Are people experiencing nostalgia getting younger and younger? Usually pop culture nostalgia has a 20 or 30 year cycle, which is why there are so many 80s and 90s revivals going on these days. But it seems that nostalgia for cartoons of the 2000s comes early. People in their 20s through their late teens often search the internet for cartoons and animated series they grew up watching. Because growing up is so stressful these days, it makes sense that young millennials and older Gen Zers are more likely than previous generations to have childhood memories.
They may not attract the same attention as cartoons of the 80s and 90s or today's, but there are many more cartoons of the zero that are worth remembering. The genius of some of these cartoons was so obvious that at the time they were celebrated even by adult fans (sotechnically is notonlyChildren of zero who remember them). Some are experiencing an awakening. Others were not so famous, and some remained in complete obscurity. Some have no official releases at all; you only have memories and less ethical means if you want to relive the experience. Those with official releases deserve support.These 20 cartoons cover a wide range of popular trends of the decade, from the rising influence of anime to the enduring popularity of retro style with a "thick line" end 90s and the birth of Internet animation.
20. Avatar: The Last Airbender
Honestly, even if you didn't grow up in the noughties, you should check out Avatar: The Last Airbender». Anyone between the ages of six and 96 will find something interesting in this series. Don't let this terrible Shyamalan movie put you off!
While many American cartoons have taken inspiration from anime in the past, "Avatar" was the first to truly fit the anime style of complex serial storytelling. Gorgeous characters, detailed fantasy worldbuilding, serious themes, and a deep respect for the Asian cultures that inspired it makeAvatar must-see. 2010s sequel,"The Legend of Korra" , also deserves attention, but not so stable.
19. Samurai Jack
If Avatar: The Last Airbender» was the pinnacle of storytelling in the American animated series of the 2000s, then "Samurai Jack" was the pinnacle of American TV show artistry. The plots were simple and archetypal. However, the animation, sound design and direction have always been amazing.
All the cinematic influences of Gendy Tartakovsky, from Akira Kurosawa and Sergio Leone toAkira andBlade Runner, combine to make Samurai Jack something special. He entrusted young viewers with calm and reflection before rewarding them with the craziest action on television. The recent fifth season, aimed at adults who have grown up with the original, gave the series a darker but satisfying conclusion.
18. Invader Zim
If you went to Hot Topic in the 00s, you are familiar withInvader ZIM (or at least with his ever-selling robot/"dog" GIR), even if you've never watched the show itself. He may have only had 27 episodes (six of which didn't even air on TV a few years later), but his cult following kept him in the public eye long enough to inspire a comic book and movie resurgence.
The show is doing surprisingly well and is worth all the hype. This cartoon about a stupid alien trying to conquer a planet of equally stupid people seems even more satirically relevant today than it was in 2001. The twisted animation, occasional violence, and comically misanthropic action made it questionable for young children but fun for older viewers.
17. Justice League
ok if you readcomics Resources of all sites, chances are you might be a fanJustice League and hislimitless follow-up even if you weren't a kid when they aired from 2001 to 2006. But does the general public know about these shows? If not, then you definitely should!
Bruce Timm's cartoons have generally been among the best adaptations of DC superheroes; better than most live versions. His pioneeringBatman: The Animated Series 90s» received universal acclaim, butJustice League" demonstrated Timm's talents to the highest degree. The show has used (and nailed) just about every DC character in history, telling great stories in a wide variety of tones. It even contains the only Alan Moore adaptation that Moore approves of!
16. Teen Titans
"Teen Titans" is an animated series about which the children of the 2000s simply will not be silent! Thank/blame for being popularTeen Titans Go!as well as the announcement of the "edgy" film "Titans » live for comparisons. A sixth season continuing the old show's climaxes is being mooted as a possibility. Will it really?
Will he come back or not, there's a good reason whyTeen Titans remain strong in the memories of young millennials. It was one of the best American responses to the anime boom and had plenty of action, humor and soul. Of course, it also had a J-pop song thatdoesn't leave your head 16 years later!!!
15. Foster: Home for Fantasy Friends
Cool girls are still Craig McCracken's greatest success, but his second show as a creator,"Foster's House for Imaginary Friends" , managed to prove itself well, lasting six seasons. You can already tell from the title that this show was something special. A comedy about abandoned imaginary friends living together is an irresistible premise.
"Foster" was one of the first television cartoons to be animated in Flash, and is still one of the best in a digitally adapted series. The design of this show was great. Blooregard Q. Kazoo is a testament to how great animators can take the simplest design and infuse it with a bright, fun personality.
14. Megas XLR
Possibly the most iconic of the Cartoon Network shows,MEGAS XLR was on the channel for only the shortest time from 2004 to early 2005, but if you remember him, youremember . At a time when almost every militant triedimitate anime style,MEGAS XLR stood out, having a pure love and knowledge of anime, but filtering it all through a very American (and especially New Jersey) sensibility.
If you ever asked yourself, "What would Guy Fieri do with a giant robot?" thenMEGAS XLR is the show for you. It's a demographic not big enough to make the series a hit, but even so, this cartoon was so absurd that those who got it loved it.
13. Kim Possible
Almost no competitionKim Possible was the best show on Disney Channel in the 00s. The live sitcoms on the channel don't stand up to any kind of nostalgic cheese nostalgia, and even many of the cartoons could be forgotten.However, Kim Five-s- On the plus side, it holds up surprisingly well.
Witty, exciting and proud feminist,Kim Five- took on a bunch of outdated ideas that girls won't watch action movies and boys won't watch shows with women. It was an early example of the fandom's ability to save its beloved cartoons: the show was going to be canceled after the third season, but fan demand inspired Disney to extend the show for another year!
12. The Life and Adventures of a Teenage Robot
Nickelodeon dominated the market for successful, risqué children's animation in the '90s, but for the most part Nicktoons of the 2000s didn't have the same staying power. This was the decadesponge Bob Square Pants , the network's last great hit of the 90s, became so dominant that other cartoons, good or bad, were mostly ignored by comparison.
My life as a teenage robot - one of the best jokes that was almost forgotten in the era of the sponge. XJ-9, a super robot trying to live a normal life between battling villains, is made for a strong protagonist, and the show's retro-futuristic art style has always been cool. Not the brightest sight, but charming and fascinating.
11. School of clones
For the purposes of this list, we count "noughties teenagers" as "noughties kids". ”Clone High”, which aired on MTV for only one season, not for young children. For teenagers, however, it was a fun and thoughtful exploration of school life... in high school, where all the students are clones of famous historical figures, and all of them are part of a vicious government experiment.
Protests in India over the portrayal of a Gandhi clone as a party animal caused MTV to cancel the show early. Thankfully, creators Phil Lord and Chris Miller have had much more success with the films "Jump Street" andlego .
10. Teacher's favorite
"Teacher's Pet" maybe,moststrange Disney cartoon ever made. Attempting to combine the educational-entertainment demands of the One Saturday Morning block with the surreal sensibilities of artist Gary Baseman, the show's forgotten status may be the result of people believing it's some kind of weird feverish dream and not a real show.
But no, it was a real show that existed, led by an impressive all-star cast (with characters like Nathan Lane, Wallace Shawn and Jerry Stiller). There's even a movie out in theaters! If you want a mixture of smart and lowbrow, weird and complicated jokes to elevate the standard high school cartoon, it's worth remembering"Teacher's Pet" .
9 Star Wars: The Clone Wars
No not a CG showClone Wars (which started in 2008 but gained momentum in the 2010s and is now getting a sequel as announced at this year's SDCC). This is a 2003-2005 mini-series from Gendy Tartakovsky. Released two seasons later, the first season is largely pure Jedi action in the style ofSamurai Jack , and the second has a bit more character development for Anakin.
The series is technically no longer part of canon."Star Wars" in the Disney era, and unfortunately it is not available in print or online. I hope it will be re-released in the near future. This mini-series is still one of the best/only good pieces of the prequel trilogy so far.
8 What Happened To Robot Jones
Seriously, what LIKE happened to Robot Jones? The title of this show seemed to be a self-fulfilling prophecy; it has pretty much fallen off the face of the earth. It's a shame, as it was a fun little groovy cartoon inspired bySchoolhouse Rock . This is a show for 00s kids that 70s kids know how to dig.
The first season was especially funny when Robot Jones was voiced by a real computer. Someone didn't seem to be a fan of the robot voice and not only did they remake the second season, they also remade the first season with a human child starring, which killed some of the charm.
7. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
One of Cartoon Network's darkest and weirdest shows, about an angry girl and an idiot boy who tricked the Grim Reaper into his best friend."The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" began as a segment of the show "Dark and Evil" , but since the short filmsEvil Con Carne were much smaller, well,Okay , it made sense to giveBilly and Mandy separate series.
Horror fans had something to enjoy in this cartoon. Everything from Greek mythology and Cthulhu myths toSuspiria andDunes, was fair game for an irreverent parody of that show. This hyper-active and sometimes mean-spirited show isn't for everyone, but for those who enjoyed it, it's been six seasons of fun.
6. Dave the Barbarian
Here is a show that has fallen into obscurity.Dave the Barbarian was a show that stood out like a sore thumb on the Disney Channel in the mid-2000s, when the channel focused primarily on live-action sitcoms. It never had a DVD or digital release, but this show is worth remembering.
It could have had a princess as the protagonist, butDave was closer in style to similarRocky and Bullwinkle (along with a fourth narrator breaking walls) andAnimaniacs (aboveDave several writers from this show worked) than what you think of as "Disney". How can you not have fun on a show with a villain named Chuckles the Stupid Pig?
5. The New Adventures of Spider-Man
Marvel may dominate cinema, but in the cartoon world, it has always played a secondary role compared to DC's offerings. His 90s cartoons didn't have the same production value asBatman: TAS orSuperman: TAS , and current Disney XD offerings usually have an "OK" critical response at best. However, there is at least one Marvel cartoon that still has a dedicated following.
One of the last shows to air on the Kids WB block,The Spectacular Spider-Man was the best animated version of the classic hero-spider . It was a well written show designed and produced by Greg Weisman ofGargoyles , which was planned for five seasons, but due to rights issues between Sony and Disney lasted only two years.
4 Fillmore!
One of the biggest changes to animation in the 2000s was the slow death of Saturday morning cartoons. While Disney was still doing original programming for One Saturday Morning on ABC at the turn of the century, when the block was renamed ABC Kids, it became basically a dumping ground for Disney Channel reruns before dying in 2011.
The last original cartoon to air on ABC on Saturday morning,fillmore!, was at least good. It was another high school show, similar to many One Saturday Morning shows, but with a creative twist that treated the adventures of a pair of lobby monitors like a '70s cop show. They even had Don Lafontaine as an announcer!
3. Magic patrons
Fairly OddParents lasted 15 years and 10 seasons, which is well over the 10s, so talking about the show as a whole might not be a good fit for this list. Of course, most of the series you probably want to forget; he jumped the shark early and continued to deteriorate. What children of the 00s will remember are the first four seasons when the show was really good.
When it startedFOP was trendy and smart, he found new and fun ways to play out the basic "wish went wrong" formula. Pretty much everything, right down to the movie."Channel Hunters" , which could have easily been the series finale, was solid. After that, the show became annoying and almost invisible.
2.homestar runner
As the epitome of millennial nostalgia for the "old Internet",homestar runner arrived at the right place at the right time. Being at a stage where online video has gone beyond just dancing baby gifs, but before corporate titans like Netflix dominated streaming,homestar runner is arguably the greatest independent web cartoon of all time.
Whether you've come to the site to reply to Strong Bad's emails or inquire about the Teen Girl team's ongoing adventures, "Homestar Runner dot net (that's the dot com!)" has always been one of the hottest spots on the web. The content was useful for kids, but weird and smart enough for adults. The site is still updated from time to time and is hosting a Kickstarter for the Trogdor game.
1. The Amazing Misadventures of Flapjack
If you're looking for the missing link between 2000s cartoons and current decade cartoons, look no further than"The Wonderful Misadventures of Flapjack" . The wacky and sometimes rough adventures of two pirates and a whale in search of the legendary candied mountain served as a testing ground for many artists who later created 00s cartoons.
Storyboard artists onflapjack included creatorAdventure Time Pendleton Ward, Alex Hirsch ofGravity Falls and Patrick McHale fromOver the Garden Wall . JG Quintel, creatorregular show , was one of the show's creative directors. In Times of Uncertainty for Cartoon NetworkFlapjack set the course for a surreal, artist-driven 11-minute episode of the future of animation.
