It's 2020.
I still remember ushering the new millennium like it was yesterday. There was a massive parade and people never knew what a smartphone was.
The internet was still a teething toddler and the dot com bubble was yet to burst.
It was also a time when millions of kids around the world would stay glued to the TV screens to catch Saturday morning cartoons. If you remember some of these iconic ones, you're old AF, buddy.
Let's jog back your memory and take you down memory lane. You know, the good ol' days before privacy and data fears, way before Trump, and the fucken COVID-19. It was a time when many of Star Wars' comics and series were canon and Manchester United was a dominating force in the Premier League.
The good ol' days when the hand drawn animation industry was at its pinnacle and animators were still experimenting with CGI. Yes, my friend, these were the cartoons you used to watch in the 2000s that'll turn 20 this decade.
Samurai Jack.
The plot of Samurai Jack is extremely simple: It's about Jack, a samurai, who just wants to go back home. But in order to do that, he needs to defeat the ultimate evil being, Aku.
Created in 1999 by Russian-American animator, Genndy Tartakovsky, the series has four seasons with a fifth one recently made and largely catered to the older viewers who grew up watching the series.
While the series might have been made for kids, watching the cartoon as an adult will reveal lots of hidden symbolisms. For instance, did you know that the word Aku means "me" in the Malay language.
Was Tartakovsky hinting at "killing" the ego in order to return to one's source of origin? Cue visuals of explosion in your mind.
Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Created in 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender has gone on to inspire thousands of people through its simple message: That you have to believe in yourself and value your friends if you wish to overcome adversity.
The cartoon, considered the pinnacle of U.S. TV cartoons in terms of storytelling, has a huge cult following. It was even turned into a live-action film - sorry for reminding you about that.
The series is flawless in terms of the detail in animation, sound design, directing, voice acting, and yes, the story.
Spongebob Squarepants.
If Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny dominated the 50s and 60s, five decades later a yellow sponge would become an iconic character in the memory of many.
21 years since its creation in 1999, Spongebob Squarepants is now easily recognizable and unlike many of its peers, has the potential to be remembered by kids today as well.
Watching Spongebob as an adult, I remember liking him as a kid but the adult me gets Squidward's annoyance at the former's overtly positive attitude. While Stephen Hillenburg's creation is mostly categorised as a comedy series due to its borderline parody elements, the series also poses a very important question: Are sophisticated individuals generally an unhappy bunch?
Star Wars: Clone Wars.
Yes, there was a Star Wars: Clone Wars series prior to the CG version and it was, personally, a much better experience that the 2008 version.
Released between 2003 to 2005 as part of a miniseries from Genndy Tartakovsky, the series tied in the events between Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
Many hardcore Star Wars fans would remember this series for its amazing animation, sound design, and action packed plot. Watching all episodes was an exhilarating experience and to some extent, the miniseries was even way better than the prequel series.
Sadly, Disney purchased the rights to Lucasfilm, rendering this series non-canon.
The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy.
It's hard to believe but Cartoon Network actually aired one of the darkest and strangest cartoons which ran for six seasons between June 9, 2000 to October 12, 2008.
The plot revolves around a pissed off girl, Mandy, and an intellectually challenged boy, Billy. The two managed to trick the Grim Reaper into becoming their best friend.
If you're a fan of horror, you'll appreciate the numerous references to Greek mythology, Cthulhu mythos, Suspiria, and Dune and more. It was definitely not a cartoon series for everyone but those who enjoyed it, still love it.
Courage the Cowardly Dog.
Speaking of horror cartoons, you've probably seen this one at least once in your life time.
While this cartoon was released in November 1999, it ran for four seasons until November 2002 before Cartoon Network pulled the plug.
The series became Cartoon Network's highest-rated premiere in history at the time with critics giving the cartoon extremely positive reviews due to Courage the Cowardly Dog's richly imaginative yet absurdly surreal universe.
Teacher's Pet.
Behold, this was one of the strangest cartoon series Disney ever made.
You can be forgiven if you had thought it was a non-Disney cartoon because Teacher's Pet was totally out of the entertainment giant's feel and style.
Yet, strangely, when this series aired on September 9, 2000, it had an impressive cast of voice actors the likes of Nathan Lane, Wallace Shawn, and Jerry Stiller. Heck, even a movie was made based on the series.
If you're a sucker for sophisticated humour, this is a cartoon series worth revisiting.
Dexter's Laboratory.
Considered one of the cartoons that shot Cartoon Network to fame, this series about boy-genius cum investor, Dexter, was not only humorous but poignant.
Don't let its comedic elements fool you. The series, aired between 1996 to 2003 explored lots of tough questions on ethics and morality, especially when it comes to science. Albeit in a humorous way.
The Powerpuff Girls.
This is the fourth Genndy Tartakovsky series on the list and one of the most popular ones. Yes, many of Tartakovsky's cartoons dominated this era.
When it was released in 1998, many reviewed The Powerpuff Girls for its fun factor. In fact, the cartoon even parodied many superhero tropes that were pretty big during the 90s.
The series went on to win two Primetime Emmys, two Annie Awards, and has been nominated a total of 16 times for various awards. Cartoon Network revived the series in 2016 but still, nothing beats the classic episodes.
Kim Possible.
Hands down the best show on Disney Channel in the 2000s. There was none like it.
Way before feminism became mainstream, Kim was already championing the fact that women are capable of so many awesome stuff just like boys and she even gets to prove it.
The series pushed the envelope on the stereotype that girls wouldn't watch action shows while boys would avoid shows with a female lead.
Yes, I'm aware that there's a 2019 live-action series but nothing beats the animated series. So popular was the series that Disney had to renew the show for another season after fans demanded the series to be extended to four seasons.
Which of these shows were your favorite and why?
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Cover image sourced from Disney and Nickelodeon.
