User blog:Jkl9817/Top 30 Animated Shows of the 2000s, Part 1 (30-21)

I told you I would publicize it as a blog.

The 2000s were one of the best decades for cartoons, perhaps the best. Just 'cause I was that bored, I decided to compile a list of the 30 best Western cartoons of this decade, and then, since this is pretty much the only place where people read the stuff I write, I decided to post such a list here as a series of blog posts. This is mostly based on my own opinions, so you're likely to disagree, and there are many shows I'm yet to watch, so the list may as well be incomplete. Anyhow, have fun and please give your own opinions.

== '''30. Adventure Time (2010-) Originally aired on Cartoon Network''' == The reason I’m including this is that, even thought I find it to be very overrated, I do have to agree that, in terms of visuals, it’s completely groundbreaking. It’s almost like watching a Western Miyazaki; there’s so much imagination put into the characters, the scenarios, and the universe where it’s set, you can almost forget the terrible pacing and lame attempts at witty humor. I never really felt drawn into it, and I always thought its comedy was pretty primary, though, which is why I’m ranking it so low.

== '''29. Wayside (2007-2008) Originally aired on Teletoon''' == Yes, I’m counting non-American shows. This much-underappreciated cartoon followed life in the weirdest school you’ll ever see on Canadian television. It was actually based on a children’s book, so one might expect that it drew a lot of criticism over the differences from its source material, but, nonetheless, it was great. The humor was basically derived from nonsense, but it was so offbeat and colorful and the characters were so odd and cleverly built, the nonsense sufficed. Too bad it had such a short run.

== '''28. Regular Show (2010-) Originally aired on Cartoon Network''' == This one caught me by surprise. While it’s by no means fantastic, it has got to be one of the best new animated shows of 2010 (yeah, things take a little long to come to Brazil). The art and animation are very peculiar, which by the way seems to be the new rule for Cartoon Cartoons, the characters are quite interesting -- Benson the Gumball Machine instantly became one of my favorite television characters of this generation -- and the writing is superior, especially if compared to other Cartoon Network shows like The Amazing World of Gumball and Adventure Time. From what I’ve seen, it ought to be to The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy what It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is to Seinfeld.

== '''27. My Life as a Teenage Robot (2003-2007) Originally aired on Nickelodeon''' == The story of a sophisticated automaton designed to protect the Earth who also has to deal with the problems of being a teenage girl sounds fairly commonplace, but the clever writing, the superb voice cast and the hip, futuristic production design made this a very remarkable show. Watching Jenny slowly develop from a world-saving device into a sweet, attractive teenager was really entertaining, and the funny supporting characters helped too. There’s been talk about a possible fourth season for quite some time, and, if Arrested Development did it, why can’t this show do it too? I can only hope.

== '''26. The X's (2005-2006) Originally aired on Nickelodeon''' == I’ll give this short lasting Nicktoon the title of Most Underrated Cartoon of the Decade. From what I’ve searched, no one seems to like it besides me, even though I find it very clever, offbeat, and at times gut-burstingly funny. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a dysfunctional family of spies, especially if you add a cubist, modern-esque animation and a patriarch voiced by Patrick Warburton to the mix. The characters were all hilarious, especially the boisterous mother voiced by Wendy Malick. I actually think it’s a good thing that it had such a short run, because the premise might have gotten tiresome otherwise.

== '''25. Ben 10 franchise (2005-) Originally aired on Cartoon Network''' == The biggest recent phenomenon in the 7-12 male demographic was by far Ben 10, that started off as the story of a boy who finds a watch that can turn him into 10 aliens with special abilities but ended up evolving into a layered, character-driven action series comprising hard-to-understand arcs and zillions of recurring characters that were part of a complex uncharted universe. With the creation of a five-years-later show with deeper themes and longer arcs, it also evolved into a franchise. Even if you got sick of all the fuss, it was still a pretty good cartoon.

== '''24. Disney's House of Mouse (2001-2003) Originally aired on ABC''' == What could easily have been just the Classic Mickey Mouse Shorts Hour ended up as the #1 source of nostalgic fun for longing Disney fans. Taking place at a dinner theater run by the anthropomorphic mouse and the rest of his gang, it featured Mickey Mouse Works reruns and other new & old animated shorts amid witty storylines centered on the gang’s struggle to administer the House of Mouse. The thing about it, however, was that every Disney character from every Disney animated film was there at some point, whether just clapping in the audience or doing some kind of guest performance. Any show where you get to see the Queen of Hearts and Pumbaa having dinner at the same table is worth a watch.

== '''23. The Secret Show (2006-2007) Originally aired on Children's BBC''' == UK is Western too, right? Anyway, The Secret Show has got to be one of the most underappreciated shows ever. In short, it was a BBC cartoon about a duo of spies saving the world continuously. The fun in it, though, was not in the premise, nor in the characters or arcs; the thing about this show was its immensely original humor, with denotative use of witty, efficient running jokes and constant employment of clever wordplay, and action, with very unusual conflicts and missions. The secret organization where it was set could easily be the silliest place filled with people wearing tuxedos and sunglasses you’ll ever get to see.

== '''22. The Penguins of Madagascar (2008-) Originally aired on Nickelodeon''' == A show starring those four penguins from the Madagascar film franchise? That probably wouldn’t work even on paper. But, somehow, The Penguins of Madagascar became Nickelodeon’s best show in the post-Avatar era. The four penguins were already awesome in the movies, which certainly helps make the show so great, and the supporting characters, new (Marlene the Otter!) and old, also contribute to its great pacing, pitch-perfect comedic timing, fun action sequences and elaborate plots. The dialogue, though, is the best part of it -- dry wit is there all the time, and you can’t put a character’s words in another character’s mouth. Way to go, DreamWorks.

== '''21. Yin Yang Yo! (2006-2009) Originally aired on Jetix''' == Of the few original programs Jetix gave us in its short existence, Yin Yang Yo! was the longest-running, and definitely the most entertaining. There were two rabbit twins, Yin and Yang, learning the mystical art of Woo Foo, a combination of magic and martial arts, through the lessons of a grumpy old panda named Master Yo. While the action wasn’t too memorable, the show was downright hilarious, with tons of self-references, witty mockery, meta-jokes, and lampooning. Also, the setting, a creature-populated Chicago, and the production design really gave the show an Eastern feel, which is always welcome.