Unpopular Opinions About Western Animation

[Trilby]

That's quite unpopular. I found myself liking the Aesop and Son and Fractured Fairy Tales segments.

I like to think the show overall is perfect. Used to be late night filler on UHF stations in the 80's where I first watched it!

 

[UQ 770]

That's quite unpopular. I found myself liking the Aesop and Son and Fractured Fairy Tales segments.

Eh, maybe I haven't sat down and rewatched it as thoroughly as I could have. It was actually a lot harder to find in the past few years, now it appears at least the main segments are mostly up on Youtube. They probably released them in the lead-up to the remake that looks like total ass.

 

[Darwin Watterson]

So, recently I sat down and watched Allen Gregory. I'd never actually seen it, but it's got a reputation as one of the worst animated shows ever made, so I finally decided to check it out.

And...I actually kind of liked it. I decided to look into exactly what people were saying about it, and apparently people hated it because the characters were mostly unlikable. Which says to me that most people missed the point of the show entirely. It's the same deal as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where the humor is centered around the horribleness of the main characters. At least that's the vibe I got from it. Maybe we were meant to like them and I'm the one who missed the point. Either way, the show's a lot better if you go into it with that mindset.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

So, recently I sat down and watched Allen Gregory. I'd never actually seen it, but it's got a reputation as one of the worst animated shows ever made, so I finally decided to check it out.

And...I actually kind of liked it. I decided to look into exactly what people were saying about it, and apparently people hated it because the characters were mostly unlikable. Which says to me that most people missed the point of the show entirely. It's the same deal as It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where the humor is centered around the horribleness of the main characters. At least that's the vibe I got from it. Maybe we were meant to like them and I'm the one who missed the point. Either way, the show's a lot better if you go into it with that mindset.

I do agree with the character designs being ugly as shit

 

[Inflatable Julay]

Mask of the Phantasm is nothing special

 

[PL 001]

I like the animated Star Trek series. It looks like ass, but the stories were still on par with the live action series.

 

[Pokemonquistador2]

Songs of the South is a great disney movie.

The animated segments were superb. Uncle Remus is a great character, but the rest of the movie is just a bland family drama. I really don't see why people went apeshit over it saying it depicted black people being happy about slavery when it was set after the Civil War. The movie had a naive view of race, but since it was depicting everything through the eyes of a child (who probably wouldn't be able to pick up on serious issues like racial hardship and the subtle fears that governed society,) it seemed fitting.

I stopped watching CN by the time Uncle Grandpa started airing but I probably had the same feelings as you towards The Problem Solverz and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome in the final year I watched that channel. I actually thought the latter was one of the best shows I'd ever seen

The Problem Solverz was eye cancer. I've never watched a TV show that could actually hurt me physically, and I can't say I ever want to again.

The Black Cauldron was a masterpiece that deserved a bigger audience than what it got.

The Black Cauldron was a decent film, hampered by the animation standards of the time (the need to not make things too scary for three-year-olds,) and annoying characters (like the whiny hero and the squeaky-voiced dog....thing.) I have a feeling it would do pretty well if it (and the rest of the books in the series) were remade as a series aimed at 11 year olds and up.

I have one from the legend of Korra. Nothing wrong with Korra being a lesbian on her show.

But it did feel like they did it as last second change for the sake of being woke. Just feels odd how she went from a heterosexual that cucked her friend to a lesbian without them actually make it make sense. So them becoming a couple felt less like a well-developed relationship and more like them doing it for shock value.

That's because they decided to throw Korra's lesbianiam in at the last minute once they'd gauged the audience wanted it (and the societal pushback for it would be minimal.) Just about anything having to do with the main character's relationships in that series was awful. It was like they were trying to do an anime-style love triangle and had gotten all of the annoying things about anime love triangles down pat, while failing to grasp any of the good things.

Avatar: the Last Airbender was good until the third season, when I could tell the creators were just jerking people around when it came to the shipping. I just lost interest after that.

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland may not be a masterpiece, but I have to give it kudos for what it was trying to do. It was trying to showcase new animation techniques and portray a pretty fantastic universe. The thing that hamstrung it was its need to comply with the traditional Western Family Cartoon Formula: "Yipeee" kid hero with comedy sidekicks and horrible song and dance numbers. Granted, there's not much you can do with a hero like Nemo, but some of the side characters could have been interesting. Also, people ragged on the movie because they saw Flip as a Sambo caricature. I saw him as more of an Emmett Kelly style clown. He certainly didn't talk or act like a stereotype. (The newspaper series the movie was based on DID have a Sambo caricature named Inki, who was left out for obvious reasons.)

This is going to make me unpopular, but I think the Rankin Bass version of "Return of the King" has the best visual style of any of the LOTR adaptations. Maybe I'm biased because it's the first LOTR thing I ever saw, but the creepy, storybook style of Rankin-Bass' visuals (made by Topcraft, the Japanese studio that would later become Studio Ghibli) fit the landscape of Mordor very well. Eowyn also looks pretty badass in this version:

There are a lot of things wrong with it, don't get me wrong, but for a version of LOTR aimed at kids, it ain't half bad. I even liked the Orcs, and how the movie implies that they could've become friendly, if Sauron hadn't forced them to join his army and do evil. I think all of the other LOTR works just portray them as straight up, irredeemable evil (and even Tolkien himself had problems with that idea.)

 

[DogEatDogFood]

The Virgin Rick and Morty VS The Chad Final Space

 

[Steamboat_Bill]

The animated segments were superb. Uncle Remus is a great character, but the rest of the movie is just a bland family drama. I really don't see why people went apeshit over it saying it depicted black people being happy about slavery when it was set after the Civil War. The movie had a naive view of race, but since it was depicting everything through the eyes of a child (who probably wouldn't be able to pick up on serious issues like racial hardship and the subtle fears that governed society,) it seemed fitting.

Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland may not be a masterpiece, but I have to give it kudos for what it was trying to do. It was trying to showcase new animation techniques and portray a pretty fantastic universe. The thing that hamstrung it was its need to comply with the traditional Western Family Cartoon Formula: "Yipeee" kid hero with comedy sidekicks and horrible song and dance numbers. Granted, there's not much you can do with a hero like Nemo, but some of the side characters could have been interesting. Also, people ragged on the movie because they saw Flip as a Sambo caricature. I saw him as more of an Emmett Kelly style clown. He certainly didn't talk or act like a stereotype. (The newspaper series the movie was based on DID have a Sambo caricature named Inki, who was left out for obvious reasons.)

It's supposed to be after the Civil War but they don't ever actually say that in the film. Walt apparently thought people could tell, but needless to say, he had too much faith in people...

The first dream sequence in the movie is as close to Winsor McCay as you can get - the essence of the strip perfectly captured. The rest of the movie doesn't really live up to that but it is pretty good. And I assume you mean the Jungle Imp.

 

[Crichax]

I like the animated Star Trek series. It looks like ass, but the stories were still on par with the live action series.

Yes.

Also, I've seen the first two episodes of Rick and Morty, and they're just godawful. The terrible-looking motion tweening, and horrendous jokes feel like Teen Titans GO! all over again. Only cruder, and meant for teens and adults (so, it's inexcusable). I do plan to watch the rest of season 1 to see if it stays this way, though (I really hope it doesn't).

 

[FitBitch]

Current Western animation has very little to offer on terms of watch value with the best thing I can remember watching in recent years being "Over the Garden Wall". It doesn't help that it seems like it's all made for childish adults instead of the real audience of cartoons... Y'know, children?

As a huge fan of Satoshi Kon movies I'm well aware adult animation can exist but cartoon television forgot it's target audience entirely and it takes a bit of the charm away from watching it.

 

[From The Uncanny Valley]

Current Western animation has very little to offer on terms of watch value with the best thing I can remember watching in recent years being "Over the Garden Wall". It doesn't help that it seems like it's all made for childish adults instead of the real audience of cartoons... Y'know, children?

As a huge fan of Satoshi Kon movies I'm well aware adult animation can exist but cartoon television forgot it's target audience entirely and it takes a bit of the charm away from watching it.

And if it's not for spergy adults it's for very very young kids.

 

[FitBitch]

And if it's not for spergy adults it's for very very young kids.

Or doesn't respect it's audience of kids altogether like Teen Titans GO who actually made a whole episode defending their shitty choices by basically yelling "but it's for kids!" At the audience the whole episode.

 

[I Love Beef]

Some unpopular opinions from me....

-I've seen modern day Cartoon Network, and I'm like: "what, this is terrible?" Granted I stopped watching when my cable was cut around 2008, but seriously? This is what fucking Mr. Enter and his dicksuckers have been whining about for the last fucking decade? I like Gumball, Unikitty, and Craig of the Creek. Granted I won't consider everything today is a masterpiece but considering missed out on that time when Cartoon Network went live action and left when the turn of the century classics started phasing out, I think it's good that things are continuing on from Adventure Time. I have always been behind the objections behind the CalArts invasion, but I've dodged SJW garbage as far as I'm concerned.

-Time for a major unpopular opinion: I like Teen Titans Go, and I absolutely fucking despise Teen Titans. No, I mean it. When Teen Titans came out, I was already watching anime and was already a huge DC Animated Universe fan. Teen Titans? What the fuck is this weeaboo shit? I don't need some wannabe poser ass amerime garbage. If I want wacky anime adventure hijinks I'll watch Slayers, Tenchi Muyo!, Galaxy Angel, or Catgirl Nuku Nuku or Urusei Yatsura. Oh, and Stargirl is best fap material, but that is all. What do I see in Teen Titans Go? Comedy. And I like it.

-I am indifferent to Avatar: The Last Airbender.

-Underhanded jabs at anime by western creators indicate a lack of effort and asshurt in the face of a changing world. I get it when rabid weeaboos endlessly harp on western animation and need to be put down (bless you Johnny Bravo), but I'm not going to lie that when you need to say fuck you to the censors and the tyranny of the majority, you need to get your balls to drop and put on the big boy pants to get any fuckin' respect in this world. In other words: It's not my fucking fault that the States has some of the harshest stigmas and biases against animation, and especially when another form of animation from a far away nation without said bullshit can get away with it, and priming jokes at how anime is obviously kicking your ass means you just don't have balls to go against the unfair aspects of the norm.

 

[AnOminous]

Current Western animation has very little to offer on terms of watch value with the best thing I can remember watching in recent years being "Over the Garden Wall". It doesn't help that it seems like it's all made for childish adults instead of the real audience of cartoons... Y'know, children?

It bothers me when animation is ruined for children by throwing in shit to cater to retarded adults. Quit doing that shit.

 

[The Last Stand]

I prefer adult cartoons that are down to reality, like earlier Family Guy episodes (Season 1-3) and 90s era Simpsons. Nothing wrong with gags here or there but altogether, it feels like it's for children but with gross out humor.

Animation that is "bad" is my preferred choice. Compare earlier Family Guy episodes to the recent seasons for instance. It makes them more lively and fun. Like it's drawn with passion rather than try for realism. It's a cartoon.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force is a cult classic. No worries about continuity; you could watch any episode and feel like you haven't missed anything. When they started changing their titles, it got a bit distracting and unnecessary.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

-Underhanded jabs at anime by western creators indicate a lack of effort and asshurt in the face of a changing world. I get it when rabid weeaboos endlessly harp on western animation and need to be put down (bless you Johnny Bravo), but I'm not going to lie that when you need to say fuck you to the censors and the tyranny of the majority, you need to get your balls to drop and put on the big boy pants to get any fuckin' respect in this world. In other words: It's not my fucking fault that the States has some of the harshest stigmas and biases against animation, and especially when another form of animation from a far away nation without said bullshit can get away with it, and priming jokes at how anime is obviously kicking your ass means you just don't have balls to go against the unfair aspects of the norm.

It's even stupider when you realize that a sizable chunk of cartoons have been animated in Japan. Off top of my head, we got most of the major 80s and 90s cartoons (Transformers, DuckTales, GI Joe, Batman, Animaniacs, Inspector Gadget, I could go on), and various episodes of other shows like Korra and even Steven Universe also feature Japanese-produced animation at different points. Hell, the whole reason the style even became popular was that they were influenced by Disney from the start.

It astounds me just how senseless and ignorant some people can be when it comes to animation and its vast history on both sides of the Pacific.

 

[The Pink Panther]

It's even stupider when you realize that a sizable chunk of cartoons have been animated in Japan. Off top of my head, we got most of the major 80s and 90s cartoons (Transformers, DuckTales, GI Joe, Batman, Animaniacs, Inspector Gadget, I could go on), and various episodes of other shows like Korra and even Steven Universe also feature Japanese-produced animation at different points. Hell, the whole reason the style even became popular was that they were influenced by Disney from the start.

It astounds me just how senseless and ignorant some people can be when it comes to animation and its vast history on both sides of the Pacific.

I got three words.

Tokyo Movie Shinsha.

That is all you need to know about people importing their animation to Japan.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

I got three words.

Tokyo Movie Shinsha.

That is all you need to know about people importing their animation to Japan.

And not just them too, Toei, Madhouse, and several smaller studios all did animation at some point or another for the big American studios (and some, like Studio 4C and Science Saru, still occasionally do). Like I said, it astounds me as to how most of these guys are willing to overlook that fact. Heck, Topcraft got its start animating for Rankin-Bass specials.

 

[Kaiser Wilhelm's Ghost]

Other controversial views.

I think that Watership Down is a masterpiece and is about the most red pilled kids movie you can get kids to watch.
I disagree with the premise it is too violent for children, because it shows conflict and death, and doesn't pull any punches, and sometimes that is something kids need some exposure to.

As for the state of Western animation. I don't know if the quality is getting better or worse depending on the series.
I mean I used to watch Duckman back in the day because it was a weird and zany style of cartoon, but that was always meant for a mature audience.

I'm not sure Southpark falls into animations in the traditional sense, but I thought it improved with time, and I appreciate the level of story telling that goes into the world building of the show alone, not just the episodes.

I don't see the appeal of Rick and Morty. I honestly don't find the majority of it funny, and I think it's become one of those cult hits, because people want to be seen as a fan, while not actually being fans.

Bakshi's LOTR adaptation was decent enough. What really killed it was the over reliance on rotoscoping and the fact that it was fairly early in his animation career. Had the film been done fully animated with a more established group of animators and without the lazier rotoscoping effects added in, especially the really dull parts for the extras it would have been a much cleaner film and could have been more successful. (And given us a sequel.)