“Smiling Friends” is an animated comedy show that started airing in 2022 on Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s night-time television program. Written and primarily voiced by Zach Hadel and Michael Cusack, it blew up online in the past few years among young adults – leading many to argue its similarity to shows like “Rick and Morty,” “South Park” and “Family Guy.” Not many shows are made for this age group, especially animated series, which makes “Smiling Friends” perfect for those looking for a modern adult cartoon. 

“Smiling Friends” follows Charlie and Pim, employees for a business called the Smiling Friends. They work with clients who need to be cheered up for one reason or another. The show perfectly blends a simple topic with dark humor to create a perfect show for college students. 

With varying animation styles akin to “The Amazing World of Gumball,” “Smiling Friends” offers relatability through conversations framed more realistically than most cartoons. Characters talk out of turn, making awkward quips that are not addressed by others. The unique nature of “Smiling Friends” is what draws many to the show. 

The episode “Smiling Friends Go to Brazil” is the perfect example of this, showing Charlie and Pim traveling to Brazil with their coworkers Alan and Glep. After realizing Pim forgot to book a hotel on the weekend of Mardi Gras, the episode shows an 11-minute awkward conversation between our characters discussing how to solve their issue. After coming to a resolution, the episode ends. The uniqueness of just showing a humorous conversation with no plot relevance is something that drew many to “Smiling Friends.” It is a simple show with the intention of making its viewers laugh. 

The show gives relatable experiences with a wacky and fantastical twist–from dealing with your friend’s weird romantic partner (who is secretly a demon) to making your coworkers upset (punished by dying and going to hell) – and even dealing with your radical centrist friend (…no twist on this one). “Smiling Friends” offers a relatable experience for every viewer. 

Once you get past the heavy hitting pilot, it is a great show with the perfect mix of relatability, fantasy and dark humor that I believe anyone our age would enjoy. I believe “Smiling Friends” offers something for anybody who is willing to give it a chance.