Bid your farewells to the reality you call home as you leap into lands where there are no physical or mental restraints. Whether you are 10 or 100, cartoons will always be there as a source of comfort. Cartoon Network does an exquisite job in mastering the world of imagination and magic.
20. Over the Garden Wall
The series is darker and less colorful than its network friends. It’s wonderful for audiences who are looking for a more serious yet fun watch. It’s more modernized and mature which bounces nicely with its fairytale setting.
Over the Garden Wall has become highly liked by adults and children. Thanks to its enchanting character design and strange twists and turns, the series lived up to its expectations. The world is submerged with bright-eyed humans and furry, squishy animals.
It's perfectly strange and creepy elements are genius. The Beast is an awesome addition, haunting and terrorizing the villagers of the Unknown. Attractive imagery and settings of eerie woods will leave your eyeballs hungry for more.
19. Clarence
Oh the simplicity of being a kid. Limitations and boundaries exist only as far as the eye can see. The show has immaculate animation design giving the characters a bubbly and 3D effect. The complexity of the colors and life-like world are enough alone to keep the show up and running.
Its humor mimics some of Cartoon Network's other shows such as Chowder and Adventure Time. Crude and absurd comedy are sugar coated by Clarence's sweet nature. It’s perfectly stupid in its own brilliant way.
The power of childhood is a refreshing message for older teens and adults. We are reminded that life is not that serious. Clarence's bouncy and dazzling brain proves that the worst of problems can be solved with just a spark of imagination.
18. Total Drama
The characters are so diverse in personality, ethnicity, and size. Each character differs greatly in appearance which makes it super visually pleasing. It pops creative characters and aesthetic colors.
Different challenges and competitions outline each episode making it quite entertaining. Older and younger viewers find enjoyment in the series as it displays vulgar yet appropriate comedy. Action packed clips involve miraculous stunts and deadly challenges.
Most of the characters lack intelligence making them more prone to accidents- which is awesome! Character movement and animation resembles more of a sketch design that is always nice for older audiences to observe. It packs romance, adventure, and playfulness all into one jumble of chaos!
17. Teen Titans Go!
Freaking radical and perfectly scripted! Beast Boy, Robin, Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg are downright adorable. The 3D animation effects feature a pop-up style that quite literally bounces the world out at viewers. It’s bright, fun-loving, and high energy.
Cyborg and Beast Boy's relationship gives off Shaggy and Scooby-Doo vibes. Personally, they’re one of my favorite duos in the Cartoon Network Kingdom. The superheroes are parent-free allowing complete freedom to do whatever they please.
Teen Titans Go is immensely favorable for young children and older adults as everyone loves a crazy superhero crew. The humor is comfortably dirty and vain enough to dish out to young kids. Hours upon hours of violent, laughable adventures sweep fans away into the Titans world.
16. Steven Universe
Whimsical and eccentric characters and themes create the series' successful uprising. Steven Universe has been critically appraised for its artistic design, voice actors, character development, and storytelling. It’s quite remarkable digging into the making of the series.
Unique, starry galaxies and dimensions are deliciously breathtaking. Our main character is thrown into the heart of adulthood as he uncovers the truth about his family's past. Directors shy away from the usual hectic Cartoon Network series by crafting a theme based on self-acceptance, identity, and relationships.
Sci-fi magic allows for the exploration into diverse hues of shading and character shaping. Steven glides back and forth from a “normal” boy to a so-called superhero. He faces inner struggles and conflicts making for a complex coming-of-age plot line.
Another favorable aspect is the show's acknowledgment to the LGBT community. It sort of dips into our world of issues and arising controversies. Overall, children will be glued to its 3D graphics and enchanting alien-human roles.
15. Summer Camp Island
The series is spectacularly designed, lacing the scenes with vibrant tints and witty comedy. It’s an easy and comforting watch, sort of like a lullaby. The musical scores are soft and delightful catering to its magical mood.
Summer Camp Island is funny in a natural and easy flowing sense. Nothing seems forced which at first can seem a bit boring, but the characters' wacky and unique adventures take the wheel and guide the episodes.
Trees, shirts, and animals are given the gift of speaking and feeling. Inanimate objects are literally brought to life with the aid of magic. Honestly, it’s just plain cute. The soft, good-natured animal friends and storyline are endearing and touching.
Susie and her witch counselors add that small flame that blazes delicately adding a charming touch of evil. No show is complete without a sprinkle of wicked sorcery. Altogether the series was well critiqued in regards to its quirky and silly cast.
14. Codename: Kids Next Door
This is such a rejuvenating T.V series as it stretches the limitations and ideas of kids' imaginations. Children from around the globe band together to fight crimes (like eating your veggies and homework) implemented by authoritative figures. Young tykes can appreciate the seriousness of these “crimes” as it relates to them.
It’s a complex storyline relayed in the most basic way so viewers can understand and enjoy it. Basically kids from around the world are stationed at different tree houses. There they are equipped with homemade weapons and prepare for battle.
Main characters possess unique and diverse heritages and ethnicities. This aspect is great in that it includes children of all race, gender, and cultures. The visual flow is concise, crisp, and buoyant.
Screeches and squawks fill the audience's ears, so parents will have no problem staying awake. It steers away from traditional cartoon designs with the characters wearing football shaped heads on top of their bodies. It’s a hilarious and cool design making it so alluring and fresh for the eyes.
13. The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy
Brilliantly stupid characters take charge of the series as dark occurrences outline their quests. The notion of Grim is quite liked by children and teens. When you’re young it’s fascinating and captivating to explore the idea of the dead.
The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy are chalk-full of some good ol’ fashion cheap humor. Cast members constantly teasing and taunting each other gobble viewers up leaving them satiated. It’s wonderfully unnerving watching demons and spirits possess their victims and attempt cruel acts.
Its cookie cutter animation is sleek and free flowing. The world displays rainbow-like visual appeal allowing for it to sneak in its deathly plots. Billy and Mandy is entertaining for people of all ages. Young kids don’t quite grasp the complete concept which grants older audiences the pleasure of catching its twisted storyline.
12. Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated
Scooby-Doo is a go-to comfort show for older adults. It’s funny and cool characters balance its frightening and spine-chilling essence. Fantastic beasts and heathens terrorize the Scooby gang, dispatching them on paranormal quests to defeat masked monstrous convicts.
Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy, and Scooby-Doo clash with their different personalities and ideas, but always come together in the end. As episodes unravel, creatures and beasts are revealed as humans. Fresh new villains are introduced in each episode which make for new turmoil.
Fred and Daphnes romantic interest sneak in that love spark that older audiences can appreciate. Scooby and Shaggy are the dream team. It’s hilarious how the producers wiggled in reference to their drug use. Why else would they be paranoid, hungry, and laughing all the time? Pure comedy and originality keep fans coming back for more ghost-busting shenanigans.
11. We Bare Bears
Throw on some comfy clothes with your favorite home cooked meal. We Bare Bears is a simple and adorable T.V production with a light energy. The beat brothers try to complete everyday tasks while managing to mess it up in some way.
As they try to fit in amongst the humans, Griz, Panda, and Ice Bear are guided by their human friend, Chloe. It’s pretty entertaining to watch bears cook, shop, and use modern technology. Animation style has a life-like sense as it emphasizes the characters feelings through their facial expressions and body language. It’s smooth, clear, and dressed in wonderful hues of color.
The Bears are there for anyone who needs to unwind from the stress of the day. Humor is geared more for kids, though adults fancy it as well. Also, it touches on cultural differences mostly through Pandas love for K-Pop and Ice Bears ability to speak Korean.
10. The Amazing World of Gumball
It is one of the most wonderfully weird shows I’ve yet to watch. Producers combine all sorts of animation styles creating a visually amazing world. Puppetry, CGI, live action, stop animation, and flash animation all make the episodes come alive.
Don’t look away for one second, you’ll most likely miss a crazy snippet or hilarious character doing something bizarre. Constant chaos is happening around the cat and fish “brothers.” Robots, ice cream cones, dinosaurs, and even ghosts make appearances in the episodes.
Pretty much any and every object you can think of is given the power of life and vibrancy in this universe. Color range is stunning as the different styles of animation allow for all sorts of wacky textures and tones. The show has won a handful of awards for its overall genius production and popularity.
9. Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends
It’s a super touching storyline as it essentially transitions kids into teens. The series follows young Mac who gets to visit his imaginary friend Bloo. As long as he shows up on time, Bloo is opted out from getting adopted by another child.
The characters are wildly created possessing unique features and qualities. Fosters is dedicated to children as it extracts the reality of what goes on inside a kid's head. It’s endearing and sends viewers on wild adventures with Bloo and his imaginary chums.
The show did remarkably well and was highly applauded. At the Emmy Awards it was nominated for 9 medals and won seven of them. It stood proudly at the Annie Awards being nominated for 20 and taking home 5. Stars fill kids' eyes as they watch Bloo and his mischievous band of hooligans get caught in crazy predicaments.
Parents understand the moral of the plot and appreciate the coming of age story. Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends is charismatic and charming. Mac's loyalty to Bloo is admirable despite their conflicting attitudes. Forever it will be cemented into fans' brains and hearts.
8. The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack
Each episode is predictable in one sense: it’s unpredictability. CGI, stop motion, and puppetry haunt the clips along with its traditional animation style. It’s probably not for young tykes, but older kids and adults are in for an unnerving treat.
Pretty much all the episodes possess disgusting and stomach churning scenes like dead fish carcasses and rotting objects. Its cringe freeze frame clips are hilarious and disturbing all at once. You already know you’re in for something savage when you hit the play button.
Human characters and mutations set the series for such popularity. It’s flat-out visually captivating with its use of dynamic animation. Snarky and rank humor are a refreshing gulp apart from some of Cartoon Networks lighter television series.
7. Ed, Edd, n’ Eddy
The show is the most successful original show run by the network. It took home a Reuben Award, two Leo Awards, and a SOCAN award. An audience of 31 million approved the series with high popularity.
The three boys’ differing personalities ensue their failed attempts at conning the kids on their block. Ed is dull and good natured, Edd is the inventor and most intelligent, and Eddy is the sour leader of the group.
Its basic cookie cutter animation is fun and colorful. Gross comedy sketches draw in kids oddball and curious sense of humor Adults will find themselves chuckling along just as easily. Numerous critic platforms ranked the show on their lists as “Top Twenty Cartoon Network Shows” and “9 Cartoons That Need a Reboot.”
It’s purely raw and does not hold back in terms of violence and action. Extreme and inventive plans of action result in utter embarrassment and shame. What kid isn’t satisfied to watch a master plan go to the gutters?
6. Chowder
Art component is visually breathtaking. Chowder's world is painted with patterns, textures, and color schemes that contrast in the most unusual way. The characters are a mixture of animals, monsters, and creature-like entities. Chowder is so stupid that he’s smart.
His often careless and dim personality throws him in predicaments which he solves in the most hilarious ways. Potty humor is always funny- and Chowder makes sure to drop a load of them. Older audiences will catch sly comedic remarks that topple over kiddos heads.
Straight up ridiculous and idiotic scripting and characterization make for one ride of a show. If you’re looking for mindless yet beautifully crafted television, Chowder will always whip up something good.
5. Regular Show
Young adults tune happily into the series with its dark humor and seemingly promiscuous gestures. The show really gets into the audience's heads in some scenes where the two travel into different dimensions and galaxies. Plots are complex at times which can be a bit much for kids, but a stellar adventure for teens.
Characters are wildly unique and peculiar. Benson, who is the boss, has the body of a gumball machine while the other workers take the form of a ghost, a yeti, and a monster muscle man. Animals, humans and creatures of all kinds live amongst each other in an urban fantasy.
Regular Show was nominated for heaps of awards in respects to its production format and overall animation. Its weirdness and offbeat humor morph together nicely and can be enjoyed by humans of all generations.
4. Courage the Cowardly Dog
With all sorts of animation styles setting the premise of the show, it’s a delightfully terrifying must-watch for horror fans. Farmhouses in the middle of nowhere are just begging for supernatural and demonic happenings. The series imposes a feeling of doom with its unsettling plot lines.
Simple cartoon animation clashes with stop motion, claymation, puppetry, and 3D realism. The villains of episodes are usually texturized and animated differently from its original form. It’s really quite creepy and anxiety provoking, but you can’t resist watching the weirdness unfold.
Courage the Cowardly Dog is the perfect series to turn on during a dark and thunderous night. To the present day it’s still a well known and nostalgic show for Cartoon Network fans. Courage is the one of many shows that carried the franchise up to glory.
3. Dexter's Laboratory
Our young scientist spends his days inventing wonderful crafts in his secret lair. Dee Dee (his older sister) is a bright blue-eyed blonde-haired ballet player who enjoys screwing up his experiments. It’s your basic brother and sister love/hate relationship.
In each episode Dexter presents a new and shiny creation to which Dee Dee takes an interest in. It has spunky and soulful characters with colorful patterns and sequences. Its older design mimics that of The Flintstones and The Jetsons.
The storyline is ahead of its time with its magnificent futuristic ideas and notions. It’s a world bursting with rainbows and quirky comedy. Dexters Lab is brilliant to behold with its gizmos and gadgets and is a majorly enjoyable and easy watch for kids and adults.
Critics raved about its original and innovative concept. It received check marks on pretty much every element needed to put together a good cartoon. Dexter stands strong as a model staple for cartoon animation to come.
2. The Powerpuff Girls
The Powerpuff Girls have received nothing but praise and adoration. It’s so unique from pre- existing shows about superheroes. It’s candy coated and sweet while also taking sharp turns of violent outbursts. It’s a wonder to gaze upon.
Cartoon design and characterization make viewers feel like they’ve been transported into their TV's. Its visuals glisten and dazzle with every color known to man. The girls take action immediately when a problem occurs. Talk about girl power!
Apart from being super awesome hybrid heroes, they must simultaneously face real world human struggles. Sibling rivalry, attending school, nightmares, and school related issues coincide with their superhero duties. It touches on pop culture style art while staying true to its simple animation properties.
Adults may love the series more than children do. It won various awards in recognition for its incredible musical score and production design. Many reboots and newer formats have aired since its original series. The storyline and concept of the Powerpuff Girls have been a big hit for decades amongst older and newer generations.
1. Adventure Time
Adventure Time is every single genre wrapped up into one. It has a vast range of its story and plots creating highly intricate and deep underlying meaning. There are so many different lands and kingdoms the boys explore. It’s a cross between fantasy, fiction, and comedy with hints of horror and sci-fi.
Each character is customized completely differently with their own oddball personality and whim. It’s like watching a sunset while rain and fire pour down from the Heavens. So much detail and action sequences are piled into each episode making it anything but ordinary.
Apart from its radical and insane adventure storyline, it’s super sentimental and brushes on mental health issues as well as the hardships of growing up. It is one of the most well pieced together and scripted animated series of its time. Cartoon Network has proudly walked home with 24 awards out of 78 nominations.
Purely imaginative and miraculous story depth give Adventure Time its rightful place as number one. Any and everyone will be astounded by the land of Ooo and the wonderful kindred and evil spirits that exist within it.
You May Also Be Interested In:
- https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/cartoons-that-cure-your-depression
- https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/cutest-cartoons-of-all-time
- https://www.gamersdecide.com/articles/cartoons-like-steven-universe
