My Top 5 Animated TV Shows

Top 10 Tuesday is Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.
Following on from My Top Action/Drama TV Shows, I thought it was high time I spread some love for some truly incredible cartoons.
I hardly consider myself an animation expert, but I have been watching more cartoons of late. They're less stressful than pretty much all the other shows I watch, but also have a surprising amount of depth to them that makes them possible to appreciate by people of all ages.

1. Steven Universe
A pastel coloured cartoon about a boy who takes his mother's place in a team of magical beings known as the Crystal Gems, learning all about how to control his powers and trying to uncover more about his mother in order to follow in her footsteps.
The premise is very straightforward and on the surface doesn't seem too original, but this show has so much heart. It's filled with puns and light humour but also has an underlying darkness about it. The characters go through issues like having their identity tied to their self worth and the show even addresses things like different types of relationships as well as consent issues - which is so progressive for a children's show and is so expertly done. Plus the songs are glorious and the animation is like a dream.


2. Over the Garden Wall
I watched the entirety of this miniseries in one day and I did not regret it. One of Cartoon Network's most successful shows, OTGW is about two boys lost in the forest of the Unknown, trying to find their way home with the help of magical creatures, all the while being pursued by a haunting figure.
This a creepy yet fun little show and is a little reminiscent of Studio Ghibli. It has elements of horror and fantasy all mixed in with the impossible and a sprinkle of lighthearted humour. It's so difficult to describe this show justifiably without giving away too much of the plot - but please take my word that this will be an hour and 10 minutes of your life well spent.


3. Avatar: The Last Airbender
In this glorious animated series, people can bend the elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air to their will. There is only one person - the Avatar - capable of mastering all four elements and maintaining balance in the world. Once the Avatar dies, they are reincarnated into a new body, but it's been years since a new incarnation of the Avatar has appeared. In this time, the Fire Nation have taken over. But all this changes when two children of the Water Tribe find a young boy frozen inside a sphere of ice.
This cartoon was my childhood. The art style is reminiscent of Japanese anime and the story is so unique. I became attached to the characters in an instant and never really wanted their journey to end. If you're not typically one for cartoons I'd still highly recommend this series.


4. The Legend of Korra
Set years after The Last Airbender, Korra is the next incarnation of the Avatar. She's everything that her predecessor wasn't - spontaneous, rebellious and a rule breaker. Moving to the city to complete her Avatar training, she discovers that not everyone is in awe of element benders as she thought, and there are people who wish to take that power away.
This show is significantly darker than ATLA, addressing issues like terrorism as well as breaking many boundaries for children's television. The characters are just as incredible as those in Avatar and impossible not to love. I love the way that, being part of my childhood, the story of the Avatar grew up with me.


5. Gravity Falls
The second I saw the pilot I knew I had to watch all of this series. Gravity Falls centres around twins Dipper and Mabel who are sent to live with their great uncle who runs a tourist attraction known as The Mystery Shack, right in the heart of the mysterious town of Gravity Falls. But contrary to the false mysteries advertised in the Shack, the town is filled with uncanny creatures and mysteries that, with the help of a dusty journal, the twins intend to uncover.
The show has only two seasons (the creator didn't want the show to go on forever) but they are jam packed with weirdness and absurd spinoffs of supernatural creatures. Plus the mystery of who the author of the journals is was enthralling. With this show there is quite literally a mystery around every corner.

Have you watched any of these wonderful cartoons? Do you plan to start watching any of them now? Are there any others you would recommend to me? Let me know in the comments!

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