I’m somebody with a special loathing for the animated tv show in the style of Family Guy, Rick and Morty, and Big Mouth. Using animation to tell empty, vapid porn jokes forever in an ugly style feels like a slap in the face to the entire medium. I enjoy a strong story, fun characters, and not having to brace myself for the fourteenth penis joke in nine minutes. So! I’ve compiled a list of what I believe to be the best animated shows for others to watch, regardless of age. Enjoy!
Gravity Falls
I grew up with this show, so it obviously has a special place in my heart. Words can’t describe the joy of getting to watch the mystery unfold with each new episode, especially when it often wasn’t stated outright.
Synopsis: Twins Dipper and Mabel are sent to spend the summer with their scam artist of a great uncle (Grunkle) in the sleepy Oregon town of Gravity Falls. But after Dipper finds a mysterious journal, they soon realize that not only does the town boast a large population of creepy monsters and secret societies, but there is no one they can trust.
Things to Look Forward To: flash-frame secret codes, messages hidden in the background art, reversed voices, stellar art and humor, and a story and characters that are extremely compelling. Definitely a must-watch for anyone who enjoys tongue-in-cheek humor and spooky stuff. The monster designs are all top-tier.
My Personal Rating and Review: while I’m obviously biased because of the nostalgia factor, this show excels at what it set out to do. All of the meticulous writing and planning pays off in a big way! This is a show that started with a clear idea of what the story was going to be, and then stuck with it. There are more funny moments than I can count, and an almost equal amount of spooks and scares that I cannot believe ever aired on Disney channel. This show’s charm lies in the carefully curated aesthetic and world—everything feels just grounded enough, but still absurd. A word to the wise, however: Gravity Falls is a stellar show, and thus suffers from its fanbase. Don’t form your opinions based on the cherrypicked narrative on the internet–watch it for yourself and then decide! 10/10.
Amphibia
This show became one of my favorites for its premise at first, and then cemented itself as my favorite for its willingness to look deeper into connections and how that impacts people. Also, there are swords.
Synopsis: After getting peer-pressured into stealing a music box from a thrift shop, selfish mean-girl Anne is transported into the death world that is Amphibia, populated by monstrous insects and talking amphibians. While trying to find a way home, she is forced to reflect on herself and the way her past friendships have impacted her.
Things to Look Forward To: top-tier humor, stellar character development, delightful world building, and a shocking amount of violence. (they are the first Disney channel series to get a content warning before an episode.)
My Personal Rating and Review: this show is amazing! A lot of people passed over it when it first came out because the art style seems a little goofy, but they were wrong. The story centers around the way friendships can change us (for better and worse), and the dangers of escapism and selfishness. It’s one of the only shows on this list to start their protagonist in a place other than “rainbow sunshine baby too pure for this world”. Anne starts out as kind of a huge jerk. And by the end, how far she’s come only makes you root for her more. The creator himself said that when he pitched it, his opening line was “Mean Girls, but in Middle Earth.” He was right! If you’ve ever wanted to see Regina George become a warlord, this is the show for you. Amphibia really shines in high-emotion moments: while the usual humor and normal episodes are fun, they work as a domino effect. You have to watch every episode, because each one carries important aspects to the season finales, all of which made me cry. There are lots of episodes you’ll be tempted to skip: DON’T. Trust me on this: they’re all important later. 9/10.
Over the Garden Wall
This one is less of a TV show and more of a miniseries, culminating in less than two hours overall. But: it’s a must-watch, especially in October or November. It’s a strange love letter to the weirdness of early colonial America and carries a strong message of hope.
Synopsis: Brothers Greg and Wirt find themselves hopelessly lost in a place called The Unknown, where they are accompanied by Beatrice the bluebird while they attempt to find a way home.
Things to Look Forward To: quotability, strong writing, gorgeous art, delightful storytelling, and an extremely cozy atmosphere
My Personal Rating and Review: this show is a masterclass in storytelling that only gets better with each re-watch. (I also recommend reading the art book if you can.) The whole thing just radiates comfort and nostalgia, even if it’s your first watch. Be warned: moments can get genuinely terrifying, but never so much that you’ll want to stop watching. 10/10.
Hilda
A crash-course in Scandinavian folklore, Hilda excels with its limited color palette, round art style, and appreciation for the world it talks about.
Synopsis: Wild, blue-haired adventurer Hilda is disappointed when she and her mother are forced to move out of the wilderness and into the city of Trolberg. However, she soon learns that the city is just as, if not more, full of magic.
Things to Look Forward To: delightful characters, gorgeous art, and calm-yet-linear storytelling
My Personal Rating and Review: Hilda is a show that exudes comfort. It’s funny and cartoonish, but tends to limit the screams-and-slaps that many cartoons have. The animation is extremely smooth, and the story and characters are very compelling. Definitely safe to watch with kids! (Although, season 3 can get a bit spooky, so watch out.) The story centers around embracing change and choosing to be a part of it rather than fighting it. I think one of the ways that this show excels is the subtle messages of choosing to communicate rather than fight, and to roll with the punches when you do. Hilda often befriends her enemies and brushes off moments of sadness or change with her catchphrase: “Such is the life of an adventurer.” 10/10.
Ducktales
It’s rare that a reboot is better than the original. Ducktales steps up anyway.
Synopsis: triplets Huey, Dewey, and Louie learn that their uncle is none other than the richest duck in the world, who gained is fame and fortune from adventuring. Joining him on his adventures, they start their own legacy.
Things to Look Forward To: smooth animation, great humor, and just a touch of that old Disney magic
My Personal Rating and Review: this show is really, really fun! The humor always lands, the characters are fun to watch, and the story is always a good time. By the end there are more characters to keep track of than there are stars in the sky, but you can’t help but happily count them off anyway. 9/10.
Avatar
This is the show that Gen Z likes to identify themselves around. It’s genuinely really good despite that.
Synopsis: in a world where people can control the elements through martial arts, only one person can control them all—an excitable young boy who is avoiding his destiny.
Things to Look Forward To: stellar animation, fun voice acting, and strong world building
My Personal Rating and Review: this show is hilarious because it aired on Nickelodeon, and was all about the horrors of war. While I’m generally against anything that asks you to sort yourself into a single-trait category, this show does a good job of spending time trying to dispel the stereotypes. It’s a long one, and while some people are all for re-binging it over and over, I generally have about one or two rewatches in me before I get tired. It’s a lot. But worth it! 9/10.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts
A pastel apocalypse with a better soundtrack than any movie in the last decade.
Synopsis: after living underground her whole life, Kipo is accidentally flushed out of a waterway and into the post-apocalyptic surface world, where she desperately searches for her dad.
Things to Look Forward To: incredible music, funny characters, and cool art
My Personal Rating and Review: The first season of Kipo is practically flawless. Lucy and I watched it at like 4 am every morning, enjoying the fun world and weird vibes of the brightly colored apocalypse. It’s a lot of fun! I’ll admit that the second and third season struggle a little with their writing, but it’s still overall a good time. My biggest complaint is that sometimes the mutant animals stray into furry territory. 7/10
Skull Island
Be warned and make no mistake! This is a great show, but it’s not for kids. Expect some mild swearing and a fair amount of blood.
Synopsis: after being shipwrecked on an island that doesn’t show up on any maps, Charlie searches for his father, accompanied by his best friend and a feral girl he rescued from the ocean.
Things to Look Forward To: hilarious humor and dialogue, great monster designs, and strong story
My Personal Rating and Review: I’ll always gripe about the art style a little — everyone’s teeth are just so big! — but this show is a very fun watch. The dialogue especially is delivered perfectly, and it made me laugh constantly. Not surprising, as the show is directed by the guy who directed Love and Monsters! All of the characters are stunningly likable and the whole thing goes by too quickly. 9/10.
Summer Camp Island
The show got screwed over by HBO Max, and was purged overnight. As of my writing this, it’s still available to watch in its entirety on Hulu, but I don’t know if that will stay true.
Synopsis: Best friends Oscar and Hedgehog are invited to Summer Camp Island, where they soon learn that the island is the host of all the world’s magic!
Things to Look Forward To: adorable inanimate objects, funny characters, and a distinct comfortable charm to the whole thing.
My Personal Rating and Review: this show has a funny switch between the first season and the rest of it: the first season is adorable and cozy—the following seasons are all far more chaotic and weird. Is that a bad thing? Not at all! But it’s a little bit hilarious. You’ll start watching it for Oscar and Hedgehog, and by the end you’ll just spend the whole time watching for the grumpy witch camp counselor Suzy. 9/10.
The Owl House
Let me be clear: this show got treated like dirt by Disney, and it doesn’t deserve that. My rating also has nothing to do with the facebook moms labelling it as “demonic”. (True story.)
Synopsis: On her way to a boring summer camp, Luz stumbles into the Boiling Isles, a magical land populated by witches. Rather than learn to be normal, Luz decides she’s going to learn how to be a witch.
Things to Look Forward To: Solid queer representation, very smooth animation
My Personal Rating and Review: While this show has some genuinely fantastic moments, especially regarding representation, my overall opinion is that it’s just…fine. Most of the plotlines were recycled from the creator’s time on Gravity Falls, or had already been done by Amphibia, who did it better. The story feels less coherent and more a loose grab bag of tropes that the creator wanted to put into a show, and as a result many of the characters feel one-dimensional. The overall message isn’t executed very well, either. It’s supposed to be a message of acceptance and finding your people, but the message it accidentally conveys is more “people who don’t get along with you are probably evil.” 5/10.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
A show that dares to ask the question; what if EVERYONE was gay?
Synopsis: Adora stumbles upon a magical sword, and learns that it has the power to transform her into the legendary warrior She-Ra. She must learn to use this power to defeat the Evil Horde, who want to take over the world.
Things to Look Forward To: great representation, chaotic humor, and weirdly good adaptation of the original show
My Personal Rating and Review: This show is very funny. If you want a show that embraces the idea that every character can be the chaotic one, this is the show for you. The plot is fairly linear and the first season especially is a great time. The art style is pretty great, the animation leaves a little to be desired, but overall it’s a good time that you won’t feel wasted for watching. My biggest complaint will be that there are some themes about forgiving abusers, and some characters end up with partners that just feel wrong because of the actions they’ve committed. 6/10.
Hailey’s On It
A very timely show about overcoming your anxieties and the fact that most of the time, the world isn’t as scary as you think it is.
Synopsis: Hailey learns that she’s destined to save the world from the apocalypse, but the only way she can do so is by completing every item in her “Big List of Things I’m Totally Gonna Do”…including kissing her best friend.
Things to Look Forward To: the voice actress for Moana, great humor, and genuinely well-handled positive messages
My Personal Rating and Review: This show knows what it wants to be, and is doing a great job of being it. The message is that you should do things that scare you, because you’ll be better for it. I enjoy the fact that there’s a bigger mystery unfolding, but the day-to-day episodes are a great time as well. My only complaint is that sometimes, the excuses they find to stop Hailey from kissing Scott feel pretty contrived. 8/10.
Bee and Puppycat – Lazy In Space
This is the old poster, but the show I’m talking about specifically is the netflix one, Lazy in Space. Take heed! This is also NOT for kids. There’s some mild cursing and other adult topics.
Synopsis: recently-unemployed Bee finds a puppy-cat-thing and learns that he holds the key to making money doing odd jobs for the universe.
Things to Look Forward To: a quiet mystery, extremely cozy vibes, and funny animation
My Personal Rating and Review: while it manages to somehow be both high and low energy at the same time, the truth about Bee and Puppycat is that it’s the perfect show to watch under like fourteen blankets while it’s raining or snowing outside. Very enjoyable, if not frequently confusing. 8/10.
Adventure Time
The true definition of a kid’s cartoon—silly, weird, and occasionally soul-crushing.
Synopsis: Brothers (yes, brothers) Finn the Human and Jake the Dog go on magical adventures in the land of Ooo.
Things to Look Forward To: absolutely absurd comedy, hilarious running gags, and moments of deep poetic reflection about the state of existence
My Personal Rating and Review: This is the kind of show that lures you in with talking waffles and magical stretching dogs, and then sucker punches you with lines like “Changing is our normal state. Even if we’re not changing on the outside we’re changing on the inside constantly. There’s some stuff about me that I’ve been ignoring for a long time. I’m afraid of that stuff. But it’s part of who I am. As long as I know the shape of my soul, I’ll be alright.” (Spoken by the aforementioned magical stretching dog.) This show is usually pretty silly, but there are two things to watch out for: episodes about the nuclear war that created the post-apocalyptic land of Ooo, and weirdly horny episodes that don’t make sense for a kids show. But, I grew up with it, so it gets a pass. 9/10.
Steven Universe
Apparently, all of your problems can be solved by either crying or singing. Who knew?
Synopsis: Steven is a half-human who spends his days watching the Crystal Gems, his guardians, protect earth from monsters.
Things to Look Forward To: Songs that will be stuck in your head until you die, funny moments, and cool creature designs
My Personal Rating and Review: The first season is really great! It strikes a balance between funny and cool, and gets you invested in the world and Steven. The seasons after all have some great episodes, but have a pretty unhealthy view of relationships in a lot of cases. There’s a stunning amount of crying for a kids show. (Frankly, this is a show that might benefit from a more PG-13 rating, if they really wanted to delve into the emotional stuff.) I think there was nothing but good intentions behind it, but much like She-Ra, there’s an accidental message about forgiving abusers in here. 7/10.
Kid Cosmic
A corny superhero comic come to life, but with some of the best characters of all time!
Synopsis: The Kid (yes, that’s his name) wants to be the hero of his tiny desert town more than anything. So when he finds cosmic stones that grant the users superpowers, it seems that all of his dreams are coming true. However, if he hopes to survive the onslaught of intergalactic forces who want the stones for themselves, he’ll have to rely on his friends.
Things to Look Forward To: Stellar character design, compelling and likable characters, great art, and a fun soundtrack
My Personal Rating and Review: This show is a total love letter to true superhero comics—the era of “The Incredible Radioactive Man”, or other halftone-riddled, oversaturated superhero stories. The first season is objectively the best, but the entire thing is still worth a watch for sure. Every character in the tiny town is great! The story has a lot of heart as well. It’s a breath of fresh air in the superhero genre just for letting itself be fun and weird, and not at all serious. (There’s a supervillain in a later season named Fantos who wants to collect cosmic stones of power. Who could that be making fun of..?) It’s a great show for anyone who just wants to watch the delightful, friendly chaos unfold. 8/10.
We Bare Bears
An analogy for being an immigrant living in America, told through the lens of being a bear!
Synopsis: Panda, Griz, and Ice Bear are three brothers who try to fit in to their city lifestyle, usually leading to great chaos.
Things to Look Forward To: Humor, the baby bear episodes, any line said by Ice Bear
My Rating and Review: This show is really funny! It nails the everyday human experience really well, which is funny since the main characters are bears. Episodes center around ideas like updating your phone, a mouse freaking you out, and trying to find a date. But trust that none of them will be boring! This show is a great casual viewing, and will be enjoyed by all ages. Kids will enjoy seeing talking bears, and adults will enjoy episodes about not understanding money. 8/10.
Centaurworld
This show is a total—excuse the pun—trojan horse. You’ll go in for the bright rainbows, and leave wondering why there’s a lullaby sung about a nightmare demon that gets joy from the light leaving your eyes.
Synopsis: Horse is a battle-hardened warhorse who gets separated from her rider and dropped into a colorful cartoon world populated by centaurs. While trying to find her way home, she finds herself getting tugged into their strange past, which may be more connected than she thought.
Things to Look Forward To: Weird musical numbers, absolutely unhinged plotlines, and a fair amount of what was probably drug-induced comedy.
My Personal Rating and Review: This show, while not for kids, is a pretty fun time. I’ve got a number of complaints—the show was better when Horse was still drawn in her sharp, dark show style. (She slowly gets more and more marshmallowey as the show continues). There’s also the problem where every time we get a flashback of Horse’s world, I just want to watch that show instead. However, if you take it for what it is, it’s a bizarrely fun time with a seriously scary villain. 6/10.
Dead End Paranormal Park
Let’s be real, the sole reason I kept watching this show was because of Pugsley.
Synopsis: Barney gets a job at the theme park of his childhood, and soon learns that the job involves a lot more supernatural battles than he signed up for.
Things to Look Forward To: Representation, Pugsley, good color schemes
My Personal Rating and Review: I think this show suffers from the too-common problem of being constrained to a kids show. It’s clear that the creators wanted to do more with it, but couldn’t. Because of that, it ends up in a weird limbo of being way too scary for kids, but also not hardcore enough to warrant a higher rating. I think the other thing is deals with is a large portion of the theme (Barney being trans) is something that lots of little kids don’t understand. And while that doesn’t mean it’s bad, it does mean that they’re clearly expecting an older audience that they didn’t reach. Any of the scenes with Pugsley, the talking dog, are very cute. But truthfully, this show just never got off the ground for me. (Also, it gets sad!) My other biggest complaint would be that the art style holds it back: it’s almost too simple and thick, and thus a lot of the motion feels limited. 4/10.
Oni
This show is a visual feast that isn’t afraid to take its time, which definitely works in its favor.
Synopsis: Onari is a young horned girl in a magical village, who has yet to unlock her magical talent that will help her defend the village from the Oni. However, she realizes that her goofy father might be more powerful than he seems.
Things to Look Forward To: drop-dead-gorgeous animation, fun characters, great folklore, and a touching story
My Personal Rating and Review: This is a fun one! It looks like stop motion, but is actually fully CGI, which is very impressive. Its strength lies in its pacing, which is slow and pleasant. I think that its biggest struggle is not being able to find much of a higher meaning beyond the usual “humans are the real monsters!” idea, but it does get past that eventually. It’s a cozy watch for sure, and you can’t help but root for Onari. 7/10.
The Ghost and Molly McGee
The spiritual successor to Phineas and Ferb, purely in the fact that it has a musical number every episode.
Synopsis: After moving into a new house, indomitable optimist Molly finds herself cursed so that the grouchy ghost Scratch will be bound to her forever.
Things to Look Forward To: Funny songs every episode, smooth animation, good character development
My Personal Rating and Review: This is a good show, but it’s definitely a casual viewing. Its biggest issue is that sometimes its (very good!) message about making a difference when it comes to the environment and participating in local government, it can come across as a bit preachy. But, other than that, it’s a fun time to be had. There’s a plot unfolding, but it’s not so high-stakes that you feel yourself eagerly awaiting each new episode. Great for the casual viewer! 6/10.
Star vs the Forces of Evil
I’ll be honest: I really loved this show when I was like 14. I went back and watched it recently, and found it borderline unwatchable.
Synopsis: High-energy magical princess Star is banished to earth so she can learn to control her magic.
Things to Look Forward To: Fun character designs, and an exploration of the multiverse before any other multiverse media became hugely popular.
My Personal Rating and Review: This show has a manic sort of charm that…wears off quick, if we’re being honest. It’s worth a watch if you’re bored, but it dragged itself on a little too long and lost its original message and plot a while ago. My biggest complaints are the voice acting—everyone talks in this sort of breathy, slidy voice—and the fact that the writers caved to pressure from the fanbase and ended up making terrible character choices just to please the internet. 4/10.
Phineas and Ferb
Ferb, I know what we’re gonna do today!
Synopsis: Genius brothers Phineas and Ferb look for ways to spend their summer by building crazy inventions. Meanwhile, their pet Platypus engages in action-hero shenanigans with the local supervillain.
Things to Look Forward To: Absurd comedy, Candace, and great running gags
My Personal Rating and Review: I actually didn’t grow up with this one, because my family didn’t watch regular Disney Channel all that much. But I watched it when I was like 15, and I’ve been an enjoyer ever since. Each episode follows the same plot, but always has a shockingly tight comedic script and funny concepts. 8/10.
Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur
I didn’t think I would like this one, and then I was completely wrong.
Synopsis: Supergenius Lunella Lafayette accidentally brings a gigantic horned dinosaur out from the past, and then decides that the next logical thing to do is fight crime to protect the peace on the Lower East Side!
Things to Look Forward To: Representation, the art and animation style, the characters, and Devil
My Personal Rating and Review: While this show can lose itself in its message sometimes, it overall spends its time on worthwhile plots and moments that make it feel humanized and lived-in. All of the characters get moments to shine, and the life lessons in each episode are properly tailored to a modern audience, where everyone knows “don’t bully people”, but kids still need to learn “sometimes it’s good to slow down and take the time to enjoy your day”. 8/10.
Infinity Train
Another show that was purged off of HBO Max and now can only be watched through some internet sleuthing. (Piracy.)
Synopsis: Awkward teenager Tulip finds herself on an infinite train with impossible cars. As she travels through them, the glowing number on her hand changes according to some mysterious criteria.
Things to Look Forward To: Pure cartoon weirdness, a cool concept, and the idea what if therapy were in a petri dish shaped like an infinite alien train?
My Personal Rating and Review: While I really enjoyed the first and second chapter, each chapter follows a different set of characters seeking to overcome some unknown problem in their lives. I lost interest after the third chapter, because it went to some dark places it didn’t seem likely to come back from. I’ve heard the other seasons/chapters are good, but I’ll probably never get to see them: as I’ve mentioned, this show is hard to come by nowadays, which is why it’s last on this list. 7/10.
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