Cartoon shows far better than their age rating suggests

Elvis Starburst

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With Samurai Jack getting his own game soon, this kinda brought up old cartoons like it in my mind that are maybe rated for a younger audience, and yet are so good that they can be enjoyed by people of many ages... Be it due to quality animation, themes, characters, or all of the above and more. Plus, I wanted to showcase a favourite that basically encapsulates all of that for me, and one I think deserves plenty of love.

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart



It's silly, it's snappy, it's well animated, has some good music, and some genuinely great laughs and characters. I think it compares to a modern Power Puff Girls. A super cutesy aesthetic that's subverted with crazy over the top action, as well as reoccurring villains you love to hate along with the cast.

I can think of a few examples off the top of my head, but this is just one I'm showing off. It doesn't have to be ones you grew up with either. Let's share (and celebrate) some good cartoons as adults!
 
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Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
You do realize that this thread is destined to have My Little Pony Friendship is Magic in it.

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So since we all know that show is awesome and anyone who disagrees is wrong and knows they are wrong. Lets go with something that probably none of you have ever heard of. Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer. This movie is way better then you would expect considering its source... although I never watched the source material so who knows, maybe that is actually really good too. Its actually hard to describe what makes it good, but it holds up, I rewatched it a few years ago... well probably like 4 or 5, but it was still good. Its well animated, has a ***** of a bad guy who is also kinda crazy and... fuck, its hard to describe why its good.
 

Elvis Starburst

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You do realize that this thread is destined to have My Little Pony Friendship is Magic in it.
Oh, of course. Not for a second did I expect less than that. I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of classic examples that people will pull from. I'm hoping to see some odd ones people don't expect as well, kinda like your example. That trailer actually made the movie look pretty decent. I didn't expect sci-fi, lasers, and cannons from such a show
 

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Avatar: The Last Airbender. You already knew this was coming. It's a show kids, teens, adults, and people of all genders can enjoy. The show handled war in a mature and respectful way, and for most part, did not treat their audience like dumb asses. You have plenty of complexed, multilayered characters that develop with Zuko to get the most development in the entire show. A show where both the boys and the girls are bad ass. ATLA is better and aged gracefully than most of the shounen schlock that came from Japan. It also got grey areas, where most had failed.

Kim Possible. Found the characters in this show better than the cast of Totally Spies. Sure,TS had 1 extra season, but even fans of that show hate the 5th season. I could never get in to Totally Spies. Too heavy on the valley girl. Kim Possible was show both the guys and gals can enjoy. Kim Possible started off decent enough, but got only better with each season. One of the last good Disney After cartoon shows.

Static Shock. Still one of my favorite super hero line ups.

TMNT (2003) - The best turtles cartoon ever made. This show does not get the recgonition from Nickoledeon and fans obsessed with only the 87 turtles. The show could get dark without going overboard and had way better writing than the show before it, and the other following TMNT shows after the 2003 series.

Digimon Adventure

Digimon Tamers
 

Worgen

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Oh, of course. Not for a second did I expect less than that. I have a feeling there's gonna be a lot of classic examples that people will pull from. I'm hoping to see some odd ones people don't expect as well, kinda like your example. That trailer actually made the movie look pretty decent. I didn't expect sci-fi, lasers, and cannons from such a show
I know right, I would recommend trying to find a place to stream it and giving it a shot. The dvds are out of print and go for over a $100 bucks now, but I know you can find it on various streaming sites of somewhat less repute... and probably some that are on the up and up, just no idea what ones those are.

I can get some additional newer ones that are more obvious out of the way such as Steven Universe, Star vs the Forces of Evil, Gravity Falls, Ok Ko lets be Heroes (at least for the more plot driven episodes), and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (holy crap that final season).
 

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I think this question is based on a false assertion.

"Cartoons that are better than their age rating suggests." What does that even mean, that as a cartoon moves up the rating ladder, it automatically gets better? I've never really thought that. I don't think that, and I doubt many of us think that. Yeah, we probably all went through a stage where we thought "dark and gritty" cartoons were automatically better/more mature, but I think most of us are past that stage. Like, I can enjoy MLP, even if it is/was a show for girls - I say "was," because MLP is very much aware of its adult audience and has made concessions towards it, in the show and especially in the comics.
 
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Chimpzy

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Adventure Time for sure. It's often literally saccharine world belies the themes it frequently deals with. MLP & She-ra have already been mentioned. Batman The Animated Series is of course well known for being one of the earlier kids serialized shows to break out of the animation age ghetto. Speaking of Batman:

Batman The Brave and The Bold: sure, most of the time its Batman being the one straight man in a world of campy silver age hijinks and outrageous goofballs, but sometimes it takes a mature turn, and when it does, it goes deep. The ending of the final episode in particular expresses one of the most mature sentiments I've ever seen in any kids-focused superhero related media.

I think this question is based on a false assertion.

"Cartoons that are better than their age rating suggests." What does that even mean, that as a cartoon moves up the rating ladder, it automatically gets better? I've never really thought that. I don't think that, and I doubt many of us think that. Yeah, we probably all went through a stage where we thought "dark and gritty" cartoons were automatically better/more mature, but I think most of us are past that stage. Like, I can enjoy MLP, even if it is/was a show for girls - I say "was," because MLP is very much aware of its adult audience and has made concessions towards it, in the show and especially in the comics.
I don't think he meant to imply that cartoons aimed at older audiences are automatically better, but rather that as the age rating for a show increases, so do adult expectations of its quality. And vice versa, adults underestimating kids shows, assuming they'll be lower effort because they're aimed at children. Something I'm sure many of us have been guilty of at one time or another, because let's be honest, kids entertainment has seen some really really dumb shit.
 
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You will never convince me that Spectacular Spider-Man was not an amazing cartoon for everyone
 

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I think this question is based on a false assertion.

"Cartoons that are better than their age rating suggests." What does that even mean, that as a cartoon moves up the rating ladder, it automatically gets better? I've never really thought that. I don't think that, and I doubt many of us think that. Yeah, we probably all went through a stage where we thought "dark and gritty" cartoons were automatically better/more mature, but I think most of us are past that stage. Like, I can enjoy MLP, even if it is/was a show for girls - I say "was," because MLP is very much aware of its adult audience and has made concessions towards it, in the show and especially in the comics.
“Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.”

― C.S. Lewis
 

Dalisclock

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SInce I live with a small child, I've been getting to see a lot of Childrens TV and thus have developed definite opinions on which shows I'm cool with watching over and over again.

One of the ones I haven't seen mentioned is Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, which is rated for 7 and older. Which is kinda amusing because it's basically Fallout if done by Studio ghibli, and despite being set in a post apocalyptic world where mankind more or less survives in underground bunkers called "Burrows" and the surface is ruled by gangs of anthro-animals(and incredibly dangerous mega beasts, such as dogs ans rabbits and 3 tailed scorpions), it's surprisingly light hearted and has a sense of fun to help balance out the inherent darkness of the setting.

Even the fact every gang is basically a gang of hats somehow works in it's favor(All the cats are lumberjacks who love folk music, the snakes are rocker girls, the wolves are nerds who are dress like Carl Sagan and rap about their scientific discoveries), and the main villain for the first two seasons is Mandrill named Scarlemange with an English accent who dresses like a 18th century French Aristocrat and wants to unite all the gangs under his rule(and build a golden city out of literal gold bricks). It's ridiculous and I love it.

I'll just drop the villains intro scene here.
 
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Xprimentyl

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Bunch of young'uns in here. "Ren and Stimpy," prolly the best cartoon ever. Before its time and still relevant.
 
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Specter Von Baren

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Fraggle Rock.



I remember always wanting to watch more of it as a kid but it was on at weird hours on a station I didn't always have access to but some years ago I bought the whole series and watched all of it and it's a damn good show. I was even impressed by some of the special effects like from the genie episode, they still hold up. Was really happy to be able to give the series to one of my sisters so her daughters could watch it. That made me very happy.
 

happyninja42

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I think this question is based on a false assertion.

"Cartoons that are better than their age rating suggests." What does that even mean, that as a cartoon moves up the rating ladder, it automatically gets better? I've never really thought that. I don't think that, and I doubt many of us think that. Yeah, we probably all went through a stage where we thought "dark and gritty" cartoons were automatically better/more mature, but I think most of us are past that stage. Like, I can enjoy MLP, even if it is/was a show for girls - I say "was," because MLP is very much aware of its adult audience and has made concessions towards it, in the show and especially in the comics.
In the US, there is an unspoken assumption by a lot of people, that if something is animated, it's "for children", and thus if it's "for children" it's going to be fairly basic in the quality of the writing/storytelling/etc. It's not limited to animated, as things like the above shown Fraggle Rock is puppetry. And to be fair, a lot of the stuff made for children is pretty shit, always has been. So this thread, is simply to highlight the stuff that is actually good, where the people put genuine effort into making a compelling show, not just something with flashy lights and bright colors, to keep the little ones occupied for a few hours so the parents can have a break. Of which there is a LOT of that shit out there. I've lost count of the number of hours i've spent babysitting my god daughters, and they spend a lot of it watching some really bad shows. But hey, they enjoy them, just like I enjoyed the shit from the 80s.
 

Hawki

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You will never convince me that Spectacular Spider-Man was not an amazing cartoon for everyone
Wait, people are saying that Spectacular Spider-Man WASN'T amazing?

Tell me who they are. I've got a baseball bat I need to use.

In the US, there is an unspoken assumption by a lot of people, that if something is animated, it's "for children", and thus if it's "for children" it's going to be fairly basic in the quality of the writing/storytelling/etc. It's not limited to animated, as things like the above shown Fraggle Rock is puppetry. And to be fair, a lot of the stuff made for children is pretty shit, always has been. So this thread, is simply to highlight the stuff that is actually good, where the people put genuine effort into making a compelling show, not just something with flashy lights and bright colors, to keep the little ones occupied for a few hours so the parents can have a break. Of which there is a LOT of that shit out there. I've lost count of the number of hours i've spent babysitting my god daughters, and they spend a lot of it watching some really bad shows. But hey, they enjoy them, just like I enjoyed the shit from the 80s.
I think it's a pretty common assertion in general. Doesn't make it right of course.
 

Elvis Starburst

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Chimpzy and Happyninja42 basically got the intention of the thread across properly without me having to say it myself. I know it's not the best way for shows to be viewed, but the unfortunate reality is that's how it is in lots of places in the world. So I wanted to make a thread to celebrate cartoons in spite of said assumptions.

That sounds awesome, not gonna lie
 

Buyetyen

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Gravity Falls probably one of my all-time favorites, even if a newer one. There was some genuinely horrific imagery, especially in the second season. If you get Guillermo del Toro calling your show one of the best ever made, you've done something right.