Recently I was asked where and when the hit TV show Adventure Time takes place.  I made a sad attempt at explaining it, but I found that off the top of my head I couldn’t. So, what exactly is the Land of Ooo, and how do things work there?

The Land of Ooo is the main setting for Adventure Time. It’s where the main characters, Finn and Jake, reside. Aside from being the setting of the show, what is Ooo? Ooo is what Earth has become far into the future.  It is stated that the show takes place after the Mushroom War (a near apocalyptic event 1000 years before the shows events). This cataclysmic event is suggested to have involved nuclear weapons, which may explain why Ooo is the way it is.

So, Ooo is the result of a great war, but how does Ooo run? Ooo is made up of several kingdoms. The most prominent kingdoms are the Candy Kingdom, the Ice Kingdom, the Slime Kingdom, and the Fire Kingdom. These kingdoms are all run by some form of monarchy. This can be seen in many of the characters of the show as many of them are princesses. Almost all places in Ooo have some form of government, but there also seems to be a bit of lawlessness.

Finn and Jake seem to be allowed to do just about anything that they please. They work with Princess Bubblegum (ruler of the Candy Kingdom), but there doesn’t seem to be any rules as to what they need to do. They are seen as heroes. They go on quests and they save people. Essentially, Finn and Jake are the knights of Ooo. Ooo appears to be almost medieval despite the fact that it is in a post-apocalyptic setting.

The Land of Ooo is not only the setting of Adventure Time, but it’s also a complex and well thought out world. The creator, Pendleton Ward, created a whole new world for this show. This world sucks in its viewers, and allows them to fully believe the stories being told. If you’d like to read more about cartoons, cosplay, media, and more please subscribe to Media Mania. Be sure to comment and tell me what you think of the Land of Ooo.