Cartoon Fest! My Favorite Cartoons from 2000-2009

Hey everyone,
I know, I know, it's been way too long. I got a new job and moved, and my muse was being stubborn. But I've written up a bunch of posts and plan on posting once a week. So here we go!

So you've heard the whole thing about how 90's cartoons were the best and anything after the new millennium is just garbage, right? It's always the "you're a true 90's kid if you liked this show. . ." and so on.

But I'm going to have to disagree.

Yes, I think the 90's brought some great animated shows (Arthur, Animaniacs, Dexter's Labratory, Batman the Animated Series, X-Men, Spider-Man, The Magic School Bus, Gargoyles, etc). But I also think people forget about the early 2000's which brought another wave of amazing cartoons.

And I might even argue that most of these shows are arguably better than the 90's ones (cue the torches and pitchforks!)

So that's what I want to talk about: my favorite 2000's cartoons. I may be a bit biased since these cartoons are the ones that I grew up with, but I still think these shows are pretty fantastic.


Disclaimer: I won't be including anime in this list, mainly because I see Japanese anime as its own genre, and there is so much. I'll be doing a top 10 countdown of my favorite anime later.

So check out some my favorite shows from 2000-2009:

Static Shock (2000)

Summary
After getting caught up in a chemical explosion at the docks, Virgil Hawkins' life is transformed forever when he discovers he has electric powers and becomes the superhero Static Shock.

Review
Who doesn't love our sparky friend? With intriguing plots, a variety of super-characters, and the great character development of not only Static but his friends as well, this show was a favorite of mine. Plus, Batman, Robin, and the Justice League make cameos!

X-Men Evolution (2000)

Summary
See the X-men as teenagers as they try to balance normal human life with their mutant powers, learning about control, understanding, and friendship.

Review
This portrayal of the X-Men was interesting and pretty entertaining. Watching the X-Men as teenagers brought a new aspect of mutants learning to co-exist with humans, and I loved the character designs.

Samurai Jack (2001)

Summary
Blasted into the future by the evil demon Aku, Samurai Jack must navigate this new and strange world and help others while trying to find a way back home.

Review
This show was done in a style unlike anything I'd ever seen before, and it's truly spectacular. I'll admit, it wasn't until I was older that I really appreciated this show, but it is probably one of the best cartoons I've seen. The beautiful artwork complements perfectly the fascinating stories and characters our samurai meets on his journey.

The Justice League (2001)

Summary
It's all of your favorite DC superheroes teaming up to protect the world from various villains and threats. Each hero must come together if they hope to save the world.

Review
This show did a fantastic job of putting several superheroes together and making it work. Each character develops a bit and they all have entertaining moments with each other. The plot was pretty strong and brought about some profound moments about humanity, heroes, and the struggles these heroes had. Plus the humor was great!

Kim Possible (2002)

Summary
When there's trouble, you can always call Kim Possible, the teenage hero. Join Kim as she travels the world, stopping supervillain plots, saving the world, and getting to math class on time.

Review
This was by far my favorite Disney Channel show! Kim Possible showed young girls everywhere that you can kick butt and still be feminine. She was a great role model and really showed the world what a teenage girl could be capable of. The show also had fantastic characters that were always so fun to watch. And the villains were all hilarious!

Fillmore! (2002)

Summary
When crime happens at East Middle School, it's up to the members of the safety patrol to solve crimes and keep order. Join Fillmore and Ingrid as they crack cases, protect the innocent, and bust the bad guys.

Review
Some think this show is a little overdramatic, but I think that was the point. Fillmore! was meant to parody those old 60's cop shows, and I think it does it perfectly. The way the main detectives solved cases and interacted with others was both fun to watch and endearing to see. It also brought up some pretty heavy ideas of how people can change, and what can drive someone to do something unthinkable.

TMNT (4kids) (2003)

Summary
Four teenage mutant turtle brothers are instructed in the ways of ninjutsu and use their talents to
protect New York from the evil Shredder.

Review
You really shouldn't be surprised that this show is on here. This is the TMNT series that I know the franchise the best from. Overseen by the creators of the original comics, TMNT had a good blend of funny moments and intense plots and action. The development of each turtle was done fairly well and I quickly fell in love with them. The animation of the fighting sequences was also great, particularly in seasons 3 and 4.

Teen Titans (2003)

Summary
When there's trouble, you know who to call! Robin, Starfire, Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy all band together to form the Teen Titans. Together they protect Jump City from various villains and crooks.

Review
This one is fantastic! DC characters done in an anime style with crazy facial expressions, incredibly dangerous situations, and lots of heart-warming moments. This show will make you fall in love with each character for different reasons. It's also fun to see how the main superheroes interact with each other in both hilarious and touching ways.

Code Lyoko (France 2003, US 2004)

Summary
There's a virtual world being controlled by the evil AI Xana, and it's up to four friends and the friendly AI Aileta to stop both the virtual world and the real world from being destroyed.

Review
This one is a little odd, but still fun to watch. The concepts of virtual reality bleeding into actual reality is always a fun one and french animation is a treat to watch. The CGI animation was really weak, but to be fair, this was when that style of animation was pretty new.

W. I. T. C. H. (2004)

Summary
In another dimension, a world has been taken over by a dark king. It's up to five girls from Earth to become the guardians of both worlds and stop evil from destroying all.

Review
This show was actually quite good, creating a classic fantasy story about another dimension overtaken by evil. The different types of magic that the characters used was always great to watch and the plot was fairly straightforward and solid. And the theme song was awesome!!

Dragon Booster (2004)

Summary
Artha, the son of a dragon breeder, has become the new Dragon Booster, the hero of legends, and must protect all humans and dragons from the evil Worde Paine from taking over the world.

Review
This one had a very interesting animation style, particularly with the dragons. While the show had a weak ending, due to the last season getting canceled, it still had some great moments that taught kids things like standing up for what's right, not giving up, and being there for your friends.

Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! (2004)

Summary
Chiro comes across a giant robot and awakens the robot monkeys inside. Dubbed their leader, Chiro and his monkey team protect the world from the evil Skeleton King.

Review
The show's about as weird as the name suggests. I never thought I'd like a show about robot monkeys, and yet I liked watching this one. I think the main reason I liked the show was because it was so unusual. There was never an end to the amount of crazy creatures you would meet. Plus the bond between the main characters was pretty touching. The show had some surprisingly heavy and deep moments as well.

The Batman (2004)

Summary: 

See the Batman in his early years as he battles the rising super villains and avoids law enforcement. 

Review

While this show isn't as good as the 90's series, it does do some good things. The animation is done fairly well, and I liked the unique character designs. While not fantastic, the show did keep me interested.

Danny Phantom (2004)

Summary
After an accident in his parent's lab, Danny Fenton finds he now has ghost powers. He becomes the hero Danny Phantom and takes on the job of stopping the ghosts from terrorizing Amnity City.

Review
A lot of cartoons love the idea of the main character being half-human and half something else. But a half-human half-ghost really takes the cake in this show. Danny Phantom takes the superhero idea and applies it to the paranormal. This show could get annoying and I felt that it could've been more serious, but it still has some interesting moments.

Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends (2004)

Summary
What happens to your imaginary friend when you outgrow them? They go to Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Follow Mac, his imaginary friend Bloo, and other characters as they navigate the crazy world of imaginary friends.

Review
This show was surprisingly funny. Each character has different quirks and when you put them all together under one roof, it gets a little crazy, which is the point. The simplified animation style fits the show really well. The humor is random, wacky, and witty enough that it will have you laughing pretty hard.

American Dragon: Jake Long (2005)

Summary
Jake Long comes from a long line of dragons, and it's up to him to help protect and oversee the other magical creatures. But can he do it while navigating school, dating, and annoying family members? Sometimes the human world is more problematic than the magical one.

Review
This was another Disney show that actually did pretty well. It was fun to see the concepts of dragons having human and dragon forms, and the magic world this show created was also great. The last couple of seasons were pretty weak, but overall the series was good.

Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)

Summary
The world is out of balance, with the Fire Nation trying to control and destroy the other nations. It's up to Aang, the last airbender and the Avatar, to restore peace to the world, but can a 12-year-old boy really be the hero everyone's waiting for?

Review
This is by far probably the best series to have come out during this decade. I'm not even kidding. It has beautiful animation, fantastic character development, and a plot that was both intense and profound. The music is also so amazing. This show really revolutionized what american cartoons could be capable of.

Ben 10 (2005)

Summary
What happens when a ten-year-old finds an alien device that lets him transform into ten different aliens? He becomes a superhero, of course. Join Ben, his cousin Gwen, and their grandpa as they battle aliens and people out to do harm.

Review
This series was pretty good. The concept of one boy becoming multiple aliens was great and it provided a lot of variety of characters. The plot itself was a little weak, but still held up fairly well.

Phineas and Ferb (2007)

Summary
It's the classic summer question: "What do you want to do today?" Well, Phineas and Ferb answer that question with some pretty amazing schemes and inventions. Join them as they build roller coasters, become pop sensations, create a portal to mars, and drive their sister Candace insane.

Review
One of Disney's later cartoons, this one has done really well. Its colorful and random style and witty humor provides a lot of entertainment. This is the type of show that could do some pretty crazy stuff and get away with it, including having some kind of musical number in each episode.

Star Wars the Clone Wars (2008)

Summary
Follow Obi Wan, Anakin, his padawan Asohka,  and other Jedi as they work together during the Clone Wars. It's Star Wars like you've never seen it!

Review
This show helps fix a lot of problems that the movie had, and it gets you to actually become attached to Anakin. But its strongest element is the clones. Each clone has a distinct personality, which makes them that much more intriguing. Some of the most powerful plot arcs were clone-centric, and the show raised some interesting questions about war, clones, and doing the right thing.


So there you have it, the 2000's were really a great time for cartoons, and they brought a bit of everything to kids: humor, wacky situations, fascinating characters, serious moments, heavy themes, and great stories.

Be on the lookout for my post about my favorite cartoons from 2010-2015.