# Monica Adventures

Monica Adventures (Portuguese: Turma da Mônica Jovem, lit. "Mônica's Gang Teen") is a Brazilian comic created in August 2008 by Mauricio de Sousa. It is a reinterpretation of the characters from Monica and Friends in teenage versions, in features and language that refer to Japanese manga and stories that seek to engage with a teen audience.
In January 2019, the series began to be published in the United States by the publisher Papercutz. A spin-off based on Chuck Billy 'n' Folks titled Chico Bento Moço was published between 2013 and 2021 with the story running parallel to Monica Adventures.

## Plot

The series shows the daily lives of the protagonists of Monica and Friends a few years in the future as 15-year-old teenagers, now mature and with several differences compared to their original counterparts. The stories range from everyday themes such as dating and teenage problems to fantasy adventures, references to pop culture or the original series.
The story began with a 4-issue saga titled "4 Dimensões Mágicas" (4 Magical Dimensions) where Monica, Jimmy Five, Smudge and Maggy are introduced and reunite with their old enemy Captain Fray (presented with the alter ego Poeira Negra) who freed a Japanese witch Yuka who kidnaps their parents, and forces them to a challenge to get 4 objects through four magical dimensions where they meet other allied characters and villains from their childhood. The saga ends with Monica and Jimmy Five making their relationship official. After that, other sagas occur, such as "O Brilho de Um Pulsar" (paying homage to the film The Princess and the Robot) as well as some standalone stories like "O Príncipe Perfeito" (paying homage to the play Mônica e Cebolinha: No Mundo de Romeu e Julieta).

## Characters

The series features as main characters the classic quartet Monica, Jimmy Five, Smudge and Maggy. Monica is now portrayed as a tall, thin girl, but who still has her big teeth, who is no longer the target of teasing from boys, still keeps her stuffed rabbit Samson (although she rarely appears with him) and is also portrayed with a calmer and more controlled personality as opposed to her personality. Jimmy Five is now depicted as having more hair and being able to speak without changing the letters R to L, in addition to having officially become Monica's boyfriend at the beginning of the story. Smudge officially takes a bath, although he still prefers his old habits while Maggy has come to control her great hunger.

## Adaptations

The series received an animated series in 2019 with a single season of 26 episodes airing on Cartoon Network featuring original stories focused primarily on slice-of-life themes.
In 2024 a live-action film was released entitled Turma da Mônica Jovem: Reflexos do Medo. However, the film had a negative reception.

## Products

A collection of 5 dolls of Monica, Maggy and Marina in their teenage versions featured in this series were sold in 2009 by toy manufacturer Gulliver. A card game based on the first saga with 110 cards was also released in 2009 by Panini Comics.
Two books were released in 2010, with the titles Coisas que os Garotos Devem Saber (Things that the Boys Should Know) and Coisas que as Garotas Devem Saber (Things that the Girls Should Know). They often talk of puberty, relationships, and sexuality.

## Reception

During its debut, the series were criticized for changes in the characters and narrative, but the comic was a sales success in its first year. Fábio Yabu, who declared that Mauricio de Sousa is one of his idols, criticized the first saga for presenting drastic changes in the characters compared to their original versions (mainly Monica), in addition to the excess of references to Japanese culture. In the early years, comics had high sales, surpassing the sales of American comics such as Marvel and DC Comics. In 2009, a series based on Little Lulu titled Luluzinha Teen e sua Turma was launched, also featuring a teenage, manga-style version of the character as a way of trying to compete with Monica Adventures. Later in 2010, a manga-style comic book was launched starring Renato Aragão's character Didi, previously known for the comedy TV series Os Trapalhões.