Every adult should watch the animated series "Smeshariki". And that's why

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Funny characters often raise very serious topics and tell how to find a common language with loved ones.

Having started in 2004 as a simple cartoon for children, Smeshariki has conquered millions of adults as well. This did not happen immediately. Until about the thirtieth episode, the animated series looked like an educational project for the little ones, where the characters only joked nicely and got into different situations, and the voiceover explained what was good and what was bad.

But then the characters of the heroes became more lively, and the themes "matured" with each episode. And if children continued to see only funny sketches in the plots, then adults easily found reflection of real life problems.

It is this unexpected combination that made Smesharikov the main contemporary Russian cartoon and, in general, a cultural phenomenon.

"Smeshariki" show all the variety of characters, ages and behaviors

Many children's cartoons, even multi-part ones, present to the viewer two or three main characters with completely clichéd characters: Tom and Jerry, the Wolf and the Hare, Masha and the Bear, Leopold and two mice. You can, of course, remember the Disney projects. But even in the classic "Duck Tales" Billy, Willie and Dilly got one image for three, only the costumes were different (the heroes were divided only in the new version).

In "Smeshariki" there are nine equivalent characters (others appear later, but we are talking about the original ones). And they all differ in character, behavior and even age.

The energetic Krosh and the shy Hedgehog look quite children. The melancholic introvert Barash and the romantic Nyusha are like teenagers. The inventor Ping, the arrogant scientist Losyash and the gardener Kopatych are adults. And Kar-Karych and Sovunya, with their wisdom and longing for long reasoning, are typical pensioners. Although Kopatych's passion for agriculture sometimes makes him want to be recorded in the oldest generation.

And these heroes coexist together. Moreover, many episodes are not built on adventures, but just on the relationship of smeshariki. Only The Simpsons can boast of such elaboration of characters. But you can't show this foreign series to young children.

"Smeshariki" talk about current life problems and situations

Of course, Smeshariki live in a very unusual country. Children will call it fabulous; among adults, it is more likely to evoke an association with ideal communism: here everyone is doing what they love.

But the situations in which the heroes find themselves will seem familiar to very many. In the episode "Real values" Kopatych asks Nyusha to help with watering the garden, and she demands payment for this. Soon, the rest begin to provide services only on selfish terms - here instead of money, boxes of carrots. It gets to the point that everyone is inflating prices to the skies.

Communication problems are also raised. In the series "The Right to Solitude," the introvert Barash gets very tired of obsessive friends and dreams that they will disappear. But, once on an uninhabited island, he begins to go crazy. Even withdrawn people need friends.

"Corps de ballet" vividly illustrates the relationship between superiors and subordinates. Moreover, it captures two sides at once. First, not everyone can be a leader. And secondly, everyone wants to please the elder, only for fear of unknown punishment.

And sometimes the topics that Smeshariki touch on can look almost provocative.

So, the entire series "Butterfly" is devoted to self-identification: Losyash claims that he was born not in his body and wants to be completely different. In the episode "This is a sweet word" honey "" Kopatych's obsession is a clear allusion to alcoholism, and even drug addiction. How often do children's cartoons show "withdrawal"?

The series "In the beginning was the word" alludes either to history, or even to politics. Barash does not like how Kar-Karych writes their chronicle, and he decides to create a different version. As a result, each of the smeshariki comes up with his own story, hoping that for posterity it will be the only true one.

Perhaps the most grown-up hints can be found in the Mountains and Candy series. Barash wants to spend more time with Nyusha and look at the mountains together. And for this she demands sweetness from the romantic. Yes, this is an episode about "love for sale".

Even raising such questions, "Smeshariki" rarely serves morality directly, as they do in most cartoons. Almost always, the viewer has room for conclusions.

Did Nyusha really want only sweets or was it a reflection of her importance for her? Do you need to take into account the opinion of the people themselves when writing about them? Maybe Barash needed not to run away, but to ask his friends to be quieter? Decide for yourself.

And sometimes "Smeshariki" goes into real philosophy

Think about it: even if there is intelligent life on another planet, it is unlikely that aliens will ever know specifically about your existence. Most people are small and invisible, especially on the scale of the universe.

This idea is not taken from the film by Christopher Nolan, but from the episode "Do they think of you in the stars?" In it, the Hedgehog began to draw crop circles to be noticed from space. Friends understood his concern and helped.

"Disco Dancer" seems to be a parody of classic Asian action films, but in fact talks about the fleetingness of time and fashion.

But these are still little things. Did anyone manage to answer the question about the meaning of life in a cartoon for six minutes? "Smeshariki" do it. Perhaps not ideal, but very simple and straightforward. In the series "The Meaning of Life", Barash, during another attack of melancholy, begins to think that everything has lost its significance.

What is the point of washing in the morning? To be awake? What's the point of being cheerful? What is the general sense of "being" in the morning?

Barash

In these unexpectedly gloomy themes, Kar-Karych helps him to understand, having gone with Barash on a long journey. The outcome is not difficult to predict: the episode is devoted to almost Buddhist philosophy “the path is important, not the result”.

"Smeshariki" are beautiful for their unpredictability

According to the description, it may seem that this is a very adult cartoon with serious topics, except perhaps presented in an entertaining form.

Not really. For the smallest children, Smeshariki looks like a fun and instructive story. The same "Real values" and "Mountains and sweets" will surely convince you that you need to make friends and help unselfishly. The episode "This sweet word" honey "" will remind you not to overeat sweet, and "Butterfly" will help you think about your interests.

In addition, the animated series also has frankly comedic episodes without deep connotations. For example, in "Masquerade" the heroes try to come up with original costumes for themselves. Probably, you can find some sense here, but it's better to just laugh at the denouement.

Such a combination, when it is impossible to predict the theme, subtexts and atmosphere of each episode, destroys the stereotype that children's cartoons will seem boring to adults.

"Smeshariki", as it were, oppose themselves to the frank moralizing of "Luntik" and the rude humor of "Masha and the Bear". Viewers of any age will find something of their own here. Children can associate themselves with Krosh and the Hedgehog, and their parents or even grandparents will understand that they are similar to Losyash or Sovunya.

In "Smeshariki" aggression is completely absent

Remember the criticism of many children's cartoons: the Hare eternally escapes from the Wolf, the cat Leopold fights off harmful mice. The Bear always has some problems from the hooligan Masha. This is not even talking about "Tom and Jerry", where all the humor is based on the attempts of the characters to kill each other.

In many Disney animated series like Duck Tales or Chip and Dale Rushing to the Rescue, the protagonists always defeat bandits and save the world.

In "Smeshariki" up to full-length works there are no negative characters at all. Here, no one robbing anyone or winning. Of course, characters have conflicts. For example, the energetic Krosh is always inventing something and getting his friends into trouble, and Nyusha gets tired with her arrogance. But these are the problems of close friends who ultimately help each other in difficult situations.

The animated series is completely devoid of negativity, aggression and serious confrontations. This is often lacking in the modern world.

"Smeshariki" are remembered for vivid statements and references

Often write about good films: "Fans have taken apart for quotes." With children's cartoons, such an event is a rarity. Authors often simplify the speech of the characters, believing that it is easier for young viewers to perceive what is happening.

Smeshariki proves again that you can find an excellent balance between simplicity and interesting overtones. Many characters have their own funny catchphrases that kids will love. For example, "Yolki-needles" - for Krosh, "Bite me by a bee" - for Kopatych, different epithets like "Amiable" - for Losyash.

But at the same time, there are no less in "Smeshariki" and excellent statements for all occasions that adults can quote.

• “We perform feats for those who do not care about us. And we are loved by those who need us and without any feats”(Losyash).
• “You don't get exactly what you want. You get it, but you don't want it anymore. And then you don't know at all what you really want”(Nyusha).
• “I have a feeling that whoever has no problems with his conscience has everything in order with his memory” (Krosh).

The same goes for the visuals. The picture in Smeshariki seems very simple. For children, there are bright characters who are easy to draw: a circle, paws, a muzzle, needles with triangles - the Hedgehog is ready.

At the same time, dozens of references to famous films, often very unexpected, are hidden in many episodes. Such cinematic parallels and references to pop culture can be seen only in high-budget projects from Pixar.

In the series "Sandwich" Losyash, Krosh and the Hedgehog find themselves in a hut, which is covered with snow. From worry, one of the heroes goes crazy, and visions begin. All of this is very reminiscent of Kubrick's "Shining". And in the middle of the episode there is a hint of "Psycho" at all.

In "Marathon" Barash gets tired of literary creativity and decides to distract himself by running. He wears a red cap, and the Hedgehog shouts: "Run, Barash, run!" Associations with Forrest Gump are inevitable.

There are many more such examples, huge lists of such moments are even made on the Web. But it is better to notice them yourself. This will make viewing even more interesting.

Over the years, Smeshariki has become a huge franchise and a recognizable brand. There were full-length cartoons that were heavily criticized for their 3D graphics. There are "Malyshariki" for the youngest viewers, educational programs "Alphabet of Smesharikov" and "PIN-code" and many other projects.

Nevertheless, the original animated series has become a real legend, combining light presentation and humor with serious topics and unexpected twists. And therefore, the title of the main Russian cartoon in recent years is not an exaggeration.