Over the Garden Wall is the Perfect Fall Cartoon

Leaves are falling, it’s chilly outside, and you need something good to watch while you’re cozy and snug in your house. There are staples like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but I’ve got something just as good. Cartoon Network had a miniseries 2014 called Over the Garden Wall, and to this day it’s one of my favorite cartoons ever.

Over the Garden Wall follows two brothers, Wirt and Greg, as they have to find their way home through the woods. These are no ordinary woods, however. Throughout their journey, the brothers find themselves encountering magical talking animals, quirky characters, and all sorts of mysterious, spooky creatures along the way, all while having to avoid The Beast who wants to take their souls.

It’s hard for me to describe this show in one word, but if I did, it would have to be the word “charming”. What stands out most about this show is the atmosphere. The animation and character design, the spooky plot, the music, all of it makes for the perfect autumn atmosphere. There’s a warm color palette, and folksy music that puts you right in a country vibe.

Now that I’m thinking about the music, I have to jump right into it. The soundtrack might actually be my favorite part of this show, and it’s on Spotify for you to listen to. The folk vibe is so strong here. There are some pretty strings, an old-timey piano tune every once in a while, and most of the time it feels like you’re at a country fair watching a band play some chill little tunes. Then there’s the vocals. Multiple characters get short songs throughout the show, including Greg’s adorable “Potatoes and Molasses” which is stuck in my head 24/7. Not to mention, Jack Jones’ beautiful voice as Gregory’s frog can bring a tear to your eyes. Before I use this as a totally masterful transition to the voice acting, I recommend again how you just have to check out this soundtrack, it’s so unique and atmospheric, you’ll get sucked in right away.

Now, it’s not just Jack Jones doing a great job here. The two most people would probably recognize would be Elijah Wood as the main character Wirt, and Christopher Lloyd as The Woodsman. They’re both really great, and their stardom never outshines the rest of the cast. I like in particular that the voice actor for Greg is an actual child. He’s so adorable and he gets Greg’s innocence and adorable quirks spot on. The voices are brilliant all throughout. They’re cartoony, old-fashioned in places, and immerse you in the atmosphere of the show.

The writing is also something to point out. This show is witty, and the dialogue is sharp. Small things like an untied shoelace or a piece of candy come back in major ways later on in the show. The writing is so tight and clean, they can even drop exposition or heavy details with a single sentence. For example, it’s only mentioned twice in passing that Wirt and Greg are actually step brothers, but from that you can still understand their entire backstory and the way they think of and treat each other through the whole show. Every side character also gets a bit of backstory and personality, even if they only appear in one short episode. It’s rare to find a piece of art where every word has a purpose, but Over the Garden Wall is definitely that show, and I think it’s pretty remarkable because of that.

Probably the last thing I want to touch on would be the animation. The animation on this is really lovely. The creatures and characters are cute (when I say I love Greg, I mean I absolutely adore Greg) and simple. What I like is that the designs aren’t overly complicated, yet even though they’re simple, they’re not simplistic. On the flip side, the details they’re able to put in the background is unbelievable. Every frame of this show is so pretty to look at. The motions are fluid, the designs are so creative, in particular the pumpkin episode and the way the animals are drawn, and overall there isn’t a weak point in the animation that I can spot.

We all need a nice cartoon every once in a while (or more, I think we all need more animation in our lives to be honest) and Over the Garden Wall is definitely the one to go for. It’s easy to find and purchase or rent online, and it’s only 10 episodes long, and each is around 11 minutes long. You can finish it in an afternoon, and it’s especially enjoyable during these colder months.