{"id":242057,"date":"2021-09-22T17:08:18","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T09:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/singapore\/?p=242057"},"modified":"2021-10-13T10:29:29","modified_gmt":"2021-10-13T02:29:29","slug":"watching-cartoons-as-an-adult","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehoneycombers.com\/singapore\/watching-cartoons-as-an-adult\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m a millennial and here’s why I still love watching cartoons as an adult"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me paint you a picture: after a long and exhausting day, you park yourself in front of the television to binge-watch<\/a> your favourite cartoon. Sounds like a distant memory from your childhood? Well, for me it\u2019s a current reality.<\/p>\n

As a kid, I was obsessed with cartoons. And up till today, I still can\u2019t figure out why the Cartoon Network logo stayed on the television screen even after my parents changed the channel. A defect on the TV\u2019s 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 \u2014 totally regretting it now.<\/p>\n

Why I love watching cartoons as an adult<\/h2>\n

https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/bojack-horseman-jmeAW1a0p3IR2<\/p>\n

My first foray into cartoons as an adult was Bojack Horseman<\/strong> (more on this later) when I was 26 years old and fresh out of university. I don\u2019t 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\u2019s when it dawned on me: I\u2019ve been seeking comfort in animated TV characters for the past year or so. So after a little reflection, I\u2019m here to share why I’m hooked on cartoons. And maybe you’ll jump on the bandwagon too.<\/p>\n

Good vs evil always triumphs, at least in cartoons<\/h3>\n

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\u2019s not always the case. While I’m pretty aware that people you meet are not sorcerers hell-bent on taking over the world, it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Anxiety? I don\u2019t know her…<\/h3>\n
\"Watching
Photography: Avatar: The Last Airbender via Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Ever since Covid-19 came and conquered (well, still conquering), my anxiety has hit the roof. I\u2019ve started reading<\/a> and running<\/a> more in an attempt to escape reality. But I must say when I\u2019m watching cartoons, I feel relaxed, hopeful. “Hey, if Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender<\/strong> is determined he can win the war against the Fire Nation, maybe we can get out of this pandemic as well,” I tell myself \u2013 until I get an update on the daily Covid cases which brings me back to reality.<\/p>\n

The path to happiness is clear<\/h3>\n

Life is an unwinding road of choices and no one knows where we\u2019ll 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\u2019t find yourself Googling for hours unless you’re watching something like Game of Thrones or The Crown.<\/p>\n

Are you ready to go on a (virtual) adventure?<\/h3>\n
\"Watching
Photography: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With travel restrictions that never seem to end, shows like The Legend of Korra<\/strong> and She-Ra and the Princess of Power<\/strong> (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\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n

Art imitates life<\/h3>\n

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 \u2014 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\u2019s set in a wacky world where humans and anthropomorphic animals coexist, with the titular character being a talking horse.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/netflix-metal-rage-sRFCEElJhl66snaQag<\/p>\n

Another perfect example is Aggretsuko<\/strong>. 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re 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+:<\/p>\n