Cartoon shows far better than their age rating suggests

[Jarrito3002]

Lets see there are plenty and it is a very long list.

I am putting Steven Universe in fight me. I kid....I don't no I do.

Craig of the Creek is a great show I would recommend. Just some good slice of life and good family dynamics and is just feel good.

DuckTales 2017 is a great reboot that just improved upon the original in every way. And it will bridge the gap for both old and new fans.



Someone already posted KIPO so I am going to keep that train going.

I would of been interested in astronomy much sooner if I had hear this.

 

[thebobmaster]

Gotta give another shout out to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm still watching it, but from what I've seen so far, we got a first season that was pretty good, a second season that was better in every way, and a third season that really is taking what the second season did and building on it further.

Even the worst episode of the show so far (fans know which one I'm talking about) isn't bad by the standards of many shows. It just isn't as good as every other episode.

 

[Jarrito3002]

Gotta give another shout out to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm still watching it, but from what I've seen so far, we got a first season that was pretty good, a second season that was better in every way, and a third season that really is taking what the second season did and building on it further.

Even the worst episode of the show so far (fans know which one I'm talking about) isn't bad by the standards of many shows. It just isn't as good as every other episode.

Speaking of "that episode" apparently the hate came from it being constantly rerunned a lot. It its weid multiple people mention watching avatar and "that episode" kept airing in higher relation compared to other episodes. I guess since its so absent from the main plot its very syndication friendly but weird none that less.

 

[Hawki]

Gotta give another shout out to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm still watching it, but from what I've seen so far, we got a first season that was pretty good, a second season that was better in every way, and a third season that really is taking what the second season did and building on it further.

Me personally, the quality goes 2>1>3. 3 feels like it was trying to cram too much into it, like it should have been two seasons instead of one.

Even the worst episode of the show so far (fans know which one I'm talking about)

Um...no?

 

[BrawlMan]

Gotta give another shout out to Avatar: The Last Airbender. I'm still watching it, but from what I've seen so far, we got a first season that was pretty good, a second season that was better in every way, and a third season that really is taking what the second season did and building on it further.

Even the worst episode of the show so far (fans know which one I'm talking about) isn't bad by the standards of many shows. It just isn't as good as every other episode.

Which one? The episode "Avatar Day" (I consider it the worst other than learning about Kyoshi) and that season 3 episode with the polluted fire nation village where Katara gets really preachy And has the cliche, polluting-is-bad message. Fuck both of those episodes. You can literally skip them and not miss a damn thing, other than Kyoshi. The Season 1 episode with the two feuding families is average, and that's all there is to it. I really wish the Fire Nation burned down the village in "Avatar Day" after The Gaang left.

Me personally, the quality goes 2>1>3. 3 feels like it was trying to cram too much into it, like it should have been two seasons instead of one.

I agree, and I like season 3. The comics tried to fix this, but most of them come off as bad fan fiction. It does not help that Season 3 had a couple of ass pulls, and they did not keep up on some of the promises they made. I know the exces at Nick were part of the problem (threatening to cancel the show. A lesson that was not learned and caused major issues with Korra), but Mike & Bryan have a habit of piling sub-plot together or them ending anti-climatically.

 

[thebobmaster]

Me personally, the quality goes 2>1>3. 3 feels like it was trying to cram too much into it, like it should have been two seasons instead of one.



Um...no?

"The Great Divide". I heard it was quite infamous among fans.

 

[Specter Von Baren]

"The Great Divide". I heard it was quite infamous among fans.

I still don't understand that. It's just an average episodic episode with a cheeky ending, I don't understand why it's so reviled.

 

[thebobmaster]

I still don't understand that. It's just an average episodic episode with a cheeky ending, I don't understand why it's so reviled.

If I had to hazard a guess, I think it might be that, out of all the episodes from Season 1, that is the one that can be skipped without consequence. All the other episodes, even if they didn't seem like it at the time, have one thing or another come back later. Not so with Great Divide.

 

[BrawlMan]

If I had to hazard a guess, I think it might be that, out of all the episodes from Season 1, that is the one that can be skipped without consequence. All the other episodes, even if they didn't seem like it at the time, have one thing or another come back later. Not so with Great Divide.

I would take the Great Divide ten times over Avatar Day or The Painted Lady.

 

[Jarrito3002]

I would take the Great Divide ten times over Avatar Day or The Painted Lady.

Scuse me sorry to interrupt but Avatar Day is one of the best episodes of all time of TIME!!!.

To be serious I love that episode town was such a collective bunch of assclown that it became endearing and hilarious. "That is why its called justice cause its just us" had me in tears. Probably the funniest episode in the whole series.

As for painted lady don't hate and I don't love it but if its own I won't skip it. Katara getting her own alter ego super hero identity and showing how the Fire Nation war machine is fucking with the health and lively hood of their own people.

 

[BrawlMan]

To be serious I love that episode town was such a collective bunch of assclown that it became endearing and hilarious. "That is why its called justice cause its just us" had me in tears. Probably the funniest episode in the whole series.

Good for you, I hate the ungrateful bastards! It's because of idiotic assholes like them, people like Johan Liebert or Hao justify thinking they can do whatever want or giving them the justification to treat everyone around them like insects. If either of those two existed in Avatar TLA, that whole village would be beyond dead. Johan would just have everyone kill each other or go insane, and Hao would just burn them and consider them an eye sore.

As for painted lady don't hate and I don't love it but if its own I won't skip it. Katara getting her own alter ego super hero identity and showing how the Fire Nation war machine is fucking with the health and lively hood of their own people.

Good ideas; horrible execution. That was Season 3's major problem. They were just throwing ideas at a dartboard and picking what they thought worked. Some did, some didn't. Season 3's other problem is that it made the mistake lots of anime make: pointless filler that does not mean anything and can be skipped with no consequence. There are some good filler episodes that at least develop the characters like Sokka's Master for example. but the Painted Lady literally adds nothing for Katara. They're already trying to help the fire nation by stopping Ozai. Yes, the enviorment is important, but dealing with sociopathic emperor is way more important than village with a pollution problem. That green aseop was done better in one of the comics that came afterward. Especially when it came to nature and industrialization. The filler was not as bad in most anime, but there were problems.

 

[Dalisclock]

Lets see there are plenty and it is a very long list.


Someone already posted KIPO so I am going to keep that train going.

I would of been interested in astronomy much sooner if I had hear this.

I'm more partial to the timbercats song(The Ballad of YumYum Hammerpaw) but that one is also good. It's just a shame you can't make out half the Science Rap because of the talking.

I was gonna mention Steven Universe as well but it was mentioned early in the thread. The movie is legit one of my favorite musicals of the last decade or so and the final season works wonderfully as a epilogue to the main series and the movie.

This song in particular, though warning it spoils a bunch of major plot points from the show, so if you haven't finished the first 5 seasons and you care about spoilers, best to leave it alone.

 

[Jarrito3002]

Good for you, I hated the ungrateful bastards. It's because of idiotic assholes like them, people like Johan Liebert or Hao thinking they can do whatever want or giving them the justification to treat everyone around them like insects. If either of those two existed in Avatar, that whole village would be beyond dead. Johan would just have everyone kill each other or go insane and Hao would just burn them and consider them an eye sore.

More so than the villagers, Sokka trying to fancy private eye with bubble, Katara placating his fantasy and Aang getting bro pep talk and spirits lift about young love from a bunch of rough neck looking inmates who actually cool guys all comes together to make a great reprieve episode. I don't you who Johan and Hao are but I like your hatred for that village.

Good ideas; horrible execution. That was Season 3's major problem. They were just throwing ideas at a dartboard and picking what they thought worked. Some did, some didn't. Season 3's other problem is that it made the mistake lots of anime make: pointless filler that does not mean anything and can be skipped with no consequence. There are some good filler episodes that at least develop the characters like Sokka's Master for example. but the Painted Lady literally adds nothing for Katara. They're already trying to help the fire nation by stopping Ozai. Yes, the enviorment is important, but dealing with sociopathic emperor is way more important than village with a pollution problem. That green aseop was done better in one of the comics that came afterward. Especially when it came to nature and industrialization. The filler was not as bad in most anime, but there were problems.

We are going to butt heads real hard on this. So I disagree I though season 3 flowed the best out of all the three seasons. By seeing what the Fire Nation is like both in the schools, that polluted village you get a better since of this the Fire Nation than masked Storm Trooper bad guys with Mark Hamill just being the bad guy this time. The characters are how the grow with each other is just as important as the main goal of stab the Fire Lord in the dick.

If you ask me certain parts in the finale would not of hit as hard like

Spoiler: spoiler

Sokka hanging on to Toph and the blimp as they are about fall to their deaths

would not of hit as hard if we didn't have those soft episodes in season 3 that expanded on the adventures of the first two seasons.

Like the only one I can maybe say is skippable is the con game episode where Toph and Katara start to understand each other better but I could not see that working in the heat of battle as some sort of throw away character developlement.

Overall what flaws I had with season were pretty minimal they don't take away that much and I felt it balanced character growth moments with we must dropkick the Firelord in the dick urgency just right.

 

[Jarrito3002]

I'm more partial to the timbercats song(The Ballad of YumYum Hammerpaw) but that one is also good. It's just a shame you can't make out half the Science Rap because of the talking.

I was gonna mention Steven Universe as well but it was mentioned early in the thread. The movie is legit one of my favorite musicals of the last decade or so and the final season works wonderfully as a epilogue to the main series and the movie.

This song in particular, though warning it spoils a bunch of major plot points from the show, so if you haven't finished the first 5 seasons and you care about spoilers, best to leave it alone.

Thank goodness the album is on Spotify and Youtube I ran straight to it after I watched the show. And the Yum Yum song is starting to grow on me. Not favorite but its cute simple little folk charm to it that is rubbing my heart.

 

[BrawlMan]

More so than the villagers, Sokka trying to fancy private eye with bubble, Katara placating his fantasy and Aang getting bro pep talk and spirits lift about young love from a bunch of rough neck looking inmates who actually cool guys all comes together to make a great reprieve episode. I don't you who Johan and Hao are but I like your hatred for that village.




We are going to butt heads real hard on this. So I disagree I though season 3 flowed the best out of all the three seasons. By seeing what the Fire Nation is like both in the schools, that polluted village you get a better since of this the Fire Nation than masked Storm Trooper bad guys with Mark Hamill just being the bad guy this time. The characters are how the grow with each other is just as important as the main goal of stab the Fire Lord in the dick.

If you ask me certain parts in the finale would not of hit as hard like

Spoiler: spoiler

Sokka hanging on to Toph and the blimp as they are about fall to their deaths

would not of hit as hard if we didn't have those soft episodes in season 3 that expanded on the adventures of the first two seasons.

Like the only one I can maybe say is skippable is the con game episode where Toph and Katara start to understand each other better but I could not see that working in the heat of battle as some sort of throw away character developlement.

Overall what flaws I had with season were pretty minimal they don't take away that much and I felt it balanced character growth moments with we must dropkick the Firelord in the dick urgency just right.

I should have been more specific. The 2nd half I have little to no problem with, but it is mainly Season 3's first half that grinds my gears. The Runaway I actually do enjoy. And it's not just me. The most hated episodes from fans are The Great Divide, Avatar Day, and the Painted Lady. Especially the first two. Though I mentioned that I thought the Great Divide was okay. The main problem with all three episodes is that none of the side characters are likeable or enteraining (I got some amusement from the feuding clans), they're not memorable other than jerkassery, and that villagers in those respective episodes are too dumb too live or bring misery on themselves. They don't make funny scenarios or compelling drama for me and many others. Especially when I've seen green aseop done better in Princess Monoke, Nasuicaa, and Sonic. The Painted Lady was your typical stop pollution with an after school messsage you would see in cartoon from the 80s and 90s. Played out and overdone to death in 2007. Captain Planet got this right some of the time compared to just The Painted Lady,

 

[Jarrito3002]

I should have been more specific. The 2nd half I have little to no problem with, but it is mainly Season 3's first half that grinds my gears. The Runaway I actually do enjoy. And it's not just me. The most hated episodes from fans are The Great Divide, Avatar Day, and the Painted Lady. Especially the first two. Though I mentioned that I thought the Great Divide was okay. The main problem with all three episodes is that none of the side characters are likeable or enteraining (I got some amusement fromthe feuding clans), they're not memorable other than jerkassery, and that villagers in those respective episodes are too dumb too live or bring misery on themselves. They don't make funny scenarios or compelling drama for me and many others. Especially when I've seen green aseop done better in Princess Monoke, Nasuicaa, and Sonic. The Painted Lady was your typical stop pollution with an after school messsage you would see in cartoon from the 80s and 90s. Played out and overdone to death in 2007. Captain Planet got this right some of the time compared to just The Painted Lady,

I am aware of the hatred of Great Divide mentioned that early, me and the majority will have to war cause I hold Avatar Day funnest episode of the series.

I think where you and me differ on Painted Lady was theme. I figured Painted Lady was a episode about Katara's personally confictions and holding on to them even when challenged and dismissed as a burden than than. The environmentalist message was more a back drop and than some in your face Saturday morning message.

Also that is not fair show me a syndicated cartoon that can show the relationship of nature and industry as good as Monoke and Nasuicaa and I will buy you any game of your choice. No lie I will do it.

And by Sonic you mean Sonic SatAm as in this one.

Cause if so I can totatlly see this as a SatAm episode.

 

[Satinavian]

I admit that it is difficult as most cartoons with properly developed characters and plot seem to be aimed more at teens/adolescents. (And yes, that includes the Last Airbender and Gargoyles and many other favorites)

But one thing that comes to my mind with a likely younger target audience is "The Mysterious cities of Gold":

 

[Hawki]

Since everyone's discussing the same stuff, I'll pop in.

I don't have too much of a problem with The Great Divide. The problem I do have is Aang lying. I'm not some kind of puritan, that protagonists should never lie, but I'm not sure why the decision was made, why the story itself wasn't true. It carries a sinister vibe in a sense, that the Avatar can only maintain peace through lies. That's a potentially interesting line of discussion ("what is history, but a story people agree to treat as being true?"), but it's never explored.

Avatar Day I have no strong feelings towards. I found it reasonably funny, but not lol-level funny. The element I do like in the episode is that it does show that the Fire Nation doesn't have a monopoly on being imperialistic. TLA could very easily have gone down the route of "Fire Nation evil, other nations good," but it doesn't, and Avatar Day does tie into this, showing that the Earth Kingdom had an aggressor in the past.

Painted Lady, I don't get the dislike towards. It's a filler episode in a sense, but it does tie in with a lot of what season 3 demonstrates, that there's nothing inherently evil about the Fire Nation, it's just that the nation has been ruled by tyrants for the last century. In this case, its war machine is harming its own citizens. And if we're looking at the environmental side of things, it's more realistic than what a lot of cartoons show. No-one seeks to pollute, but if the environment becomes an externality, then the environment can suffer, along with the people who rely on it. There's plenty of real world examples going on right now - Dakota Access Pipeline, gold mining in the Amazon, shipping plastic waste to other countries, etc.

 

[Dwarvenhobble]

Generator Rex

They really hid the fact from most of the advertising material


It's from the people who made Ben 10 after the people paying the bills told them to tone down the mature themes in Ben 10.

What happened was Generator Rex coming about and basically going full on into being a kids show with more mature themes.

This is a series where at one point one of the "Heroes" gets captured but they capture one of the enemies, the only enemy who knows where said "hero" is. They proceed to torture the information out of said enemy only for said enemy to basically commit suicide after.

Other themes that are brought up

Sci-Fi ideas like rogue out of control AI

The question of the dangers of pushing the frontiers of science and having to look at the risks.

The dangers of private corporations having so much power.

The dangers of the court of public opinion often being easy to manipulate.

 

[BrawlMan]

And by Sonic you mean Sonic SatAm as in this one.

I meant Sonic in general (the Genesis games, Sonic CD is the best example game wise). SatAM and the Archie Brand comics have done better jobs in my opinion.

I don't have too much of a problem with The Great Divide. The problem I do have is Aang lying. I'm not some kind of puritan, that protagonists should never lie, but I'm not sure why the decision was made, why the story itself wasn't true. It carries a sinister vibe in a sense, that the Avatar can only maintain peace through lies. That's a potentially interesting line of discussion ("what is history, but a story people agree to treat as being true?"), but it's never explored.

I think they were still trying to get personality of the characters with it being season 1. I guess they wanted to show that Aang can have a mischevious or manipulative side. As a teenager I laughed at twist of Aang lying, but now I have no strong feelings one way or the other. That idea is never really explored upon, and does throw Aang out of the character for later seasons. All can say is characterization marches on.

Avatar Day I have no strong feelings towards. I found it reasonably funny, but not lol-level funny. The element I do like in the episode is that it does show that the Fire Nation doesn't have a monopoly on being imperialistic. TLA could very easily have gone down the route of "Fire Nation evil, other nations good," but it doesn't, and Avatar Day does tie into this, showing that the Earth Kingdom had an aggressor in the past.

I love idea you mentioned, it's just have to sit through a bunch of unfunny shit bags to get through it. If that entire episode was just about Kyoshi and some other means of Aang, Katar, and Sokka finding about it, I would be satisfied enough. The idea itself is not dropped as it is explored in the Ba Sing Se arc and Zuko Alone. The only thing Avatar Day got right was foreshadowing the major problems the Earth Kingdom has. Hell, it shows up in comics like Imbalance and North & South, but in those cases it's more of a focus racism, but the idea still applies.

Painted Lady, I don't get the dislike towards. It's a filler episode in a sense, but it does tie in with a lot of what season 3 demonstrates, that there's nothing inherently evil about the Fire Nation, it's just that the nation has been ruled by tyrants for the last century. In this case, its war machine is harming its own citizens. And if we're looking at the environmental side of things, it's more realistic than what a lot of cartoons show. No-one seeks to pollute, but if the environment becomes an externality, then the environment can suffer, along with the people who rely on it. There's plenty of real world examples going on right now - Dakota Access Pipeline, gold mining in the Amazon, shipping plastic waste to other countries, etc.

The Rift done this part better too in my opinion. I am glad it was portrayed in a more realistic manner, but I feel it's an episode that should have been done earlier in season 3, or just dropped. That's just me though.

Generator Rex

Loved that show. The ending could have been better though. Everything kinda just ends, and that's it.