This show comes right out of left field for cartoon network. In an era of bad remakes, reboots, and over-saturation, cartoon network Europe once again saves the day with Summer Camp Island. Though simple in it's presentation, the show exhibits complex and important themes that I think even some adults could learn from. Oscar and Hedgehog, the show's main characters, have a cute and entertaining friendship that never seems to get stale. The camp counselor Susie, the shows main antagonist, has a humorously bossy, however mean, attitude to all the campers, but seems never to be a black and white main villain; she often has relatable problems of her own. The show exudes the messages of empathy and kindness shown in shows like Mr. Rogers neighborhood and Sesame Street, but pairs it with an absolutely gorgeous animation style and mature dialog in order to properly cater to all ages.
The shows theming is so familiar yet so unique that it ends up leaving the viewer feeling at home in the atmosphere of the show after just a few episodes. The pacing is very good and keeps the show interesting, with almost no lackluster episodes that I can think of. Perhaps most importantly, the show does a great job of appearing to never be in a set time scale, with summer seeming to last simultaneously years and just a few months depending on the episode.
Overall, the show is an amazing addition to cartoon network's reproitoire, definitely going down (at least in my heart) as one of the greats, after just two seasons. I think several more seasons would be great, because it still feels like there are more stories to tell.
