Review: Krapopolis “All Hail the Goddess of Likeability” ; “The Stuperbowl”

Overview:

Tyrannis and his atypical ancient Greece family learn that the start of society might prove to be more challenging than initially thought. The world’s first city is evidently not a one-person job that was built in a day. However, a robust roster of mythical characters and deluded conquerors helps get the wheel of progress rolling. Tyrannis ambitiously tackles society and sports as some of Krapopolis’ first stories, but he’s full of bold ideas that will forever change the world

Our Take:

Greek mythology is rich territory that makes up the very foundation of modern storytelling. It’s ripe subject matter for a comedy, especially an animated one that can fully indulge in the endless potential of gods, monsters, and everything in between. Dan Harmon of Community and Rick and Morty fame is at his best when he’s entrenched in genre tropes and structure, which makes Krapopolis the perfect conduit for him to build a monumental comedic empire or get assassinated by his passionate followers in the process. Krapopolis is a funny, fresh update to Greek mythology and society’s building blocks, but it’s also one of the most confident and fully formed animated comedies to air on FOX. All hail, Krapopolis!

Krapopolis really does an excellent job with how it translates modern day problems to the birth of civilization and how these same issues can be echoed through history. The formation of an empire and the celebration of organized sports are the major areas of fascination in these first two episodes, the latter of which is especially appropriate for a Superbowl-set premiere. Krapopolis’ ancient counterparts to contemporary mores is a lot of fun, although it’s possible these will quickly wear thin and run out of fuel. What’s important here is that Krapopolis offers so much more than just these historical points of parodies even if they are heavily the focus in these introductory episodes. 

Krapopolis makes sure that there’s first a strong and distinct cast of characters who the audience cares about just as much as its broader storylines. This is necessary for a show like Krapopolis to survive. It’s why animated comedies like The Flintstones and The Jetsons could still survive after hundreds of episodes and wearing out every past and future gag imaginable, while Disenchantment (which might be Krapopolis’ closest comparison point) faltered. Krapopolis wants you to to laugh at its hyperbolized snake magic and chimera confusion, but it’d sacrifice itself to the comedy gods if that’s all that audiences were getting out of this nuanced deconstruction of civilization. 

Not only is Krapopolis incredibly funny, it also just might teach you a thing or two about Greek mythology and ancient history at the same time. Those who have no interest in Krapopolis’ premise or the ways in which it subversively eschews society will at least value the fast-paced, joke-filled scripts and entertaining character dynamics between absurdist figures who you won’t find in any other animated series on television. Krapopolis engages in a playful type of comedy where the moral to each episode can be something seemingly glib and ludicrous, but simultaneously astute and accurate, like how the “point of civilization is refusing to move.” It’s an effective framework that’s tongue-in-cheek without ever getting too smug, which isn’t always easy in a Harmon production. 

Krapopolis benefits from its unique premise, but there’s also an incredibly versatile cast of characters that incorporates superpowered goddesses, a monstrous chimera, and genius fish men as just the tip of the iceberg. Krapopolis routinely turns to a rewarding sibling rivalry dynamic with Tyrannis and his oddly fractured family that leans on familiar themes. However, this never feels too hackneyed due to the unique nature of each sibling. The matriarch of the family, Deliria, and her shapeshifting antics are particularly entertaining and give her limitless comedic potential that even goes beyond Roger’s endless personas in American Dad. This is the Krapopolis mechanic that I’m most excited to see evolve as the show continues and it already strikes such gold in only these first two entries.

Beyond these heightened character types is an all-star voice cast that includes standout comedic talent like Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, Hannah Waddingham, and Duncan Trussell. Krapopolis also features a strong stable of Harmon’s regular players who are along for the ride too, like Keith David, Sarah Chalke, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Joel McHale.

FOX has slowly found a stable roster of animated comedies outside of The Simpsons, Family Guy, and Bob’s Burgers through series like The Great North and Housebroken. That being said, the network has really gone all-in on Krapopolis by already giving it a three-season renewal that at least guarantees a steady pipeline of content so that it can routinely deliver content without suffering from a major delay. FOX is clearly banking on Krapopolis’ tremendous talent, both creatively and when it comes to the vocal talent, and these promising introductory episodes indicate that this gamble will pay off. To some extent it feels like FOX wants this to be their Rick and Morty killer in terms of how it creatively tackles a unique comedy subgenre to great effect. 

It’s too soon to tell how much Krapopolis has to say about this time period and tropes, but these first two episodes feature a balanced mix of comedy that’s born out of both the premise and the characters. I’m personally very excited to see what Krapopolis has to offer and the direction that it chooses to go after it gets its expected introductory impulses out of the way. A guaranteed three-season order gives Krapopolis a lot of leeway and trust with the stories that it tells. Krapopolis could really be something special if it opts for evolving characters and some sort of serialized elements instead of perpetual stasis like the bulk of FOX’s animated comedies.

Created by Dan Harmon, these first two episodes are dense in the creator’s voice and feel like the type of philosophical tangents and societal tirades that one would hear the writer go on during an episode of Harmontown. Harmon has helped get other animated series off the ground post-Rick and Morty, like Strange Planet, but these premiere episodes of Krapopolis are the best thing that Harmon has written since Community. It’s almost like it’s a series that’s full of Jeff Wingers, but in the best possible way. Krapopolis’ sense of humor is certainly comparable to Rick and Morty, but also dissimilar enough that anyone who’s grown tired of the Adult Swim series would be wise to give Krapopolis a shot. It definitely doesn’t hurt that Alex Rubens has already taken over showrunning duties from Jordan Young for Krapopolis’ second and third seasons, so it’s possible that a higher-minded Community and Rick and Morty style sensibility to its storytelling is adopted. 

Krapopolis premieres on September 24th with back-to-back episodes, with its regular schedule beginning on October 1st