Episode 1766 Talkback - Top 5 Animated Series of Our Adulthood
Adam_Murdough
Posts: 506
Our toon-tastic Top 5 talkfest (begun in Episode 1743) returns for a second season, as a slap-happy sextet of Geeks sing the praises of their five-or-so favorite animated series that entered their lives during their adult years (ages 18-present). And, like a beacon of hope in his nation's darkest hour: the return of DRUNK CAP!! (3:00:29)
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This list wasn’t quite as hard as I thought it was going to be, even though at this point I've been an "adult" longer than I was a child, and there are many more great cartoons now than there were back then. Anyway, here it is:
5) Cowboy Bebop — Like @brydeemer, said, it starts with the music. I mean, I even bought two of the soundtracks, the music is so good. But the animation is just as great—cool designs, great and varied settings, etc. And though it’s a sci-fi series, they tell a lot of different types of stories.
4) Samurai Jack — One of the most beautifully animated series ever, very cool designs, and so thoughtfully produced. The sound design is magnificent and an integral part of the show, sometimes even taking center stage. An experimental show that took risks that paid off in amazing ways.
3) Steven Universe — The show has a great message, deep characterization, lots of laughs, but also heart-wrenching tragedy. But it ranks this high for me mostly for the songs. Best music in a cartoon ever.
2) The Venture Bros. — Great characters, great dialogue. It reminds me of The Tick in that it’s a satire of superhero comics and adventure cartoons, only better written and executed.
1) Adventure Time — Everything @i_am_scifi said. It has a level of character development and nuance you rarely find in cartoons, or TV in general. Outstanding world building, especially once they got past the first season and found a real direction for the show. One of the most experimental shows out there. You never knew what was going to happen next.
Alternates (in no particular order)
Batman: The Animated Series
Batman Beyond
Animaniacs
Justice League/Justice League Unlimited
Freakazoid
Earthworm Jim
The Tick
Ren & Stimpy (the Spümcø episodes only)
Dexter’s Laboratory
Teen Titans
Batman: The Brave & the Bold
The Simpsons (I was 18 when I saw the shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show, but 19 by the time the standalone series started. Yeah, I'm old.)
Space Ghost: Coast to Coast
Following the recording, I started watching the 90s X-Men series again. The last handful of episodes I did not recall watching or had vague memories of seeing...I’m kinda glad about that. The series was reportedly to have ended with Beyond Good & Evil. If they shifted things around & made that the finale, it would’ve been a great conclusion.
I was watching an interview with Cal Dobbs (Wolverine) who said the whole cast was unfamiliar with the characters. He didn’t know what to expect, but after watching a couple episodes, he realized what the series was. His favorite episode was Nightcrawler. He still rewatches the series & recommended George Buza (Beast/McCoy) to finally watch the series after all of these years & attend Comic Cons.
When Jackman got cast for the movie, he was directed to listen to Cal’s voice for an idea of the character. Cal met him at a party thereafter.
5. Powerpuff Girls - I'm almost done watching the first series, and it's terrific. It works as a show for kids, but has references that adults can enjoy, and some humor so adult that I'm surprised they got away with it,
4. Avatar: The Last Airbender - Loved it. I haven't watched Legend of Korra yet, but I highly recommend Avatar.
3. Teen Titans Go! - I balked for years at the very idea of this show, until I was waiting in my SDCC hotel room for a friend, and could find nothing else on the television. I love this show. The outlandish humor, the constant use of musical numbers, and the sometimes obscure comics references all work for me.
2. The Simpsons - This one's a bit of a cheat, as I watched the Simpsons from its debut before I was eighteen well into college. However, as an adult I not only rediscovered the show, but I've been in similar shoes to Ian's with Pokemon, helping make promos for its run on FXX and Disney+. I spend at least three or four days per week with the Simpsons, and love every minute of it.
1. Archer - Archer is my baby. I helped launch the show as my first major assignment for FX, and other than a brief period before season 7, I have been involved in all the promotion for the series on both FX and FXX. I love the show. I do agree with Adam that the spy-centric seasons are my favorites, but I love them all. Keep an eye out for more information on season 11 coming very soon.
Alternates:
Star Wars: Rebels - I enjoyed it more at the start than the finish, but it was all good.
Psychotown - part of FXX's variety show Cake. It's very South Park in its construction, and I like the sense of humor.
South Park - a roomate who worked in animation at the time brought home a VHS copy of a copy of a copy of The Spirit of Christmas when it was making the rounds. I was a fan immediately, though I admit I haven't watched the show as often as I would like for the last few seasons.
Looks like X-Men just lost a voice:
https://www.cbr.com/x-men-animated-series-cyclops-norm-spencer-dead/