# An Enchanting New Comedy

> Review: Disenchantment Starring (the voices of): Abbi Jacobson, Nat Faxon, Eric Andre, Billy West Created by Matt Groening

By Jonathan Foye · 28 August 2018 · Reviews / Streaming

Canonical: https://insights1.uca.org.au/articles/an-enchanting-new-comedy/

**Review: Disenchantment
 Starring (the voices of): Abbi Jacobson, Nat Faxon, Eric Andre, Billy West
 Created by Matt Groening**

After almost a year’s worth of hype, Matt Groening’s newest show *Disenchantment* is has finally landed on Netflix.

Where *The Simpsons* skewers middle America and *Futurama* science-fiction tropes, *Disenchantment* sees Groening turn his satire towards the fantasy genre.

It largely centres on Bean (Abbi Jacobson), a bored princess who often escapes the palace to engage in drunken escapades. Bell’s father, King Zog, is the overbearing but incompetent king of the medieval fantasy kingdom of Dreamland. Over a series of events in *Disenchantment*’s first episode, she befriends Elfo (Nat Faxon) an elf who wants to get away from his life, and Luci (Eric Andre), her personal cartoon demon who has escaped Hell. Together, they engage in mischief and go on adventures, all while trying to carve out their own places in a magical but hostile world.

Like much of Matt Groening’s work, *Disenchantment* is darkly cynical towards religion, particularly in its organised phase. And yet, the show offers much in the way it presents the friendship between its main characters despite their immense differences. In Bean, it has a strong female protagonist who is not typical and capable of as much raucous comedy as any of her male counterparts. The show also has much to say about finding hope where it is lacking, resilience, and growing up. The show never becomes trite or cliched, and never betrays its own cynical tone.

Much of *Disenchantment* Season One riffs off the likes of *Lord of the Rings*, *Game of Thrones*, and Medieval fantasy more broadly.

All of this is presented by some amazing cartoon artwork. Along with the tone of the show, the animation is somewhat similar in style to *Futurama*, albeit in a very different setting.

*Disenchantment*’s voice cast is similarly excellent. Along with newcomers such as Eric Andre (*The Eric Andre Show*), Groening’s fans will recognise plenty of the voice talents from his previous work.

Does *Disenchantment* live up to the golden age *Simpsons* of seasons 2-12? No. But then, does any other animated comedy?

Many comedies take time to build a wider arc and establish their formula, becoming funnier as the series finds its voice and the writers establish what works. Here, *Disenchantment* has already made a great start, offering up a fun first season. It will be interesting to see how it progresses from here.

With a late-season **[Easter egg](https://au.ign.com/articles/2018/08/23/are-disenchantment-and-futurama-set-in-the-same-universe)** offering a potential hint that *Disenchantment* may be connected to Groening’s other work, the potential is there for this building process to lead to something far greater.

[Embedded media](https://www.youtube.com/embed/Gp_RnJcb8Ig)

Watch this video on YouTube

*Disenchantment is now streaming on Netflix*

**Jonathan Foye is *Insights*’ Editor**