Hey Guys!
Here with another Top list for you, this time about modern cartoons that are better than expected in my opinion of course.
And before doing a "Old school cartoon/anime" list i feel that i should point out some series that to me worth seeing in the presente. The rules for this Top List are: All cartoons have to be from the year 2010 ownards and have to be made by western hands even if it has "japanese animation" influences.
Gravity Falls
Disney has been making some radical changes in recent years. Back in the day Disney was always known for its films and amusement parks, its original creator driven content always seemed to take a backseat. For years the only decent original Disney channel series were Fillmore! and The Weekenders. However like I said recently Disney has been taking a bold new direction. The addition of Disney XD has led to the creation of some great shows Phineas and Ferb and particularly Chris Prynoski's new show Motor City. Their current original content mirroring the 90's shows that put creator driven series on the map. Their latest play in this new direction the creation of what so far promises to be perhaps their best creator driven series yet Gravity Falls.
From a cartooning and animation standpoint the series feels refreshing. The character designs feel like some superb mixture of The Simpsons, Classic Disney animation with a bit of The Marvellous Misadventures of Flapjack thrown in. The Characters are drawn in a very fun way and they lend themselves to the quality character animation the series has produced. From a character animation standpoint the work is spirited. It is fluid and comedic exemplifying how much the character animation can be integral to the characters themselves.
So far this is a near perfect show its only misstep so far the episode entitled Dipper Vs. Manliness, which I won't spoil it for you, has a great concept but is too much build up and not enough pay off. For me this is a show that makes the kid in me smile. Watching this now is like tuning into my childhood favourites, only now I am old enough to appreciate it.
Avatar: The Legend of Korra
I love Avatar the last airbender. So when they came out with this Series I was so excited and I watched it till the end. But when I heard that they ended it so Korra and Asami can be together. I was so mad it completely ruined the show for me. Like why did they have to go and do something like that. Can't you just make a show that is good without it having something like that in it. I see that everywhere I go so I would have liked it to not have been in one of my favorite shows of all time. I'm still gonna watch Avatar the last airbender but I don't know if I would want to watch Korra like the original much better than the new one. And this has been bothering me for the longest time. And I haven't seen everyone upset about this. how can everyone be okay with this it is unbelievable that people can just accept stuff like this. Thank you for ruining this show for me.
Ben Ten: Alien Force
This sequel series is much better then the original Ben 10. Suprisingly, this series was better then I thought. Ben and Gwen dont fight anymore, the main villain is ACTUALLY CLEAR and actually DANGEROUS. However, one thing I did'nt like was the Forever Knights. From being awesomely evil, they go to fighting a dragon. I mean, wtf? But, the DNAliens and Hybrids are defenately awesome. They're much dangerouser than boring Vilgax :P The DNAliens actually are cool to me.
Seeing old heroes is always nice. Cooper, Azmuth and all. I can't wait for Season 3. Hopefully Darkstar will look better and attempt to use Azmuth to create a mini-style Omnitrix? Anyways, awesome series.
Steven Universe
When you search for wrong things you can find them! Even in a Tom and Jerry you can see stereotypes and mildly sexual behavior. People complain when there are too thin characters and people complain when they're too big! We all come in different shapes and sizes and I think it's refreshing to see a character that doesn't fit the "physical mold". Whether she be Darker skinned with a cubed futuristic afro or thin with spikey blonde hair.
Each of the characters on Steven Universe are modeled after the meaning behind the gem they dawn. Garnet- Protection Pearl- Sophistication Amethyst- Playful Stevens character lost his mother at birth and the whole story line is not only him saving the world but finding himself while being taken care of by his late mothers "sisters". The father isn't an active or constant part of his life but he continues to be fun loving and learns himself each episode with the women in his life. He takes trips to see his father they mourn as well as celebrate the life of Stevens Mother. I think it's a positive message for racial, physical, and emotional tolerance.
Huntik, Secrets and seekers
HUNTIK: SECRETS AND SEEKERS is fun to watch ... if you don't ask too many questions. The action sequences are exciting, the Titans are fearsome, the story is interesting, and the animation is lush and beautiful. There are plenty of mysteries about the amulets, the long-running conflict between the Seekers, and the Titans that Lok is eager to solve, and viewers will enjoy going along for the ride.
That said, a few parts of the show don't stand up to scrutiny (OK, maybe more than a few). For example: The amulet has been stashed in Lok's room for years, and the Organization shows up looking for it just seconds after he discovers it? And one of his classmates just happens to be another Seeker? Not so plausible, but so what? Few kids will notice these discrepancies because they'll be too busy enjoying the rest of the show -- and maybe clamoring for some of the related merchandise.
Star Vs The forces of Evil
With all things what you feel is appropriate for your children varies greatly from person to person. Different people have different sets of values and I want to respect that you make those judgments for them on a case by case basis. Let me start off by saying that this series is a ton of fun. Cute/colorful designs, fluid exciting action, and rapid fire humor all come together to keep you engaged in every 11 minute story. The main duo is very likable and usually tries to do the right thing even though they are often misguided. There isn't the usual "capable one, helpless one" relationship here. They're both pretty well to take care of themselves but aren't above making stupid mistakes. The action is certainly violent but very cartoony and not at all graphic. It is mostly stylized karate and the main heroine shooting rainbows or narwals out of her wand. There are a couple of points where people look very beat up but as far as I've noticed nobody has died.
There are a couple of mildly sexual jokes that I've noticed but they will probably go right over the heads of young children and from the other reviews I've read one of them went over the heads of most parents. The first is in the episode "School Spirit" where the spirit squad does a mildly suggestive dance to try and distract the other team. The second is in the episode "Monster Arm" where the character Marco's arm turns into a giant tentacle. A couple girls at one point say something along the lines of "I wish it was my boyfriend" possibly being a subtle tentacle porn joke (DO NOT look that up if you don't know what it is. You have been warned). The rest of the humor is quite solid. It's not always very nice or very politically correct so depending on your sensibilities you could find nothing wrong with it or find it offensive. Overall recommendation is to watch a couple episodes on your own to see if you think it's okay for your children. In particular you may want to check out the couple that I mentioned earlier.
Miraculous Ladybug
Marinette is just your average teenage girl living the dream in an ultra colorful and vibrant Paris. She’s cute, smart, and a pretty awkward but she’s sweet until she activates her Miraculous jewels–with help from her kwami Tikki–by donning them as earrings. The minute they are activated she’s suited up and ready to kick some villainous butt as superheroine Ladybug. When Marinette is Ladybug she’s confident, strong, and commands attention. She’s solely focused on saving the day and with good reason. Her kwami (and Cat Noir’s) runs out of energy which can lead to her superhero cover being compromised.
The animation is beautiful. The colors are light and vibrant with a sunny, dream-like quality, and the influence of anime is evident and heavy throughout from the way the characters interact to their mannerisms. Imagine looking at a highly stylized, CGI anime and you’ve got Miraculous. If you weren’t sure about the show, let me tell you, I watched the show with the junior geeks who range in age and they love the show so far. Of course, the boys were grossed out by Marinette’s crush on Adrien, but they got over that
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)
This show has been the best since the 80's and it's constantly getting better. It is great for kids because of its good role models and positive messages. Master Splinter is a wise rat, what can I say? He tells his sons never to be arrogant, he punishes them when it is necessary, and loves them to death. This is a great role model, and when young children watch this, they think of their own parents and how much their parents love them.
Splinter isn't the only one who sends out positive messages, you know. Donatello is a hideous monster, right? He isn't, but that's what he thinks. He thinks because he is a turtle, he has no chance with his dream girl, (TEENAGE) April O'neil. This sends out more positive messages than you think- because as the show progresses, the two become closer and eventually, they will be lovers. This shows children that someone will love you, no matter what you look like. In turn, this show is good for kids of all ages because it sends out good messages and has great role models. Turtles, despite it's age, is still on top. Also, some people have been saying that this show is bad for kids because of the "blood" that it involves. Yes, some mutants gush ooze, but my five year old brother watches it and I haven't seen the slightest change in his attitude.
Sonic Boom
This new sonic series came out better than expected. The animation is superb. Very detailed, smooth, and everyone is quite expressive. So expressive that it got comical on its own at times.The humor was better than I expected. I didn’t expect the jokes to have context, punch lines, and quite possibly the best voice acting I’ve heard in a Sonic cartoon in a long time really helped put emphasis on that. In fact Amy has received probably the best voice she’s ever had. Eggman is as awesome as ever, Sonic and Tails sound more natural the more I hear him. Even Sticks’ voice wasn’t that bad. I’m impressed!
As for the character personalities they stick out enormously. Sonic is the cocky guy that cares for Tails and his friends but will be honest and blunt when he feels he needs to. Tails is the guy determined to complete his mission and will prove that he’s capable to handle the job. Knuckles is…Knuckles. Amy’s complicated. She’s a goofball but not an idiot or oblivious. She’s the problem solver, the mediator. The one who will look at both sides of the situation and be as understanding as possible. When there’s a mission she tries to keep the team optimistic as much as she can. Basically Amy’s goofy when she wants to and understanding when she needs to. Both worlds. Eggman’s an evil genius with a childish side, has an ego, and will find any opportunity he can to destroy Sonic and his friends. Even if it means him getting into otherwise awkward situations to do so. He finds Orbot and Cubot to be useless robots Orbot and Cubot didn’t get a lot of dialogue but from what it seemed they’re loyal to Eggman and try to earn his respect as much as possible despite his terrible treatment in return. As for Sticks she’s paranoid and hyper at times but she’s not gullible. In fact she’s the first that sees through Eggman’s lies. Every character is unique, shines, and they only get involved when the plot calls for them. Sticks only showed up more when she was a necessity. Tails was the focus of episode one because of the role he played in the plot. It was all about replacing him as Sonic’s sidekick. No one stole the focus when they didn’t need to. There was no filler either. The plot of each episode took up both in their entirely.In closing, I love this show. A worthy successor to Sonic X. What you think of the show, however, is a different story for obvious reasons.
Its better than it has a slow start but with time becomes better specially in the last episodes of the season.
Wakfu
Let me say, it's really hard to find something good for the 8-10 age range. Most American cartoons are trying to be "edgy" which mostly seems to mean unrelentingly stupid or mean-spirited or both. This show is a banquet of visuals, hysterical slapstick cartoon violence and positive, likable characters. I love it. I thought "European + anime" might be too risque but it's barely a peppering and mostly pretty innocent.
Anywho, the show overall is exellent with great characters and animation along with plot. It is extraordinary and i reccomend that anyone thirsty for a good show should watch this.To me this is the best animation that france ever produced.
RWBY
Even if its creator Monty Oum said "RWBY its is own beast" from a certain point of view we can say that this web serie is the first ever hybrid between ocidental and oriental animation even if it is in 3d.
The serie as become more and more mature by the thirth volume and thats the point, to make the audience grow up with it. At the point of this post theres 2 months left for the start of Volume 4 and it seems that the creators will step up their game for the future and to me is the most (from all that i like) well done western animation.
Stay Cool!
