Thoughts on Cartoon Network?

[Dragonblade]

I've become a big fan of Cartoon Network recently. Some of my favorites are:

1) Justice League - All my DC favorites, with nice epic level story lines. Some people don't like epic but I do, especially because you don't see it much. It also provides lots of good ideas for a high powered M&M or Champions game.

2) Teen Titans - Just started watching this. Loved the Slade story with Robin. Very cool, mature story line. Not the watered down garbage you see on most kids programming.

3) He-man - I have to say the new He-man show is pretty cool. Lots of good ideas for an epic level fantasy or super-heroic fantasy game. If you wanted to use 4C2F or M&M in your D&D game, this show is a goldmine of cool concepts and plotlines.

4) Batman and Superman - Both cool shows that I watched on Fox and the WB before they came to Cartoon Network. Cool animation and good superhero action.

5) X-men: Evolution - I started watching this show and have been impressed. I like the continuing story arc that they use instead of a more traditional episodic concept. Even though they have taken a lot of liberties with the source material, they definitely have some mature themes and story lines. However, it still seems that it doesn't quite have the edge that the DC shows have.

Anyway, those are the shows I really like. I was a huge Transformers fan in the 80's but I don't really like Armada. The whole minicon thing just seems kind of lame. The stories just don't seem to have the same feel they did in the 80's. They had this really cool backstory of the Quintissons and how they originally created Cybertron, and a cool backstory on the evolution of the Autobots and Decepticons, the matrix of leadership etc.

Transformers the Movie is still one of my favorite movies of all time. The new Armada show seems like they took all that cool story and threw it out the window and started everything from scratch but all the familiar characters are gone. I dunno. Maybe those who have watched it more may have some good opinions of it but the few shows I saw just didn't do anything for me.

What shows do you like? Or not like?

 

[Wycen]

Of those you mentioned, only Justice League will I actively search out and watch.

I mostly prefer Adult Swim, Courage the Dog and such stuff.

 

[LuYangShih]

I have been watching Cartoon Network regularly for around three years now. My current favorite shows are Samurai Jack, Rurouni Kenshin, and Teen Titans. Justice League is alright, but I cannot stand the way they have ruined the Flash. He-Man and X-Men Evolution are both great fun, though.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

Teen Titans is the only one you list that I don't go out of my way to watch, but even that one I will watch if it's on. He-Man seems to have been cancelled, judging by the fact that it doesn't seem to have new episodes coming anytime soon. Samurai Jack is a jewel of a show, one that has a distinctive look and feel, which is also unafraid to dispense with dialogue for long stretches. Right now, I'm really diggin' Duck Dodgers. Fun stuff. Justice League is very, very cool, and is my favorite of all of them. The Jack Kirby look of the art is a huge plus.

 

[CrusaderX]

Samurai Jack may be the best cartoon ever.

And you owe it to yourself to watch Cowboy Bebop if you haven't yet, while they're still rerunning it.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I love Samurai Jack, Justice League, X-Men: Evolution, Batman, Superman, Cowboy Bebop and other things, but I can't really remember right now.

I would have to strongly recomend Cowboy Bebop to anyone who hasn't seen it. In my opinion one of the best shows around. It has style and substance.

Samurai Jack is also an amazing show with both style and substance.

So few shows have both of those qualities. One of the only other shows I can think of that has both currently is Alias, but thats live action and doesn't fall into this conversation.

 

[LuYangShih]

They are still doing new He-Man episodes. Every Friday on Toonami, in fact. I only watch the Saturday night showings, though, as it and Justice League are nice ways to burn time before Rurouni Kenshin.

I have to say Justice League is a good show, but does anyone else get tired of the portrayal they do of the Flash? All the other characters have great power, or skill, but Flash seems to be there for nothing other than bad jokes and occassional damsel in distress duty.

 

[Nightfall]

I live for AS, Justice League, TT, and of course da'man, Samurai Jack!

 

[Dragonblade]

I have seen Samurai Jack a few times. Very cool. But I have never seen Cowboy Bebop. What is it about? Another friend watches it and he says its good.

Anyway, I definitely think He-man and Justice League are my favorites. He-man, I really think has a lot of attitude and is edgier than the original filmation show from the 80's. Also I never liked how Filmation always seemed to cut and paste the same scenes over and over again to use as filler. The transformation from Adam to He-man, the scenes where He-man does a rolling dodge or the running charge. They could eat up half an episode with that. I always wondered if Kevin Siembieda worked there in the past.

I also like the background of Eternia. It seems tailor-made for an RPG campaign. A vast world with history, magic, technology, numerous races, villains, monsters, etc.

Justice League is cool because they actually have good stories that deal with epic characters like Superman in a good way. They don't just write him out of the show at the beginning of every episode, nor do they neutralize his powers. They have good engaging plots and villains without going overboard despite the power level of the heroes. In other words, they don't feel the need to eliminate superman, nor does every episode have them fighting galactic level threats.

 

[WizarDru]

I have to say Justice League is a good show, but does anyone else get tired of the portrayal they do of the Flash? All the other characters have great power, or skill, but Flash seems to be there for nothing other than bad jokes and occassional damsel in distress duty.

They're getting better with him, although it's clear that of the group, he's the one the writers are least interested in doing much with, so far.

The most recent episode 'Only a Dream' might has well have been a Halloween episode, as creepy as it was. This season of Justice League has also been very dark, which is a double-edged sword...I enjoy the maturity of the topics, but I'm not showing Superman's or Hawkgirl's nightmares to my kids any time soon (as opposed to Teen Titans, which they love).

My big faves are Big O, Justice League, Teen Titans, Inuyasha and Samurai Jack. I enjoy X-men Evolution and Jackie Chan, but those aren't truly Cartoon Network shows, just syndications. I tolerate Armada for my son's sake.

And if I find the person who RUINED Saint Seiya, I will punch him, dead in the face.