My Top 20 most influential Animated series (not TV guide)

[on:]

OK, I'm not officially an expert on the subject, and this may be just out of insomnia, but what the hell?  No one has ever listed the most influential cartoons of all times, so I thought I'd go for it.  Series that expanded the art form in depth and relevence, whether it was intended for adults or not.

I'm trying to Isolate them down to popularity or personal prefrence, but how I see the impact of the series relayed to inspiring the art form itself.

OK, here goes.  Subject to future editing.

1) The Simpsons
2) Gundam
3) Rocky and Bullwinkle
4) Neon Genesis Evangelion
5) South Park
6) Batman: the animated series
7) The Flintstones
8) Lupin the third
9) Futurama
10) Dragon Ball
11) Samurai Jack
12) Urusei Yatsura
13) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*
14) Trigun
15) Beavis and Butthead
16) Macross
17) Ren and Stimpy
18) Sailor Moon
19) Scooby doo
20) Pokemon

It looks like a ball being tossed back and forth over the Pacific Ocean.

Well, there I say.  I regretfully had to omit some series I thought deserved placement: Cowboy bebop, The Tick, The Critic, Thundercats, Eek: The Cat, Inspector Gadget, Duck tales, Jayce and the wheeled warriors, transformers, G.I. Joe, Taz-mania, Gargoyles, Pinky and the Brain.  And a few more.  Anyway, freely berate my list, while I try to get back to sleep.

*edited

[Reply #1 on:]

Don't you think there's a few too many anime type shows up there? I mean, how was Gundam, Lupin the Third, Urusei Yatsura or Trigun influential to anyone other than anime fans? Pokemon and Neon Genesis I can understand, I suppose.
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know too much about anime.

[Reply #2 on:]

Neon Genesis Fans! My other half is getting into it and keeps trying to describe it over the phone. Not easy. I liked it, but had no clue what the hell was going on.

I gotta go with M0le though - Cowboy Bebop was probably more influential than some of the others on there, IMO. I think I see what you're getting at though. Stuff like Gundam and Bebop did bring animé to a Western audience. There are far more references to the eastern traditions in mainstream animation than ever before.

[Reply #3 on:]

M0le: Japanese anime in general has had a large influence on western animation (not so much in terms of artistic style as in terms of storytelling techniques).

Still, it seems odd to include so many anime series on the list without mentioning Astroboy, the granddaddy of them all.  Also, I think that Speed Racer should be up there, as I would credit it with popularizing Japanese anime in North America for the first time.  I admit that I might be somewhat biased when it comes to the importance of Speed Racer, however.

[Reply #4 on:]

My Top Five:

The Simpsons

Futurama

Yu-Gi-Oh!

The Prince of Tennis

Pokemon

[Reply #5 on:]

Definitely too much anime.  Most everything else makes sense, but there's just too much anime.  Pokemon and (as David A) said Speed Racer are good fits, but most of that other stuff is still safely "cult" and not really all the influential on the whole (well, maybe Sailer Moon).

But, most of the others make sense.  The biggest absences I can think of are some truly older 'toons like Looney Toons/Merry Melodies, Popeye, Mickey Mouse, etc, assuming all those things would count.  I'm not sure if Futurama should be there or not either.....it shouldn't be that high anyway. Its time will come though.  Same goes with Samurai Jack.  A decent start though, and including TMNT was a good choice (for better of for worse).

[Reply #6 on:]

I'm not going to say there's too much anime there. He didn't say this list was specific to america--those shows may have been very influential in japan.

Although, maybe not. I'm not really very familiar with any of that crap.

[Reply #7 on:]

You skipped the number 17 on your list.

[Reply #8 on:]

By God, he's right.
And I think there is too much anime there. S'all the same to me. Only list the ones that have actually influenced the American culture, like Pokemon with its marketability.
But besides that, that list is fair and honest. I'm going to go out on a limb though and say I don't know exactly how influential Futurama was to the masses. It was to us, but I dunno...

[Reply #9 on:]

I agree with David A about Astroboy, and what about TRANSFORMERS I mean that was huge, and maybe even The Jetsons And The Smurfs.

[Reply #10 on:]

   

Originally posted by TheLampIncident:
You skipped the number 17 on your list.

No I didn't!  Also, in ragards to focusing on American only animation, No can do. that's like saying the moon is a half sphere, just because we only see one side.  Both America and Japan have had HUGE influence upon one another within the industry and there's no way that I could Isolate one from the other without being ethnocentric or ignorant.

Edit: To ammend that, I did put the simpsons at Number one(Which to my knowledge is not hugely popular across the pond, but big in english speaking nations i.e. Britain and the US...Maybe Australia), So I am still Taking an American English-speaking perspective on the matter.

David A: Still looking for an Astroboy slot.
Little help?

More must adds(somewhere): Bugs and Daffy, Clutch Cargo(?), Felix, Rose of Versallies, Yogi bear (not for the better), Powerpuff Girls, [which thereby implies] Magic Knight Rayearth, Rugrats.

Lets not forget that I have completely ignored stop motion and claymation hits like Gumby.

Hell, I could take this list to fifty, easily, but seriously I had no sleep for like 20 hours when I started the thread.  from here and now, it's more daunting than I expected.  Give me some time.   and by time I mean suggestions.

[Reply #11 on:]

Nice list.

[Reply #12 on:]

Futurama's inclusion: I included futurama not meerly for it's content, but for the larger part, the technical side. Futurama represents the most seamless merging of 2D analog and 3d Computer animation.  Really the best outings from both coasts can't even come close...Well, OK, maybe Ghost in the shell stand alone complex, but I'm willing to bet they did they're homework on some of Futurama's texturing.

3D animation...

Reboot!

*Pulls at hair*

Why did I start this!?

[Reply #13 on:]

Suggestions:
- As much as I like Futurama, it doesn't really belong on the list. Most people have heard of it, but few people are huge fans.
- I've never even heard of Samurai Jack before, nor Macross or Urusei Yatsure. It's pretty hard for a show to be influential if somebody who's pretty well versed in popular TV shows has never even heard of it.
- Maybe take Gundam at down least a few places, or put Transformers up in it's place? Even I can understand the importance of Transformers.
- Maybe also find some room for The Tick or Pinky and the Brain somewhere near the bottom?
EDIT: Sorry about my first suggestion here Pitt. I was writing and posting it during when your last post came up.
Also, I don't think this thread was a mistake. I think it was a good idea. We can debate and improve the list, with suggestions from everybody. Works out pretty well.

[Reply #14 on:]

 

Originally posted by M0le:
- I've never even heard of Samurai Jack before, nor Macross or Urusei Yatsure.

By Macross, he means Robotech; and if anything, it needs to be higher up on the list than it is.