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10 Cartoons With The Best Racial Diversity

Diversity is important in cartoons, and while racial diversity has been done well a lot for a while, I am happy to say that it is continuing to be done more and executed in a better fashion as time goes on! Today, I will be discussing what are, in my opinion, the 10 cartoons with the best racial diversity.

10. OK KO! Let’s be Heroes

Kicking off the list with a series that was also featured in my list counting down the cartoons with the best LGBTQ representation! OK KO! Let’s be Heroes had many awesome instances of racial representation throughout as well. A good portion of characters all have different races, which is amazing to see! While many shows do have different races between characters, one thing that separated OK KO! Let’s be Heroes from the rest was one episode called “No More Pow Cards”, in which KO’s friend Dendy feels that she will never be a hero due to the fact that her turtle race has been viewed as monsters. Due to this, these cards that KO and Dendy collect do not represent Dendy’s race. However, instead of just letting that happen, KO and Dendy confront the CEO. When seeing Dendy, the CEO sees that some of the Kappa are heroic, and due to this, he finally allows Kappa cards to be made. This episode was one of the main standouts to me, but aside from that, the series does stand strong in the field of representation!

OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes was a Cartoon Network series that ran from 2017 to 2019 for a total of 3 seasons and 112 episodes. The series was about Kaio Kincaid, also known as K.O. who hopes to become the world’s greatest hero. While hoping to accomplish this, he works at a store known as Gar’s Hero Supply and Bodega, which sells a variety of items, whether that be food, or even hero supplies. He works alongside two other employees known as Radicles and Enid. Oftentimes, the trio have to fight off Boxmore, a store that sells items to supervillains. OK KO: Let’s Be Heroes! is an amazing series with a unique artstyle, interesting characters and a great concept! It is definitely an amazing series that is racially diverse, and just a good series in general! You can watch OK KO! Let’s be Heroes on HBO Max or Hulu!

9. The Hollow

Now, we move onto another show that I feel is quite underrated! The Hollow was a series which had a diverse main cast, all having a different race. Furthermore, the characters all feel normal, and they do not act differently based on their race, making them all feel more human. Having almost every main character different worked very well for me because it just felt that the series had the goal of showing people that different groups can get along well regardless of race. This series was one that was made in Canada, and in Canada, diverse groups like the one in The Hollow is very common.

The Hollow was a series running from 2018 to 2020 for a total of 2 seasons and 20 episodes. The series takes place in a strange world, where three teenagers named Adam, Mira and Kai all wake up. The three do not have any memories, and all they have at the time they wake up are each other. Due to this, the three work together to explore this new world, and to find their way back to their home (wherever their home is). However, they soon find that this world is not all that they think it is. The Hollow was a great series to me. Alongside its highlights, I loved the worldbuilding present in the series. Furthermore, the darker colors really stood out to me! It really matches with the feel of the show! It was definitely a fun series, and I do wish Netflix treated it better! You can watch The Hollow on Netflix!

8. The Loud House

Now, the Loud House is definitely another series that has to be mentioned if talking about diversity! The series has a lot of diversity among the different characters, from the Loud’s being a family with a Scottish Heritage, Lincoln’s best friend being African-American, and another family somewhat close to the Loud’s, the Santiago’s are Mexican! Furthermore, the series is a great representation of how different families can be as they have different struggles that they face, and different circumstances overall. The Loud House may have a bit of a negative reputation these days, but diversity is one thing it did well!

The Loud House is a series that is currently running on Nickelodeon. It has been a Nickelodeon hit series since 2016, and it has so far had 6 seasons consisting of 156 episodes. The series revolves around the Loud family, a family of 10 sisters and one single brother. The show is mostly focused on the brother, Lincoln, with some episodes focusing on certain sisters. The sisters, from oldest to youngest are Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn, Lucy, Lana, Lola and Lily. Each of them have their own unique quirk, whether that be being good at a sport (Lynn), being a great musician (Luna), or even being filthy (Lana). The family often go through different sorts of adventures, some of which being adventures that most everyday families go through, with others being a bit more quirky than your average real life family. While the series is mostly episodic, there is some change as the series goes on, but none of these changes are huge. The Loud House has a lot to love! I love how there are so many characters, but all have unique quirks to set them apart, I love the comic book art style and I love the wholesomeness it has! While it is not as good as it was when it first aired, The Loud House is still pretty great to me! You can watch The Loud House on Netflix!

7. The Ghost and Molly McGee

I’m sure someone expected a Disney show in here somewhere seeing how I am obsessed with Disney, and I had to have The Ghost and Molly McGee in here somewhere! Now, this series was a standout to me because it includes a bi-racial main character who is half Irish and half Thai. The series is great at representing what our current society looks like - a mix of all sorts of races and religions. In fact, there was a whole episode where Molly was confused on her heritage, and was trying to find out where she truly belongs. Furthermore, while this is not direct, the ghost and Molly’s friendship symbolizes inclusiveness to me. The reason for this is because the two are clearly different in terms of their backgrounds, but once they meet, Molly is excited to have a friend, which shows kids that having friends that are not similar to you doesn’t have to be scary, and it can even be exhilarating!

The Ghost and Molly McGee is a series which aired first in 2021 on Disney, and is still airing! The series is about a 13 year old girl named Molly, who alongside her family moves to a rusty old house. Little did they know that this house has been inhabited by a ghost. Now, unlike most teenage girls, Molly wants to be his friend. He puts a curse on Molly, but that only brings them closer together! While he does not like Molly at first, he slowly opens up to her as well, and they eventually become good friends! Now, there is a lot to love about The Ghost and Molly Mcgee! Firstly, I love the designs and the brighter colors the show has. Furthermore, I love how vibrant the characters are! While The Ghost and Molly Mcgee is one of my less preferred shows from Disney’s more recent hits, I still have lots of love for it and hope it succeeds! You can watch The Ghost and Molly McGee on Disney +!

6. Amphibia

Now, I had to include this somewhere as it definitely has great representation for a variety of different races! The three main friend group consists of three girls, all of a different race - one of which being Thai, one being German and one being Taiwanese. Outside of the three main girls, many of the human characters are also represented through different races, which can be seen with the girl's classmates or even their principal. Amphibia has definitely done well with the representation, and they have shown how a normal society is with different races of people interacting with others, and not just sticking to one race in the series, like some do.

Amphibia is a series running from 2019 to 2022 on Disney, and has had a total of 3 seasons and 58 episodes through its runtime. The series revolves around Anne Boonchuy, a middle schooler, who steals a box with her friends Sasha and Marcy. However, they were in for a bit of a surprise. The box was actually a magic box, and once they stole it, they were transported to a new world, which is known as Amphibia. Amphibia differs from their regular world because it is full of frogs. When waking up in this new land, Anne realizes that she has been separated from her friends. Now, she must go on a quest to not only get back home, but to find them along the way to take them with her. She is originally found by a frog named Sprig, who came with the purpose of hunting her. However, after he finds her, they become good friends, and Anne moves in with them temporarily. However, along with meeting new friends like Sprig, she also runs into quite a few obstacles. Now, Amphibia is truly one of my favorite shows! I love everything from the characters to the humor to just the concept of middle school students getting sent to a frog world! It is definitely a great show, and I am glad to have found it! You can watch Amphibia on Disney Plus!

5. 6Teen

6Teen was another Canadian series that accurately captured Canada’s feel. In Canada, we have such a diverse range of people, and we get to see so many people mix around and mingle. In 6Teen, we have a mixture of different races among the main six characters, and we have the different background characters all from different ethnic groups. Seeing this accurately represented in a TV series was great, and it made me connect with the different characters.

6Teen was a series which ran from 2004 to 2010 for a total of 4 seasons and 93 episodes. It is about 6 teens who are 6teen! The teenagers go by the names of Wyatt, Jude, Jen, Caitlin, Jonesy and Nikki. They all just go through typical teenager situations that we all have been through, with some definitely being more insane than others! These situations are all that I am sure that we can relate to, whether that be the pressure of making money, the pressure of school, the pressure to impress a crush, you name it! Now, 6Teen is definitely a loveable series! Some of the standout attributes for me are the raunchy humor that was not overdone, the relatability and the development of certain characters (especially Caitlin). 6Teen is definitely an amazing series, and the diversity was a highlight! You can watch 6Teen on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun or on Tubi!

4. Detentionaire

I previously mentioned an underrated show, but now, we will be talking about what I think is the most underrated show! Detentionaire is a pretty unique show when it comes to diversity. The show takes place in a high school, and the different cliques that the school has is similar to cliques you would find in real life. Furthermore, the school has a bunch of different races and ethnicities mixing along. While many of the different characters in these cliques seem like stereotypes in the first few episodes, the series illustrates how while someone may seem shallow from surface level, they have much more to them. While the series is mainly focused on the main character, some background characters get shine on them, and we learn much more about them than we thought they had. Detentionaire did a great job at illustrating that all sorts of people are more than what we think they are, and that all people do go through different circumstances.

Detentionaire revolves around a highschooler named Lee, who on his first day of school, gets framed for a huge prank, and gets a year of detention for this. With some help from his friends, he goes on a quest to clear his name by investigating different students and cliques. However, early on, he realizes that whatever is going on is more than the prank. Instead, he finds out that the prank was just a small set piece that connects to this huge government level conspiracy. He is not the only person who has a connection to this conspiracy - his parents do as well! Due to his connection, he realizes that the whole world may be at stake unless he does something. Now, Detentionaire is so great that I do not know where to start - firstly, I would say that the characters all feel like what you would see at an actual high school, and as they open up, it makes them all feel very real. Furthermore, I love the plot progression - the show really starts with a prank in episode one, and by the final episode, he is trying to stop an ancient pyramid from opening up as an ancient species is inside, waiting to take over Earth. Finally, the mystery itself was a pleasure to watch as it had so much depth to it, and each answered question would open up many new questions! Detentionaire is one of my favorite shows, and I could go on forever talking about how amazing it is! You can watch Detentionaire on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, or on Tubi!

3. Glitch Techs

Now that we already have a Nickelodeon show down, I might as well add another one to the list! Glitch Techs was another series that had great diversity! The series had two main characters, with one being a Mexican American, and the other one being a Japanese-American. The Glitch Techs (which is the name of the group as a whole) has a lot of members of different races, whether that be Zahra, who is an Arab-American girl that actually wears a hijab, or the Leader, Mitch, who is a Black British male. Now, I brought up these two in particular because they really stood out to me. I do not usually see characters represent their religion by wearing hijabs in animated TV shows, so it was amazing to see! Furthermore, I have watched lots of cartoons, and it’s rare for me to see a black character leading a group, which I always found sad as they are underrepresented! Seeing this in Glitch Techs made me really happy!

Glitch Techs is about two teenagers named Hector and Miko. The two often work together to stop “glitches”, which are video game characters that leave the game and try causing havoc on their world. Now, there is a lot to love about Glitch Techs, whether that be the concept alone, the vibrant and as I mentioned earlier, diverse characters, or the amazing designs that the series uses! Glitch Techs is an amazing series, and it truly deserved better from Nickelodeon! I hope that one day, it gets the continuation it deserves! You can watch Glitch Techs on Netflix!

2. Dead End: Paranormal Park

Now, I recently started Dead End: Paranormal Park, and I have to say that in the field of representation, it is spectacular! The series has a variety of characters of different races. For instance, the main character Barney is white, while his best friend/co-worker Norma is Pakistani. Through the series, there are many other characters coming from different races such as his boyfriend Logan, who is Vietnamese. Another thing that makes the diversity powerful to me is that each of the characters are being played by a person who is the same race as that character, which, to me, is going above and beyond to contribute to a diverse environment. Many shows do not do this, but Dead End: Paranormal Park stood out for this.

Dead End: Paranormal Park is a Netflix original that originally aired early this year for a season of 10 episodes, with plans for a second season to come out soon. Dead End: Paranormal Park revolves around Barney and Norma who were recently hired at a new theme park that is actually haunted. However, aside from being actually haunted, there is actually some big lore that is being built upon. From the first scene itself, we see Pauline Phoenix, the actress who the park is based off, get killed. This indicates what there is to come! Dead End: Paranormal Park is one of the more recent shows I have checked out, and there is so much greatness the show offers! I love the representation, the color choices they use and the horror elements (I will be rewatching it this Halloween! Dead End: Paranormal Park is a great show with awesome representation, and it is probably my favorite series that came out this year! You can watch Dead End: Paranormal Park on Netflix!

1. Craig of the Creek

I have seen many shows, but in terms of racial diversity, Craig of the Creek is outstanding! The series has had so much when it comes to racial diversity as we get introduced to so many characters of different ethnic groups. For instance, we have the main character, who is African American, but outside of that, we have Indian characters, East Asian characters, you name it! The characters are not only all there and have an important role, but these characters also all embrace their different ethnicities, and the specific cultures that the characters have are mentioned in the series! For instance, one of the Indian characters Raj, had a short dedicated to him and his grandma, where the main character Craig was trying to learn more about their culture. Acts like these go a long way as they encourage children to embrace their culture and to not be ashamed of it. Craig of the Creek also showed how so many different people can become great friends regardless of the ethnicity they are from. The main cast of characters are all so diverse, and instead of running from that diversity, they all embrace it and continue to spend time with each other.

Craig of the Creek is a series that is currently running. It started in 2017, and through its time, it has had a total of 3 seasons with 120 episodes. The series was about a young adventurous boy named Craig, who often goes on different sorts of adventures at this creek he lives near. He is accompanied by his friends Kelsey and JP. The adventures vary from episode to episode. Sometimes, they are more nature-esque in the creek, and sometimes they are more technical. Whatever they are upto though, is always entertaining to see. Now, with me, I love the character designs (with JP being my favorite), I love the characters who bring these designs to life, and I love the wholesome feeling that I get when watching it as it definitely has some touching moments. I am almost caught up with Craig of the Creek, and I have to say I definitely love it from what I have seen! You can watch Craig of the Creek on HBO Max!

So these were the 10 cartoons with the best racial diversity in my opinion! Which ones did you agree with? Disagree with? Would you change anything? And follow me for more cartoon-related blogs!

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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10 cartoons with great LGBTQ representation

Representation matters! This is why I love when cartoons incorporate LGBTQ representation. It is always a plus for me when a cartoon shows all parts of the world, and sadly, the corporate world often shuts down any idea of LGBTQ representation. However, I have found many great shows that perfectly highlight the LGBTQ community. In this blog, I will be discussing 10 cartoons with great LGBTQ representation, in order from best representation to the worst representation.

10. Arthur

Now, this is a series that did not get to utilize too much representation, but I had to include it because of the fact that it is making an effort to introduce representation with the younger age demographic, which is, unfortunately, looked down upon by TV networks. Arthur had a pretty impactful episode where the male teacher got married to another man. While many like myself loved the representation, there were some who did not like it, causing a bit of controversy. However, the fact that Arthur’s creative team went ahead with it to represent a lot of us who are underrepresented in the media is touching.

Arthur is a PBS Kids TV series which ran for 25 seasons and 253 episodes from 1996 to 2022. The series revolved around Arthur, an aardvark that is in third grade. The episodes consist of him and his daily interactions with the different people in his town of Elwood City, whether that be his interactions with his friends like Buster or his family. The series has a lot to love, and despite being targeted to a younger audience, I find that there is a lot to love even at my current age. For instance, I love the fact that the characters are all distinct and identifiable. Furthermore, I love how the show can be wholesome at times, and I love fact that the show has a lot of humor that older people can love despite it being targeted to a younger demographic. Arthur truly was one of the best shows of my preschool years, and it continues to be enjoyable for me. You can watch Arthur on Amazon Prime!

9. The Loud House

When I saw The Loud House’s LGBTQ couples, I was very pleasantly surprised. Now, the reason for this is because in 2015, I did not see many cartoons to have LGBTQ representation, and seeing The Loud House pleasantly surprised me at the time. The series had multiple LGBTQ couples in the series. Early on, one of the main characters has parents who are both males in a same-sex relationship. Furthermore, in the second season, one of the sisters in the family is revealed to be into another female character, and later on, the two become a couple. There are a few other minor characters who come from the LGBTQ community as well aside from those.

The Loud House is a Nickelodeon series that has been running since 2016, and is currently running. Right now, it has 6 seasons of 156 episodes. The series revolves around Lincoln Loud, who lives in a house among 10 sisters, with each having a unique quirk. From oldest to youngest, the sisters are Lori (the eldest), Leni (the less intelligent one), Luna (the music loving one), Luan (the comedian), Lynn (the sports player), Lucy (the goth girl), Lola (the diva), Lana (the rugged one), Lisa (the child genius) and Lily (the baby). The family all go through unique situations on an episode-by-episode basis, and as the series goes on, more locations are introduced, leaving room for more plotlines. Despite being episodic, there is also some change amongst the family dynamic throughout. For instance, certain characters have boyfriends/girlfriends in the later episodes as opposed to the earlier ones. While The Loud House definitely had a dip in quality for me, I did enjoy the first few seasons, and I think it is a strong series with great LGBTQ+ representation. You can watch The Loud House on Netflix!

8. OK KO! Let’s be Heroes

I am sadly starting this list with a cartoon that deserved way more attention. OK KO: Let’s be Heroes was a Cartoon Network series running from 2017 to 2019 for 3 seasons and 112 episodes. The series had some excellent moments of LGBTQ representation. Some instances of this include the fact that the villain of the series Boxman is pan-sexual. Another LGBTQ character that I enjoyed watching was the sidekick Enid, who was a bi-sexual, and had a girlfriend named Red Action. Alongside that, there were other strong pairs of LGBTQ characters throughout the series, and it really stood out with the representation.

OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes was a cartoon Network series running from 2017 to 2019 and for a total of 3 seasons and 112 episodes. OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes is about Kaio Kincaid who hopes to one day become the world’s greatest superhero. In his timeline (the series takes place in the future), he works at a store selling items for heroes known as Gar’s Hero Supply and Bodega. Alongside his fellow employees, Radicles (an alien from a planet known as Planet X) and Enid (a teenager working the cash register at Gar’s Hero Supply and Bodega), he often fights off Boxmore, a store selling superhero equipment to villains. Alongside OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes’ LGBTQ representation, some of my other favorite aspects of the series are the artstyle, the concept and the intriguing characters! OK KO! Let’s Be Heroes is definitely a great series, and if it was treated better by the network, I am sure that it would be acknowledged more, not just for its quality, but for its LGBTQ representation. You can watch OK KO! Let’s be Heroes on HBO Max or Hulu!

7. Amphibia

Now, if you know me, Amphibia is my favorite show! While I do think it is the best cartoon, I do think some cartoons are better in terms of representation! That doesn’t change the fact that it did a great job with its representation! Amphibia had a variety of characters that were a part of the LGBTQ community, and it was amazing to see! Later on, the creator even revealed that one of the main characters was also a bi-sexual. We see in the last episode that she even has a bisexual flag in her car! There were many other instances of amazing representation of LGBTQ characters, and like many of the characters in all of the entries on this list, Amphibia represented these characters accurately!

Amphibia is a series which ran from 2019 to 2022 on Disney with a total of 3 episodes and 58 episodes. Amphibia revolves around a Thai-American girl named Anne Boonchuy, who alongside her friends, Marcy and Sasha steal a box on her birthday. Little did they know of the box’s true powers - upon taking the box, the three are transported to the world of Amphibia, a land full of frog creatures. Anne awakens separated from her friends, and she tries finding her way back to them and back home. However, on this journey, she meets many new friends like Sprig the frog, but she also meets many different enemies. She also finds out that not everyone is truly the way that they seem to be. This series is amazing! We are brought forth a very intriguing concept that is further expanded on with very fun and loveable characters and humor. Amphibia is truly my favorite cartoon, and I am glad to be a fan! You can watch Amphibia on Disney Plus or on Disney Now!

6. The Hollow

Now, we go onto another series which deserves more talk regarding the LGBTQ representation: The Hollow. One standout from The Hollow, in terms of LGBTQ representation, is that one of the main characters is actually gay. This stood out to me for a variety of reasons. Firstly, the character openly stated that he is gay, which is something that I found admirable because with the way networks are, they often refuse that (some of my favorite shows had to unfortunately remove LGBTQ characters). I also thought that the character was written well, and he still felt human.

The Hollow is a Netflix series which had a total of 2 seasons and 20 episodes from 2018 to 2020. The series revolved around three teenagers, Mira, Adam and Kai, who all wake up in a strange new world with no memories of who they are. Together, they embark on a journey to explore this world, and find their way back to wherever they truly belong. In this new world, they encounter new people, some of which are there to aid them, and some of which are there to take them down. They also battle different sorts of monsters throughout the series. The Hollow is a series which I loved during its short run, and while I wish it was longer, I am happy with what I had got. The series had some amazing worldbuilding, awesome diversity and I also have to discuss how much I admire the color choice. The colors are intentionally darker and more gloomy, which matches with the series. I don’t often see shows go this route, so it felt like a nice breath of fresh air to me. The Hollow was definitely a fun series, with great representation, and I hope that one day, it gets more recognition for how great the series was and how much love the team put in. You can watch The Hollow on Netflix!

5. Craig of the Creek

Craig of the Creek was another series which stood out to me in terms of its LGBTQ representation. We got introduced to a variety of different characters that are a part of the LGBTQ community as the series went on. Early on in the series, we get introduced to two lesbian characters who early on have signs of liking each other, and end up kissing later on in the second season of the show. We do get introduced to other characters in the series who are in same-sex relationships, and we get introduced to a non-binary character named Angel in the series. The series definitely had lots of LGBTQ representation, aside from just this, and it was truly nice to see.

Craig of the Creek is a series running from 2017 and is still running. Currently, it is sitting at 3 seasons of 120 episodes. The series revolves around a boy named Craig, who, along with his friends Kelsey and JP go through many sorts of different adventures at the creek they live near. In the series, they go through all types of journeys whether it be learning to care for a pet or watching a scary movie. The series definitely has much to love. Personally, I love the wholesomeness of the series, and the characters help bring the series to life. I also am in love with the character designs as they all look very distinct and appealing. My favorite in terms of design is JP because while he looks modern and blends in with the other characters, he also has a classic look to him. I have not caught up with the episodes yet due to being busy with many other things, but from what I have seen, I absolutely love Craig of the Creek! You can watch Craig of the Creek on HBO Max!

4. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Now, I am sure many expected this one! This was a series that was outstanding in the field of representation! She-Ra and the Princesses of Power had a variety of characters belonging to the LGBTQ community, and the characters were represented well. There were also lots of different types of LGBTQ characters whether they be gay characters, bisexual characters, transgender characters. There was lots of representation for many groups, and that was one of the standouts for me when watching this series. The representation made it all the more loveable to me!

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was a Netflix original animation which ran from 2018 to 2020 for a total of 5 seasons and 52 episodes. The series was about two orphans named Adora and Catra who were trained to be a part of a group of soldiers in the Horde. Eventually, Adora finds a magic sword that transforms her into She-Ra, the Princess of Power. She used her newfound power to go against the Horde. Her first course of action is to rebuild this group of kingdoms ruled by other princesses known as the Princess Alliance. From there, the conflict between the Princess Alliance and the leader of the soldiers, the Hordak, continues to intensify, leaving us with some high stakes episodes later on. You can watch She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix!

3. The Owl House

This series was the one that made me lose lots of respect for Disney. The Owl House was a series, which did an amazing job with its representation, but was shut down by Disney since it “didn’t match with their brand”. The Owl House was a series, which had the main character as a part of the LGBTQ community. Now, while we do have many animated shows with characters being a part of the LGBTQ community, we don’t get to see this often with many main characters. Furthermore, the two are treated like a normal couple in the series - their preference does not change how the characters treat them, which shows how important it is to be accepting of people. Furthermore, the series also has a non-binary character named Raine, who is also treated with respect and is refered to with the proper pronouns.

The Owl House is a series, which ran from 2020 and is still running at the moment with 2 seasons and 40 episodes. Though, a third season is expected to debut sometime soon. The Owl House is about a girl named Luz who ends up in a completely distinct world known as Boiling Isles when traveling to a summer camp her mom signed her up for. At Boiling Isles, she encounters a witch named Eda. At first, Eda asks Luz to help her with one mission, and in return, she will send Luz home, but once the mission is completed, she decides that she wants to stay to become a witch. Eda agrees to train her, and in return, Luz has to work for her. The Owl House is a great show for many reasons, with one being the amazing LGBTQ representation I mentioned earlier. Aside from that, the series has amazing characters and such great worldbuilding. While it did get mistreated by Disney, I will always have hope that it may get more content one day, and I really recommend all of you to check it out! You can watch The Owl House on Disney+ or Disney Now!

2. Danger & Eggs

Now, we are covering another series targeted to a slightly younger demographic. Danger & Eggs heavily focused on representation. The creator of the series was transgender as well. The main character, D.D. Danger, is a gender-free lesbian, and many other characters are also a part of the LGBTQ community. For instance, we have a group of two gay dads, a non-binary character and many more. Furthermore, many of the voice actors themselves are a part of the LGBTQ community, and while that may not matter to many, I find the show’s message of inclusion more powerful because of that.

Danger & Eggs is an Amazon Prime series that was released in 2017 and ran for a season consisting of 13 episodes. The series revolved around a gender-free girl named D.D. Danger, who often goes on different sorts of adventures with her giant talking egg best friend Phillip. Their adventures are always entertaining, and they span from a variety of topics all the way from saving an injured racoon to going back to the medieval times. Now, personally, I love the LGBTQ representation the most about the series. Though, the series does have lots to offer like the cool character designs and the awesome plotlines. I am glad I found Danger & Eggs, and I recommend all my followers to give it a chance! You can watch Danger & Eggs on Amazon Prime!

1. Steven Universe

I’m sure this one was obvious. This show really pushed limits to help us get the representation we deserve today, so I have to consider at least one of the 10 cartoons with great LGBTQ representation. Now, where do I begin with Steven Universe? Well, how about I bring one of the more known moments of the series amongst the cartoon community - the wedding scene. This was groundbreaking for cartoons because this was the first cartoon which actually had a same-sex wedding. Aside from that extremely progressive scene, there were many other instances where Steven Universe showed progressiveness throughout. For instance, the Gems in Steven Universe are all non-binary. There are many other instances of LGBTQ representation in Steven Universe, but if I covered them all, we would be here for a while!

Steven Universe was a Cartoon Network series which ran from 2013 to 2019 for a total of 5 seasons and 160 episodes, and alongside that, it had a TV movie and an epilogue series known as Steven Universe Future. Steven Universe is about Steven, who is a half human. The other half of him is known as a Crystal Gem, which he inherited from his mother. The Crystal Gems are alien warriors who protect the world from any harm that may occur. Steven is not the only Crystal Gem, as he is also accompanied by three others named Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl. The series starts with him joining the other Crystal Gems on their missions and learning about his hidden power as a Crystal Gem. As the series goes on, the group find new allies, but the stakes also get much higher and more intense. Steven Universe was definitely a beautiful series. The representation and progressiveness was definitely my favorite part as you guys could probably tell. Furthermore, I loved the choice of colors they chose as it made the series look beautiful. The characters were also beautifully written. Steven Universe is an amazing series that not only had an effect on fans, but also had an effect on future cartoons as ever since Steven Universe left its mark, many other cartoons followed along with the representation. You can watch Steven Universe on HBO Max or on Hulu!

Well, these were 10 cartoons with great LGBTQ representation in my opinion! Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you agree with? What are some entries you would add? And be sure to follow me for more cartoon related blogs as I post them regularly!

#cartoon #cartoons #cartoon network #disney #nickelodeon #dreamworks #arthur #steven universe #danger and eggs #the owl house #she ra and the princesses of power #craig of the creek #the hollow #amphibia #ok ko let's be heroes #the loud house #radarplz

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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10 Best Serialized Cartoons

This day and age is amazing for cartoon fans because we have many different types of cartoons to enjoy! Whether we prefer serialized or episodic, there is a bunch from both worlds for us! Many typically lead to one side, and while I love episodic cartoons, serialized ones are my favorite! In this blog, I will highlight my 10 best serialized cartoons!

10. Sym-Bionic Titan

I am opening this list up by discussing an underrated gem that deserved way better! Sym-Bionic Titan is a series that ran from 2010 to 2011 for only 20 episodes. The series revolved around Lance, Ilana and Octus who all left their planet Galuna due to these creatures called the Mutraddi consuming it. They arrived on Earth, and blended in as normal. The series gets the name from when the three combine. When this occurs, they form the Sym-Bionic Titan. Now, this series is truly amazing - we get amazing writing along with amazing characters and the artstyle is beautiful! Sadly, Sym-Bionic Titan has not been treated fairly, and due to this, it has a pretty short runtime, but it is still awesome! You can watch Sym-Bionic Titan on iTunes!

9. Motorcity

Motorcity is one of the few shows that I love, but I can’t help but feel upset every time I watch it. The reason for it is because of how badly it was treated (see my other blogs for what I mean by that). Motorcity was a series which ran from 2012 to 2013 for a season. Motorcity revolves around a group of six who call themself the Burners. The Burners share the goal of stopping the evil billionaire and ruler of Detroit named Abraham from taking over Motorcity, a small part of Detroit which he is trying to take over. The Burners have six members - Mike (the leader), Julie (an insider trying to get information from Abraham), Texas (the muscle), Chuck (the tech guy), Dutch (the smart one) and Jacob (the older member who mentors them). This series had lots to enjoy - the characters, the plot and the series sometimes got introspective which added a lot to it for me. Motorcity was a great series that deserved better, and I am sure that if it got promoted properly by the network, it would be featured on more people’s 10 best serialized cartoons lists! You can watch Motorcity on iTunes!

8. Ducktales

This is another one of the many Disney cartoons that had made me into a huge fan. Ducktales was a series that ran for 3 seasons and 69 episodes from 2017 to 2021. It was about Donald Duck, his uncle Scrouge and his three nephews, Huey, Louie and Dewey who essentially go on treasure hunting related adventures. Each season has a different arc, with each providing a different sort of adventure to the series. The series has much to love - we are introduced to great characters, a great story and fantastically written humor. While many reboots fall flat, Ducktales was one of the reboots that hit the nail and exceeded my expectations! You can watch Ducktales on Disney Plus!

7. Steven Universe

I am sure many will agree with me when I introduce one of the cartoons of the 2010s that pushed boundaries and helped increase representation - Steven Universe! Steven Universe ran for 5 seasons from 2013 to 2019, and had a total of 160 episodes. The series revolved around Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Steven - The Crystal Gems. They were essentially alien warriors who protected the world from any sort of peril. One catch to them was that Steven was a half human who got the Gem side from his mother and the human side from his father. Steven Universe’s plot would continue to progress as the series went on. There was a lot to love about the series - the color choice was beautiful, the characters were amazingly done and the series helped increase representation by pushing boundaries. Steven Universe is definitely a strong series and one that was impactful! You can watch Steven Universe on Hulu!

6. Teen Titans

This is a classic from many of our childhoods…I had to include it on here for sure! Teen Titans ran for a total of 5 seasons and 65 episodes, and the series ran for 3 years from 2003 to 2006. The series centered around five superheroes calling themselves the Teen Titans. The group consists of Robin (the leader), Beast Boy (has the power to morph into an animal), Starfire (an alien princess), Cyborg (a cyborg) and Raven (a goth girl with telekinesis). The series has many different arcs, with each arc focusing on a different character. The series had so much that I took away from it: we had awesome characters who are all iconic and unique in their own ways, great voice acting to back up these characters and an amazing soundtrack. Teen Titans is truly amazing, and it is still iconic up to this day. You can watch Teen Titans on iTunes, Google Play or Amazon!

5. Avatar: The Last Airbender

Now, I am moving back to a cartoon that was definitely a bit older than the previous entries, and one that was clearly a standout from its time! Avatar the Last Airbender was a series which ran from 2005 to 2008 for a total of 3 seasons and 61 episodes. The series revolves around the Avatar, Aang who is supposedly the only person who can master all four elements and restore peace after the fire nation attacked. The avatar was found by two siblings from the water tribe, Katara and Sokka, who travel with him to different nations so that he can master all four elements and defeat the fire lord, Ozai. This series had much to love - my favorite aspect was the story. Despite having an intense story, the humor also made the series for me. Finally, the artstyle won me over. I loved the anime-esque artstyle this series provided! Avatar: The Last Airbender was definitely an amazing series, and it’s no secret why it’s so loved today! You can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix!

4. Detentionaire

Ah yes, now I move back to the 2010s…to a series that blew my mind when I had first seen it with it’s very intricate mystery! Detentionaire was an animated series which ran from 2011 to 2015 and had 4 seasons of 53 episodes. Detentionaire was about a high schooler named Lee Ping who gets framed for a huge prank on the first day of high school, and gets detention for a whole year. He sneaks out every day to figure out who set him up, and while the series starts off with him interacting with different groups at school to see who set him up, he eventually finds out that there are secrets hidden deep beneath the school that could put the entire world in harm. He also finds out that he and his bloodline are connected to everything that is going on. This series is amazing - my favorite thing about this series is definitely the progression that we go through with each episode. Furthermore, the characters are all enjoyable and the overall mystery is just so fun to try solving! Not only is the mystery fun to try solving during the first watch, but the writers also put in little hints regarding what’s to come later on, making rewatching the series very satisfying! Detentionaire is truly one of my favorite cartoons of all time, and while it is definitely underrated, I am happy it still has a fandom! You can watch Detentionaire on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, or on Tubi!

3. Gravity Falls

As I mentioned earlier, I am a huge Disney fan! At this point of the blog, don’t expect any non-Disney shows. Anyways, to start this Disney run off, I would like to give attention to Gravity Falls! Gravity Falls was a series which ran from 2012 to 2016 for a total of 2 seasons and 40 episodes. Gravity Falls was about two twins named Dipper and Mabel who visit their grunkle, Stan, at a town full of mysteries known as Gravity Falls. In this town, Stan owns a tourist trap known as the Mystery Shack, but aside from the “mysteries” in the Mystery Shack, Dipper hopes to uncover the true mysteries of Gravity Falls as he finds out that Gravity Falls us not what it appears to be. With the help of Mabel and two Mystery Shack employees named Soos and Wendy, Dipper aims to uncover the big underlying mystery behind Gravity Falls. Gravity Falls was definitely a well thought out and unique show. Like Detentionaire, it had a great mystery and was fun to rewatch as there are lots of hints sprinkled in the earlier episodes. Furthermore, the characters were all really entertaining and the pacing was really fluid and made sure every episode was engaging without running into the plot too fast. Gravity Falls was truly an amazing show, and despite seeing so many awesome cartoons after it ended, Gravity Falls has remained in my top 3 since. You can watch Gravity Falls on Disney Plus!

2. The Owl House

Now, this is a show that really continued pushing the boundaries like how Steven Universe did. The Owl House is a series running from 2020 and still running. It currently has 2 seasons of 40 episodes, and is expected to get one more season containing three specials. The Owl House is about a girl named Luz who unexpectedly ends up in a new world by the name of Boiling AIsles after finding a portal. In this island, she meets a witch named Eda who helps train her to become a witch. Now, I love The Owl House. The series has awesome animation, and awesome characters to back these characters up. Furthermore, the LGBTQ representation in this series is a huge plus for the series. It truly is awesome, and it definitely deserved better. You can watch The Owl House on Disney+ or Disney Now!

1. Amphibia

Anyone who has been following me for a while probably knows this…Amphibia is not only my favorite serialized cartoon, but my favorite cartoon of all time! Amphibia ran from 2019 to 2022 for a total of 3 seasons and 58 episodes. Amphibia is about a girl named Anne Boonchuy who, along with her friends, Marcy Wu and Sasha Waybright steal a magic box. This box ends up transporting the three friends to the magical world of Amphibia, which is a world full of frogs. In this series, Anne has the goal of finding her two friends and getting back home. However, along the way, she faces many different challenges both in the forms of monsters and her own inner struggles, and she finds out that not everyone is who she really thinks they are. Now, I love Amphibia. We have a bunch of loveable characters, we have some huge twists and we have a very unique and interesting concept. Amphibia is such an amazing series, and I am so happy that it became a part of my life! You can watch Amphibia on Disney Plus or Disney Now!

Well, these were my 10 best serialized cartoons! Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Are there any you would add? Feel free to like and comment your thoughts and follow me for more as I post regular cartoon blogs!

#cartoon #cartoons #cartoon network #nickelodeon #disney #teletoon #amphibia #the owl house #gravity falls #detentionaire #avatar the last airbender #teen titans #steven universe #ducktales #motorcity #sym-bionic titan #radarplz

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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10 Best Episodic Cartoons

The decade we live in is absolutely amazing! We have so many diverse forms of media to look forward to, and we have so much media from earlier. Cartoons have become so diverse as there are many different types including serialized and episodic cartoons. While serialized cartoons are much more popular now, and while I do prefer serialized cartoons, episodic cartoons are still awesome especially when you need to relax or just need a laugh. In this blog, I will highlight my 10 best episodic cartoons!

10. Phineas and Ferb

I had to kick off this list with a cartoon that defined many of our childhoods. Phineas and Ferb was an animated series on Disney which ran for 4 seasons from 2007 to 2015, with a total of 129 episodes. Phineas and Ferb are about two brothers who just want to enjoy their summer in the most normal way possible: by inventing crazy things! Meanwhile, their sister Candace is trying to expose what they are doing to their mother, all while their pet Platypus Perry is sneaking out to fight crime as he is a top secret agent. My favorite aspects of the series are the layout of each episode as it is formulaic but still entertaining and varied, the character designs and the variety in characters. Like many, Phineas and Ferb has defined my childhood, and it is easily one of my 10 best episodic cartoons of all time! You can watch Phineas and Ferb on Disney Plus and Amazon Prime!

9. Kim Possible

Now to follow up with another classic Disney TV series: Kim Possible. Kim Possible had 4 seasons of 87 episodes and ran from 2002 to 2007. Kim Possible was about a high school cheerleader named Kim who also fought crime with assistance from her friend Ron and his pet mole rat, Rufus. It was about Kim, a high school cheerleader who was also a crimefighter. While many shows do explore this theme of undercover superheroes that are still in school, Kim Possible actually made it so that Kim was not hiding her identity from anyone. The show has many amazing aspects with my favorites being the characters who are all pretty entertaining, and the fast paced action. I also loved how it took on a unique approach to this crime fighter trope by making Kim’s identity known. Kim Possible was another series that impacted me, and I wholeheartedly recommend it! You can watch Kim Possible on Disney Plus!

8. Regular Show

And now we move on later into the timeline into a show that was a bit more recent than Kim Possible and Phineas and Ferb: Regular Show. Regular show ran for 8 seasons and 261 episodes from 2009 to 2017. The series revolves around two groundskeepers named Mordecai and Rigby who often end up causing a huge problem. What may seem like a simple situation often turns into something super deep and something that is far from regular like the title implies. Now, it does get more serialized in the last season, but for the most part it is episodic. My favorite aspect is easily the variety of characters, and the humor which go hand and hand together. I also love the progression of each episode as episodes go from the most simple situations to the end of the world. Regular Show is definitely a great show that is fun to watch for all ages, and I highly recommend it. You can watch Regular Show on HBO Max or Hulu Plus!

7. Invader Zim

Now this is one of those shows that were so great that I saw them when I was a baby, and had to rewatch later as I knew it was phenomenal from then on. Invader Zim ran from 2001 to 2006 for a total of 2 seasons and 27 episodes, along with a movie reboot in 2019. It revolves around Zim, an alien from the Irken Race who gets sent to earth by the leaders as an effort to get rid of him. Though, he thinks he has been sent for a mission to conquer earth. Zim disguises as a school student, and nobody notices his efforts to conquer earth except for his classmate, Dib. My favorite aspects of Invader Zim are the darker elements in it, the pacing of the episodes and the amazing voice acting. Invader Zim was a great series, and while I wish it lasted longer, I was satisfied with what I had got from the series. You can watch Invader Zim on Amazon Instant Plus, Paramount Plus or Vudu!

6. The Boondocks

Now, we are moving onto an episodic cartoon that is targeted to a slightly older audience: The Boondocks. The Boondocks was a series that ran from 2005 to 2014, and had a total of 4 seasons consisting of 55 episodes. The series is centered around the Freeman brothers RIley and Huey who moved to Chicago to live with their grandfather in the suburbs. They are black siblings who live in a dominantly white neighborhood, and the series does show their struggles to fit into this new neighborhood. Riley acts “gangster” and tough in the series, while Huey is a more laid back person, and is a freedom fighter. Now, as for favorite aspects, there is a lot to love about the show - I think my favorite was that it shows the audience the American life from the perspective of a black person, making me think a lot when watching the show. I also love the humor of the show, and having a series that is both funny and introspective definitely made me love it. Finally, I cannot talk about The Boondocks without mentioning the anime-esque artstyle. It was another element that made me love the series. The Boondocks is easily an amazing cartoon that does so much with itself, and it is easily one of the 10 best episodic cartoons. You can watch The Boondocks on Amazon Prime Video!

5. Ed Edd n Eddy

While Cartoon Network in 2022 is definitely not something I have been enjoying as much as I would like to, I can’t deny that they had some hits earlier on, with one being Ed Edd n Eddy. Ed Edd n Eddy was a series which ran from 1999 to 2007, and consisted of 69 episodes along with a TV movie. It was about three preteens who often try scamming other children so that they can get money for jawbreakers, with many episodes straying away from that topic entirely. Ed Edd n Eddy has many highlights including the cartoony artstyle, the character dynamics and the humor of the series. Ed Edd n Eddy in my eyes is a classic, and I am glad that I found it! You can watch Ed Edd N Eddy on HBO Max or Amazon Prime Video!

4. Clone High

I wish someone could clone the creators of this show so that we could get more masterpieces like this. Clone High was a cartoon which was unfortunately short lived - it consisted of one season and only had 13 episodes. However, we are getting a revival of the series soon. The series was a high school dramedy, but one thing which distinguished it from other high school dramedies was that every single character was a clone of a historical figure. Some of the clones include Gandhi, John F Kennedy, Cleopatra, Joan of Arc and Abraham Lincoln. To go deeper into the lore of Clone High, we find that the clones are actually being used as a military experiment by a government organization. Clone High definitely has many enjoyable elements - I loved the artstyle which honestly deserves more credit seeing how it influenced shows like Total Drama and Detentionaire, I love the humor and I love the characters. Whether you like the show or not, you can’t deny how iconic John F Kennedy became because of this show. Clone High was ahead of its time and I am glad it is getting the recognition it deserves now. You can watch Clone High on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, Paramount + or Amazon Prime Video!

3. South Park

Oftentimes, cartoons try offending people to be funny, and it fails miserably. South Park, however, does this extremely well, and leaves us much satisfied despite potentially offending us. South Park was an American series consisting of 25 seasons and 318 episodes. It premiered in 1997 and is still running. South Park revolves around four seven year old friends named Eric, Kenny, Kyle and Stan, who live in South Park. The four often go through many different situations together whether they be pretty normal, or whether they be extremely supernatural things involving aliens. Regardless of the differences in the episodes, all of them are funny and are sure to have no filter. South Park has many awesome elements that make me love it - some of my favorites are the fact that it has no filter, the characters who always make me laugh and the designs. I know the designs don’t look good, but that’s what gives the show its charm. South Park is definitely an amazing episodic cartoon due to the fact that it makes me laugh every time I watch it, and I cannot recommend it enough! You can watch South Park on HBO Max!

2. The Simpsons

There is a reason why this cartoon is the longest running series of all time: it was a fantastic cartoon. While the newer episodes are subpar, this series was once awesome! The Simpsons is a long running animated cartoon which started airing in 1989, and currently has 33 seasons consisting of 728 episodes. The Simpsons revolve around an American family that lives in Springfield, Oregon. The family consists of the dimwitted dad, Homer, the smarter parent Marge, the older son always getting into trouble, Bart, the voice of reason middle child Lisa and the baby Maggie. The family often go through different situations that vary episode to episode whether these situations are more emotional or comedic. The older episodes consisted of more emotional episodes while still having comedic episodes, but as the series went on, they started drifting away from emotional episodes, and moving towards more comedic episodes with emotional episodes still intact. The Simpsons has many great qualities with some of my favorites being the balance of comedy and emotional moments, the diverse range of characters (and trust me, there are a lot of characters) and the creative plot lines that many episodes offer. While many of the new episodes are not my cup of tea, I can’t lie that these episodes still offer a very unique idea. The Simpsons is a great series, and I wouldn’t be surprised if people are looking back at it as a classic even hundreds of years from now. You can watch The Simpsons on Disney +!

1. SpongeBob SquarePants

Now, we go onto what might just be the most iconic cartoon today. SpongeBob SquarePants is a series which started in 1999, and through that time has had 13 seasons of 270 episodes with 3 movies, 2 spinoffs and much more to come. SpongeBob SquarePants revolves around a sponge with the same name that goes through different misadventures whether they be at his workplace The Krusty Krab, with his dumb starfish friend Patrick or his neighbor Squidward, who clearly hates him. SpongeBob SquarePants has much to like. Some of my favorite aspects are the humor which is brilliant, the characters and the darker and more emotional episodes they incorporate into a series that is rather lighthearted. SpongeBob SquarePants is truly an amazing series, and it is clear why it has lasted this long! You can watch SpongeBob SquarePants on Paramount +, Fubo TV, iTunes and Amazon!

Well, these were my 10 best episodic cartoons! I hope you enjoyed reading! What are some you agree with? Disagree with? Any you would add? Any you would swap? And be sure to follow me for regular blogs!

#cartoon #cartoons #phineas and ferb #kim possible #regular show #invader zim #the boondocks #ed edd n eddy #clone high #south park #the simpsons #spongebob squarepants #nickelodeon #disney #cartoon network #2000s nostalgia #2010s nostalgia #radarplz

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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10 Most Underrated Cartoons

Cartoons are great…we have many awesome hit shows from SpongeBob SquarePants to Amphibia to South Park and so on. But we also have quite a few gems that not many seem to talk about, and I feel that I should put the spotlight onto these underrated cartoons. Today, I will be going over my ten most underrated cartoons.

10. Over the Garden Wall

When putting this cartoon on the list, I was heavily debating on whether I should put it here as one of the 10 most underrated cartoons or not. While it does seem to be quite positively received, and while it has had a decent amount of exposure from the cartoon community, I find that it is not really talked about as much as many others that came out at the same time as Gravity Falls. This perplexed me as I thought it was a strong series.

This was a miniseries that had 10 episodes in 2014. It was about two brothers named Greg and Wirt who end up in a mysterious land called the Unknown, and work to get home. It was a great series packed with mystery, darkness and awesome characters (especially Greg). While being underrated is a debate, there is no doubt that it is amazing! You can watch Over the Garden Wall on Hulu, Amazon or iTunes.

9. Hilda

As this series is one that also is decently known, I was debating on whether this one should be put on here again. It is like Over the Garden Wall in the sense that it is pretty decently well known, but it is definitely a series that I feel is much less known than shows it came out with, and I feel that due to this, it should be on here.

Hilda is a series that has 2 seasons and 26 episodes. It is about an 11 year old girl named Hilda who goes on magical adventures and encounters mysterious creatures with her friends David and Frida and Twig, her pet deer frog. I loved Hilda as it has fun characters and a unique art style. Furthermore, Hilda takes on the common magic theme you see in TV shows, but executes it in a way that is unique! You can watch Hilda on Netflix!

8. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

While this series was screwed over by the network I feel that the main reason it is underrated goes deeper than that. When the series first started getting advertisements, many people (myself included) did not really like the idea of this series - especially since we just got a super dark and serious installment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles prior to this show. This left a bad taste in our mouths and many of us did not want to check out this more lighthearted take on the turtles. However, coming back to it years later, it was a hidden gem!

Running for 2 seasons of 39 episodes from 2018 to 2020, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was a totally new and unique adaptation of the turtles we all know and love. The series revolved around them before they actually became crime fighters. The main goal they have is to stop The Shredder from being resurrected for the first season while actually fighting him in the second season. They also learn about the secrets of Master Splinter in this adaptation. My favorite aspects of this series are the fact that they take the turtles and add their own unique spin to it so that it doesn’t feel like a copy of the other shows. I also like the designs quite a bit and I like the humor. Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is definitely an underrated adaptation to this amazing franchise, and while I do prefer the 2012 installation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I had a great time with this one.

7. Final Space

This was a series that I only found out about recently, and I am glad that I found it. This was a series which I have never seen on TV, or have heard anyone talk about until last year where I heard a few people online bring it up. I added it to my list there, and finally binged it a few months ago. I found it strange that not many talk about it though, so I did some research as to why. From what I was able to gather, it seems that when it started out, critics did not really love it, and they ignored the later episodes from there, which led to other things like minimal promotion. It’s honestly a shame as it is a great series.

Final Space ran for 3 seasons and 36 episodes. The series is about an astronaut named Gary Goodspeed, who after accidentally destroying spaceships, was sentenced to five years of prison on the Galaxy One spaceship. During his final year, he found an alien named Mooncake, who he finds out is being pursued by an evil dictator known as Jake the Lord Commander. Gary and Mooncake, along with some crewmates, go on a quest to save the universe, while trying to discover the mystery behind Final Space, which is supposedly where the universe ends. Final Space has everything I love about a story-driven cartoon - it has very emotional moments that keep me invested, it has a well rounded group of characters that develop as the series goes on, and the world-building throughout the series was amazing. Final Space is a truly amazing series, and I definitely think it deserved much better.

6. Glitch Techs

Now we get onto Netflix shows…it’s not common for a Netflix show to take off regardless of how great it is, and Glitch Techs is a prime example of that. Glitch Techs definitely had a complex story behind its reason to being underrated which is more than just the fact that it is a Netflix original. It was originally supposed to be a Nickelodeon original, but unfortunately, Nickelodeon did not give the series much love. The first season was finished in 2019, but did not ever air on Nickelodeon until it finally premiered on Netflix in 2020 with not much promotion. It is truly a shame because with proper promotion from Nickelodeon, this could have been a massive hit with how great it is conceptually and from a storytelling standpoint.

Glitch Techs has a pretty unique concept - it revolves around two teenagers named Hector and Miko who essentially try to stop video game characters from wreaking havoc across the real world. Glitch Techs was another amazing series with lots to offer. We got an amazing series with cool characters being further enhanced by their awesome designs and we got a very unique concept being brought to the table. I really love Glitch Techs and I hope it can get a continuation some day.

5. 6Teen

6Teen is severely underrated, and the main reason for this is Cartoon Network’s treatment of it. When 6Teen aired, it did not get as much promotion as a Cartoon Network original, which already kept it pretty underrated, but it also had many episodes removed with not many reruns. Overall, it did remain pretty underrated due to this, but the amount of content it got was satisfying.

6Teen was a series that ran from 2004 to 2010 and contained 4 seasons of 93 episodes. The series revolves around six teenagers, Wyatt, Jen, Caitlin, Jonesy, Nikki and Jude, and it just showcases them going through teenage life. 6Teen definitely had a lot to offer me - we got to see some very relatable situations, we had a loveable set of characters and I think this show was one of the few that executed raunchy humor in the right manner. You can watch 6Teen on the YouTube channel, Retro Rerun, Amazon Prime, Pluto or Tubi.

4. The Hollow

Another Netflix original on here…what a surprise. It seems that it is not easy for shows to get popular on Netflix or any streaming service for that matter as people go to streaming services knowing what they want to watch. Furthermore, Netflix’s lack of marketing did not help the cause. We were unfortunately left with another great TV series ending up heavily underrated.

The Hollow is a series which ran from 2018 to 2020 for a total of 20 episodes. The series was centered around Adam, Kai and Mira, who wake up in a strange room with no memories. They work together to explore this strange new world that they have discovered, on a quest to return home (despite not knowing where home even is). When going through this new and strange world, they discover new friends and new enemies, and many different challenges are thrown their way. The Hollow is definitely a loveable series, with many amazing aspects including awesome worldbuilding, great diversity and a loveable set of characters. The Hollow is an extremely fun 20 episode series, and if you haven’t seen it, I recommend getting on Netflix now and checking it out!

3. Sym-Bionic Titan

Another series that was underrated mainly due to Cartoon Network…Sym-Bionic Titan was and still is remembered as a cult classic. The reason for it being underrated is due to scheduling mainly. At first, it was on an action block on Cartoon Network, but it was eventually moved to Wednesday nights which is a terrible time slot, and it was eventually moved to Saturday morning with no warning. The reasoning behind this is not entirely known. Some say it was due to being unable to make toys, and some were saying that it was due to disputes with the team. One thing to say though is that it is severely underrated, though it does still have fans.

Sym-bionic Titan still became one of my favorites during its 20 episode run from 2010 to 2011. Sym-bionic Titan is about Lance, Octus and Ilana who fled from their planet Galuna to come to Earth due to their planet being consumed by these creatures known as the Mutraddi. As the leader of the Mutraddi wants to kill the next heir to Galuna, Ilana, the three must blend into Earth. The name of the series comes from what happens when the three combine - when they do, they form the Sym-Bionic Titan. I love the writing, characters and the artstyle. The series was definitely underrated, and it deserved much better than what it got from Cartoon Network. You can watch Sym-Bionic Titan on iTunes!

2. Motorcity

Let’s continue on with shows that were screwed over by the network, and this time, Disney is to blame! Motorcity was a series that suffered poor scheduling and promotion, which was what led to its downfall. Firstly, the series received minimal advertising from the start (it seemed that Disney did not like the idea from the get go as it was being pitched for ten years before it even got the approval). Furthermore, there were lots of unnecessary hiatuses during the first season when the fandom was just starting to form. And the worst part of it all is that it kept getting moved around different time slots, and at one point, even had a timeslot at midnight. Due to the hiatuses and the time slots moving around, Motorcity was quite difficult to watch, making it quite unknown and underrated.

Motorcity ran from 2012 to 2013 for 20 episodes. The series was centered around a group of rebels known as the Burners, consisting of Mike (the leader), Julie (an insider gathering information from Abraham), Chuck (the tech guy), Dutch (the smart one), Texas (the muscle) and Jacob (the old aged mentor). Their goal is to stop a capitalistic billionaire named Abraham from taking over Motorcity which is a small part of the city they live in, Detroit. In terms of what I love about the series, I love the characters, the great story and plot line and the fact that the series has introspective and thought provoking moments.

1. Detentionaire

Being from Canada, I get to see a lot of the underrated gems that we all have, and while I have seen a lot, this is probably the most underrated. Detentionaire’s reason for being underrated is quite sad. It was doing quite well in Canada, and it did get distributed to a few other countries where it also performed strongly. However, like 6Teen, Detentionaire got swept under the radar because of how it was treated by Cartoon Network in the US. What they did to Detentionaire hurt it much more though. It had lots of censorship like 6Teen, though, lots of the censorship was not even necessary. They would just remove random bits of dialogue. Furthermore, they only aired 20 of the 53 episodes on their website with the episodes out of order, and that hurt the show as not many people used the website, and if they did see it, they wouldn’t have understood anything as it was story-driven. Moreover, the player on their website was broken for a good portion of the time Detentionaire was there, which hindered its accessibility even more. All of these factors led to Detentionaire being virtually unknown in the US, and once it didn’t perform in the US, a bunch of other countries did not want to take it as they were skeptical on how the show would perform in their countries. It is a shame though because this show is one of the greatest I have seen. It is also in my top five favorite cartoons of all time.

Detentionaire is about a highschooler named Lee who gets framed for a huge prank and gets detention for a year. He goes on a quest to clear his name, and while he expected to just bust some ordinary prankster, he instead finds out that the prank was a small step to a major conspiracy. This conspiracy connects back to him and his entire bloodline. It is a shame that this series is not as popular as it should be. This is one of the few story-driven animated shows that I would say is on par with the legendary Disney trio (Amphibia, The Owl House and Gravity Falls). I have so much positive to say about this show - I would say that off the bat, my favorite aspects are the mystery and the plot progression as the plot really gets more intense with each episode. I would say that another highlight was the characters as they all feel like actual high school students which gives the show a sense of relatability. I really hope Detentionaire gets the resurgence it deserves some day as it is truly a masterpiece. There’s a reason that Detentionaire is at the top of a list of the 10 most underrated cartoons, and there’s a reason that it is in my 5 best cartoons of all time. I hope I have convinced at least a few of you to watch it. You can watch Detentionaire on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun or on Tubi!

Well, these were my 10 most underrated cartoons! I hope I introduced you to some new cartoons! Which one of these do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Are there any more you would add? And be sure to follow me for regular blogs!

#cartoon #cartoons #cartoon network #nickelodeon #disney #teletoon #netflix #over the garden wall #hilda #rise of the teenage mutant ninja turtles #teenage mutant ninja turtles #final space #glitch techs #6teen #the hollow #sym-bionic titan #motorcity #detentionaire #radarplz

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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New page for cartoon takes!

Hey guys! I made another account for cartoon takes! Feel free to follow that one as it will be more active! I will still post on this one, but this one is specifically for blogs, while the new one will be for hot takes and things of that nature!

Here’s the link: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/cartoon-takes

#cartoon #cartoons #nostalgia #2000s cartoons #2010s cartoons #animation

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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Ten best cartoon antagonists

Since my last blog was on cartoon protagonists, I had to follow up with one on cartoon antagonists. Like protagonists, antagonists are a strong foundation to any series. If done right, they can be the highlight of the show. Due to their importance, I had to write a blog on my ten best cartoon antagonists.

10. Plankton - SpongeBob SquarePants

One of the most iconic villains of all time! And he is a great villain as well. Plankton is the main antagonist to the long running hit animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. Plankton’s main goal the entire series is to steal the formula for the Krabby Patty, the most prominent food item at the restaurant SpongeBob works at, The Krusty Krab. Throughout the series, we see him conduct some pretty unique ways of doing it, though failing every time. Furthermore, he has moments outside of that. For instance, there was an episode which stood out to me where he switches bodies with Mr. Krabs, the Krusty Krab owner, and he gets to experience that lifestyle. This episode showed some depth to him and showed that he is not just some petty business owner. My favorite aspects of Plankton are his conniving nature, his depth and the fact that he is hilarious. Plankton is definitely an awesome villain, and it is great that he has managed to become such an icon. You can watch SpongeBob SquarePants on Paramount +, Fubo TV, iTunes and Amazon!

9. Aku - Samurai Jack

While not as iconic as Plankton, Aku is still a phenomenal villain. Aku is the main antagonist to Samurai Jack. Aku was the Master of Darkness. He ruled the world for a long period of time and turned it into his dark dystopia. The main protagonist, Jack tried to stand against Aku, but Aku sent him into the dystopian future that he ruled. He has his mix of seriously evil moments in the series (especially in the last season), but he also has his more goofier moments where his evil acts are played for laughs. My favorite aspects of Aku are how he can be both a serious villain and one played for laughs, he has an awesome design and his character does have quite a bit of depth to him. Samurai Jack managed to develop an amazing protagonist and an even better antagonist! You can watch Samurai Jack on HBO Max.

8. King Andrias - Amphibia (WARNING: Spoilers in this section)

Who is surprised about this one? It is my favorite show so he had to be included somewhere! King Andrias is the main villain of Amphibia. He is the king of Amphibia who has the goal of using the Calamity Box to conquer different worlds, with his first target being Earth. He targets Anne by acting as an ally in order to obtain the Calamity Box which he can use to conquer Earth. After two seasons, he finally reveals his true colors, and the heroes realize his real intentions. Despite being a manipulative and evil character, he does seem to have a soft side. While he did manipulate Anne’s friend Marcy to help him with his plans, he did admit to her that he always liked her. This is one of the aspects that I love about Andrias’s character. Despite the fact that he is clearly a villain, he does have a soft side which is mainly covered by his thirst for power. This really adds layers to his character. Furthermore, this thirst in power mentioned, along with his manipulative nature all make him an outstanding villain. Amphibia was one of the greatest shows I have ever seen, and Andrias definitely contributed to that. You can watch Amphibia on Disney Plus!

7. Professor Pericles - Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated

This series in general is one of the more underrated shows to me as I do not see it being brought up in discussion much. However, it is an amazing series and the villain is one of the greatest aspects. Professor Pericles is the main antagonist to Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated. Professor Pericles was a member of the original Mystery Incorporated, and at one point in his life, he was a genuinely good parrot. However, once introduced to this Evil Entity, whose power that Pericles wanted, he became corrupted. He formed a whole scheme connecting the two Mystery Incorporated groups in order to get the power of the Evil Entity. Through this, he committed many heinous acts including poisoning his original owner and even getting his men to shoot a teenage girl dead. While he is clearly cruel, I love him just for that. His cruel and manipulative nature along with the voice that they used for him (they used a very subtle yet sinister vocal tone for his character) made him an awesome villain. Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated is one of the more underrated Scooby Doo shows, and Pericles was one of the highlights to it. You can watch Scooby Doo: Mystery Incorporated on HBO Max.

6. The Serpent - Detentionaire (WARNING: Spoilers in this section)

I just talked about one of the more underrated shows to me, but now, I am going to be talking about the absolute most underrated show. Another show where the villains made it extremely enjoyable, and I had to bring up this one in particular. The Serpent is one of the antagonists of Detentionaire. He works with the council that the main protagonist Lee is trying to stop from essentially opening up this pyramid underneath his school, containing an entirely different species. The Serpent starts off as the bodyguard to the council, who mainly is involved with more physical tasks in their conquest like fighting off anyone who is a threat. However, later on in the series, The Serpent seems to have his own vendetta against the protagonist Lee as he seems to be stalking Lee and his family. It is later revealed that The Serpent is Lee’s brother who was kidnapped at a young age before Lee was born. The council (who kidnapped him) trained him to be their assassin without revealing they were the ones who kidnapped him, and fed him lies telling him that his family abandoned him. Once he did find out what the council did to him, he switched sides, but he still acted as a villain. While Lee and them just wanted to stop the council from executing their plans, The Serpent had the goal of murder as revenge. Some aspects of The Serpent that stood out to me were his ruthless nature, his mysteriousness and the amount of depth to his character. While he did not get much screen time until the later episodes, the time he did get really developed his character. Detentionaire is a truly underrated series, and while I can always hope for it to get the recognition it deserves, I will always have love for the series and its awesome characters like The Serpent. You can watch Detentionaire on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, or on Tubi!

5. The Shredder - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)

It feels funny jumping from an underrated character to a super well known character, but hey! The Shredder is the main antagonist to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. As there are so many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles forms of media with different versions of the characters, I will focus my attention towards The Shredder from the 2012 series. The Shredder is the leader of the Foot Clan, a group of ninjas who all serve as obstacles for the turtles. Throughout the show, he has the goal of getting revenge on his main rival, Splinter. When trying to accomplish his goal, Shredder has demonstrated many traits that I love seeing in villains as he is ruthless, aggressive and manipulative. The Shredder is one of the greatest villains I have witnessed, especially in the 2012 adaption of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I am glad that he is somewhat of a large icon. You can watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) on Amazon or iTunes!

4. Zaheer - The Legend of Korra

The Legend of Korra was a spinoff series that was actually really great, and its antagonists helped contribute to that. Zaheer is one of the antagonists to The Legend of Korra. Zaheer is a bit different than most of the villains on this list. While he is also clearly a villain, he is aiming to obtain freedom as opposed to a lot of other villains on this list who are clearly aiming to get power and things of that nature. Furthermore, he does seem to actually care for a variety of different characters such as his girlfriend. However, to achieve his goals of freedom, he has done many unethical acts including attempting to murder Korra. What I love about Zaheer is the fact that he is just a very complex character. He actually does fight for a good cause which makes him more intriguing as a villain. Along with this mixed identity, another classic villain trait of his that stands out to me is that he is manipulative. Zaheer is definitely an amazing villain to one of my favorite spinoff shows. You can watch The Legend of Korra on Netflix or on Amazon Prime Video!

3. Hunter - The Owl House

One of my favorite characters to one of my favorite shows that is ending soon. Hunter is an antagonist to The Owl House. Hunter is a Grimwalker (an artificial witch). Hunter is quite loyal to his uncle, Emperor Belos. One aspect to note about Hunter and his relationship with Belos is that he always takes his orders from Belos seriously. We also get to see some vulnerability in his character which is nice - we learn that he is a powerless witch which causes insecurity for him. Some aspects I love about his character are that we get to see a vulnerable side through his insecurities, and we also see glimpses of kindness and loyalty (towards Belos and even Luz after she saves him), but even with these positive aspects, we take him seriously as a villain. Alongside that, he has such a cool design. While it’s coming to an end soon, The Owl House was a great show, and Hunter did contribute to that. You can watch The Owl House on Disney+ or Disney Now!

2. Fire Lord Ozai - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Now, we talk about a villain from what I think was the first serialized series I watched as a kid: Fire Lord Ozai! Fire Lord Ozai was the main antagonist to Avatar: The Last Airbender. Upon taking the rule of the Fire Nation, he vowed to overtake the rest of the nations and to ultimately become the ruler of the world. He was proven to be reckless and merciless even to his own people. If anyone was reluctant towards him, they would suffer consequences whether they be exiled or executed. Furthermore, he even burnt the side of his son, Zuko’s face due to disrespect and exiled him from the Fire Nation until he had captured the Avatar. What makes this worse was that he later claimed that this act of cruelty was done as a way to teach him respect. Fire Lord Ozai was in general ruthless and was willing to do anything to overtake the world, whether that be destroying villages or killing people including the ones that are close to him. All of these terrible things about him are what make him a great villain though! I love his power-hungry nature that just fuels him, I love the fact that he is so cruel to the people around him as that makes me take him seriously as a villain, and I love how even when he is defeated, he still manages to keep a confident exterior. Overall, Fire Lord Ozai was a great villain, and I am glad that he was one of the first TV villains I saw in terms of serialized content when growing up. You can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, Amazon, iTunes or Google Play.

1. Bill Cypher - Gravity Falls (WARNING: Spoilers in this section)

And now we are onto my favorite villain of all time: Bill Cipher! Bill Cipher was the main antagonist to Gravity Falls. After being summoned by a young man named Ford, who wanted to uncover the mysteries regarding strange phenomena at Gravity Falls, Bill decided to use this man for his plans. Bill then tricked Ford into creating a portal leading into the Nightmare Realm. Once finding out, Ford tried shutting this down, but in turn ended up falling into the portal, getting stuck between dimensions. With him gone, Bill did not have a human vessel, and he was unable to carry out his plans. However, things do work out for him later on. Gideon Gleeful eventually summons him to help him take over the Mystery Shack by invading the owner, Stanley’s mind. While he is stopped by the twins, he warns them of what is to come. From there, events continue to intensify until he finally takes over Gravity Falls and wreaks havoc among the people. Bill has everything I love about a villain - he is lighthearted and gleeful while still being taken seriously, he is mysterious and he is literally a reference to the illuminati. Bill is indeed such a well thought out villain, and he was one of the many reasons Gravity Falls was as enjoyable as it was. You can watch Gravity Falls on Disney Plus!

Well, these were my ten best cartoon antagonists! Which ones do you agree with? Which ones do you disagree with? Are there any you would add? If so, which ones? And be sure to follow me for regular cartoon takes as I post blogs regularly!

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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Ten best cartoon protagonists

Cartoons often need a strong protagonist in order to be truly enjoyable! Whether they are great in the sense that they are funny, charismatic, brave, or any other qualities, they often need to have some trait that makes them enjoyable in order to keep the viewers invested into the show. Today, I will discuss my ten best cartoon protagonists.

10. Starfire (Teen Titans)

If you have seen my best cartoons of the 2000s blog, you’d know that I am a huge Teen Titans fan! From the awesome crew, my favorite is Starfire! Starfire is one of the main protagonists from Teen Titans, and she serves as one of the five main protagonists. Starfire is an alien princess who comes from Tamaran. She is very sweet and naive, but at the same time, she is also very courageous. Starfire definitely has much to love about her. I personally love her sweet nature, her loyalty to her friends and the way she talks (she often misuses words as she is not used to earth’s customs). Starfire is definitely the best to me from an already amazing group. You can watch Starfire’s series Teen Titans on HBO Max or Vudu!

9. Wander (Wander Over Yonder)

I am mainly someone who is into more serious characters, but Wander is an exception to that! Wander is the main character from Wander Over Yonder. Wander is a nomad who has the main goal of making others happy. This comes from the fact that at one point in his life, he was totally helpless, and he wanted to help others. His main goal is to encourage others to have fun. Judging by what I have said, it already probably seems that there is literally nothing to hate about Wander. If I were to pick my favorite aspects about him, I’d say I love the fact that he has a very kind heart, I love his overall goofiness and I love his over the top cartoony design. While I mainly prefer more serious characters, Wander served as an amazing protagonist. You can watch Wander’s series Wander Over Yonder on Disney+!

8. Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)

Another one of the more goofy protagonists that I have grown to love! Mabel Pines is one of the main protagonists of Gravity Falls. She is the more goofier one from the two twins who mainly focuses on finding a boyfriend. Despite her goal, she is still someone who is sweet and endearing and she really does care about the people around her. This is especially seen in the later few episodes of the series when she is at the risk of losing her family. What I love about Mabel is that she is just so positive, she is caring about others and while others may find this annoying about her, she is always so energetic, and I like this because it reminds me of how I acted when I was her age. Mabel is definitely an amazing protagonist, and I am glad that her and the rest of the cast made Gravity Falls as enjoyable as it is. You can watch Mabel’s series Gravity Falls on Disney Plus!

7. SpongeBob SquarePants (SpongeBob SquarePants)

This is a list counting down the ten best cartoon protagonists…I had to include him somewhere, and I am sure most of you would have as well. SpongeBob SquarePants is the main protagonist of the show with the same name. He is a fry cook that works at the restaurant, The Krusty Krab. When he is not working at the Krusty Krab, he is often found partaking in other activities such as jellyfishing with his pal Patrick, karate with his squirrel friend Sandy or annoying his neighbor Squidward (never intentionally). SpongeBob is a character who is filled with optimism and positivity like Mabel. However, he does have his serious moments, especially in the earlier episodes. One of the more serious moments of his that stands out to me is when his snail Gary ran away, and SpongeBob went on a quest to find him. What I love about SpongeBob is that he has a very awesome and iconic design, he is outright hilarious and he is another one of those characters that radiates optimism. SpongeBob is a great character, and I am glad that he is the icon that he is today. You can watch SpongeBob’s series SpongeBob SquarePants on Paramount + or Fubo TV!

6. Rick Sanchez (Rick and Morty)

Of course I had to include everyone’s favorite grandpa. Rick Sanchez is one of the two main protagonists in the animated sitcom Rick and Morty. Rick is the grandpa to the family, and he is the one who often takes the grandson Morty on galactic adventures to different dimensions. He definitely comes from a complex past: as a kid, he always had a fascination for gadgets, and when he became an adult, he wanted to invent teleportation. However, one thing led to another and his family was murdered. He went on a quest to find the killer (who was another version of him), and murdered many others along the way. Now, he lives with his daughter's family, and often takes their son Morty on his adventures. Rick is viewed as a jerk in the series, and at the surface level, it may seem that way, but he is much deeper than that. Whatever said and done, he cares tremendously for his family. Furthermore, he has his moments where he is shown to be nice. My favorite aspects about Rick are his reckless but daring nature, his quirkiness and his deep personality that requires analysis to fully grasp. Rick is definitely one of my favorite protagonists and it’s great that Rick and Morty gets the attention it does. You can watch Rick’s series Rick and Morty on Netflix!

5. Aang (Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Another iconic protagonist, and the protagonist to one of my favorite cartoons, Aang! Aang is the main protagonist to Avatar: The Last Airbender. Aang is the Avatar who is in charge of restoring peace to the nation by defeating the Firelord Ozai. Throughout the series, Aang travels through the different nations to master all the elements, and goes through many dark losses along the way. Despite the pain he goes through, he still remains a kind hearted kid, but also grows in terms of maturity. Some of my favorite aspects of Aang are his light hearted nature, his sense of humor and his development throughout the series as he goes through major changes as the stakes pick up. Aang is definitely an amazing character, and he is one of the defining characters of Avatar: The Last Airbender. You can watch Aang’s series Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix!

4. Kipo Oak (Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts)

One of the more underrated ones on this list…Kipo. Kipo is the main protagonist to Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts. Kipo is a mute (a mutant animal essentially). Like many of the other protagonists on here, Kipo exhibits a very friendly and happy personality. While the majority of humans and mutes believe that there is no way that they can get along, Kipo believes otherwise. Through the series, she remains optimistic about everything despite obstacles. Some of my favorite aspects of Kipo are her optimism, her extroverted nature and her intelligence. Kipo is definitely one of the more underrated ones on this list, and I hope this blog brings her some more attention. You can watch Kipo’s series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts on Netflix!

3. Lee Ping (Detentionaire)

Let’s continue this list with another really underrated protagonist on this list: Lee Ping. Lee is the main protagonist of Detentionaire. Lee Ping is a high school student who on his first day gets framed for a prank and gets a year of detention. At first, he seems like that charismatic high schooler that we all wished we were, but as the conspiracy intensifies, we see him demonstrate bravery and handle tough situations. Not only that, but we also get to see him evolve from a normal high schooler to one who is brave and is not afraid of danger. My favorite aspects of Lee are his awesome character design, his ability to just keep calm under pressure and the fact that he truly cares for the ones he loves. Lee’s a great protagonist, and I feel him along with his whole series go really unnoticed especially with how great they are. You can watch Lee’s series Detentionaire on the YouTube channel Retro Rerun, or on Tubi!

2. Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

As someone who is a huge fan of Disney’s newer cartoons, I had to include Luz! Luz is the main protagonist of The Owl House. She is an energetic and friendly teenager who accidentally got herself stuck at Boiling Aisles, a dimension full of magical creatures. She is sort of an outcast in the human world and has been secluded, though she does still remain true to herself. At Boiling Aisles, she goes on a quest to become a witch with the help of Eda Clawthrone, and we see her persistence through this. Not only that, but we see her flow with many other characters, causing some interesting development. My favorite aspects of Luz are her ability to be herself, her friendly nature, and her ability to take a stand when needed. Luz is awesome, and she made my experience with The Owl House awesome! I wish The Owl House could last even longer, but I am happy with the memories I had with it. You can watch Luz’s series The Owl House on Disney+ or Disney Now!

1. Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia)

My profile picture and my previous blogs probably gave this one away…my favorite protagonist of all time is Anne Boonchuy. Anne Boonchuy is the main protagonist of Amphibia. Anne starts off as a more selfish and irresponsible girl who is easily manipulated into doing things (which is sort of what caused her and her friends to be transported to the world of Amphibia. They essentially stole a box which transported them to Amphibia)). We not only see her mature, but we see her show care for her friends, and her frog family on Amphibia. I love Anne’s evolution through the series, her hyperactive personality and the fact that the writers accurately portray her as someone in that age. We all are a bit more self-centered in that age, but once we go through certain experiences, we mature, and Anne is a great example of that. Anne is easily my favorite protagonist, and Amphibia is easily my favorite show. You can watch Anne’s series Amphibia on Disney Plus or Disney Now!

Well, these were my ten best cartoon protagonists! Some of you probably expected a lot of these if you follow me on Twitter, and I may have surprised you with some too! Which ones do you agree with? Disagree with? Did I miss any? Let me know, and be sure to follow me on Tumblr as I post blogs on here as often as I can!

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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10 best Nickelodeon cartoons

Well, this is probably going to be my most controversial countdown but here we go! I love all cartoons, old and new (but I do have a preference for newer stuff), and I go to each cartoon for a different reason. This countdown is going to have lots of classic Nicktoons that people loved, and it will also have some of the newer stuff that I grew up with. I appreciate both types of cartoons and I come to both types for different reasons. Anyways, here’s my ten best Nickelodeon cartoons.

10. Glitch Techs

I probably already surprised people with this one…you guys are probably wondering what’s so great about an obscure, short-lived Nicktoon with a pretty dead fandom. Well, regardless of its obscurity, I enjoyed Glitch Techs a lot. Running in 2020 for a total of 2 seasons and 19 episodes, Glitch Techs is about two teenagers named Hector and Miko who stop these video game characters that come to life, and essentially try to stop them from causing destruction across the real world. I really loved the premise on it’s own, but the characters and the unique artstyle added so much for me. I’d highly recommend it. You can watch Glitch Techs on Netflix!

9. The Legend of Korra

I’m not sure if this take is controversial, but I have definitely seen quite a bit of hate on this show online, so I’d assume people would be surprised by this take as well, I personally loved The Legend of Korra! Sure, it wasn’t as good as the show it was following up, Avatar: The Last Airbender, but I still enjoyed it. With a total of 4 seasons and 52 episodes, The Legend of Korra take place 70 years after the new series where there is a new avatar by the name of Korra. Like the former series, Katara wishes to learn to master all four elements. At the start, she already knows earthbending, metalbending and firebending. However, she travels to Republic City to learn airbending with Aang’s son, Tenzin. However, she learns about a group called the Equalists who oppose bending. As the series goes on, we are introduced to more intense plot lines. I loved the character dynamics along with the darker tone and the intensity. While it is not as great as the original, it is indeed a great series. You can watch The Legend of Korra on Netflix or on Amazon Prime Video!

8. The Fairly Odd Parents

The Fairly OddParents was Nickelodeon’s second longest running show, and it’s definitely great enough to deserve that honor! The series had a total of 10 seasons and 172 episodes. It was about a ten year old boy named Timmy Turner who basically had a terrible life involving being neglected by his parents, having a terrible teacher, an abusive teacher, being an unpopular kid at school, you name it. Due to this miserable life he goes through, he is granted fairy god parents. The Fairly Odd Parents quickly became a show I grew to love on Nickelodeon. Some of my favorite aspects was the very fun concept, the characters and the designs and artstyle they went with. The Fairly Odd Parents was definitely a great series, and while I do not like the last two seasons, I did walk out with eight seasons of awesomeness! You can watch The Fairly OddParents on Paramount +, iTunes, Amazon or Vudu!

7. Rugrats

From the three original Nicktoons, Rugrats was the longest lasting, and it’s no surprise to me! Rugrats was a series that ran from 1991 to 2004, consisting of 9 seasons and 172 episodes. Rugrats was about a group of babies, Tommy, Chuckie, Phil and Lil, and eventually Dil and Kimi, who get into all sorts of adventures that babies would get into. It was never a series that went out of the way to be weird, and it just showed life from a baby’s perspective which was really entertaining. Some aspects that made me like the show were the innocence of it, the perspective of how a baby interacts, and the fact that it was at times willing to tackle darker themes. You can watch Rugrats on Paramount + Amazon, iTunes and on Hulu!

6. Danny Phantom

This may be surprising to see…many prefer The Fairly Odd Parents over Danny Phantom, but I guess this is just a little hot take of mine. Danny Phantom was about a boy named Danny Fenton, a 14 year old boy who lives with his two ghost hunter parents. Danny one day explores the Ghost Portal his parents created, and accidentally turns it on which turns him into a half-ghost. However, as his parents are ghost hunters, and as ghosts are not viewed in a positive light, Danny keeps his identity hidden. I loved this series. The animation was phenomenal, the character designs were really neat and the concept was amazing. Danny Phantom was truly amazing. You can watch Danny Phantom on Paramount +, iTunes or Amazon!

5. Rocko’s Modern Life

This was another show that was ahead of my time…the only reason I know it exists is because I saw a rerun at midnight once when I was younger and fell in love. Spanning a total of 4 seasons and 52 episodes (along with a TV movie in 2019), Rocko’s Modern Life quickly became a classic. Rocko’s Modern Life revolved around an Australian wallaby named Rocko who is trying to live a normal life in O-Town. However, he does get into some pretty peculiar situations. Some other characters in the series are his steer friend Heffer, who often is the one that causes trouble (albeit accidentally) with his actions, Filburt, an awkward turtle, and his neighbor, Mr. Bighead, who hates him and Mr. Bighead’s wife who seems to have a crush on Rocko. With such an interesting set of characters, interesting adventures are definitely bound to happen. And they do! What I love about this show are the crazy situations the characters get themselves into, the fast pacing and the diverse set of characters! Rocko’s Modern Life is indeed a masterpiece, and one of the defining cartoons of the 90s. You can watch Rocko’s Modern Life on Vudu, Amazon or iTunes!

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a franchise I love, and the 2012 series was definitely my favorite series from the bunch. I’m sure most of you know the plot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - the story of four turtles who live in the sewers and fight crime. Well, this one does focus on that, but it takes a much darker approach. In this series, we learn much more about the origin of turtles, and their master, Splinter, the past relationship with Splinter and Shredder, and much more. We also go through an increasingly intense story as each season would top the last. I loved this series when it was airing and I still do. Some things that stand out to me are the darker tone, the characters (it’s the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so obviously I love the characters) and the very tightly driven story. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012) is definitely my favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles show from the bunch, and I cannot recommend it enough. You can watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Amazon or iTunes!

3. Invader Zim

While we are talking about more mature Nicktoons with a darker tone, I must bring up Invader Zim! Invader Zim was a series which ran from 2001 to 2006 and had a total of 27 episodes. It was about an alien named Zim who gets sent to Earth by the Irken race to get rid of him. Zim along with his brain dead robot assistant GIR attempt to conquer earth, and the only one aware of their plans is Zim’s classmate, Dib (Zim went to school to disguise as a normal kid). The plot points this series takes are truly amazing, and while some episodes are grotesque, they are never gross to the point where I wish to stop watching. Some highlights for me are the darker themes and humor, the pacing and the voice acting. This was definitely one of those shows that was ahead of its time. You can watch Invader Zim on Paramount+, Amazon or iTunes.

2. SpongeBob SquarePants

Of course, I had to include what is probably not only Nickelodeon’s most iconic cartoon, but the most iconic cartoon in general. SpongeBob SquarePants is a currently ongoing series which started in 1999, and currently has 13 seasons of 270 episodes, along with 3 movies. SpongeBob SquarePants is about a sponge named SpongeBob who works as a fry cook at a local fast food restaurant known as the Krusty Krab. Outside of that, he is often jellyfishing with his starfish friend Patrick, doing karate with his squirrel friend Sandy or annoying his squid neighbor Squidward. The series is truly amazing. My favorite aspects are the fun and vibrant characters, the humor and the fact that it can have darker and emotional episodes. Despite some of the later episodes being mediocre (though it has gotten better again), SpongeBob SquarePants is awesome! You can watch SpongeBob SquarePants on Paramount +, Fubo TV, iTunes and Amazon!

1. Avatar: The Last Airbender

While this is nowhere near as iconic as SpongeBob SquarePants, Avatar: The Last Airbender is definitely my favorite, and it was the show that introduced me to story-driven cartoons. The series ran from 2005 to 2009, and it had a total of 3 seasons and 61 episodes. The series takes place in a world where there are 4 divided nations: water, earth, fire and air. The four nations lived in peace until the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar who can master all four elements can restore peace. The Avatar is a young boy named Aang who travels to different nations with his friends in order for him to learn the elements and defeat the fire lord. This show has a great story, an awesome anime-esque artstyle and characters that you can feel for. This is truly the best Nicktoon to me, and I am sure that like myself, most would rank it pretty high on a 10 best Nickelodeon cartoons list. You can watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on Netflix, Amazon, iTunes or Google Play.

These were the 10 best Nickelodeon cartoons to me! Definitely my most controversial list, but what do you guys think? Let me know what you agree and disagree with! And be sure to follow me for regular cartoon takes!

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cartoonrankings · 2 years

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10 Best Cartoon Network Originals

As much as I despise Cartoon Network’s decision makers, I do love a lot of originals that their studios have produced! We have gotten many funny cartoons, many serious cartoons and other experimental cartoons! Anyways, here are the 10 best Cartoon Network originals!

10. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy

While I think this one deserves to be talked about a lot more, it is one of the many classics that I am sure many of you 2000s kids remember! The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy ran for 6 seasons of 77 episodes from 2001 to 2007. The story revolves around a grim reaper that is forced to be companions to Billy and Mandy, two friends. This causes many fun adventures and dynamics between the three. Overall, it is a pretty fun series delivering lots of slapstick comedy and even transcends into dark themes at times. I love the premise, the humor and the show's awesome voice acting. Despite some duds in the second half, The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy is an awesome show overall! You can watch it on HBO Max, Amazon Instant Video or iTunes.

9. Over the Garden Wall

The mysterious miniseries of Cartoon Network…Over the Garden Wall. This show was an amazing example of showcasing that nothing is truly what it seems. Running for a total of 10 episodes in 2014, Over the Garden Wall revolved around two brothers, Greg and Wirt, who find themselves in a mysterious land known as the Unknown. They are now on a quest to get back home. This series was truly spectacular. My favorite elements were the mystery, the dark atmosphere and the very loveable characters. I especially loved Greg’s naïve and kiddy personality. Over the Garden Wall was truly phenomenal. You can watch Over the Garden Wall on Hulu, Amazon or iTunes.

8. Samurai Jack

I was always intrigued by samurais so this show was awesome to me! Samurai Jack ran from 2001 to 2004 and returned in 2017 for one final season. The series ran for 62 episodes and five seasons in total. It revolves around a samurai named Jack who tries to stop Aku, a shapeshifting demon who has taken over his kingdom. Unfortunately, Aku sends him into the dystopian future where he is ruler. The first 4 seasons had a younger audience in mind, while the fifth targeted an older audience. The fifth season’s darker approach was also great! Some factors I love about the series are the darker themes, the interesting art style and colors which compliment the series very well and the awesome voice acting, especially by Phil LaMarr as the lead character. I highly recommend Samurai Jack. You can watch Samurai Jack on HBO Max.

7. Teen Titans

A classic, which I am sure was expected. Teen Titans ran for 5 seasons of 65 episodes from 2003 to 2006. This series revolved around a group of 5 heroes that call themselves the Teen Titans. The team consists of the leader Robin, a hero with the power to morph into animals named Beast Boy, an alien princess named Starfire, a cyborg named well…Cyborg and a goth girl with telekinesis named Raven. The series goes through different arcs with each arc focusing on a different character of the group. In this show, I loved the great voice acting, the intense soundtrack, the characters, as each had an intriguing personality and the arcs that are both action packed and heavy on emotion. Teen Titans is phenomenal. You can watch Teen Titans on iTunes.

6. Infinity Train

A truly spectacular show that deserved much better. Infinity Train was a cartoon that ran from 2019 to 2021, consisting of 4 seasons and 40 episodes. Infinity Train is about a train that picks up passengers that have unresolved trauma, and they travel through the train’s cars to resolve their trauma. This series was truly amazing, and it’s obvious why anybody would be mad about its cancellation. I loved the amazing concept, how it is easily able to capture the viewer’s emotions and the morals that the series teaches. It was an amazing series, and I would definitely recommend it. It was easily one of the 10 best Cartoon Network originals, and it deserved way better! You can watch Infinity Train on HBO Max!

5. The Amazing World of Gumball

I would say the title represents the show accurately…The Amazing World of Gumball is amazing! The series ran for a total of 6 seasons and 240 episodes from 2011 to 2019 (though the series did get some shorts and will be getting a movie). The series is about Gumball, and his adopted brother, Darwin, who live in the city of Elmore. The series revolves around the two getting into different sorts of shenanigans whether it be at their school or at home, oftentimes also playing a focus on other family members like their genius sister Anais, or their parents, Nicole and Richard. As it goes on, it gets more serious with episodes featuring the void. There is a lot to love about this show. I love the funny characters, the development of the series and the overall storylines as they always exuberate creativity. The Amazing World of Gumball truly is amazing, and I can see why they named it that. You can watch The Amazing World of Gumball on Hulu or HBO Max.

4. Regular Show

Alongside the previous mention of this list, The Amazing World of Gumball, Regular Show was one of the few cartoons that carried Cartoon Network in the early 2010s. Running for a total of 8 seasons and 261 episodes from 2010 to 2017, Regular Show quickly became a hit. The series was about two friends, Mordecai and Rigby, who work as groundskeepers at a park, and they often do cause trouble. Each episode often starts off with a simple situation, but by the end of it, it gets super complex and often deep. My favorite aspect of Regular Show is the characters. I love the two main characters, Benson (their boss), Muscle Man and Pops. One thing that’s different about Regular Show is that the two main characters are terrible people from a moral standpoint, so when something bad happens to them, I just laugh at it instead of feeling bad. I also love how each episode gets super crazy despite opening up with a simple situation and I love the humor of the series overall. Regular Show is anything but regular, and that is what makes it awesome. You can watch Regular Show on HBO Max or Hulu!

3. Ed Edd n Eddy

Who wouldn’t love this Cartoon Network classic? Well, I kind of found it recently because I didn’t have Cartoon Network on my TV until 2009.. Nonetheless, I still love it! Running for 6 seasons of 69 episodes from 1999 to 2007, along with receiving a TV movie in 2009, Ed Edd n Eddy quickly became a heavy hitter for Cartoon Network. It was about three preteens named Ed, Edd and Eddy, who are always trying to essentially scam the other kids for money so that they can obtain jawbreakers. Not only that, but they have episodes with adventures not revolving around this scheme. From the three in the group, Ed is the dimwitted one, Edd is the inventor essentially and Eddy is the leader. Some highlights for me are the character dynamics, the humor and the unique artstyle. It definitely deserved a spot on my 10 best Cartoon Network originals as it stood the test of time. Despite being old, I still love it! Ed Edd n Eddy is definitely a classic! You can watch Ed Edd N Eddy on HBO Max!

2. Adventure Time

Ah yes, the series that carried Cartoon Network on its back in the early 2010s. With 10 seasons and 283 episodes, Adventure Time quickly became one of the most iconic cartoons of the 2010s. The series is about a human named Finn and his friend Jake who live in the Land of Ooo, a place which was destroyed by a war. Through the series, they go through many adventures whether that be stopping the Ice King from kidnapping Princess Bubblegum, throwing a sick party or chilling at a haunted house during Halloween The duo is always up to something awesome! As the series goes on, it also gets much more serious and delves into some darker themes. I loved the progression, the colorful backgrounds and the very vibrant characters. Adventure Time is a masterpiece. You can watch Adventure time on Hulu or HBO Max!

1. Steven Universe

Steven Universe was another one of Cartoon Network’s heavy hitters. Running a total of 5 seasons and 160 episodes, Steven Universe became one of their more beloved shows. The series was about The Gems - alien warriors that protect the world from threats. The Gems consist of Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl and Steven. Steven is a bit different as he is half-human, and he inherited the gem from his mom. Like Adventure Time, this is a series that gets more intense progressively. I love a lot about this series. Some of my favorite factors are that the designs and color choice are beautiful, the characters are very well written and the emotional spark the series leaves is amazing. I also like how Steven Universe was able to push boundaries, and introduce same sex relationships in the series. It definitely changed the cartoon landscape in a positive way, and this is why it is one of the best cartoons of the 2010s and perhaps one of the most impactful. You can watch Steven Universe on Hulu!

Well, these were the 10 best Cartoon Network originals to me! I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you disagree with this one, but remember that it is only my opinion. Anyways, which ones did you agree with? Which ones did you disagree with? What are some other Cartoon Network shows you love? Let me know, and be sure to follow me for regular cartoon blogs as I will post them weekly!

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