Big Mouth

Big Mouth is an American animated coming-of-age sitcom created by Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett. It’s a Netflix original production that first aired on September 29, 2017. This show masterfully deals with the awkward, confusing, and often embarrassing subject of growing up and hitting puberty. Though it is animated, Big Mouth is designed for an adult audience due to its mature content and explicit narration of adolescent experiences.

The title, Big Mouth, is metaphorical and is a reference to the main character, Nick Birch, who figuratively has a big mouth; he’s talkative, not afraid to share his opinions, and often finds himself in hilarious and unsolicited situations as a consequence. Nick Kroll, one of the creators of the show, lends his voice to Nick and many other characters.

The series revolves around the lives of teenager Nick Birch and his friends who are on the tumultuous journey of adolescence. His best friend, Andrew Glouberman, is voiced by John Mulaney, and is often seen grappling with the physical, emotional changes associated with puberty. Each character in the show embodies a unique personality and addresses all the diverse elements of teenage life, including friendships, romantic relationships, family dynamics, body image, and social pressures.

Kroll and Goldberg grew up together in suburban New York, and the series takes a lot of inspiration from their real-life experiences during adolescence. The painfully accurate and honest portrayal of puberty is what sets Big Mouth apart from other shows in the same genre.

One of the iconic elements of the show are the Hormone Monsters— literally monstrous personifications of the confusing and often uncontrollable hormones that teenagers experience during puberty. These monsters are always around the teenagers, whispering in their ears, pushing them to make rash decisions, and causing chaos. The inclusion of these creatures manages to weave an element of fantasy into the reality-based narrative, thereby making the situations even more humorous and relatable.

Apart from the main characters, Big Mouth also features a host of other characters who bring their own layers to the narrative. There’s Jessi Glaser who is coping with her parents’ divorce and Mona, a very aggressive and pushy Hormone Monstress. The series also offers a comical replay of historical figures and celebrities including Duke Ellington, Nathan Fillion, and Sylvester Stallone, which adds a new dimension to the comedy.

The creators of Big Mouth cleverly use ingenious metaphors to discuss otherwise uncomfortable topics in a comic yet respectful way. The show goes to explicit lengths to highlight the effects of puberty on both boys and girls and addresses topics like menstruation, masturbation, sexual orientation, and identity issues quite explicitly but within comedic boundaries. The beauty of this show lies in its uncensored and unembarrassed depiction of human experiences that are often shied away from.

The script of Big Mouth is witty and packed with brilliant punchlines, pop-culture references, and sharp humor that rise above the botanical humor linked with adolescence. The animation style is vibrant and engaging which matches perfectly with the audacious content of the show.

Big Mouth has a raw approach to dealing with puberty that aims at normalizing discussions around it. It is a unique, satirical, and a brutally honest narrative of the most turbulent years in a person’s life. Despite the controversial subject matters, the series has been lauded by critics and audiences alike for its fearlessness, unusual honesty, and humorous storytelling. It's important not to be fooled by the animation aspect of the show, as it is definitely not suitable for children. However, it does offer relief to adults in taking them back to their younger days and giving them a chance to laugh at those not-so-glamorous moments of their lives.

In conclusion, Big Mouth is a rib-crackingly funny, brutally honest, and refreshingly genuine take on the nightmare that is adolescence, narrated in a way that will have you laughing, sympathizing, and groaning in equal measure.