It's always a sad day when I'm forced to recall that Saturday Morning Cartoons are functionally dead here in the States. While the concept has risen and fallen over the past decade, with the latest rise and subsequent fall being that of the Toonzai block on The CW in 2014, I've generally come to accept that kids of this decade and the next won't get the same kind of enjoyment out of a Saturday morning like I and so many other Millenials and Gen Xers did. To ensure we're all of a common mind here, though, I suppose some clarification might be necessary. When I talk about "Saturday Morning Cartoons," I am referring to that special block of programming typical of most cable TV set-ups and even a few analogue alternatives where a certain brand of cartoon could be enjoyed to the max. Over the years, this block of programming has gifted us with gems like Kim Possible, The Powerpuff Girls, and Duck Tales as well as a few other titles that looked very different from these other shows but were just as capable of capturing the hearts of kids the nation over. I am, of course, talking about anime. From Pokemon and Digimon to Shaman King and Spider Riders, there were some quality shows that were featured specifically during this block of programming that just couldn't be found anywhere else. Licensed by groups like WB4Kids, The CW, ABC, and Fox Kids, we got access to a "rare" kind of show that just didn't get any attention on American TV outside of this block or on late-night Toonami and Adult Swim for the more edgy and serious shows, courtesy of Cartoon Network. As a kid, watching these shows felt like I was watching something special, something reserved just for that time when school wasn't stealing away at my mornings. Granted, it did help immensely that these shows were equal parts fun, silly, colorful, and action-packed in a way the other Saturday morning cartoons weren't.
I guess what I'm trying to get at was that my rise to weebdom was inevitable.
As much as I want to mourn the death of the Saturday Morning block of my youth, it's hard to deny that anime and other quality cartoons are generally more accessible now in this digital age than it ever was in my youth. For God's sake, my nieces have the ability to just binge all of Pokemon on Netflix at their, and my sister's, own leisure. This is due, in part, because anime has generally come to be more widely accepted, now that vast portions of an entire generation have been raised on it. What also helps, however, is that Japan (as well as France and Britain, as I understand it) haven't really given up on the idea of a block of programming aimed kids using the same kinds of colorful, action-packed insanity I reveled in as a kid.
Nosi matter how old I get, I will never get tired of freeze-frame style moves
and killing techniques with awesome names.
Now, as to why I feel the sudden need to reminisce and bring this stuff up at all, this season of anime managed to single-handedly open my eyes up to the fact that Saturday Morning Cartoons do still exist in this day and age. I mean, kids programming along these lines have existed for a while (e.g. Puzzles and Dragons Cross, Monster Hunter Stories, and Chii's Sweet Adventure), but I don't think any of them have gotten as close to giving me that same giddy excitement I came to associate with Saturday Mornings and hooked me on anime in the first place as this season's line-up. To be honest, though, I'm not actually watching all the shows that evoked this feeling because, well, some of the things I worshiped as a kid have proved to be not that great to watch as an adult. Regardless of what I am and am not watching, though, this season offers a plethora of titles I think a lot of people could get excited for and drudge up that same feeling, depending on what they grew up on. So, to properly express what I'm talking about, I'll focus on a few shows and what they call back to for me.
For Anyone Who Liked Power Rangers, Check out SSSS.Gridman.
Created originally by the same studio that birthed Ultraman, SSSS.Gridman essentially seems to function as TRIGGER's love song to the history of the tokusatsu genre that has primarily dominated in Japan. Here in the States, however, we are well acquainted with Power Rangers (Super Sentai) and the eminent "King of Monsters" Godzilla. For several decades, the kaiju movies and sentai series dominated the attentions of young boys everywhere and was marketed no less effectively. While it was a very Japanese property, it captivated kids in much the same way anime did at the time. SSSS.Gridman effectively works to bridge the gap between those two mediums as the giant hero Gidman, modeled heavily after Ultraman and sentai heroes, battles massive, cheap-looking monsters for the fate of the Earth. Yet, it goes yet one step further. Where Power Rangers was mainly focused on giant robots merging, Gridman gains various power-ups in the form of sentient weapons ranging from swords to military convoys, a la Transformers, that would have fit in flawlessly in the Power Rangers series. It's fun, action-packed, and gorgeous to look at regardless of whether its using 2D animation or CG to get the effects it wants.
For Anyone Who Liked Ultimate Muscle or Dragon Ball, Check out Hinomaru Sumo.
While it is a generally more serious show than Ultimate Muscle or Dragon Ball, Hinomaru Sumo follows along a very similar pattern to these shows. You have a group of weirdos and underdogs working their way up to being the best at their martial art, yet are almost guaranteed to succeed due to either sheer willpower or some unexplained trait that makes them destined to be the best. But that isn't to say this show isn't funny. Rather, it has an innate comedy to it that young boys and teens alike would enjoy as they watch the cast slowly grow more and more capable at fighting their well-trained and disciplined opponents.
For Anyone Who Liked Pokemon, Cardcaptor Sakura, or Monster Rancher, Check Out Merc Storia.
Based on a Japanese, free-to-play, iPhone RPG Merc Storia is about as simple as simple comes. You have a young boy who is accompanied by a sassy, know-it-all companion in the form of a spirit or slime girl in a bottle on a journey to find his father and heal the hearts of rabid monsters, making them amicable to people. Despite his calling, though, he has a fear of monsters in general, feral or otherwise, making his job as a "healer" difficult. The connections between Pokemon or nearly any "monster friend" anime is pretty obvious. Much like early Pokemon and Monster Rancher, though, the comedy of Merc Storia is appealing for that blatant simplicity. It's just plain old silly fun that might not hold up over time but is not hard to enjoy in the moment.
For Anyone Who Liked The Powerpuff Girls or Sailor Moon, Check Out Release the Spyce.
Sugar, spice, and everything nice makes for one of the weirdest magical girl shows this season. Strange as it might be, though, it generally fulfills the same kind of weird, goofy fun that made The Powerpuff Girls the stand out, in spite of its super simple style. Yet, at the same time, it's far more group oriented along the lines of something like Sailor Moon without any of the romantic aspects that simultaneously helped and hindered Sailor Moon's success. Yet, beyond all that, it's just a great, action-centric comedy that is just as ridiculous as its premise of spice-powered ninja girls fighting a cacklingly evil organization.
For Anyone Who Liked Naruto, Fairy Tale, One Piece, or Shaman King, Check Out Radiant.
While I'll fully admit that I didn't really take much of an interest in this show, it's hard not to recognize kiddy shounen shows when you see them. It's simple, easy comedy. It's love of punching things with magic. It's screaming protagonist who is more of a screw up than he'd like to admit. All these things are the hallmark of a generic shounen anime. As much as I'm generally disposed to dislike these shows, I've seen some decent praise for it thus far which means it might be worth a look. Still, I won't deny that I can see the general appeal for a show about a zero to hero character struggling to be recognized by those around him.
For Anyone Who Liked Zatch Bell, Shaman King, or Hunter x Hunter, Check Out Karakuri Circus.
Militarized puppets, a millionaire orphan, and the people who have sworn to protect said orphan to the best of their abilities battling an evil puppet-wielding organization. What's not to like about a super weird and violent action series without any gore or unnecessary casualties? For some, a great deal. For others, that kind of stuff is precisely what made shows like Shaman King and Zatch Bell so popular. Weird is novel in many cases and just serves as a means to further captivate an audience, and that's what Karakuri Circus intends to offer. Yet, like many kids shows, there are some massive gaps in logic and reason when regarded with any scrutiny. For those who don't mind that kind of lack though and just want a cool-looking gimmick of a show, then this one will definitely be up your alley.
While this list of recommendations doesn't cover the full spectrum of Saturday Morning goodness, it's probably one of the better line-ups of such shows I've seen in a while. Some I'll be watching until the end. Others I've already dropped just because they don't particularly speak to me, but will likely offer enjoyment for someone else seeking that joy they felt as a kid. All these titles offer a kind of simplicity and love of action typical of those Saturday Morning shows but they do so in simultaneously familiar and novel ways now that the medium has grown over the years. With luck, one of them has spoken to you and you'll have a new favorite to add to your collection.