Animation that has aged well

[The Overlord]

I started a thread about animation that hasn't aged well, so I thought I started a thread about the opposite of the past, animation from the past, that aged well. There is a whole trope about this:

Values Resonance - TV Tropes

Some moral values just don't travel well. The attitudes of our society have changed, or the issue they addressed has become obsolete. But others — like a good wine or fine cheeses — only get better with age. Years after the original …

tvtropes.org

I am not going to say X-Men the animated series is perfect, but it did talk about bigotry in an interesting way.

Magneto became a villain due to persecution. Graydon Creed is presented as a Neo-Nazi-like figure, where his bigotry has some motivation, being abused by his father Sabretooth, but he is still presented as a vile, bigoted, unsympathetic, genocidal villain who deserves nothing but contempt, with Creed deserving the fate he gets by the end of the series. There is also an episode where some X-Men travel back to the 1950s and have to deal with racial discrimination.

 

[Fone Bone]

Let me be honest. There is only ONE animated series from back in the day that I have ever seen that has aged perfectly. What I mean by that is there is only one show that is exactly as awesome now as it was when it first aired.

Justice League Unlimited is the only animated show I have seen that has been off the air for over ten years exactly as awesome today as it was when it aired.*

You look at The Simpsons, Ren And Stimpy, DuckTales, Gargoyles, X-Men TAS, Batman TAS all of those shows have parts in them that now majorly bug me in hindsight. The only cartoon I can think of where this isn't true is JLU. Its sensibility feels entirely current and modern, mostly because as far as writing clever stories, characters, and dialogue goes, Dwayne McDuffie was far ahead of his time. And unlike Joss Whedon, there are very few objectionable moments you could ever point out (which is another point in his favor),

JLU being relevant is definitely unusual for an animated show. But I also want to put into your head that most older live-action shows don't actually pass that test either. Which is another thing that impresses me about JLU.

*Yes, fans, of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I am aware you exist. But until I get around to seeing that show, my opinion remains what it is.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

The Magic School Bus has a diverse cast, but it doesn’t fall into stereotypes (or at least not that I can recall).

 

[KeldeoKitty]

I’ll use some 2010’s examples. Regular Show I think aged well. It takes place in the present but it features 80’s and 90’s technology with a few VHS stores still around though it’s used intentionally as there is also newer technology prevalent. Having older technology used intentionally I think is more effective rather than unintentionally referencing and parodying current tech and trends like We Bare Bears does. Besides that a lot of the humor and plots are still very effective aging better than most other comedies, I found it to be one of the most binge worthy shows out there.

Another recent show that aged well is Harvey Beaks. Aside from it having some of the best visuals, sound, writing, and characterization that Nick ever had it had some of the best executed, valuable morals I’ve seen in any media period therefore the messages can continue to be relevant generations down the line.

 

[AdrenalineRush1996]

I think Grampa's comments from The Simpsons episode "Homerpalooza" has aged well.

 

[khuddle]

Let me be honest. There is only ONE animated series from back in the day that I have ever seen that has aged perfectly. What I mean by that is there is only one show that is exactly as awesome now as it was when it first aired.

Justice League Unlimited is the only animated show I have seen that has been off the air for over ten years exactly as awesome today as it was when it aired.*

You look at The Simpsons, Ren And Stimpy, DuckTales, Gargoyles, X-Men TAS, Batman TAS all of those shows have parts in them that now majorly bug me in hindsight. The only cartoon I can think of where this isn't true is JLU. Its sensibility feels entirely current and modern, mostly because as far as writing clever stories, characters, and dialogue goes, Dwayne McDuffie was far ahead of his time. And unlike Joss Whedon, there are very few objectionable moments you could ever point out (which is another point in his favor),

JLU being relevant is definitely unusual for an animated show. But I also want to put into your head that most older live-action shows don't actually pass that test either. Which is another thing that impresses me about JLU.

*Yes, fans, of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I am aware you exist. But until I get around to seeing that show, my opinion remains what it is.

Both Justice League and Justice League:U. Not only have they aged well, I look back at them with a sense of longing: will we ever see a series as good as that again? I mean I like Young Justice, but it is clearly customized for a young, hip, teen audience ("Are you feelin' the aster?"), which annoys me slightly. I don't care for it quite as much as the JL series.

 

[Pooky]

Most of The Critic is in many ways "of its time" as I mentioned in the other thread, but there's one bit I think was ahead of the curve. In Frankie & Ellie Get Lost, Jay is reviewing "Electric Football" (a parody of Ken Burn's Baseball) but before he says anything Duke cuts him off, as Duke says their research shows they just watch his show for the "funny clips", and instructs the crew to "cut to a clip". The clip he cuts to;

Rather prescient given the popularity of cutsey cat clips, memes and GIFs online for the past 12 years or so.

 

[Dantheman]

Speaking of The Critic, Jay Sherman's "If the movie stinks, just don't go" is still as relevent as ever. It might need some updating to account for superhero movies, but it still works.

 

[[classic swim]]

“Cookie cutter” was a term used to describe satire in early American Dad.

For most part, I agree with that. It heavily weighed down the show even back then.

But I rewatched The Best Christmas Story Never Told. The entire first act was inspired by an old Bill O’Reilly rant about saying “happy holidays” in grocery stores.

Happy Holidays was one of the first commercial steps meant to invoke positivity toward other cultures. It’s empty yet harmless phrasing.

Stan comments that liberals are so sensitive they removed not just Christmas from vocabulary, but Christmas itself. Then he threw his Christmas tree out the window and destroyed his kids presents in a fit of anger.

When I watched that scene again, I thought “wow! The arguing is the one thing that HASN’T changed!”

Insipid outrage is one of the best tools for advertising now.

Stan’s finest qualities were always his agent slapstick and when he was one of Seth’s most vocally volatile characters.

It sucked when he was another lame spoof on politicians I despised and wanted off my TV. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t some real sharp material here and there.

 

[Dantheman]

In the first Metallo episode of Superman: TAS, when he kisses Lois Lane without her consent, she slaps him for it. It was a pivotal scene in the episode, because it made him realize he wasn't human anymore, more machine than man, but the creators were aware enough to have Lois show her disapproval. Dana Delaney's acting as Lois really sells it as well.

 

[Ace]

Johnny Bravo... despite some varying opinions on it. When he takes things too far and gets too touchy or creepy he's usually punished for it.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I was just thinking the other day how Scooby Doo feels a bit ahead of its time by making Daphne and Velma equals in solving mysteries.

 

[Pooky]

Johnny Bravo... despite some varying opinions on it. When he takes things too far and gets too touchy or creepy he's usually punished for it.

I can't really imagine it getting past the pitch stage now though, certainly not as a kids'\kid friendly show.