Hello, fellow teens! Summer is fast approaching. Many people have things to do during these three months; they might go on vacation, have a summer job, or hang out with friends at a more consistent rate. If you’re doing none of these things, perhaps you will take this leisure time to rapidly consume media. Looking for new media to rapidly consume? Well, do I have the web series for you!

Taking place at a summer resort deserted island, sixteen contestants battle for a million dollars in a Survivor-like challenge system. This animated series, however, does not focus on people, but rather sentient objects, earning it the title “Inanimate Insanity.”

Inanimate Insanity is a rough start, especially if you want to watch it chronologically. The first episode of the first season was made by eleven-year-olds, which should set the bar. However, the series has been going for well over a decade, so the creators are now adults and are putting out professional-level quality episodes. Although beginners might have an easier time sliding into the series with season three, the series expertly handles its sub-par beginnings by executing a phenomenal set-up and pay-off. Things that might have been jokes or unexplainable happenings in the early episodes slowly reveal themselves to be incredibly important and impactful, although the show has no real problems with poking fun at itself when it needs to. 

Season one, three, and most of season two are heavily comedy-based, just wanting to have a good time. However, season two takes a more serious dip a little more than halfway in. The animation, voice acting, and story create a sink into a more dramatic tone, and it ends up working really well. This is paired with another one of Inanimate Insanity’s strengths, developing character. One-note characters go through the car wash, slowly revealing the motive behind past actions and breaking down into a more authentic version of who they are. It is a reality show, after all. You kind of have to play a character to get anywhere.

The improvement is astonishing, but it can be a little hard to manage the worst part of the show right off of the bat. While all three seasons are connected by story veins, they stand well enough on their own, providing enough information for newcomers to understand dynamics and personality. Each season also has a handful of brand new characters, allowing the show to not rely entirely on already built-up identities. 

If you just want some fun entertainment that has as much depth as you want it to have, maybe try out an episode or two. Each episode is about ten to twenty minutes long, and it’s a fairly short watch to get through the whole series. Even if you don’t like it, you may just discover a new type of content, which could always lead to something that you do enjoy.

Check out the first episodes of seasons 1, 2, and 3 here, here, and here! Or, check out Adamation’s channel here!