Which is the Best Animated Series?

[crimsonspear4D]

The thing that I enjoy so much about western cartoons over anime is that they are SO MUCH more memorable and leave a far better impact. Even current generation cartoons like Steven Universe (I really hate sucking that shows dick so much but gaaaaaawwwwwwwwd do I love the gems... and Steven), Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Wander, and Star vs. have the most enjoyable characters and stories. I feel sad because everything that I could've posted has already been and I agree with them wholeheartedly.

My favorite intros that nobody hasn't posted yet:

ATLA, Gravity Falls, Samurai Jack, Regular Show, Tom & Jerry, Rick & Morty... honestly too many good ones to pick one.

Best theme song though? ...You won't believe what i've JUST finished listening to:

Another series that died before it properly ended. I am reminded of Sym-Bionic Titan

Guh, the pure unfathomable hatred I had for CN for shitcanning those and Thundercats 2011...

I'm in my twenties now and I still haven't gotten over it.

 

[rasta111]

...

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

SNIP

Jack is one of those cartoons, like the Adventures of Superman or Aaahh! Real Monsters that everyone at the time liked, will to this day proclaim they still like, but when given the chance to rewatch it for movie night, always say "Nah, I saw it. Let's watch Ironman 2!"

 

[Nazulu]

The Simpsons, South Park, Hunter X Hunter and Full Metal Alchemist are easily my favourites. However, something tells me you are not counting these. So chalk up another for Avatar: TLA, since I re-watched it to make sure after the last time I answered one of these threads.

Still a lot of classics I need to revisit before I can be 100% though.

Edit: Oh, and for themes, I'll go with Darkwing Duck.

 

[Zeraki]

Since most of the shows I would list have already been mentioned I'll go with one that hasn't.

Gargoyles
(best theme song by the way)

It's still to this day one of my favorite shows. Great writing, great characters, great voice acting and memorable stories.

 

[Zeras]

There were so many good shows on during the '90s and early '00s: +1 to everybody because most of these put down (Batman: TAS, Gargoyles, Darkwing Duck, Megas XLR - to name a few) were my favorite cartoon shows that were my fav genre or tackled surprisingly mature subject matter while being labelled a "kids' show".

 

[Jute88]

While its sequal series in my eyes will be dust in the wind

God I was so dissipointed in Korra.

Got any interesting points to share with us? I was mostly okay with season 3 of Korra, while season 1 was pretty disappointing, mostly because of the reveal of the villain.
Oh, and back to the topic. Samurai Jack, Batman TAS, Avatar and Korra (to some extent) are my favorite animated shows. But since everyone is already praising them, I thought I'd pick some other show that I like:

Spoiler

I mean, what other show dealt with war, famine, racism, cold war, crisis in the Middle East, drug use in sports, fascism, overfishing, arms trade, relationship problems and adoption, among other things? And it was aimed at kids?

 

[Spider RedNight]

Count me among the Batman: TAS for best Animated Series and Darkwing Duck for best opening. Also I agree with A:TLA and Samurai Jack

Also I'm assuming we're excluding anime though because Cowboy Bebop should totally also be "best opening" 'cuz that opening was badass.

And I don't think it's been mentioned yet but I really loved Teen Titans. The opening was catchy (not as catchy as Darkwing Duck but whatcha gonna do when you aren't the terror that flaps in the night) and the episodes were well done. Loved the voice acting too (then again, I'm a sucker for Ron Perlman).

 

[FPLOON]

In general, I'd say Static Shock... Overall, I'll give it to Kim Possible... Coincidentally, they both have the voice actor Will playing the supporting roll of sidekick...

Other than that, it's Grim & Evil, Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, The Powerpuff Girls, or Invader Zim in the theme song category...

 

[WhiteFangofWhoa]

Well if you don't include Batman TAS since otherwise everyone would have that as their number one...

Haven't seen the Spider-Man TAS here yet. Poor theme song, heavily censored and heavily into re-using animation post-Season 2, but strong enough characters and story arcs to compete with the above-mentioned legend for five seasons:

Spoiler: Eddie Brock is still a jerk

And that's just Part 1. I also liked the 'angry moments' compilation. SHOCKEEEERRRRRRRR!

As for theme song, well...

Spoiler: Cross-dressing heroism at its finest

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

SNIP

Jack is one of those cartoons, like the Adventures of Superman or Aaahh! Real Monsters that everyone at the time liked, will to this day proclaim they still like, but when given the chance to rewatch it for movie night, always say "Nah, I saw it. Let's watch Ironman 2!"

Not me man, there are episodes I would still watch to this day such as the pilot, the spartan episode, and ninja fight, the bounty hunters, etc.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

While its sequal series in my eyes will be dust in the wind

God I was so dissipointed in Korra.

Got any interesting points to share with us? I was mostly okay with season 3 of Korra, while season 1 was pretty disappointing, mostly because of the reveal of the villain.
Oh, and back to the topic. Samurai Jack, Batman TAS, Avatar and Korra (to some extent) are my favorite animated shows. But since everyone is already praising them, I thought I'd pick some other show that I like:

Spoiler

I mean, what other show dealt with war, famine, racism, cold war, crisis in the Middle East, drug use in sports, fascism, overfishing, arms trade, relationship problems and adoption, among other things? And it was aimed at kids?

This guy's videos pretty much sums up my opinion on Korra:

Part 1:


Part 2:

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

There were so many good shows on during the '90s and early '00s: +1 to everybody because most of these put down (Batman: TAS, Gargoyles, Darkwing Duck, Megas XLR - to name a few) were my favorite cartoon shows that were my fav genre or tackled surprisingly mature subject matter while being labelled a "kids' show".

Ever saw this one?

 

[pookie101]

Can the old Tex Avery works be really called a series? If so, that would be my vote. The animation was so lively, the jokes are STILL funny, the timing ridiculously good. I could gush all day about it.

thats it in one. there is no cartoon series that can be watched by people from 3 yo to 95yo from 1940s to 2016 and enjoyed by all of them other than the old loony tunes cartoons

 

[Khazidhea]

I like other titles already mentioned in this thread more (but it's theme would be near the top of my list), but just to throw another name into the mix: Wakfu. It's french, and on the Avatar end of the spectrum.

Spoiler

 

[briankoontz]

My favorites are The Venture Brothers, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Archer, Rick and Morty, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, South Park, and Superjail!. Animation is so much better these days than in the past - I grew up in the 1980s and even as a young kid I couldn't stand the garbage "cartoons" on Saturday morning TV.

 

[Silvanus]

Best animated series... would be a toss-up between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Both stellar examples of storytelling and mature narrative in animation.

Venture Bros is a very close third.

This guy's videos pretty much sums up my opinion on Korra:

Hrmmm, there are a lot of points made there I'd say are kind of balls, but this is a discussion for another thread. A major one is his argument that the spirits are clearly unsuited to live alongside humans at the end of Season 2. Well, yes, that's why it becomes a major plot thread through the following season, and the driving force of a great deal more conflict and realisation. The solution is imperfect, and the pitfalls of that continue to impact the narrative. Criticising the mob for being one-note villains and improperly fleshed out is also rather weak, considering there were one-note villains in The Last Airbender, as well. They're sideshows. A lot of this is just comparing incomparable elements from the two shows in order to point to one as weaker.

I say this as someone who prefers The Last Airbender quite a bit, by the way.

 

[Hawki]

Avatar: The Last Airbender

I'll give shoutouts to the following:

-Bob's Burgers
-Futurama
-My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
-The Simpsons
-South Park
-Spectacular Spider-Man
-Sonic SatAM (maybe Sonic Boom as well, but I wouldn't count it among the greats)
-Star Wars: The Clone Wars
-Rocko's Modern Life
-Rugrats
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1980s version)

I'm sure there's others, but I'm not that big a conissuer of cartoons. Sure, grew up with them in the 90s, pretty much ignored them in the 2000s, and even in the 2010s, while I can find good stuff, they're not really my "go to" medium. Doesn't help that watching cartoons isn't something you really advertise to most people, considering the "just for kids" mindset that still prevails.

 

[Souplex]

The answer is Steven Universe.
It's always been Steven Universe, and it always will be.
The writing, the music, the art-direction, the "Choreography", the characters, the story. All of it hits.

 

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Best animated series... would be a toss-up between Avatar: The Last Airbender and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Both stellar examples of storytelling and mature narrative in animation.

Venture Bros is a very close third.

This guy's videos pretty much sums up my opinion on Korra:

Hrmmm, there are a lot of points made there I'd say are kind of balls, but this is a discussion for another thread. A major one is his argument that the spirits are clearly unsuited to live alongside humans at the end of Season 2. Well, yes, that's why it becomes a major plot thread through the following season, and the driving force of a great deal more conflict and realisation. The solution is imperfect, and the pitfalls of that continue to impact the narrative. Criticising the mob for being one-note villains and improperly fleshed out is also rather weak, considering there were one-note villains in The Last Airbender, as well. They're sideshows. A lot of this is just comparing incomparable elements from the two shows in order to point to one as weaker.

I say this as someone who prefers The Last Airbender quite a bit, by the way.

Spoiler

Well one of these "one note villains" in Last Airbender was Admiral Zhao and even he at least had some character development especially regarding the Firebending Master Jeong Jeong.

Spoiler

The Warden in the prison the boiling rock got some development that he is the uncle of Mai so it made Zuko more conflict with Zuko.