“Pen15” is offering its own cure for the summer doldrums with a new animated special. The comedy series, currently on a midseason hiatus, presents another story in the lives of teens, Anna and Maya. This time, the girls go to Florida for a vacation that promises a “mystical turn” for the pair. It also picks up directly where the Season 2 episode “Opening Night” leaves off.
As with many projects, the special episode saw its share of problems generated by COVID. The creative team was already in production as everything began to shut down. Creator and star Anna Konkle spoke to Vanity Fair about the change in plans, “We had the choice when COVID happened: Should we try to wait and do this when things open up, or should we get this out sooner and just do it animated? We needed to be passionate about it being animated to do it; it couldn’t just be like second fiddle to the ideal. So we started digging in creatively.” Konkle also wrote the episode which is directed by Dan Schimpf and Alex Anfanger.
The unique episode also relies on the same low-budget aesthetics that help the series maintain authenticity. A camcorder becomes the viewer’s window into the vacation. Nostalgic in its approach, the memories made are far from the crystal clear vision of 4K UHD TVs. Animation is less clean and crisp, harkening back to ‘90s teen animated fare.
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Here’s the synopsis for the series, for those that have missed out:
“Pen15” is an R-rated “traumedy” set in middle school as it really happened in the year 2000. Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine play versions of themselves as thirteen year old outcasts, surrounded by actual thirteen year olds. In this world, seventh grade never ends and the pains of growing up are inevitable.
Anna and Maya return for a less-than-perfect vacation in a new ”Pen15” animated special. It premieres on August 17 on Hulu. Get your first look at the trailer below.