[ad_1]
It’s no easy task to pick the best animated TV shows ever. In its over one century of development, the cartoon medium has proven itself to be at par with live-action series in terms of storytelling, audience impact, and marketability. This is particularly true for the worlds of fantasy, sci-fi, comedy, drama, and superheroes – genres that have birthed the greatest animated series over the turn of the century.
Indeed, it would be an understatement to say that cartoons aren’t just for children. After all, television is a visual medium, and if there’s one thing that the best animated TV shows ever have in common, it is that they all challenge what’s visually possible in their own unique way. Here are the animated shows that have pushed the boundaries of TV in ways that live-action series could not.
12 Gravity Falls
When two tween twins, Dipper and Mabel, visit their grand-uncle in Gravity Falls, Oregon, they’re drawn into a strange world of the supernatural and paranormal – all within a Disney Channel comedy series! It’s definitely not the network’s typical fare. The show is strange, to be sure, but its strangeness works for the premise. Gravity Falls‘ characters’ funniness also helps the show have that wide appeal in the first place. Sure, kids can enjoy the show plenty, but there’s also a ton of Pixar-like in-jokes only adults will get, which help them enjoy the series, as well. Largely regarded as one of the best animated TV shows ever, Gravity Falls has won 2 Primetime Emmys.
11 Hunter x Hunter
Anime shows don’t have to last a long time to make an impact, and some of the best only run for a season or two. Hunter x Hunter aired from 2011 to 2014 and, like many of the best animated TV shows ever, was originally based on a manga series. The story follows Gon Freecss as he seeks to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a “Hunter”, a person who specializes in exotic or dangerous activities which may involve treasure hunting, exploring caverns, and even bounty-hunting. What makes Gon’s journey so special are the allies he makes along the way and the thrill of getting to see his character develop.
10 Death Note
Superhero media are often said to be “power fantasies”, allowing viewers to imagine what it would be like to soar through the skies, be bulletproof, or have the money to build wild gadgets. Death Note focuses on a particular power: the ability to take a life simply by writing a known person’s name in a book. The clever execution of this simple premise is what makes Death Note one of the best animated TV shows ever. Although the Netflix adaptation in 2017 was one of the worst live-action anime adaptations, that takes nothing away from the original anime or its manga source material, which ponders on the philosophy of power and justice.
9 Cowboy Bebop
One of the best young adult anime shows, Cowboy Bebop follows a colorful cast of characters on the spaceship Bebop, in the year 2071, as they travel the Solar System as bounty hunters. The show takes influence from a wide variety of genres, like Westerns, noir, and, of course, science fiction, to create a show which many anime viewers rank highly among the best animated TV shows ever. Cowboy Bebop‘s well-done English dub introduced the show to audiences on Adult Swim and eventual global acclaim. The show has also been a major influence on both American dramatic animation, and how Japanese series are translated for foreign audiences.
8 Love, Death & Robots
Comparable only to shows like to Black Mirror, Twilight Zone, and even The Animatrix, Love, Death & Robots is a Netflix original animated anthology that raises the most pressing practical and philosophical questions about human technologies. Various animators, writers, and storytellers converge in the 4 seasons of Love, Death & Robots, which have collectively won 13 Primetime Emmys. Combining high-concept sci-fi, gripping action and drama, comedy, horror, and fantasy, Love, Death & Robots is undoubtedly one of the best animated TV shows ever. Each episode is a dark and shiny rumination on what’s next on the evolutionary ladder for humanity.
7 Batman: The Animated Series
It’s amazing to believe that Batman: The Animated Series, and by extension the entire DC Animated Universe, began with Tim Burton’s Batman movie being turned into a kids’ TV show. Well, Batman and Batman Returns, that is. The series isn’t a direct adaptation, however, which allowed it to stand on its own and become beloved by audiences. Its Gotham City is timeless, and Batman: The Animated Series never talked down to its audience. It also gave viewers Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill as Batman and Joker, respectively, for the first time. They are two of the most classic interpretations of each character ever on screen, cementing Batman: The Animated Series’ place among the best animated TV shows ever.
Alchemy is the science and art of manipulating the molecular structure of any basic element, and transmuting it into other shapes or states of matter. However, alchemy cannot resurrect a dead person, and attempting to do so can result in the most fantastical tragedies. The show’s mix of action, philosophy, and ruminations about sacrifice are neither new nor surprising, but Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood far exceeds Fullmetal Alchemist. This is mainly because Brotherhood is a much more faithful adaptation of its original manga than the initial 2003 series. One of the best animated TV shows ever, Brotherhood has also won 3 Behind the Voice Actor Awards, including Best Vocal Ensemble in an Anime Title in 2012.
5 Futurama
Matt Groening’s masterpiece, Futurama follows the adventures of Fry and his friends after Fry is transported to the future from the ’90s through his own trademark, charming naivete. Zoidberg, Professor Farnsworth, Leila, Fry, Amy, and Bender paint the perfect sci-fi subversion of the classic ’90s sitcom in Futurama, one of the best animated TV shows ever and winner of 6 Primetime Emmys. The fact that Futurama season 8 has been revived on Hulu – a decade after the finale – is a testament to the show’s cultural impact and sheer longevity. It also certainly helps that, among either animation or live-action series, Futurama is one of the best comedies of the 21st century, period.
4 Rick And Morty
What if Doc Brown in Back to the Future had been Marty’s grandfather, as well as an alcoholic narcissist who was so smart he was bored by humanity? The result is Rick and Morty, one of the best animated TV shows ever and is perhaps the biggest phenomenon in its category since The Simpsons and Futurama. The show respects the audience’s intelligence and doesn’t always pander to the lowest common denominator, though it has made an art out of doing that as well. The show gets away with esoteric references because, even if viewers don’t get all the references, the writing stands on its own, and has helped bring serious philosophy into mainstream comedy.
3 Attack On Titan
The still-running TV series began airing in 2013, and takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where cities are enclosed by walls to protect them from attacks by giant, human-like beings called “Titans”. The show begins with an attack that leads the main hero on a quest to defeat the new threat. The show’s depiction of action, as well as the epic scope of the Titans, is nothing short of enthralling, and it’s exciting to think of where the series is heading next. The winner of several Crunchyroll Anime Awards, Anime Trending Awards, and Behind the Voice Actors Awards, Attack on Titan is globally considered to rank highly among the best animated TV shows ever.
2 Avatar: The Last Airbender
Apart from being one of the best animated TV shows ever, Avatar: The Last Airbender may be the greatest family-friendly cartoon. Each main character is unique while also integral to the overall narrative of the series. The final season was not only the show’s best generally, but it also did justice to all the main characters’ stories. Containing influences from both Eastern and Western cultures, the show depicts a diverse world torn apart by imperialism and war, and which needs a spiritual hero, the Avatar, to save it. Netflix will release a live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender, based on the original cartoon.
1 South Park
No other still-ongoing animated comedy has consistently released good episodes since 1997. South Park is certainly not for everyone, as it is primarily an increasingly wild exercise in the comedic potential of sheer irreverence. At the same time, South Park‘s biting social satire, unfaltering comedic sensibilities, and longevity have secured its high place among the best animated TV shows ever. The winner of 5 Primetime Emmys, South Park has a total of 26 seasons and over 300 episodes – perfect for binge-watching.
[ad_2]