Common Side Effects

When higher powers get wind of the existence of a rare fungus that can cure all diseases and even raise the dead, the balance of power in the world shifts. In the midst of this big pharma mess, we find mushroom expert Marshall and high school sweetheart Frances, who together must figure out if the world is ready for the miracle drug while dodging the DEA, assassins and mad mycologists.

On paper, it sounds like the premise would have worked in live action format, but in animated form, Adult Swim's quirky little adult gem is truly elevated to unimaginable heights. After Sunday's season finale, I can also say that this is one of the most watchable shows of the year. The reasons are many. Just minutes into the pilot, it's clear how brilliant the script is. The dynamics between characters are natural and sharp lines are fired off on a regular basis. It's humorous, but also thought-provoking. Clever. Unexpectedly exciting. Waiting for each episode every week has been excruciating, precisely because so much satirical candy manages to be packed into twenty measly minutes, and like the show's greedy underlings, you just want more. Each episode has been like eating a piece of the show's glowing miracle mushroom - a delight for your senses.

For a violent conspiratorial thriller about greedy drug companies, Common Side Effects is a hit because of how strangely human it is. In the midst of all the assassinations and spooky mushroom trips, there's also a warm, pumping heart that makes the characters irresistibly charming. Believable. Odd, in a very down-to-earth way. While the character design has been a divider among my dear colleagues, I personally love the series' unique style. It feels personal, charismatic, expressive. It's a bit reminiscent of YouTube animator Worthikid in terms of style and cosiness factor, but the more surreal mushroom hallucinations also deserve a mention, creating an enigmatic atmosphere over the series' events. The hallucination from the season finale alone almost reached Akira levels and has refused to let go of me ever since.

If there is anything negative to say about the show, it is the fact that it is full of more or less important characters that you do not have time to put in place towards the season finale, and which may be more important in the next season - or not. Otherwise, however, Common Side Effects is addictively witty and downright irresistibly charming at the same time. It's a surprisingly well-oiled balancing act between the surreal, the pragmatic, the satirical and the human. Now there's a long wait for the second season's dose of medicine...