If a fictional property develops a dedicated fan following, the creators must decide how much fan service they want to include as the franchise develops. Properties can lean heavily into what fans want, as seen with Avengers: Endgame, they can try to go in the opposite direction, as seen with Game of Thrones, or they can take a middle of the road approach, attempting to subvert expectations and acknowledge the fanbase, as seen with the Star Wars sequel trilogy. All approaches can be successful or fail; however, one property seems to have found the perfect balance of fan service and good storytelling: Adventure Time.
Following the adventures of Finn the Human and Jake the Dog, Adventure Time takes place in a post-apocalyptic world filled with unique characters. Creator Pendleton Ward was heavily inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, which is evident in his storytelling approach. The cartoon's storyline was not set in stone; therefore, the characters and world developed organically. This allowed the creatives to experiment with new ideas, and if they wanted to, they could respond directly to fan culture, criticisms and theories. The best example of this approach to fan service is seen with Princess Bubblegum and Marceline's relationship.
How Marceline and Princess Bubblegum Became Canon
Marceline and Princess Bubblegum had one of the most complex dynamics in the series. From the early episodes, it was clear there was a history between the two, as seen in Season 3, Episode 10, "What Was Missing," where Marceline sung a song about how she couldn't live up to Bubblegum's expectations, and Bubblegum revealed one of her most prized possessions was a shirt Marceline gave her. This episode aired in 2011, and since then, fans have latched onto the pairing.
As the series progressed, fans saw the two grow closer, and several episodes implied this relationship was more than platonic; however, nothing was overtly confirmed until the season finale, "Come Along With Me," where the two finally kissed on screen. While this was an organic development thanks to Adventure Time's storytelling approach, the kiss wasn't initially planned for the finale.
Hanna K. Nyströmthe, the storyboard artist behind the scene, was the one to suggest the kiss. Along with her, writer Rebecca Sugar had been laying the groundwork for this fan favorite couple, leading to ongoing conversations about having Bubblegum and Marceline kiss at some point. While the end result was a popular ship -- a dynamic fans romanticize -- becoming canon, their relationship was never part of the show's original pitch. It just developed over time, and fans, as well as creatives, latched onto it, leading to a great pay off for everyone.
Why Bubbline Is Good Fan Service
Marceline and Bubblegum's dynamic did what many franchises avoid. Adventure Time made a popular, queer ship canon. Every fandom has its ships, and many of them, specifically ships featuring characters of the same gender, aren't made canon. On a few rare occasions, a franchise will acknowledge said ship, but it's often done in a joking or tongue-in-cheek way. Even rarer is when these fan favorite ships become canon and get a happy ending.
This can make fans feel invalidated or not heard; however, Adventure Time seemed to hear its fans loud and clear. People loved Marceline and Bubblegum's dynamic from the get go, so the two started to appear in more episodes together after "What Was Missing," even episodes that didn't center around the show's protagonist, Finn.
In fact, the two were so popular, that their independent storylines didn't focus on Finn anymore. Bubblegum, who was initially set up as Finn's love interest, became a morally gray scientist struggling with her control issues and her reign over the Candy Kingdom. Meanwhile, Marceline's backstory revealed a lot about the Land of Ooo, and she became so popular that she got a miniseries, "Stakes!"
These characters, as individuals and as a couple, were beloved by fans, and the Adventure Time crew knew this. As brought up by io9, showrunner Adam Muto revealed the creators were actively looking at what fans were into from the show, specifically looking at what inspired fans to create their own art. While this was more so the case for the early days of the series, some crew members still paid attention to what fans had to say online as the story neared its end. It would be near impossible to miss how beloved Marceline and Bubblegum had become for the fandom, with the two characters inspiring countless cosplays, fanart and fanfiction.
By looking at what fans loved, further developing popular characters beyond the protagonist's story and making a fan favorite ship canon, Marceline and Bubblegum's kiss in the finale was well earned. The pairing fans have loved for years was finally together, and they even got a spin-off story after the main series ended, cementing that those behind Adventure Time knew what fans wanted to see more of, and they knew how to include this fan service while telling an original, memorable story that still resonates with viewers today.