Disenchantment
By Joyce Slaton,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Series from Simpsons creator has strong women, violence.
Add rating
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Disenchantment
Community Reviews
Based on 24 parent reviews
Report this review
New age futurama
Report this review
What's the Story?
Once upon a time, in the faraway kingdom of Dreamland, little Princess Bean was born to King Zog (voiced by John DiMaggio) and Queen Oona (Tress MacNeille) -- and though at first it seemed like they'd all live happily ever after, lately it's been a real DISENCHANTMENT. You see, Bean (Abbi Jacobson) isn't interested in living the typical princess life, marrying to make an alliance with a neighboring kingdom, and settling down to a life of popping out heirs. Instead, she embarks on a journey to find out what kind of life she does want to live, with her faithful companion Elfo (Nat Faxon) and her "personal demon" Luci (Eric Andre) by her side.
Is It Any Good?
It's beautifully animated, made by experienced craftspeople, and voiced by well-loved actors -- but Matt Groening's high-profile series seems to have forgotten to bring the funny. Viewers taking a gander hoping for Futurama's brilliantly subversive thigh-slappers or even wan latter-day Simpsons chuckles will have to content themselves with gags like one in which Bean cracks her head against medieval-era signs for Dreamland businesses ("Onion Julius," "One-Hour Tooth Removal") or a dungeon's torture chamber that brings the pain with a rack, a row of whips, and a book of golf jokes. Considering that Groening and company could have used Netflix's network standards-free format to really let loose and brew up some more adult humor, these cute yet predictable visual jokes are a tad disappointing.
The setups of each episode, too, run along classic sitcom lines: Bean gets a job! Bean throws a bachelor party! Bean throws a big party while her dad's out of town! It's not bad, per se -- there are talented writers and actors at work here. It's just a little disappointing, because the concept of the show -- a young woman born in a restrictive time finds ways to subvert society's expectations -- is fairly fresh. As it is, Disenchantment passes in a pleasant, but not really memorable, way, reading most of all as a valiant swing and a miss.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about who Disenchantment is designed to appeal to. Do you think the fact that it's animated gives it more "kid appeal" than a live-action show? Do you think people often assume that anything animated is OK for younger viewers?
Does the amount of violence in the show surprise you? Is it meant to be scary, funny, ironic? Do you think the show succeeds in its aims with violent content? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How does this show compare to its network TV cousins, The Simpsons and Futurama? How are the three shows alike? How are they different?
TV Details
- Premiere date: August 17, 2018
- Cast: Abbi Jacobson , Eric Andre , Nat Faxon
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Comedy
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 18, 2023
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Watch
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate