Unconventional or unpopular opinions you have (re: animation)

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^^This, in a nutshell, is how I feel about Hey, Arnold, Rugrats, Phineas and Ferb and Hailey's On It. I never got the mass appeal of any of these shows.

Three of those are plain fun and the other (Hey Arnold!) had multiple episodes that tackled serious issues in a way that kids would understand. It was well ahead of its time.

 

[Goldstar!]

On a similar note, I could never get into The Amazing World of Gumball. I feel like I'm the only person on the planet who isn't a fan of this show. And the weird thing is, on the surface, Gumball looks it should be one of my jams, but I just don't find the stories very entertaining, nor do I find any of its characters very appealing. Sure, I get it. It's insane, but you can't have a successful formula on insanity alone. Rocko's Modern Life did it much better. You have to like the characters also. If I'm expected to follow a series for 6 seasons, I have to like the characters and feel something for them, but I don't. I feel like there's a germ of a good idea in The Amazing World of Gumball, but the execution is pretty weak, overall.

Hey Arnold!) had multiple episodes that tackled serious issues in a way that kids would understand. It was well ahead of its time.

I could never get into Hey, Arnold. Not only did I find the show to be boring, but that show needed to figure out it's tone. There'd be all jokey-jokes in one short, and the next would have almost no comedy at all. Figure out what you want to be, show!

 

[Silverstar]

Three of those are plain fun and the other (Hey Arnold!) had multiple episodes that tackled serious issues in a way that kids would understand. It was well ahead of its time.

Good for them, but they're just not my thing. My personal picks for "just plain fun" would be:

• Looney Tunes
• Tom & Jerry
• MGM Cartoons
• Disney's Sensational Six
• OG Wacky Races
• Dexter's Laboratory
• OG Powerpuff Girls
• Johnny Bravo
• Chowder
• The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
• Eek! The Cat
• The Groovie Ghoulies
• The Funny Company
• Uncle Grandpa
• Rocko's Modern Life
• Freakazoid!
• OG Animaniacs
• New Looney Tunes
• Looney Tunes Cartoons
• Liquid Television/Cartoon Sushi
• OG Aqua Teen Hunger Force
• Space Ghost: Coast to Coast/OG Cartoon Planet
• Sealab 2021

As for "tackling serious issues in a way that kids would understand", I never needed nor wanted that from my cartoons; I grew up during the 70s and 80s, so that's what afterschool specials were for.

 

[Edward Joseph]

Funny, I'm just the opposite: Cartoon Network has always been my personal favorite of the Big Three kids and animation channels, though I did enjoy some shows from the other two, with honorable mention going to The Hub, which unfortunately didn't last that long.

I always preferred CN because they had the older cartoons that I grew up enjoying: Looney Tunes (the GOAT in my opinion), Hanna-Barbera, Tom & Jerry, MGM, Popeye, etc. and their originals, bumps, idents and wraparounds were closer to my style of humor. Cartoon Network "got me" more than the other networks did. Nickelodeon's stuff was usually too juvenile for me (the irony of that statement isn't lost on me, BTW) and on our cable system didn't offer Disney Channel as basic tier for many years so I didn't see much of it overall, plus I've always liked Warner more than Disney anyway, though I do like some Disney stuff, mainly the classic shorts and some of TV cartoons, though again CN's style appeals to me more.

Mostly agreed. At least Cartoon Network didn't constantly infest their channel with cheap live action sitcoms like their competitors (ok, sans the turn of the 2010s). They also have the best nighttime block: Adult Swim (Nickelodeon's nighttime block has basically turned into "Modern Sitcom Rerun Land" and Disney Channel doesn't even have a nighttime block anymore (still salty about them removing Vault Disney ).

Though I will say that it's a real shame that they removed most of those older cartoons around 2004. The sheer variety of old and new cartoons present around the turn of the millennium has never really returned.

I've always just been "eh" about anime. I don't dislike anime as a whole, but I never got the big fascination with it. Probably because when I was growing up the fancy term 'anime' didn't exist; everything animated was just 'cartoons', so I never put the Japanese cartoons in a separate category let alone on a pedestal, plus most anime just aren't my thing; I'm more of a episodic comedy/sassy humor/wackiness guy.

Anime's styles are definitely in acquired taste. I like some anime (mostly very early ones) but most aren't really my cup of tea.

I don't get appeal of Bob's Burgers. I can understand King of the Hill. I can understand Futurama. Heck, I can understand freaking American Dad. Bob's Burgers? Eh. It's okay to me.

I don't understand why people love this show so much. Is it because of the characters? Maybe. Is it because of the musical numbers? I don't know. I never really liked them all that much. I just find it annoying, or maybe I'm not into musical shows (with some exceptions). Is it because of the animation? Nah. There are some character designs there were somewhat charming, but I find it kinda ugly and very wonky to me. Y'all can say what you will about Matt Groening and Seth MacFarlane's designs, at least they way more memorable than this. Hell, even Mike Judge's designs are better.

Yeah, I'm not too crazy about Bob's Burgers. Not the worst thing I've ever seen, but I find it incredibly overrated. If you guys like it, that's fine, but it's just not my thing.

I guess that it's liked mainly because it doesn't fall into many of the traps that adult animated shows don't fall into (most of the family actually love each other, the show is grounded in reality etc.).

I too never really got into this show. The art also never appealed to me and struck me off as ugly (Rick and Morty and Bojack Horseman were similar, though I know some fans of those shows will be upset hearing this from me).

 

[LinusFan303]

Funny, I'm just the opposite: Cartoon Network has always been my personal favorite of the Big Three kids and animation channels, though I did enjoy some shows from the other two, with honorable mention going to The Hub, which unfortunately didn't last that long.

I never had a favorite myself. I watched all the channels, can even through in a time with Fox Family in there. I guess maybe Nickelodeon might have been more my skew, maybe.

I don't get appeal of Bob's Burgers. I can understand King of the Hill. I can understand Futurama. Heck, I can understand freaking American Dad. Bob's Burgers? Eh. It's okay to me.

It's liked because it's different than other sitcoms, even different from some live-action ones. It rejects things that Family Guy does ,for example, even rejects some of the things the Simpsons does. The characters are endearing and fun. It's not joke , punchline kind of show, but it has a charm that makes it able to stand out.

 

[JMTV]

It's liked because it's different than other sitcoms, even different from some live-action ones. It rejects things that Family Guy does ,for example, even rejects some of the things the Simpsons does. The characters are endearing and fun. It's not joke , punchline kind of show, but it has a charm that makes it able to stand out.

Sure, I can understand that, but it's just not for me.

Once again, if you enjoy it, that's fine. Different strokes for different folks.

 

[Two Two's]

Warner Bros/CN
I actually liked Loonatics Unleashed, it was a decent show that could of worked if it was given more time in the oven.

Disney/20th Television Animation
Disney should of kept Jetix Animation Concepts, 3 shows wasn't enough to sell investors.


Paramount

Rugrats should of ended in 1995.


Universal
The Minions are better representation of Woody Woodpecker (as a Woody fan, we've got to admit the fact Woody is still marketable but the Minions can do that much better)

Wildbrain

Making new IPs.

 

[Goldstar!]

While I enjoyed Pinky and the Brain as a recurring segment on Animaniacs, I never cared much for their spinoff show. The characters aren't compelling or likable enough to carry a half hour series on their own. The show length episodes in particular felt padded to obesity. P&tB work best as a sideshow, not the main attraction.

The WB Network wanted their own animated series to compete with The Simpsons, but this wasn't it. Meanwhile, a much more worthy contender for that title running on the same network, Mission Hill, got no love whatsoever from the WB execs.

 

[RandomStranger]

Since the topic of the day is "Shows that you never really saw what the hype was about..."

The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack did not do it for me. I found the artstyle and designs to be unpleasant to look at, and I also found to show to be annoying at times, especially with the main character. I also was never was a fan of shows that mainly used gross out or disgusting visuals to get a kick out of viewers, and Flapjack falls into that category.

I honestly feel like if the people who worked on Flapjack didn't go on to create what many consider to be modern classics, the show wouldn't be as highly regarded as it is today.

I also find shows like Amphibia and Owl House to be very run of the mill.

 

[SweetShop209]

Here's an unpopular opinion of mine. Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures is a good show that's pretty fun and sweet. Barbie: Life In The Dreamhouse is a mediocre show that tries to hard to be funny.

 

[Edward Joseph]

Here's an unpopular opinion of mine. Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures is a good show that's pretty fun and sweet. Barbie: Life In The Dreamhouse is a mediocre show that tries to hard to be funny.

Saw a couple of episodes of Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse. A couple of the jokes were pretty funny, but I thought it was just meh. Never seen Dreamhouse Adventures but I do appreciate how they included Barbie's parents.

Then again, I've never really cared for Barbie in general. Her cartoons never interested me and that's no surprise considering that they were aimed at young girls (didn't really think her live action movie was as good as people told me either, it struck me as being too ham-fisted in its messages for its own good).

 

[Red Arrow]

Three of those are plain fun and the other (Hey Arnold!) had multiple episodes that tackled serious issues in a way that kids would understand. It was well ahead of its time.

You gotta admit that that's a boring way to sell a cartoon

Ultimately we watch TV to feel a certain way and Hey Arnold is the epitome of cosiness. Watching the show feels like laying in bed during winter with a flannel sheet over you. The beautiful jazz music, the colors and the likable characters are what made me watch all episodes as an adult. I never really grew up with the show. My sister watched it until I was 6, so before I could follow subtitles.

I could never get into Hey, Arnold. Not only did I find the show to be boring, but that show needed to figure out it's tone. There'd be all jokey-jokes in one short, and the next would have almost no comedy at all. Figure out what you want to be, show!

I have always found a weird argument. I hear it so often in discussions about Steven Universe. Shows are allowed to switch between tones.

 

[Goldstar!]

I have always found a weird argument. I hear it so often in discussions about Steven Universe. Shows are allowed to switch between tones.

I could never get into Steven Universe either. I know that a lot of people love the show and more power to them, but personally, I gave up on SU after about 6 episodes because it found to be boring and too slow moving.

Likewise, I know that a lot of people enjoy(ed) Hey, Arnold, but I found the tonal shifts to be rather jarring. It wasn't funny enough to be a comedy, but not serious enough to be a drama. A little consistency is all I'm asking for. It also didn't help that the show was so predictable that you could bet off of it.

 

[Classic Speedy]

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not because I don't follow cartoon fandoms much, but am I the only one who liked The Owl House's lighter episodes (which seemed to happen moreso in its first season) over its more serious ones? It's another one of those shows that got more dramatic as it went along, which makes sense given that the stakes were getting higher, but I feel like the silliness and lighter tone took a backseat over time and I didn't enjoy that.

 

[Silverstar]

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not because I don't follow cartoon fandoms much, but am I the only one who liked The Owl House's lighter episodes (which seemed to happen moreso in its first season) over its more serious ones? It's another one of those shows that got more dramatic as it went along, which makes sense given that the stakes were getting higher, but I feel like the silliness and lighter tone took a backseat over time and I didn't enjoy that.

Agreed. That was one thing that prevented my enjoyment of both shows.

 

[JMTV]

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not because I don't follow cartoon fandoms much, but am I the only one who liked The Owl House's lighter episodes (which seemed to happen moreso in its first season) over its more serious ones?

You're not the only one. I'm one of those people. I love Owl House Season 1. I don't care what anyone says.

On a similar note, I could never get into The Amazing World of Gumball. I feel like I'm the only person on the planet who isn't a fan of this show. And the weird thing is, on the surface, Gumball looks it should be one of my jams, but I just don't find the stories very entertaining, nor do I find any of its characters very appealing. Sure, I get it. It's insane, but you can't have a successful formula on insanity alone. Rocko's Modern Life did it much better. You have to like the characters also. If I'm expected to follow a series for 6 seasons, I have to like the characters and feel something for them, but I don't. I feel like there's a germ of a good idea in The Amazing World of Gumball, but the execution is pretty weak, overall.

That's fair. I might be nostalgia biased but I do love Gumball due to its colorful, happy nature, and it just so adorable.

Well, that's me from the first season. Never watched the later seasons and I have no plans to.

 

[SpecialColorfull]

I could never get into Steven Universe either. I know that a lot of people love the show and more power to them, but personally, I gave up on SU after about 6 episodes because it found to be boring and too slow moving.

Likewise, I know that a lot of people enjoy(ed) Hey, Arnold, but I found the tonal shifts to be rather jarring. It wasn't funny enough to be a comedy, but not serious enough to be a drama. A little consistency is all I'm asking for. It also didn't help that the show was so predictable that you could bet off of it.

If its "So Predictable" then it was consistent lol.
I absolutely get not liking those two shows, even if I do like them though.

 

[Edward Joseph]

I could never get into Steven Universe either. I know that a lot of people love the show and more power to them, but personally, I gave up on SU after about 6 episodes because it found to be boring and too slow moving.

Only saw a couple of episodes, never really cared for it like I did for Regular Show and The Amazing World of Gumball.

Say Uncle is great though.

 

[RandomStranger]

I could never get into Steven Universe either. I know that a lot of people love the show and more power to them, but personally, I gave up on SU after about 6 episodes because it found to be boring and too slow moving.

The show had a lot of writing and pacing issues, especially post-season 3, and while I can to some extent respect the influence Steven Universe has had on modern western cartoons, I personally find a good majority of the shows that were influenced by SU (as well as Adventure Time) to be pretty meh.

I don't know if this is an unpopular opinion or not because I don't follow cartoon fandoms much, but am I the only one who liked The Owl House's lighter episodes (which seemed to happen moreso in its first season) over its more serious ones? It's another one of those shows that got more dramatic as it went along, which makes sense given that the stakes were getting higher, but I feel like the silliness and lighter tone took a backseat over time and I didn't enjoy that.

Amphibia and Owl House were never my cup of tea. They're the typical "Quirky teenage girl gets transported to a different dimension where the story starts off lighthearted, but by season 2, the show gets all dramatic and intense, which contrasts with the show's artstyle" trope I've seen way too many times.

That being said, The Ghost and Molly Mcgee is a far better show than both Amphibia and Owl House imo. It's genuinely such a breath of fresh air.

 

[Sparklefan1234]

Amphibia and Owl House were never my cup of tea. They're the typical "Quirky teenage girl gets transported to a different dimension where the story starts off lighthearted, but by season 2, the show gets all dramatic and intense, which contrasts with the show's artstyle" trope I've seen way too many times.

What you're describing makes me think of the change from season one of "Tangled: The Series"

to "Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure" for the show's second and third seasons.

I loved the first more slice of life-ish season of Tangled compared to the second and third seasons which

were a bit darker and (even) more fantasy based.