Not since Freaks and Geeks has adolescent humiliation been handled so warmly.

After a relatively overstated first episode (relative to what follows, that is, not to cartoons as a whole), it settles down into a gentler, more delicate, behind-the-beat groove.

Out There has a bookish feel to it, as if an indie graphic novel had been transferred directly to the screen.

It is often funny, but it could be funnier if it were wed to more coherent storytelling.

It’s just fine, although it never strays outside the conventions of poignant coming-of-age stories. Everything about the show is too familiar. The sincerity is refreshing in an animated context, but the characters and the stories are old hat.

Their life sucks--and most likely always will, but the trick is learning to live with that fact. Out There believes its characters can prosper in doing so, but doesn't collectively make an honest effort to portray their compassed journey in an imaginative fashion.