Jop
Check out our reviews of the media recommended in this post here:
Recently, Jasmijn and I reviewed Netflix’s Centaurworld, an animated fantasy series with some surprisingly deep layers. Luckily, the days in which animated productions are solely aimed at children are long behind us. Most productions nowadays are suitable for both kids and adults that are looking for animation with stories of some substance. Parents no longer have to necessarily suffer through endless screaming, flatulence humor and non sequitur storylines while their children are watching television.
In today’s recommendation, we wanted to highlight some thematically strong animated series that are fun to watch with your children. Alternatively, if you simply have a sweet spot for animated series also marketed towards children, we reckon you’ll also love these following suggestions! All fantasy or science fiction, of course!
Steven Universe
First on the list, Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe, created by Rebecca Sugar. This wonderful coming-of-age story revolves around a young boy called Steven, who lives his life with the Crystal Gems, three magical, humanoid aliens. Being half-Gem himself, Steven helps the Gems to protect the world, meanwhile struggling with the legacy of his dead mother and the normal struggles of a child’s life. Though the first few episodes might at first seem nonsensical, Steven Universe will quickly surprise you with intricate worldbuilding, lifelike characters and emotional pearls of wisdom. Furthermore, this series contains some catchy songs and also subtly deals with LGBTQ themes.
Avatar: the Last Airbender
Though it seems improbable, there are still too many people who haven’t seen the second recommendation on this list: Nickelodeon’s award winning Avatar: The Last Airbender. This series, heavily drawing from (East-)Asian imagery and cultures, tells the story of Aang, last survivor of his nation as well as the Avatar, the one destined to bring peace and balance to the currently war-torn world. As one might expect from such a premise, this series deals with some fairly heavy themes, however, it always manages to balance it with light-hearted humor. Furthermore, Avatar: the Last Airbender‘s **story comes astonishing worldbuilding and some of the best character arcs ever written!
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Third on my list is Netflix’s She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, the story of an invader force’s captain, who suddenly realizes that she might be fighting for the bad guy and might actually be the prophesied hero of the other side. It’s an action-filled story of epic scale, full of twists and turn, as well as natural (LGBTQ) diversity. An interesting science fantasy setting with flawed (but funny) characters that is certain to keep you entertained!
Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure
Finally, I’d like to draw everyone’s attention to Disney’s Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure (sometimes also known as simply Tangled: The Series). A spin-off to the 2010 movie Tangled, this series is centered around Rapunzel’s adventures after the 18 years she was locked up in a tower. Despite a fair share of filler episodes, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure also comes with a few solid (and at times suspenseful) storylines and character arcs ( Cassandra <3). Themes include: recovering from trauma, social privileges and how to deal with intense responsibilities. Last but not least, the voice-acting and animation are sublime, and occasionally supported by powerful songs performed by musical stars such as Eden Espinosa and Jeremy Jordan.
Hopefully this list has given you some suggestions you weren’t yet familiar with! If you do watch any of these shows, let us know what you thought of it on one of our social media channels.