As a millennial, watching cartoon shows is like getting a warm hug I never knew I needed.
Let me paint you a picture: after a long and exhausting day, you park yourself in front of the television to binge-watch your favourite cartoon. Sounds like a distant memory from your childhood? Well, for me it’s a current reality.
As a kid, I was obsessed with cartoons. And up till today, I still can’t figure out why the Cartoon Network logo stayed on the television screen even after my parents changed the channel. A defect on the TV’s part or an after effect of binge-watching cartoons for 10 hours straight? Beats me. But as I entered secondary school, I slowly started weaning off animated shows and dived into the world of teen series like One Tree Hill and Gossip Girl (obviously the OG version). Looking back, I think a part of me wanted to grow up ASAP — totally regretting it now.
Why I love watching cartoons as an adult
My first foray into cartoons as an adult was Bojack Horseman (more on this later) when I was 26 years old and fresh out of university. I don’t think it was a coincidence that I sought solace in an animated depressed horse just as I was entering adulthood. Fast forward to the present day, my Netflix recommendations are largely made up of cartoons and the occasional K-dramas (what? I need a reason to be all misty-eyed). That’s when it dawned on me: I’ve been seeking comfort in animated TV characters for the past year or so. So after a little reflection, I’m here to share why I’m hooked on cartoons. And maybe you’ll jump on the bandwagon too.
Good vs evil always triumphs, at least in cartoons
Most cartoons set the premise within the first 10 minutes of the episode. So you know who is good and bad. But in real life, that’s not always the case. While I’m pretty aware that people you meet are not sorcerers hell-bent on taking over the world, it’s harder to figure out who has good intentions, especially in your work or love life. Simply put, life is already hard and I like that the cartoon world is pretty black and white when it comes to showing who are the heroes and villains.
Anxiety? I don’t know her…
Ever since Covid-19 came and conquered (well, still conquering), my anxiety has hit the roof. I’ve started reading and running more in an attempt to escape reality. But I must say when I’m watching cartoons, I feel relaxed, hopeful. “Hey, if Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender is determined he can win the war against the Fire Nation, maybe we can get out of this pandemic as well,” I tell myself – until I get an update on the daily Covid cases which brings me back to reality.
The path to happiness is clear
Life is an unwinding road of choices and no one knows where we’ll end up. Whereas in cartoon shows, over the course of many seasons, you more or less get the idea of what needs to be done in order for the characters to live happily ever after. Everything is pretty straightforward, minus the occasional plot twists which are solved within a 20-minute episode. The simplicity of it all makes these cartoons easy to understand and follow. You won’t find yourself Googling for hours unless you’re watching something like Game of Thrones or The Crown.
Are you ready to go on a (virtual) adventure?
With travel restrictions that never seem to end, shows like The Legend of Korra and She-Ra and the Princess of Power (pictured above) help to feed my hunger for adventure. Granted, the places they travel to are fictional but the emotions that come with it are pretty much the same. The excitement, fear of the unknown, meeting new people, learning new cultures and so on. I won’t be hopping on a scooter in Ho Chin Minh, trailing the storied cobblestones in Berlin or splashing around in the azure waters of Bali, anytime soon. But for now, travelling vicariously through animated television shows is enough.
Art imitates life
Bojack Horseman was my gateway to adult cartoons. This specific genre veers away from the typical cartoon shows, often dealing with mature themes like sex, mental health and existential crisis — basically adult stuff. For instance, Bojack Horseman is about a washed-up actor who suffers from alcoholism and depression. But what makes the whole show palatable is that it’s set in a wacky world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, with the titular character being a talking horse.
Another perfect example is Aggretsuko. I took great comfort in a millennial red panda. The anime show follows 25-year-old Retsuko as she juggles her career, finances and love life. But the most relatable part is she vents all her frustrations in a karaoke bar, screaming her heart out to heavy death metal songs. It’s not the screaming that resonates with me but the fact that she too, also finds adulthood overwhelming at times. Well, my way of dealing with stress is to watch cartoons. And it definitely helps that I see myself in these animated characters. Full disclosure: adult cartoons may or may not make you ugly cry into the void.
If you’re looking to dip your toes into the magical world of cartoons, here are some of my recommendations that can be found on Netflix and Disney+:
- The Dragon Prince: Lord of the Rings meets Game of Thrones and it’s by the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender!
- Close Enough: the premise follows a married couple, their daughter and two divorced friends living under one roof.
- Tuca and Bertie: revolves around two 30-year-old female birds navigating through life.
- Bob’s Burgers: an animated sitcom about a nuclear family that runs a hamburger restaurant.
- Q-Force: a group of LGBTQ+ spies, ready to save the world.
- Bojack Horseman: I think I’ve hinted enough about how great this show is.
- Avatar: The Last Airbender: if you’ve not watched it, shame on you!
- The Legend of Korra: the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender but with a female lead, so you know it’s going to be good.
- She-Ra and the Princess of Power: another female-centric and LGBTQ+ friendly show that centres around warrior women preparing to save their planet from a narcissistic robot-alien.
- Aggretsuko: if you’re overworked or done with the corporate life, this is a must-watch.
Got a cartoon to recommend? DM us @Honeycombers, we’d love to hear from you!