TV’s Greatest Dark Comedy in Years Is Hiding on Cartoon Network

5 days ago 11

An experienced Editor and part of Team Anime on Screen Rant, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.

His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.

Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block is chock-full of incredible adult animated series, and while some are more overtly comedic, others, like Common Side Effects, bear a multifaceted brilliance. With an international animation collaboration via Green Street Pictures and Le Cube bringing together talents from Europe as well as Central and South America, the finished product is truly special.

Common Side Effects, starring Dave King as fungi expert Marshall Cuso and Emily Pendergast as Reutical executive assistant Frances Applewhite, asks how the social apparatus would handle the ultimate cure-all drug. After Marshall discovers the Blue Angel Mushroom, capable of treating injuries, illness, and potentially even death itself, he finds his life in endless danger.

Common Side Effects Is a Strikingly Witty Dark Comedy

Despite dealing with conspiracy theories where the pharmaceutical industry and government agencies like the DEA go to shady lengths to cover up the truth, Common Side Effects is a refreshing, clever thriller with a solid sense of humor. At the center of this balance is Marshall, who, despite being the poster child conspiracy theorist, is oftentimes the only truly sane character.

Marshall, an intrepid fungi expert, risked life and limb to track down the Blue Angel, thought to be impossible yet bred in the very conditions intended to destroy them, even saving lives along the way. However, all this does is garner lethal attention from the elites who stand to lose wealth and power to such a discovery.

Yet, as he tries to question the greedy whims of the pharmaceutical industry to the face of Reutical CEO Rick Kruger, and reconnects with Rick's long-suffering assistant, Frances, Marshall comes off highly shady despite discovering the ultimate panacea. Yet, Marshall continues to offset this with his relatable and incredulous reactions to the world around him.

This includes little moments like being in disbelief that a coffee shop patron is actually named "Gegory", or trying to unpack what a local sheriff means when he says "You got kind of a New York thing going on." This blend of observational wit alongside an ostensibly ordinary character in extraordinary circumstances is like something out of Mike Judge's mind.

Naturally, Judge voices Rick Kruger and executive produces the show, so that absurdity checks out.

Adult Swim Has More Common Side Effects on the Way

For the first season, Marshall faced death head-on as he learned who he could truly trust and tried to find answers on whether cultivating the Blue Angel is truly a good idea. Over the course of the series, he is tailed by deadly agents and even deranged former mentors seeking either to silence him, or steal his discovery for themselves.

Such a story is too compelling to tie to just one 10-episode season, so it's unsurprising that, two days before the season finale, a second season was greenlit. With Marshall and Frances reunited, there's still plenty of work to do, and they remain undeterred despite everything they've witnessed.

While season 2's release date has not been clarified, stay tuned via Adult Swim's official X account for any updates! Common Side Effects is available at Adult Swim and streaming on HBO Max.