Honestly, I can't decide! Mainly because Steven Universe and any other great animated show that a kid could watch right now all have different tones and, dare I say, pacing that it ends up coming to personal preference, at best... I can't agree with others (or even with Rebecca and the crew) that SU didn't start "getting good" after the Lapis episodes because it was already good to begin with, dealing with how Steven and the Gems see the world differently in Beach City alongside introducing concepts and characters before Lapis that, even before they were seen as prominent key moments in the series so far, could still leave that impact that a kid would pick up, but an adult would pass on until they see what they consider to be a "twist" in the overall narrative, despite their kid probably catching that beforehand, anyway...
In terms of Gravity Falls, since that show keeps being brought up throughout the thread, the biggest strength to that show is also it's weakness because it's part of the Disney Channel family: It sets up these codes/hidden messages every episode that you have to pause midway through the show to see it, write it down, and decipher it afterwards like your DVR/digital device is the decoder ring and the show's the box you use it on... That's not to say you can't watch the show without doing any of that shit, but it's clear that there are moments where you have to see a specific episode again just to unravel the mystery the show has clearly set up from the beginning and considering Disney Channel's main focus is live-action shit, we already have a problem just waiting to happen... So, with that said, I'm fucking glad that it's on Disney XD where they can rerun all of the episodes at their leisure, almost, at the cost of delaying episodes by no less than two weeks, I think... Also, for glob's sake Disney, release the first (and soon-to-be completed second) season on DVD/Blu-Ray already? If the first season would have been released in disk form already, I would be complaining half as much as I do now...
Now, in terms of Adventure Time (since I want to touch on this before I go all "rapid fire" on everything else), Season 6, to me, feels like a Season 1 redux in the best way possible... It still growing alongside Finn and company, but it's more concrete without losing what make Adventure Time work in the "just go with it"/"the world is very lively" kind of way... I also feel like for those that feel like this show's slowing down or stuck in some kind of rut given the [major] events of Season 5, for example, probably also thought that the show's only good when it has some kind of over-arching storyline of some kind, maybe missing the fact that the show works by showcasing events like you're looking into someone's (or something's) life in almost real time within a fixed point in time, almost like stalking someone while waiting to see what kind of excitement they might be up to... Yes, this did not come out right, but that's honestly how I would describe it if whoever it is I'm describing the show to doesn't know how the concept of DnD works in relation to real life... Anyway, still awaiting for that complete Season 5 DVD/Blu-Ray given how many episodes that season has (and possibly what Season 6 will have) overall...
Now, for some rapid fire "breakdowns":
Regular Show: This show really likes depicting various eras in time within the show's current present (and past) and I still love it for that... The latest half-hour special was definitely something not worth missing out on, in my opinion...
The Amazing World of Gumball: I love how the show uses its subversions and potential cliches to its advantage, thus making it a bit more clever outside of the various art styles living in a world that only looks like ours from a backdrop point of view...
Clarence: I've said this before some time ago and my opinion still stands: Even if this show doesn't feel like it will gel with you, there will be, at least, one moment in the entire show's existence that you would relate to in some way, shape, or form... (Most likely if you're American, but that's beside the point...)
Uncle Grandpa: I... got nothing... All I could possibly say about this show is that my favorite character is Gus... and, if you've seen the show, you may (or may not) know why...
Teen Titans GO!: "Your new favorite show", CN repeats back at the kids who first said it to CN's two-headed face... Other than that, it's clearly a parody show through and through... Mileage may vary, I guess...
Wonder Over Yonder: If you don't like (or at least tolerate) the characters, then you're not going to like the show... or, at least, as much as you think you should...
Pan Zero: Part-Time Hero: Again, I got nothing... But, unlike last time, it's definitely one of those shows you can choose to binge-watch, if that's your thing...
Star vs The Forces of Evil: So far, I loved this show since Episode 1... I'm still overtly bias on how great this show it, so give me several more episodes until I become less bias so that I can weigh in this show a lot better...
Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja: Are they still making new episodes? But seriously, this show was better than I expected, yet I hate how they don't play the main theme in it's full TV-length entirely... I mean, what the juice?
Harvey Beaks: I wish I could keep track of this show more because out of the episodes I've seen so far, it's clearly one of the better animated shows coming from Nickelodeon that's not one of the long-running animated series... It's probably because of who's created/running the show at this time...
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic: I bet you can guess how I feel about this show and you would have a 90% chance of getting it right somewhat... So, on that note, I'll say that I finally have the money to buy the rest of the seasons (Season 3 and 4) that already came out on DVD...
I think that covers the one's I've seen so far... Anyway, back to the topic at hand, is Steven Universe the best "kids" show around at the moment? As much as I want to say that it depends on the individual child themselves, given how only Steven Universe, Gravity Falls (to an extent), Adventure Time, Clarence (to an extend), Harvey Beaks, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic actively deals with kid-like issues in their own way, shape, or form (to my knowledge), I guess it really does depend on the individual kid themselves after all... Besides, it's not like they're going to just watch one of those animated shows, anyway... right?
<color=white>On an unrelated note/edit, I like to dedicate this long-ass post to Therumancer... You are an inspiration to my forum-reading habits... Thank you...
