If you are looking for that perfect new obsession to sink your teeth into, look no further! If you are looking for a new book, TV show, video game, movie or time investment here are eight new fandoms to check out to coddle and adopt as your own baby.
1. "Hamilton."
“Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now…”
I heard about this show about a month after it’s debut. My brother and I had come across a sticker that said “My Dearest, Angelica.” Since my name is not a very common one, we purchased it and became curious -- what could this possibly have been from? After typing in the quote, we came across the song that it was from in the second act of a new musical. One listen to one song had me hooked. By now, everyone has hopefully heard of "Hamilton," the hit Broadway musical that has won 11 Tony awards, almost breaking the record of most trophies taken away in one night by one award ("The Producers" holds the record of 12 since 2001).
This innovative hip-hop opera (yes, you heard me correctly) makes history with history. Taking the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton, this fan fiction, historical drama captures the chaotic magnificence of his life in three hours of emotion filled stage time. Not only is it one the few hip-hoperas ever created, but it officially smashes racial casting for rolls; almost every character in the show who was historically white is played by either a hispanic or black actor/actress. While tickets are unbelievably expensive,and bootlegs are impossible to find, the album is essentially the whole show.
I highly recommend investing time into checking out live clips of the original cast performing for the Tonys or the White House and listening to the full show on Spotify, Youtube, iTunes, or however you listen to music. You will never be satisfied until you give it a shot.
2. "Over The Garden Wall."
There has been a series of young adult cartoons that you might have overlooked simply because of the media style. Shows such as "Adventure Time," "Steven Universe" and "Gravity Falls" all have these incredibly deep, mature themes that honestly have made me cry countless times.
Really -- these shows will give you the freaking feels hardcore. But the one that stands out on top of all of these shows is "Over the Garden Wall." This show is a mini series that was aired on Cartoon Network in 2014 and won four out of the seven Emmys it was nominated for. OTGW is about two half brothers, Wirt and Greg, who travel through the woods to try and find their way back home.
Along the way, the boys have strange and terrifying encounters paired with valuable lessons. The aesthetics of the show are enough to get you hooked- the art is dark and set in an earlier historical time-period (late 19th century America) with haunting music to accompany it. But the best part about this show is the character and plot development. The story is ripe with detail and subplots that weave each and every character into its pregnant story. The characters are all intensely unique and very genuine, regardless of the size of their roll. And by the 10th and last episode, the striking series will leave you open mouthed and craving more. And that’s a rock fact! Watch "Over The Garden Wall."
3. "Undertale."
This is, by far, my favorite fandom I have ever gotten involved in. "Undertale" is an RPG (role-playing game) that takes retro-indie gaming designs similar to early Nintendo into the modern day. "Undertale" goes down in history as the first RPG game where you do not need to harm or kill any NPCs (non-player characters) in order to win the game. The story takes place after an awful war between monsters and humans.
The Humans won the war, and trapped the monsters in The Underground with a magic spell, ensuring they never escape. Little did the humans know that the Monsters have been working on an escape plan; the only way to destroy the barrier trapping them all below the earth is to have seven Human souls in their possession.You play as the newest fallen human, and the last soul needed to free the monsters. Every choice you choose will change the outcome of the game drastically. Even restarting the game means nothing- the game will be changed and remembers you from previous saves.
There are three types of play throughs: Normal, the average kill who you feel like, save who you feel like play through; Genocide run, killing every single monster you encounter; and Pacifist play through, acting instead of fighting every monster who challenges you. While the Pacifist is the most difficult and demanding play through, it is the most rewarding.
The story blooms with vibrant NPCs and witty jokes, dark moments and brilliant plot twists. This game will make you laugh, cry, and stay determined.
Check the music here, an amazing walk through here, and more about the game here
4. The new "Ghostbusters."
This movie has gotten a lot of crap from the preview, but to be fair, the trailer was pretty bad. I went into this movie with zero expectations. As a fan of the original "Ghostbusters," I was nervous it would be a lame attempt at a feminist remake -- this movie was not at all a jab at feminism.
Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones make a team equal to the original quartet. Overflowing with humor to tickle everyone’s fancy, Ghostbusters honestly is one of the best movies I have ever seen. The cocktail of personalities mixed a delicious cult classic, with Chris Hemsworth as the ditsy cherry on top.
The wardrobe is perfect, the novelization is accurate, and the overall aesthetic display is enjoyable -- if the original cast liked it enough to make appearances in it, you definitely will too.
5. "Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared."
If you like spooky, thought provoking puzzles, this is the youtube series for you. A British half puppet, half animated series that challenges the ideas and norms taught by the media. I will refrain from saying too much, but the six episodes will take you little time to watch, but hours to figure out.
Many theory videos on each episode are available to aid you in making sense of the disturbing shorts. All will be revealed. Watch the series here.
6. Jessica Jones."
The action, the destruction, the romance, the pain is all so extra yet so relatable. "Jessica Jones" is no exception. In fact, it might be one of the best representations of Marvel magic made to date. Jessica Jones is an orphan who lost everything after a tragic car accident. After being hospitalized, she found that she had somehow gained supernatural powers.
She lived her life trying to stay under the radar, but it wasn't long until she meet more people like her. Kilgrave, the main antagonist play by David Tennant, is the reason this show is addicting, and believe me he will make you smile. Not only is he adorable, but he's also one of the best actors the world has ever seen.
Because of Tennant, everyone loves to hate Kilgrave in this nearly perfect representation of true evil.
The complete chaos that comes with being around Kilgrave makes this show unpredictable and binge worthy. Every moment is full of action and surprises, and this should be especially exciting to you if you have already seen the show "Dare Devil" because of its intimate ties with "Jessica Jones."
7. Team Starkid
This theater company is based in Chicago, but records all of its original shows for its youtube channel. With nine original shows ready to watch and it;s 10th on the way (Firebringer, their first female show which should be up sometime this fall). Three "Harry Potter" spoofs, a musical about genitalia, space ships, a "Wicked" inspired Disney show, a stage rendition of an old video game, and a retelling of two other huge franchises make up their repertoire.
Every show is filled with amazing original music, simplistic sets, and beautiful costumes. Team Starkid has mastered the art of musicals, composing wonderful dialog and scores that instantly become classics.
While the rights to the scripts are hard to come by and tickets are even rarer, this company knows how to captivate an audience. Go subscribe to their channel and have a happy ending tonight!
8. "The Brothers Karamazov."
This book is the best book I have ever read. "The Brothers Karamazov" is the literary masterpiece by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. The book is not a leisurely read, but is well worth it. The novel tells the tale of the Karamazov family and their life split into one crazy week, a murder, and the trial. The hilarious and neglectful father, Fyodor, runs the crazy train through all their lives. Sibling rivalry, internal conflict, handfuls of strong personalities, mental disorders, lies and deception saturate every page. By the end of it, you will be craving the sequel that was never written due to Dostoyevsky’s untimely death. Two wonderful screen adaptations were made to try and display the humor and heartache, but nothing is like the book (as always). If you want to invest your time into reading one of the most brilliantly constructed books ever written, make your way to "The Brothers Karamazov" and feel a bit better about your zany family.