Why Princess Bubblegum is so important to me.
For starters, I'm sure there will be people reading this post and having no clue, who this whole princess is. In brief description, Princess Bubblegum is one of the main characters from the american cartoon called "Adventure Time". She rules a kingdom of the candy people as the undisputed ruler.
Onto the main topic.
Why would a seemingly random character from a mere cartoon for children be of any significance to me? It's rather simple: my identity of who I am.
Now what do I mean by that? Let me explain. Her appearance, her actions in the show, her personality - all of that helped me with figuring myself out for who I am and who I want to be.
I first watched Adventure Time around 2012 or 2013. Back then it was really only a show that I'd watch to have time pass by, though I did eventually come to like that very colourful cartoon of a funny magical dog and a warrior kid. And so I started watching it regularly, waiting for it to air on my local CN tv channel. I didn't think much of PB when I first started watching the series. She appeared here and there and I didn't pay so much attention to her. To be fair, back then, she was more of a side character at first. I remember thinking of her as "pretty" and maybe a bit a somewhat of a... crush character? It's hard to pinpoint what my 12 yo thought back then. Nonetheless, that's my first opinion that I had of that character - not much, really.
It all changed back in 2020, when I returned to the show, rewatching the early season episodes and watching the seasons that I haven't seen before, as I stopped caring about it around 2013. It shifted my perception of the character dramatically. She became a person, whose motives and actions I understood and could relate to. She became a character that I could see a bits of myself in it. Maybe more than just bits. I've got to see her struggle with her life, her decisions, her mental problems and issues of everyday life.
With such classics as The Suitor, Goliad or Wizards Only, Fools, Princess Bubblegum made me think. Who she exactly is? Is she right? Why do people say she acts weird, while I often don't see anything wrong with her behaviour? Why does it feel like I'm kind of watching myself and experiencing my problems right there? And why do I kind of want to be like her?
I asked those questions quite a lot. It all happened in the middle of my, I'd say, a search for an identity of my own. Before I'd simply identify myself as a very feminine person, though even then I wasn't sure what I wanted from myself. And funnily enough, that princess made out of gum helped me with that.
She is a pretty interesting person. Throughout the show she struggles with keeping her kingdom together. It takes a toll on her mental health (most visible in The Suitor or Bad Timing). She goes to dubious conclusions and great lenghts of securing the safety of her kingdom, usually hurting some people in the process. Be it a total disregard for the other side, playing with the idea of the lesser evil, necessary actions, being in charge of a surveillance state and so on. And all of that I understand in some parts. Her motives apparent throughout the show - it's to protect her own citizens that she treats as her kids, loved ones. She rationalised that if she stayed passive, the kingdom would be all gone and all her citizens would suffer. Was she right? Partially, but also she went overboard with some actions (like in The Cooler). And it's relatable to me - to be very protective of the things that I love and going to unbelievable lengths to achieve that, often being in a tunnel-vision and not seeing any other alternatives, resolving to swift, but radical actions. All to keep people she cares about happy and safe.
The Princess is also pretty atypical. It's clearly visible she's kind of socially awkward - doesn't act in a normal way. This is where her weirdness comes from. Her apparent lack of empathy, her disregard for the feelings of others, her eccentrism, her complaining about not being understood, her weird and sometimes creepy responses, her wacky and inadequate behaviours... all that points to her having some kind of disorder. She is definitely not a neurotypical person and it's very understood from her opinions, actions and even personality. This is also something that I relate to. I often were misunderstood by others, my actions would seem creepy and irrational, my sudden anger would not be understood, I'd wear whatever I wanted with a disregard for this whole fashion sense, I act wacky in a lot of cases, make inappropiate comments, some think I have a problem with understanding others and their feelings, I'd not understand obvious social norms... I could go on. But the thing is, I'm an Aspie. And I don't know if PB is one, nor do I really care. All I know is that I understand PB's point of view and her acts.
This is also the person that, as it is later found out, has an inferiority complex (seen in Bad Timing or Obsidian). Comparing herself to others, trying to prove something that doesn't need to be proven - her own worth. She feels the need to be the smartest and the most thoughtful person in the room, her failures drag her down and cause depression in some cases. Another thing I could easily relate to - especially with not knowing and feeling my self-worth and kind of hating it all. If I don't see it, I feel worthless, unneeded, replaceable.
In the end of it all, she finds peace and resolutions to have problems - which indeed has helped me too. She eventually stops being the princess, focusing on her life and the loved ones close to her - Marceline, her girlfriend. She dedicated time to herself, her own needs and enjoyment. She stops being this vigiliante of the world, the grand protector of everyone. She steps down and realises that the world is fine without her overboard actions of keeping everything together by hurting others. She is relieved of stress too, no more sleepless night of trying to keep everything together, of scheming to create yet another plan to protect her citizens. It took a toll on her mental health and now she is in an enviorment that is much friendlier to her and the one that is there to help her. And this helped me with my own problems with stress, with rather toxic enviorments and feelings like I need to aim for the happiness of others first and foremost, ignoring my own wellbeing. It's eye opening and so it has let me understand that I know, who I am. That there's nothing wrong with me. That I can act naturally, like how PB acts in a way that is not expected of a princess. She doesn't fit any neat box. I don't either. I'm a weirdo that is fine being this weirdo. And no one shall try to force me to be someone that I'm not happy to be. No longer worried about what others might think, no longer thinking that I'm a broken person. I'm very different. And so is she.
