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In the West, the 2010s are seen as a second golden age of television animation, comparable to the 1990s and early 2000s. From kids' shows to adult animation, cartoons were produced that prioritized strong character writing and hilarious jokes while also taking important steps towards improved representation. Some of the biggest names from this era included Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Bob's Burgers, and Rick and Morty.
However, many fantastic cartoons began during this era and slipped under the radar of these industry-defining juggernauts. Some were just as well-made but got overlooked for one reason or another, and some succeeded at being a fun watch if nothing else.
10 'Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero' (2014–2017)
Created by Sam Levine and Jared Bush
Imag via Disney After his parents become stuck in another dimension, Penn Zero (Thomas Middleditch) has to fill in for them as a multiversal hero. Due to his young age, he is enlisted as a part-time hero, alongside his friends Boone (Adam DeVine) and Sashi (Tania Gunadi). Of course, every hero needs a villain, and the trio is opposed by their art teacher, Rippen (Alfred Molina), and school principal, Jerry (Larry Wilmore), who serve as part-time villains.
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero might not be on the same level as Disney's other 2010s hits, like Amphibia or The Owl House, but it succeeds at being a creative and hilarious kids' adventure series. The show gets pretty creative with the different worlds and the bodies that the heroes and villains temporarily inhabit to perform their assigned tasks. One of the best is a world where everyone has superpowers, thanks in no small part to a hilarious guest character played by the late great Adam West.
Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
Release Date December 5, 2014
Directors Tom De Rosier
9 'Kulipari' (2016–2024)
Created by Trevor Pryce
Image via Hulu In a world populated by anthropomorphic Australian wildlife, a community of frogs lives in the Amphibilands, protected by a magical barrier. Unfortunately, their paradise has been discovered by the warmongering scorpion, Lord Marmoo (Keith David). As Marmoo and his spider ally, Queen Jarrah (Wendie Malick), work to bring down the barrier, a young frog named Darel (Josh Keaton), embarks on a quest to find the Kulipari, warrior frogs who use poison to unlock impressive powers.
Kulipari is an action-adventure series that makes up for its stiff animation with an all-star cast of voice actors and a unique world brought to life through Australian folklore. Its first season is a solid coming-of-age story as Darel and his friends fight to save their home, while the next two expand on world-building. It's also not afraid to get dark, with numerous characters getting killed off and a very honest look at conflicts over natural resources.
Release Date September 2, 2016
8 'The Hollow' (2018–2020)
Created by Vito Viscomi
Three teenagers named Adam (Adrian Petriw), Mira (Ashleigh Ball), and Kai (Connor Parnall) awaken in a strange room with no memories and mysterious powers. They emerge from the room into a world made of isolated regions ranging from magical forests to haunted theme parks and everything in between. Their only help is an enigmatic figure called Weird Guy (Mark Hildreth), who can teleport them to new regions if they ask for help.
The Hollow is an underrated Canadian cartoon that really leans into its adventure-mystery premise. Every episode piles more and more questions regarding the Hollow itself and the three protagonists through unique puzzles, quirky side characters, and a constant atmosphere of venturing into the unknown. The show's first season does have a lackluster twist, but Season 2 redeems it by upping the character drama and returning to old locations with new surprises.
Release Date June 8, 2018
Creator(s) Vito Viscomi , Greg Sullivan , Josh Mepham , Kathy A. Rocchio
Cast Ashleigh Ball , Connor Parnall , Adrian Petriw , Alex Barima , Diana Kaarina
Seasons 2
7 'Mysticons' (2017–2020)
Created by Sean Jara
Image via YTV In an attempt to free his mistress, Necrafa (Valerie Buhagiar), from her imprisonment, the fallen knight Dreadbane (Deven Christian Mack) breaks into the capital of Drake City and turns its king and queen to stone. Before he can claim the legendary Dragon Disk, it selects four young women - human princess Arkayna (Alyson Court), her dwarf griffon handler, Emerald (Evany Rosen), orphaned human thief Zarya (Nicki Burke), the energetic elf Piper (Ana Sani) - to be the second generation of Mysticons, powerful warriors who initially defeated Necrafa. Along with learning how to work together, the Mysticons also have to track down a magic relic called the Codex before Dreadbane can use it to free Necrafa.
Mysticons is another example of a bright and fantastical kids' show that isn't afraid of getting dark with its storytelling. Sprinkled between themes of friendship and comradery were deep dives into poverty and loss, especially regarding Zarya and Piper's upbringing or Arkayna talking to the petrified forms of her parents. It's also got a very interesting art style, combining classic fantasy imagery with futuristic technology, leading to some clever sight gags.
Release Date August 28, 2017
Creator(s) Sean Jara
Cast Alyson Court , David Berni , Ana Sani , Nicki Burke , Athena Karkanis
Mysticons is currently not available to stream, rent, or purchase in the U.S.
6 'Sonic Boom' (2014–2017)
Created by Bill Freiberger and Alan Denton
Image via Cartoon Network On Seaside Island lives a thriving community of anthropomorphic animals, including Sonic the Hedgehog (Roger Craig Smith), the fastest thing alive. He enjoys spending his days hanging out with his friends: super genius two-tailed fox Miles "Tails" Prower (Colleen O'Shaughnessey), strong but dim-witted echidna Knuckles (Travis Willingham), emotionally secure pin hedgehog Amy Rose (Cindy Robinson), and crazed badger Sticks (Nika Futterman). Unfortunately, their peace is often disturbed by Doctor Eggman (Mike Pollock), who seeks to conquer the island with his army of robots.
While the video games of the same name weren't received well by fans, Sonic Boom is received as one of the best Sonic TV shows. It never takes itself too seriously, instead opting for fun slice-of-life episodes propped up by a good mix of witty lines, meta humor, and absurdist physical comedy. The voice actors are also top-notch, especially Pollock, who never ceases to make Eggman sound both menacing and silly.
Release Date November 8, 2014
Cast Colleen O'Shaughnessey , Mike Pollock , Robbie Rist , travis willingham , Roger Craig Smith , Cindy Robinson , Nika Futterman , Kirk Thornton , Wally Wingert , Bill Freiberger
5 'Dan Vs.' (2011–2013)
Created by Dan Mandel and Chris Pearson
Image via Discovery Family Dan (Curtis Armstrong) is an unemployed man who is easily infuriated by anything and everything except his cat. Every day, something pushes Dan too far to the point that he demands vengeance, and ropes his best friend, Chris (Dave Foley), into his quest. Needless to say, the more committed Dan is to his revenge, the more insane high jinks befall him and Chris.
Dan Vs is a hilarious show that blends absurdist comedy with black humor. It's amazing how many jokes the writers pack into each episode, ranging from slapstick to surprisingly realistic conversations between Dan and Chris as they get on each other's nerves. Speaking of Dan, he's an amazing example of how to write a jerk protagonist: while audiences are never supposed to emulate his behavior, it's easy to empathize with the fact that nothing goes his way, and that, ultimately, he just wants to be left alone.
Release Date January 1, 2011
Seasons 3
4 'Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia' (2016–2018)
Created by Guillermo del Toro
Image via Netflix Beneath the city of Arcadia lies a hidden kingdom of magical trolls fighting a shadow war to determine the fate of the world. One among them is chosen to be the Trollhunter and wield a magic amulet forged by the sorcerer Merlin (David Bradley), to allow the Trollhunter to battle against the forces of the evil troll Gunmar the Black (Clancy Brown). When the current Trollhunter is killed by Gunmar's son, Bular (Ron Perlman), the amulet surprises everyone by choosing teenage James Lake, Jr. (Anton Yelchin and Emile Hirsch) to be the first human Trollhunter in history.
As befitting a product of the mind of Guillermo del Toro, Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia is a creative, dark, and highly entertaining show with deep world-building and multifaceted characters. At times the writing hits standard kids show clichés, but it always finds a way to add a new twist or, at the least, make use of the clichés to tell a strong story about heroism, overcoming one's demons, and the importance of sacrifice. It was followed by two sequel series, 3Below and Wizards, as well as a movie titled Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans.
Release Date December 23, 2016
Seasons 3
3 'Green Eggs and Ham' (2019–2022)
Created by Jared Stern
Image via Netflix Guy-Am-I (Michael Douglas) is a failed inventor who has decided to give up on his dreams and get a job watching paint dry in Meepville. Before departing, he meets the ever-optimistic Sam-I-Am (Adam DeVine), who has just stolen a rare Chickeraffe (Dee Bradly Baker) so he can release it back into the wild before it's acquired by Mr. Snerz (Eddie Izzard). After accidentally getting their bags mixed up, the two embark on a crazy road trip, during which Sam tries to get Guy to try his favorite food, green eggs and ham.
Green Eggs and Ham is hands down the best modern adaptation of Dr Seuss' work. While it naturally has to expand on every aspect of the original book, it does so in a way that both sticks true to the original message and remembers to keep the focus on the friendship between Guy and Sam, both of whom are fleshed out with sympathetic backstories and phenomenal performances by Douglass and DeVine. The animation is also some of the best from Netflix, perfectly capturing Seuss' unique style and lending itself to plenty of comedic exaggerations.
Release Date November 8, 2019
Creator(s) Jared Stern
Seasons 2
2 'Sym-Bionic Titan' (2010–2011)
Created by Genndy Tartakovsky, Bryan Andrews, and Paul Rudish
Image via Cartoon Network When their homeworld falls to a warlord, Princess Ilana (Tara Strong), a loyal warrior named Lance (Jacqueline Pillon), and the princess' robot protector, Octus (Brian Posehn), flee to Earth and adopt the form of human teenagers to blend in. To protect themselves against their pursuers, the three can temporarily merge into the Sym-Bionic Titan. The Titan's presence doesn't go unnoticed among the local humans, however, and not everyone views it as a savior.
Sym-Bionic Titan is a show that ended prematurely due to a failure to acquire a toy license, but it retains a strong cult following. This is thanks to how it blends mecha anime-inspired fight sequences with intriguing sci-fi ideas and mature character development. It was also co-created by legendary animator Genndy Tartakovsky, known for such works as Samurai Jack and Primal.
Release Date September 17, 2010
Seasons 1
1 'Over the Garden Wall' (2014)
Created by Patrick McHale
Image via Cartoon Network Half-brothers Wirt (Elijah Wood) and Greg (Collin Dean), find themselves lost in a mysterious forest called the Unknown. They meet an antisocial Woodsman (Christopher Lloyd), who tells them to leave lest they fall victim to a mysterious creature called the Beast (Samuel Ramey), and a talking bluebird named Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey), who agrees to help the boys. However, the further they go into the Unknown, the more lost they feel.
Over the Garden Wall is the first of Cartoon Network's miniseries, and remains one of the greatest animated series they've produced. It draws inspiration from classic folk tales to 1920s animation techniques to create a unique atmosphere that is both haunting and inviting, which encourages the audience to explore the Unknown alongside the characters. Speaking of Over the Garden Wall's characters, every one of them is phenomenal, and their stories elevate the show's profound themes regarding grief, loss, and overcoming despair.
Release Date November 3, 2014
Creator
Seasons 1
NEXT: The Most Rewatchable Animated Movies of the 2010s, Ranked
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