting personalities don't get in the way of their friendship, thanks to Clarence himself. All of the characters in the show feel human and relatable, to the extent where you'll swear you've met some of them before.
The attention to detail present is astounding, with plot lines following the little things you remember as a kid, like getting lost in the grocery store, hiding in clothes racks, and going to arcades. These locations themselves are so accurate to real life and my memories that it instilled a sense of deja vu in me. Places Food Lion, Adventure Island, and McDonalds have been recreated with perfect accuracy. I remember standing in the exact same places Clarence and friends did, and they look exactly like I remember them! This show will make anyone who grew up in the 80s and 90s giddy with nostalgia. On top of accurately recreating places I remember, the artwork is just gorgeous. Places as plain and ordinary as the outside of a trailer look amazing in their vibrant and colorful realization. The show also has a heart to it as well, and pulls off some genuinely emotional moments (which I won't spoil here).
Overall, Clarence is a brilliant, down-to-earth, and refreshing new show for Cartoon Network. Please don't judge it by its advertising, and give it a go. It's worth it!
