“Big Mouth” returns to Netflix with a second season full of hilarity as the returning group of confused middle schoolers continue to navigate their way through puberty.

Nick (voiced by Nick Kroll) and Andrew (John Mulaney) are still deer in headlights when it comes to talking to girls, figuring out the physical changes to their bodies, sexuality and dealing with all the emotions that these changes bring. Their friends Jessi (Jessi Klein), Missy (Jenny Slate) and Jay (Jason Mantzoukas) also experience similar issues on their own.

Accompanying the young teens are their respective Hormone Monsters: Maury (Nick Kroll) for the boys and Connie (Maya Rudolph) for the girls, who constantly veer them in the wrong direction while they discover puberty and sexuality together. What’s hilarious is that they’re all self-aware enough to realize when they’ve messed up, but hormones and feelings are no impediment to make the same mistakes again and again.

(Trailer courtesy of IMDb.)

This season tackles new storylines: Jessi deals with her parents’ divorce, an episode about all the services Planned Parenthood provides shown through skits and Coach Steve (also voiced by Nick Kroll) going through some changes of his own.

The show also introduces the Shame Wizard (voiced by David Thewlis) who channels the same creepiness he exuded as V.M. Varga in the third season of “Fargo”. The Shame Wizard takes the preteens on a judgmental, introspective ride, making everyone aware of the shame surrounding any and every action they take.

The raunchy, vulgar and hilarious nature of the show gives traditional animation a run for its money. The writing is incredible as you can see every feeling explored, every thought declared out loud, every nuance covered; there’s no room for filtering or sugarcoating puberty. These characters are tackling something so familiar to many of us. To an extent, vulgarity notwithstanding, we can all relate to the kids’ struggles, as probably some of us have had the same thoughts run through our heads.

“Big Mouth” is one of the better animated comedies out there. Its incredible voice cast adds layers to the nuance these kids feel with everything they do, especially through Maya Rudolph’s sultry-yet-sensitive Hormone Monstress, and 25-minute episodes make it bingeable in one sitting.

Verdict

I was so excited for this season and it did not disappoint. I’m a fan of Nick Kroll, and the talent he displays in providing voices for a wide range of characters is incredible. This is one of my favorite Netflix originals, and I can’t wait for season 3.

9/10