Go back in time to when you were a kid. Did you watch cartoons? Of course you did. Did that actually mean that those shows are for “kids only” no. Of course not. So why is it that we classify cartoons as only kid stuff? It seems to me that when you hit a certain age and you still watch cartoons, you’re looked down upon because “it’s only for kids”. Let me just give you a few reasons on why that statement is completely dead wrong and that animation is for everybody.
For starters animation is probably one of the only form of entertainment nowadays that has given us original work. I want you to find maybe 5 animated shows and movies now and tell me if you think that it’s clichéd and unoriginal? It’s really hard when you think about it. I mean, sure there are some animated shows and movies that are clichéd and unoriginal but then we get another one that completely blows the other out of the water with it’s originality. Example being Zootopia. Zootopia has something we’ve seen before, talking animals in a talking animal world being cutesy. But what makes it so great is that there’s actually a really intriguing plot to it and the message behind it is so true that it’s actually heartbreaking. Because of that, it might be the most original piece of animation that I have seen in years.
Another great example is Kubo and the Two Strings, which is one of the best animated movies I personally have ever seen. But sadly, the film was a flop at the box office. It’s one of the most original things I have ever seen on screen and one of the most beautiful. But more people would rather watch something they can relate to more than that, because “Kubo and the Two Strings is a babies movie”. Yes, I actually heard someone say that before.
But not only animated movies, cartoons on TV have only gotten better since our childhood. We have so many great shows like Gravity Falls, Steven Universe, We Bare Bears, Adventure Time, and Star vs. The Forces of Evil. These shows are all great because they know how to develop the characters and they know how to entertain the audience. If a cartoon can do that with no hesitation, then it needs to be looked at way more than just a kids show. Because these “kids shows” are actually more adult than you might think. They may have crazy and wild ideas but they’re mature about it. They’re not in your face.
We need shows and movies like these to remind us whats really original. We shouldn’t be looking at animation and call it kids stuff because it’s not. Films like Zootopia, The Lego Movie, Kubo and the Two Strings, How to Train Your Dragon, I honestly think are masterpieces in film and yet they’re more targeted for kids. So? What the hell does that even mean anyway? These films and also the TV shows I mentioned earlier have fantastic morals behind them and mean something much more than what they are. They’re not just kids humor, they’re trying to speak to audience because they hope to maybe influence someone with their message. Does that sound childish to you? It sounds pretty adult to me.
People should have a right to watch whatever they want no matter how old you are. But just know that animation, although geared towards children, is a lot more adult than you think.
