Hiya Graphite. Sure do :) Enter and I chat a bit occasionally and we've brainstormed on a potential collab we could do for the future. If we come up with a good one, there's a good chance we'll collab in the future.
Are we just going to ignore Courage the Cowardly Dog? A show that, its original short in 1995, was nominated for a god damn Academy Award? A show that brought horror and weird fiction, two genres usually tailored for adults unless severely dumbed down, to children in an intelligent way? Courage was Cartoon Networks highest rated show until Adventure Time, it was a huge draw next to shows like Samurai Jack. It was weird, its been recognized as such and it draws all of its influences from everywhere. At the same time it tackles incredibly complex issues in incredibly complex ways that aren't dumbed down 'for kids'. It takes on abuse, sexism, depression and religion. It, as a show, teaches kids that being scared doesn't meant you're not courageous, its a show that teaches even when you're scared you should face your fears. Admitting you're scared, and doing something that scares you anyway is the true face of courage. That little pink dog is just as deep and wide as any of these modern shows that have come out, it has treated its material just as seriously and it was always widely accepted. So why is it now everyone seems to be catching on? If you ask anyone who grew up in the 90s and 2000s about Courage, they all would most likely talk about how scary and cool it was. It was already mainstream. Weird has always been there. Duckman is another older example that seems to get ignored a lot as well.
Speaking of Samurai Jack, go watch the reboot! It'll be fun! ...Seriously. Go watch it. You'll need to watch the original to understand some plot, though.
Agreed those shows all deserve to be mentioned. I think Kim possible, Lilo and Stitch, My life as a teenage robot and over the garden wall were pretty profound as well.
This is what I love about animation. You can create your own world and establish you're own rules with the characters within it. Weirdness is not a bad thing, it's how you use it.
Please do a full video on Bojack Horseman. I binge-watched the entire series on Netflix and it's seriously one of the greatest tv shows I've ever seen. It's taken me to places no other tv show has. Even though it's a tv show about a talking horse, it's the most real and human cartoon I've ever seen.
Dadalelo thing is I don't find it all that funny but... Damn is it an amazing show one of the few shows that actually made me feel for the characters. There is still funny moments tho
I started watching it a few days ago hoping it would suck because of the trailers and instead, i found myself really really loving it. Season 3 of Bojack may be some of the best i have ever seen in any media. Deep, heartwrenching, real and stock full of memorable moments. I have never been so invested in a tv show in ages and i must thank Bojack Horseman for that. Looking forward to Season 6!
I'm sure this'll get lost in the storm of people asking why he didn't mention Rick and Morty, or questioning the phraseology of 'gender identity' etc, but I binge watched all of Bojack Horseman in the last week, and it's *fucking phenomenal* - one of the very finest depictions of co-dependance, perceptions of self, depression and 101 other issues, and how there are no easy answers in life that I have ever seen on the screen, period. In a show about a man who is a horse. With a friend who is a pink cat. That is also just flat out funny - be it some really sharp writing and dialogue, or stupid, quick little animal-behaviour jokes. If you've not seen it, just watch it. The first few episodes play out like a standard black comedy to get the characters introduced, but then it takes a turn for the more dramatic, and it just gets better and better.
The last three or so episodes of the third seasons were totally depressing, I love them. I don't know... I really liked the first one to be honest, but the third one digs so deep into Bojack's head!
Tricky. First season is the weakest dramatically as it's barely touches the surface. Second and third seasons don't really feel like seperate entities to me - they roll on from each other pretty naturally. It's just a great show.
I´ve just finished the third season and I totally agree with you however it´s still my second favorite animated show just below Rick and Morty and above South Park.
After much hesitation, this video finally encouraged me to binge-watch BoJack Horseman. Fucking dammit the show's so deep and depressing. How tf am I getting sad over an anthromorphic horse character
Episode 1 of Steven Universe: Steven believes his powers are activated by ice cream. Episode 100 of Steven Universe: Steven contemplates the morality of killing aggressors in a time of war.
This is Doug's best work these days. Dare I say I might enjoy seeing more excellent editorials about thought-provoking topics and less overproduced reviews. Since most of the movies he chooses these days aren't even nostalgic, I now find these videos to be his most enjoyable work. He's gotten so good at exploring and dissecting nuances in film like this.
Ugh I hate the reviews now. They are overproduced to the point where I skip 30% of the video because it's just live-actions skits which aren't funny. These editorials are way better and he has amazing opinions on these topics.
The way he explains why these weird shows are so great also applies to his own show. While episodes of nostalgia critic are full of over the top swearing and jokes that can be (even though i love them) considered immature. Yet at the same time he manages to send a thought provoking message about each of the movies he reviews that is both entertaining and insightful.
I don't think it quite fits, I can't remember Suicide Squad trying to make a statement of any kind. It failed to be funny or engaging, but didn't even try to be profound in any way. I could be wrong though? I haven't seen it personally.
im suprised he didnt mention Archer cuse i was really suprised on how good the series was once i began watching it.. i ve had netflix for 2 years and always thought "arccher bah!" sounds stupid.. but goddamn its a good series so many interesting stories and so much humor and goddamn archer is what James Bond should be ! if the dont do an Archer movie before i die of old age i will haunt everyone in hollywood with their craptastic flops !
+parky004 I didn't really like season 2, I thought most episodes were ok not as good as season 1 and I thought season 2 was just pointless but I loved season 3
as far as kids stuff being more adult than most adult things, I have to agree, at least to some degree. The last 4 episodes of Gravity Falls were better than most movies to come out in theaters this year
+Lance Shadow Which it appears to be from the trailer until you actually watch it and the darker elements in the story make the commentary it provides on racial stereotypes and prejudice much clearer.
hey I just want you to know that you and the rest of the analysis group are (for the most part) the representation of the more reasonable side of the fandom and in referencing to your stranger then fanfiction review like twilight
"If I don't get invested in the world or the characters first, I'm not going to care what you're trying to say with them." Someone should have told that to all the "classic" authors.
Who do you mean exactly? I haven't read that much classic works, but i felt really deep connection to Dostoyevsky's Prince Mishkin, Dumas's Edmond Dantes, Wilde's Dorian Gray, Orwell's Winston Smith the whole Buendía family by Marquéz and even most of Kafka's heroes (even though he tries to make them as distant and unreachable as possible). I could really recommend all of these books to anybody. Which classic authors did you have in mind?
The only classic author I can think of, where all the characters are just pawns to deliver the idea is Karel Čapek and I still love him, since the ideas are so strong, that you can do without deep chracters. But I don't expect anyone in this discussion to know him, outside the Czech republic he's only known for coining the term "robot" but the influence of his work is more or less regional...
As a fan, I will tell you that the first seven episodes are kind of difficult to get through. But once you get to episode eight a lot of things start making sense.
Hearing NC talk about ponies, in a positive light no less, has always been a dream of mine. Great video overall, but that was the icing on the cake for me!
of course you would, but maybe if you guys kept to your own fandom and didnt try to assert yourself into everything from music to characters in media, you would not be so damned hated
I don't like Call of Duty, but you have tons of uploads with it. Should I be angry at you for asserting YOUR interests on RUclips? Of course not, that's silly. Grow up.
***** how about you, watching a cartoon for little girls and if you are going to nose around on my fucking channel, notice the fact that its been more fallout 4 recently cause i have had a falling out with cod so take your argument and leave you are getting straw all over the floor horse
Its kind of ironic not that you mention it these videos in relation to Doug's channel perfectly mirrors the trend he's talking about in this video. I hope he does more like this. 10:15
Same for me. His humour in his nostalgia critic skits just doesn't work for me, I hardly ever laugh at the jokes these days and just watch them because it has become a sort of tradition for me over the years.
Buck Wade His delivery just doesn't work for me and more than often the jokes are more swing and miss for me. In my opinion he really just isn't that great of a comedic writer, though he definitely still has his moments. The Ghostbusters review for example had me chuckling a bit at times. Now I just hope that he and Rob get themselves sorted out before continuing with the videos.
please do; stick through it though, the first 7 episodes might seem a little too "family guy-esque" and crude, but it really delves into the deep shit after that. i didn't start liking bojack until the end of the first season and it's grown to be one of my favorite shows.
Different critics are liked by different people. I guess that his tone of voice seems to be usually ranty, even when he's praising something, but that's because he has asperger's, and aspies tend to not change their tone much. Or maybe he doesn't sound like that to most people, I'm an aspie myself so I guess I'm not all that good at identifying a tone of voice, usually aspies tend to sound more monotone, unless they have learned to talk more normally. I myself really like the points he brings, but it's true that with his unfluctuating tone it's not very good if you just want to be entertained...
artgoat I don't think it's that crazy bojack has themes like depression , addiction and existentialism while yeah these are things that a live action human actor could do it just as well it would also bum quite a few people out and possible they could stop watching by having all this come from a cartoon horse it softens the blow but not enough to take away all its power . Like brick in a pillow.
Remember back when merely mentioning My Little Pony, let alone praising it, was practically a Death sentence for one's credibility? No wonder why NC waited so long to talk about it.
+ Throwback Jr. I've been reading a lot of comments on this video and from the looks of things, it sadly still is! A video which has good things to say about My Little Pony is bound to have positive comments from people who enjoy watching it, and yet haters are somehow surprised by this and feel the need to reply with things like "OH YOU BRONIES SUCK, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, WHY ARE YOU EVERYWHERE? STOP COMMENTING ON HOW YOU LIKE SOMETHING THAT I DON'T!"
Good luck. I've got not one, but THREE brothers who hate modern cartoons. And I mean ALL cartoons past the 60's. Even Disney. They've found an excuse for every single one. Worst part is, I don't even have a voice _here._ Michael [my oldest brother] is a fan of Nostalgia Critic as well. And I'm literally the only one in my family who's not supposed to be on RUclips at all. Michael's always on my case, too. It's only a matter of time before he spots this comment, screenshots it, and emails it to mom.
don't worry, Tell your Brother to Screw off, let yourself enjoy what you want to enjoy. We've only got one chance on this world, Use it to experience what you want to, you don't know how long you or any of us have left. PS: If you can't tell your brother to screw off, I'll tell him for you.
Heh! I just got this big scolding from him at dinner about how I need to "watch stuff my age". Like, dude, who keeps putting snakes in your spaghetti? Because it would appear they love to pin it on me.
And, honestly, it's just Michael. Tom's [my twin; the youngest] a good kid, despite being a walking soundboard at this point. John [the middle] is also pretty nice when he's not backing up Michael.
Calling something fashionable is an insult. I don't remember who said this but 'Fashion is so ugly that we feel the need to change it every few months'
"Calling something fashionable is an insult." 'Fashionable', by definition, means " Conforming to the current styles or trends", which was the context I was utilizing, nothing more.
That's why I don't get caught up in what's new with these shows having "new leases on life" the fact is that most animated shows try to influence you with their cautionary tales and changing perspectives. Every one tries to do that in some capacity.
and onepiece... even though the show can be really goofy at times it gets really dark and deals with themes of slavery, poverty, injustice, racism, etc.
+Ghostt Marine caan you tell me a few deep archer episodes because archer feels more like a awesome spy show than a deep show from the episodes i've watched, which is not a bad thing because i like that
One thing I'm surprised that noone has mentioned yet is the influence of anime in this movement. Japan embraced and popularized more adult and deeply engrossing themes and stories in an animated format several decades ago while such cartoons were scarcely made and poorly received in the west. And really the notion of weird scenarios teaching people things goes way way further back. Just think about all the crazy shit in ancient religious myths with all of their fantastical creatures and gods explaining how and why humans do what they do and the origins and purposes of the world they reside in. Wierd has always been heavily connected to brilliance as it is highly captivating and may even make it easier to explain and swallow some very complex themes.
The thing is, what's "weird" changes through time period. People nowadays are used to seeing stories about mythologies, but something absolutely out of nowhere like a half-man half-horse being a former hollywood actor, in a world where half the people are animals (with no explanation whatsoever), really has never been done before. With the passage of time, whatever was once considered "weird" could become fairly familiar afterwards, and that applies to fiction in general. Remember that back in the day, the idea of a fantastic adventure philosophical story set in space was unheard of, then Star Wars came into the picture in 1977, and now the idea of sci-fi adventure films with heavy themes of philosophy is not that weird at all.
I've heard all the price for BoJack Horseman, but I'm still a little hesitant to watch it, mostly because of the uncomfortable places that take you in. Right now I can barely handle the emotional depth of Steven Universe, I'm not sure I'll be able to handle BoJack Horseman just yet. "And that's from the people who like it!" Best way to introduce the show. I laughed so hard.
LOL yeah this show would make you feel empty inside if you binged watched all 3 season. Though I still would recommend you watch it when you are good and ready. It's a great character study of person that has it all yet doesn't want any of it. That includes some amazing side characters that get there own depth as the show moves on.
Although it's my favorite show, the ending of the most recent season was a pretty big downer. That kinda left me empty for a day. But it's filled with humor so ridiculous you'll at least get a ton of "wtf" laughs.
I feel like the videos he makes where he actually just talks to us, are much better than the ones where he tries to be funny. Don't get me wrong, his videos are awesome, but it's the ones where he doesn't try to be funny that are just much better.
I keep replaying the MLP section because I'm in shock that even the most thought provoking analysts in the community didn't come up with the themes you picked up on. You also might have stumbled upon the reason as to why the show is so good, even with its rainbow exterior. It dissects the emotions that come with the variations of kindness (and the other elements of course) which can be applied to various situations. It gives a greater understanding that shows how smartly written the show is while appearing to an outsider as the same cutesy stuff we had previously been subjected too. Because each episode focuses on one thing, it allows it to go in depth and be brilliant at points, while keeping an optimistic tone that serves as a break from reality and helps many of its viewers become better people in the process. Then it does all that with fluid animation that can get so epic at points (season 4 finale's battle would fit into dragon ball), characters that grow and have extending arcs over the passing seasons and writing that can change moods without it feeling too jarring. Not to the mention the musical score and songs.
So true. I agree 100%. (Not to mention the general shock I was in from hearing Doug praise the show, because I always thought he was an anti-brony for some reason. Glad to be wrong about that.)
+Patrick R I don't think he was ever anti-Brony, he just didn't want to cause a comment shitstorm by talking about it before. The whole Brony thing has died down now though
Maybe what we needed to find the reason was an outside source. Most bronies, myself included, are so blinded by our love for the show that we have too many reasons for loving it, thus we don't remember the main reason why it works. Doug on the other hand has seen enough of it to know why it works, but isn't blinded by love since he isn't a fan himself.
It didn't really hold my interest when I started watching it, and I got about 1 and 1/2 episodes in before Netflix crashed and I didn't try to watch it again. Just thought I would give a dissenting opinion.
I didn't even notice the supposed "infinite increase in quality" when I first watched the show, but then I binged the whole thing in a few days because it sucked me in. Frankly, I was hooked from "am I nailing this interview?" and some of the funniest and most important elements happen in those six first episodes. The whole segment about BoJack and the troops is excellent; the introduction of Sarah Lynn and BoJack trying to set things right by treating her like a child, Todd and Princess Carolyn's hilarious Boreanaz House scheme, a very interesting look into Diane's origins and last but not least the infamous theft of the D. There's a ton of great character exploration from both the profoundly silly and the profoundly deep ends of BoJack Horseman going on in those six first episodes, that people for some reason have to shit on. I don't understand it... but then again, I must have seen that first season in one evening.
I guess we're all different like snauw comments below I was into the show from the beginning, but it was the end of S1E7 that really hooked me and made me realize this was going to be unlike anything else I'd seen and this was confirmed with the outstanding "The Telescope" episode that followed. Also, make note of the brilliant voice cameos that this show regularly has. That S1E7 episode has guest voices like J.K. Simmons, Rachel Bloom, Steven Colbert and Kristin Chenoweth.
+TheSkully343 It's not really a phenomenon limited to cartoons and children movies. Anyway, if it's both weird and smart, it has good chances to become a timeless classic, as Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and many others have proven. Time will tell if any of these weird shows have that kind of staying power.
Kaefer1973 I doubt it. A lot of these shows to me look like they're gonna be viewed as nothing more than those old 80s cartoons that attempt to tell hackneyed morals which will come to be the review fodder for 'next generation' Nostalgia Critics and the like. A few might hold up, but much like most shows from childhood, very few do.
Leonardo Maranhao Yeah no one saw it coming. I remember first learning about it thanks to The Nostalgia Critic who referenced it in his Son of the Mask review and I remembered that I saw it twice in the past but in different generations and I was dumbfounded by finding out that it was still around. And when I found out about bronies I was even more dumbfounded by finding out that males my age was not only watching it but genuinely enjoying it. It took a while to get into it for me personally being I thought that modern cartoons were bad nowadays but man was I wrong.
briansivley2001 It was the characters that attracted me to the show. They all have distinct personalities that pop out, and you're guaranteed to connect with at least one of them. It's great to see these personalities work off of each other.
"Oh." "He brought up My Little Pony." "Time for the comment section to be filled with that instead of anything which contributes to the conversation whatsoever." To be fair, it's not that bad. To be fair x2 the fairening, I'm contributing to it as well. Hypocrisy!
For some reason, I prefer animation to live action, not because because I grew up with it, but maybe though animation you can explore more and the characters and the visuals are more pleasing. But maybe also because live action stuff can be really clunky, if they did make a live action Steven universe, you know it would be really gimmicky, and would leave out a lot of detail, because like the last Airbender or the live action Disney movies, it would be banking on the fact you saw the original, and the differences would be really distracting
Cypher I feel the same way. I love animation and I love looking at the details they put in, paying attention to the skin tecture or of the frizzy hair from rain. It is beautiful.
The Simpsons are yellow because the creators were playing a prank on the viewer. They wanted the viewers to think that their tvs were color settings were wrong so the purposefully messed the characters skin up
Weird is not the new brilliant. Weird is now a younger mindset ready to tackle serious issues without doing it in a ham-fisted way like in the past. We know how to talk about/show depression in a meaningful way with characters that feel REAL and not just stereotypes. And hey, if you don't "get" the deep messages, then just shrugs and say "it's weird" and people can understand. For instance, let's look at Stephen Universe at face value. 3 female superheroes save the day in a tiny town on the beach with a little kid (and god his voice can be annoying) tagging along because...it's the show. It feels like he's just a pet to their superhero squad. But when you sit through it, you see Stephen has some wisdom to his young mind, you see the issues that make the 3 gem-females they way they are, you see background characters that AREN'T just window dressing but actually have some thought behind them. Weird is a license to do whatever, and creators are choosing well with that freedom.
Japanese animation has always been way ahead of western animation in terms of adult themes. It makes me happy to know we'll have more mature animation from western companies in the future - if this trend catches on.
At some point Western animation will keep going forward but Japanese animation will stay put, at least theme wise. Japanese culture is still very conservative, and i estimate that in a few years its going to be more appearent, and then the Japanese publishers will either strive to create more progressive stuff to keep getting that shweet phat cash, or insulate themselves from the world and keep doing their things in japan only.
Bojack Horseman is my favorite tv show of all time, it changed my life by having such real and human characters that when I related so much to the shitty characters it forced me to change, I just couldn’t keep living with myself knowing how much bad stuff I did.
My top 3 animations right now are: Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman and South Park. PS: I wouldn´t call Avatar a weird show. It´s just an american anime.
I don't get the hate for bronies. I don't personally like MLP but I'm not going to shit on people who do. It doesn't affect me personally that they like it.
actually, its because of how dumb and annoying they can be, sure there are nice bronies heck one of my best friends is one, but it's just the 11% of good bronies
On the "why cartoons" and "why so many now" issue: today's 25-45 year olds are essentially the first generation that grew up watching lots of cartoons on TV. It is also a generation that is filled with childhood nostalgia, to the extent that this is becoming part of its identity (case in point the success of the nostalgia critic). So being able to still enjoy a cartoon that looks silly on the surface is particularly gratifying for this generation, while, of course, the ability to combine this with age-appropriate commentary on people's fears, anxieties, and existential questions makes it all the more appealing.
+Mr Zilla I'm not trying to bash the series or anything, it's just he usually makes so many jokes about the series and bronies. And I'm a Thomas the Tank Engine fan, and he never seemed to give either show a chance.
+Isaiah Williams that's because people still has that "show for little girls" mentality so they automatically think it can only give you bland and braindead lessons. It actually is a kid's show but it's also for adults. Trust me, watch some episodes and you'll see how much a lot of adults could benefit from the lessons shown by Twilight Sparkle and her friends. As NC said, it started simple but it has developed into a show which teaches valuable lessons about friendship, people and human relationships. It of course stays until a certain level and doesn't reach the cynical level of Bowjack Horseman, remember it's a show made with kids in mind, but that doesn't mean it can't be good or teach important things.
I figured he wouldn't like it since some of the morals focused on the wrong thing (though nowhere near as bad as say Scrubs) and the whole winning every contest thing.
I love BoJack Horseman, intensely. It was the first show to touch my soul and mind. Every episode got me feeling and thinking like no other animated show ever did before in my adult life. Also, I discovered your channel a week ago. Awesome stuff!
I really love the way you defined MLP Also THANK YOU for not insulting us by saying stuff like "bronies are fat, middle aged men that do nothing but watch and masterbait to cartoon ponies" or "Bronies are the definition of cancer and should go die!" You just said that men like to watch the show, and again I thank you for that.
I think media aimed at kids is better at handling mature subjects than "adult" media because they're forced by their rating to be subtle. I honestly find it kinda funny how Finding Dory, the cartoon about a talking fish, was a more of a mature, intelligent, and respectful story about living with disabilities than the "mature, insightful drama" Rain Man.(and really, almost every story about autism ever written)
Um, wasn't he going to do Rocky and Bullwinkle the movie for his next review? I know last week that he was sick, but that review was suppose to be next,
Bojack Horseman loves to hold up a mirror that shoves the worst parts of yourself right in your face and forces you to acknowledge them. It hurts and it's beautiful. I'm kind of a broken person in a lot of ways and to see this kind of show exist actually makes me happy in a way. I'm so glad that that show got made and is popular, because it helps me know that I'm not alone in the world better than therapy ever has. Even if it's hard to get through sometimes and breaks my heart more often than Doctor Who, showing that so many people can identify with the things that are wrong with me just helps.
Another example, its Bobs Burguers, the plots of every chapter is simple, but the character have great personalities, mostly of them are weird, but that what make them very enjoyable.
Way to take one for the team, Critic. We all owe you a beer. Hopefully all the collective beers will be enough to kill the brain cells that stored the memory of that movie.
There's a third animated Titanic movie ? Or is it the spin-off movie focusing on the octopus that sinks the Titanic in one of the animated movies Doug reviewed ? Next thing you know, he'll start reviewing bad Titanic-related movies like the one where a new Titanic is launched and on her first cruise, a tidal wave throws an iceberg at her.
He could review "Starship Titanic"; either the book or the video game would be nice. I miss the talking bomb who didn't really want to blow himself up.
Here's what I think, animation is a tool. Let me explain what I mean, by choosing to work with animation, you're choosing an art form that alot of people show interest in because I'm sure they grew up with it. Ok, so they already have their audience hooked, they get people interested in a show about a boy with a belly button gem, or about technicolor equines, or a movie about an overweight panda who does martial arts. However, what makes animation a tool is that, if written correctly, can have an theme or message that will make children think or adults feel. Animation can help broaden the horizon of knowledge with our youth, and even adults, who still have much to learn... Am I making any sense?
IF YOU EVER AND I MEAN EVER COMPARE GUMBALL AND STEVEN UNIVERSE AGAIN I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND...just kidding gumball's ok but I personally like SU a little more.
I know right? Doug seems to like shows that are mediocre at best, but is clever enough to go under the radar as a "clever satire commentary show". R&M is the exact definition of those words, and its even better than most of the shows listed here.
I've seen most of the shows he talks about (as well as Rick and Morty) and I do have to say they're all in the same spot for my favorite shows; although I will admit that the least of which is probably adventure time.
This was a very good video. I saw Sausage Party and I thought "That was so wierd." That is interesting how silly wierd stuff could be profound like that. I am a huge MLP fan. I even recognize the episodes that are depicted in this video. I was aware of the bronies. Yet I just learned that they made up the majority of the fan-base. Yay bronies. I haven't seen the other shows. Now that you talk about them I want to check them out. I feel less bad about hating the Matrix. It was just so boring. I think it was a terrible story, so it can't hold up the message. I even came up with more examples. Inside Out is a good example. It does seem really weird at first. Through the course of the movie, it is really fun to go through. I like exploring Riley's psyche and get invested. Then it does get deep, and at times it gets grim. There is a very profound message of how to go through the difficult changes in life and about grief. You mentioned the Twilight Zone. That show is way before my time. The title reminds me of Twilight as the Stephanie Meyer book series. It is a weird mix of romance and horror. The horror part is so different from normal horror that it even caused outrage. Yet I like the series a lot. My favorite part is that I over-analyze the heck out of it. The story is about a teenage girl, named Bella, who falls in love with a vampire and becomes one herself. When I over-analyze, I find it to be a very profound journey, like alchemy or spirituality. The goal of becoming a vampire is like the ultimate goal of becoming a god, finding heaven or reaching enlightenment. Speaking out which, there is also Twilight Sparkle as in the main character of MLP. She goes through the same thing, when she becomes an alicorn. This is one of the places where the show crosses the line from morality fables into something that is so much more profound. The change to alicorn is one of my favorite episodes to this day. Gosh I love this show. This video is very encouraging for me personally. It is something that I happen to be working on. When I draw, I love to draw weird stuff. I have a lot of fun designing strange and cartoony monsters. I have started to write a basic novel, which takes place in a fantasy land. Yet I want to go beyond that. I also love to delve into profound ideas in philosophy, mysticism, spirituality and psychology. I have even written about these ideas abstractly. A huge challenge is to take the bast of both worlds. I wonder how these weird creatures can become guides for wisdom. It is a fun activity that I still want to work on. Maybe the best stories are the ones that do work on so many levels.
Oh my gosh! I forgot. My favorite book series is Harry Potter. It changed my life and inspired me to create my own fictional worlds. On the surface, it is a fun fantasy story about a magic school. Yet there is so much more at a deeper level. To some extent, it is an allegory for alchemy. There are also issues of love, death and even depression. There are also some spiritual aspects as well. The stag patronous has been compared to Christ. What happened to Harry Potter at the end totally blew my mind. Spoilers: Harry Potter discovers that his body contains a part of Voldemort's soul. So he accepts death, in order to destroy it. Then he comes back to life, and finishes off Voldemort. The sacrificial death and resurrection is a very profound spiritual event. The most famous of that is Jesus. Yet there are plenty of pagan deities who do the same thing. The enchanted sleep of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty is like this too. There are also examples in modern fiction, now that I think of it. Harry Potter does this. This also happens to Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, and to Aslan in the Chronicles or Narnia. In superheros, this occurs in the dead man defrosting trope. This happenes in Twilight, when Bella becomes a vampire. In MLP, this happens when Twilight Sparkle becomes and alicorn. There is even fan speculation that she died after completing the mystery spell and before becoming an alicorn.
demetric taylor Thank you. That was a very good complement. I am a huge fan of Doug Walker. Watching his videos really make me think about movies in a much deeper and more intelligent way. So while commenting it, I try to think like that and share my own ideas. Both me and Doug love the Secret of Nimh. I think it is another example. On the surface it is a really weird movie. When I look more into it, there seems to be a development into how a species evolves and advances. Doug did a whole video about his interpretation on what it means.
This is what I thought since some years: movies and shows that takes themself too seriously are promp to disappoint while movie movies and shows that don't take themself seriously at all are prompt to surprise. Plus metaphores allows you to sneak in a lot of true life concepts without hurting (sigh!) sensitive people.
"Where did this all come from?" "I dunno, but there's no way in hell I'm watching a show where a HORSE is the main character!" *almost forgets that I'm a brony*
I think we connect more with animation cause there's no mistakes in it, the drawings or movement you see is never by mistake so whatever the director wanted you to see, you're seeing it good or bad. You have to respect it for someone to say this is my choice, deal with it
Ah, yes. I remember that one from Mr. Enter. I wonder how Doug will take the movie. Is he going to show similar problems, or will the problems be a bit more complicated. He obviously has more experience in his job than Mr. Enter did when he made that video, so I expect the latter.
You also forgot one of the greatest examples (In my humble opinion) one of the greatest examples of this trend,Gravity Falls. If you look at the first season the first few episodes are just goofy and silly fun with good humor thrown in there. But then late in that first season you get the characters to solve the mystery of the author of the jurnal. You see Bill Cipher for the first time. And then in season two it goes straight up in the drama action and mystery department. They keep getting you more and more invested in the story and mystery. And this is the first TVY7 tv show i have seen with animated blood. To me that was huge! Alrx Hirsch wasnt afraid to take a risk and he mannaged to get that passed disney. Disney! One of the most family friendly commpanies out there. It was a great show with great twists and humor that could get kids invested as well as adults. Im kinda dissapointed you didnt mention it on the list Doug. But great vid non the less.
I think the main reason he didn't mention gravity falls is that, despite the fact that he likes the show, and I like the show, unlike the examples he listed, it does t really tackle many issues. It's still my favourite modern cartoon for the writing and characters, but the only real life issues it really talks about are parental abandonment in blending game and the overarching theme of growing up.
+EthanUnken Kinda sorta. Bridges the gap between 2 and 3 and features Frank West (portrayed by Rob Riggle) although he isn't the protagionist. For a video game movie, it is at least good. Plus there was a...very odd cameo of the guy from Epic Meal Time (I can never remember if it's "Harley" or "Harvey").
I want to point out that stories that are weird and entertaining with the ability to teach have been coming out for nearly three hundred years in English history. Although a lot of these stories have faded away in time, they became the basis for a lot of English words that we use on a daily basis and even symbols. The arrowhead heart that we use to symbolize love
" It's an interesting story about a star that was shot out of the sky by cupid and lived on earth in a large garden of any kind of flower, the main character of the story finds himself unnaturally attracted to her. " So its about Adam and Eve from the Bible?,because acording to the bibles-story indeed theiy did life "in a garden of any kind of flower" and well its obvious that Adam was insanly attractet to Eve otherwise the story would not have worked xd,so was the writter of Astrophil & Stella,like: eh i have no ideas i just copy the bible to have a good story and call the names different so theiy can t kill me for blasphemy(after all that was a thing in the 1500´s) because serously,this can t just be a coincidence^^.
In defense of Keanu's performance as Neo, he was supposed to be as interesting as a blank piece of wood. The Matrix was designed to keep people complacent and mostly lacking any real thought or character in order to keep them from questioning or even caring about any abnormalities. Notice that every other person who was freed from the matrix at an earlier age undoubtedly has more character than Neo. Given that Neo was taken out of the Matrix so late in life, it would make sense that he'd take a very long time to really have much personality. I think as well he's supposed to be the blank slate hero so that we can identify with him and put ourselves where he is. Now, are there definitely issues with the movie? Hell yes, but it's annoying to hear people complain about Keanu as Neo when he was supposed to be exactly that bland for the story. And yes, the message is totally in your face, but at the time, it was a pretty new concept to the general populace. District nine is not at a time where we haven't heard the message a million times already. And Signs, I don't even know what that movie is trying to get across. To be fair, I think M. Night is really a hack who accidentally made a good movie or two and most of his movies have no message are just pretentious ego-stroking fests. The epitome of "Nah, you think it's bad because you don't understand it" crowd will be drawn to it. Also, thank you for mentioning MLP as an actually smart show. Sure some episodes are dumb, but some have really great lessons. I especially liked the recent prank one, considering all the shitty and ignorant pranks done on youtube that people think are cool. If someone didn't find it funny or you made them upset, you apologize and move on to find someone who will enjoy the joke or at least tolerate it. Anyway, that's my two cents.
Most people have such a low standard for animation that it gives most rider the freedom to explore and experiment. Which is why so many shows like BoJack horseman and even adventure Time are allowed to get weird and push the envelope when it comes to subject and how to present it.
I noticed that most of the examples you used for profound entertainment were television shows and the morally/intellectually/philosophically-lacking ones were movies. Do you think that maybe at their peaks, television has more of an ability to invest the audience into characters or can movies achieve this with the same effectiveness? Any examples of films where you think this is done just as well?
Nobody should be promoting sausage party, or give money to it, sure pirate it, but don't pay for it. They didn't pay the animators for their work, now they are ripping the benefits of free advertisements and positive reviews. The movie can be absolutely perfect, but it needs to be banned. reviewing this movie is supporting extreme exploitation in the internment industry.
Anyone else remember the days when the only note worthy thing these guys had under their belt was Thomas The Tank Engine, and that even then their work was let down by the abhorrent writing the series was suffering at that time?
Why would you want to forget about that? Forcing people to work overtime without pay is illegal, blacklisting them, or threatening to, if they don't work overtime without pay is also illegal. This movie might make millions, yet it seems the animators didn't get paid fully for the work they did. It might be annoyed to you that people bring up this issue, but you're not the one who was treated unlawfully and unfairly.
This is all well and good, but this could swing too far the other way and lead to people over-relying on these shows, and that could be dangerous. Once the creators know what kind of extreme fanbases they have, that puts a lot of power in their hands that can lead to manipulation.
+Arturo Casab Now mind you this is just me spitballing, but I think that the makers of these shows are definitely aware of their fanbases, and how reliant some hardcore fans are. When you really put a show on a pedestal (like you see extremely commonly with things like Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, etc) that show seems to be able to do no wrong. Let's face it, the people who really dig into and analyze these shows are (mostly) your more "geeky" (HEAVY QUOTATIONS there) type, the type that almost reach a point of pretentiousness when it comes to shows, stories, movies, etc like these. I fall into the same category with music. I'm just saying that these forms of media are a huge part of the lives are more people than ever before, sometimes to the point where they can indirectly influence how you act, which can lead to the creators slowly introducing their own agendas. But once again, these are just my random thoughts.
So, it's dangerous for art to be too good, because it can start affecting people profoundly and not necessarily in good ways? Dude, people have been struggling with that idea for centuries. Caring as deeply about a piece of art as people care about this particular crop of animated TV shows is far from a new thing, and the problems surrounding how audiences respond to that are just as ancient.
MagusMirificus Definitely true. It just seems that these forms of art are becoming less of an aspect of our personality but becoming the major influence of our personality.
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
"Back in the NINTIES! I was in a very famous TV shooooooow"
80s? Come on Doug!
BoJack Horseman don't pretend you don't know
It was in fact a *VERY* famous TV show.
Yeah I edited it because when I make a dumb and easily fixable mistake, I fix it.
a broken horse is only good for glue.
"back in the 90 i was in a very famous tv show..." not 80s
It was late 80s/early 90s, but mostly in the 90s.
I'm bojack the horse bojack bojack the horse don't act like you don't know?
and I'm trying to hold on to my past
It's been so long I don't think I'm gonna last
I guess I'm trying to make you understand
A fantastic summary of modern cartoons and the depth many hold within. This is why I love modern animation. Nice work as always Doug :)
Hey Phantom, you know that Mr.Enter said on his Tumblr that he'd love to collab with you?
Hiya Graphite. Sure do :) Enter and I chat a bit occasionally and we've brainstormed on a potential collab we could do for the future. If we come up with a good one, there's a good chance we'll collab in the future.
Lel, fancy meeting you here.
SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION! SHAME ON YOU!!
Seriously though if the Collab is going to happen then consider me hype!
hi
Are we just going to ignore Courage the Cowardly Dog? A show that, its original short in 1995, was nominated for a god damn Academy Award? A show that brought horror and weird fiction, two genres usually tailored for adults unless severely dumbed down, to children in an intelligent way? Courage was Cartoon Networks highest rated show until Adventure Time, it was a huge draw next to shows like Samurai Jack. It was weird, its been recognized as such and it draws all of its influences from everywhere.
At the same time it tackles incredibly complex issues in incredibly complex ways that aren't dumbed down 'for kids'. It takes on abuse, sexism, depression and religion. It, as a show, teaches kids that being scared doesn't meant you're not courageous, its a show that teaches even when you're scared you should face your fears. Admitting you're scared, and doing something that scares you anyway is the true face of courage. That little pink dog is just as deep and wide as any of these modern shows that have come out, it has treated its material just as seriously and it was always widely accepted.
So why is it now everyone seems to be catching on? If you ask anyone who grew up in the 90s and 2000s about Courage, they all would most likely talk about how scary and cool it was. It was already mainstream. Weird has always been there. Duckman is another older example that seems to get ignored a lot as well.
Courage was awesome. I remember the Mask which was depressing and that one episode where you see what happened to Courage's parents. So sad
A perfect example of what you said is the episode perfect.
Speaking of Samurai Jack, go watch the reboot! It'll be fun! ...Seriously. Go watch it. You'll need to watch the original to understand some plot, though.
+William Brayton
I was just as surprised that he didn't include weird, yet thought-provoking shows like Rick & Morty and The Amazing World of Gumball.
Agreed those shows all deserve to be mentioned. I think Kim possible, Lilo and Stitch, My life as a teenage robot and over the garden wall were pretty profound as well.
This is what I love about animation. You can create your own world and establish you're own rules with the characters within it. Weirdness is not a bad thing, it's how you use it.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
Sure you could. You could've spelled it better
seven asses I know I made a few errors in my comment. I'm only human.
***** Well, since you're a mere human, you're forgiven.
Which is why I'm pursuing animation when I get older!
Please do a full video on Bojack Horseman. I binge-watched the entire series on Netflix and it's seriously one of the greatest tv shows I've ever seen. It's taken me to places no other tv show has. Even though it's a tv show about a talking horse, it's the most real and human cartoon I've ever seen.
I keep recomending it and keep getting the same answer "I dont find it that funny"
Its not a comedy FFS
Dadalelo thing is I don't find it all that funny but... Damn is it an amazing show one of the few shows that actually made me feel for the characters. There is still funny moments tho
I started Season 2 today, I watched Season 1 over the last two days.
Weird. I think it's hilarious.
I started watching it a few days ago hoping it would suck because of the trailers and instead, i found myself really really loving it. Season 3 of Bojack may be some of the best i have ever seen in any media. Deep, heartwrenching, real and stock full of memorable moments. I have never been so invested in a tv show in ages and i must thank Bojack Horseman for that. Looking forward to Season 6!
Hollywood? Oh you mean hollywoo.
Thank you! From the bottom of my heart, thank you
I understand that reference
TechNOGeek Reviews I understand that reference.
Hollywoo? Oh you mean Hollywoob.
Hollywoob*
I've been a fan of Doug and his crew for years. Keep up the fine critiquing.
+Ty McNeill Thanks for the nice comment and watching!
What is that song in the Background, Doug?
Josh I was wondering that, too! Sounds nice...
+Channel Awesome Review Rocky & Bullwinkle Movie Cause Today Is My Birthday
+Nostalgia “Critic” Cinema Happy birthday!
I'm sure this'll get lost in the storm of people asking why he didn't mention Rick and Morty, or questioning the phraseology of 'gender identity' etc, but I binge watched all of Bojack Horseman in the last week, and it's *fucking phenomenal* - one of the very finest depictions of co-dependance, perceptions of self, depression and 101 other issues, and how there are no easy answers in life that I have ever seen on the screen, period.
In a show about a man who is a horse. With a friend who is a pink cat. That is also just flat out funny - be it some really sharp writing and dialogue, or stupid, quick little animal-behaviour jokes.
If you've not seen it, just watch it.
The first few episodes play out like a standard black comedy to get the characters introduced, but then it takes a turn for the more dramatic, and it just gets better and better.
Out of curiosity what you say is your favorite season? A lot of my friends say the second and I might say the 3 is my favorite.
The last three or so episodes of the third seasons were totally depressing, I love them. I don't know... I really liked the first one to be honest, but the third one digs so deep into Bojack's head!
Tricky. First season is the weakest dramatically as it's barely touches the surface.
Second and third seasons don't really feel like seperate entities to me - they roll on from each other pretty naturally.
It's just a great show.
Rick and Morty forever
I´ve just finished the third season and I totally agree with you however it´s still my second favorite animated show just below Rick and Morty and above South Park.
After much hesitation, this video finally encouraged me to binge-watch BoJack Horseman. Fucking dammit the show's so deep and depressing. How tf am I getting sad over an anthromorphic horse character
I binged it thanks to this video too. 3rd season left me an emotional wreck. This show is so fucking good
where are you watching it? i want to watch it to but i can't find a place where the full episodes are
@Sunny shine you can look up to kisscartoon website to watch full episodes of cartoons :)
Morbid Cheburashka thank you!
Even stranger when you get sad over a Loony-Toons-esque underwater episode with no dialogue.
Episode 1 of Steven Universe: Steven believes his powers are activated by ice cream.
Episode 100 of Steven Universe: Steven contemplates the morality of killing aggressors in a time of war.
And then along comes steven universe future
Wow
This is Doug's best work these days. Dare I say I might enjoy seeing more excellent editorials about thought-provoking topics and less overproduced reviews. Since most of the movies he chooses these days aren't even nostalgic, I now find these videos to be his most enjoyable work. He's gotten so good at exploring and dissecting nuances in film like this.
I know, his reviews are nice, but I mostly stay for the editorials.
Agreed. I feel these are closest to say his old reviews.
Ugh I hate the reviews now. They are overproduced to the point where I skip 30% of the video because it's just live-actions skits which aren't funny. These editorials are way better and he has amazing opinions on these topics.
_Back in the 90s, I was in a very famous TV show..._
I'm bojack the horse
bojack the horse dont act like youuuuu donnnnt knowwww
I'm Mr Peanut Butter
+The Game Master don't act like you don't know
+RadioOppy1 This Is Looking Like A Crossover
The way he explains why these weird shows are so great also applies to his own show. While episodes of nostalgia critic are full of over the top swearing and jokes that can be (even though i love them) considered immature. Yet at the same time he manages to send a thought provoking message about each of the movies he reviews that is both entertaining and insightful.
"If it can be done so well, when is it done poorly?"
Another answer: Suicide Squad.
I don't think it quite fits, I can't remember Suicide Squad trying to make a statement of any kind. It failed to be funny or engaging, but didn't even try to be profound in any way.
I could be wrong though? I haven't seen it personally.
I highly recommend avoiding that movie. It's really terrible
How about every DC movie pre Lego Batman. Now we've got Shazam, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, and, of course, "You get what you f-in deserve!"
After I watched this video I watched Bojack Horseman and it was so existential and amazing, the episode which is mostly silent is my favourite
I mean the episode Fish out of water
Same for me. very touching.
Just wait until season 2 and 3.
im suprised he didnt mention Archer cuse i was really suprised on how good the series was once i began watching it.. i ve had netflix for 2 years and always thought "arccher bah!" sounds stupid.. but goddamn its a good series
so many interesting stories and so much humor and goddamn archer is what James Bond should be ! if the dont do an Archer movie before i die of old age i will haunt everyone in hollywood with their craptastic flops !
+parky004 I didn't really like season 2, I thought most episodes were ok not as good as season 1 and I thought season 2 was just pointless but I loved season 3
as far as kids stuff being more adult than most adult things, I have to agree, at least to some degree. The last 4 episodes of Gravity Falls were better than most movies to come out in theaters this year
In fact, Gravity Falls had a good lesson in each episode, while still being increadibly fun.
Zootopia remains the best movie of the year so far, despite it being a bright and colorful kids movie about talking animals.
+Lance Shadow
Which it appears to be from the trailer until you actually watch it and the darker elements in the story make the commentary it provides on racial stereotypes and prejudice much clearer.
but it works so well because you want to follow Nick Wilde and Judy Hops through thick and thin.
Lance Shadow Zootopia was great but it was nothing next to Kubo and the Two Strings and My Life as a Zucchini
Very interesting...I'll need to ponder this for a while.
:O
(I don't mean to intrude, but.....)
Hi, Doctor! :D
hey I just want you to know that you and the rest of the analysis group are (for the most part) the representation of the more reasonable side of the fandom and in referencing to your stranger then fanfiction review like twilight
so thank you all of you
I liked this simply because I'd heard of the poster
We expect a followup video Doctor.
"If I don't get invested in the world or the characters first, I'm not going to care what you're trying to say with them."
Someone should have told that to all the "classic" authors.
Who do you mean exactly? I haven't read that much classic works, but i felt really deep connection to Dostoyevsky's Prince Mishkin, Dumas's Edmond Dantes, Wilde's Dorian Gray, Orwell's Winston Smith the whole Buendía family by Marquéz and even most of Kafka's heroes (even though he tries to make them as distant and unreachable as possible). I could really recommend all of these books to anybody. Which classic authors did you have in mind?
The only classic author I can think of, where all the characters are just pawns to deliver the idea is Karel Čapek and I still love him, since the ideas are so strong, that you can do without deep chracters. But I don't expect anyone in this discussion to know him, outside the Czech republic he's only known for coining the term "robot" but the influence of his work is more or less regional...
That's why I don't like Pride and Prejudice XD
This just kinda reminded me that Catcher in the Rye is the worst book I've ever read in my life for this very reason.
chesiregirl
WOW, i thought id never see the day where you talk about mlp.
It's a pretty good show
+Sam you people are so sad it's unbelievable
Peter you be judgin like Antonin Scalia
***** i knew that,it just it was kinding suprising that finally talking about it
+Sam the community only sucks
So...are we ever going to BoJack Horseman Vlogs?
Holy fuck I didn't know I wanted this until now
true dat
Yeah! That's what I thought right when I was done with the show!
I would watch that
Yes he should do that! It's gonna be awesome!
This was the first time someone managed to explain bronies to me in a logic way. (Why the hell did I get so many likes for just this statement?)
Obvious troll is obvious
+Explosion Productions How many have you met?
Explosion Productions How long was he actually made of bromine?
bromine. what?
Explosion Productions A whole huge ass chunk of people who originally supported the show/fandom have broken off from it since 2013.
Started watching Bojack Horseman because of this video, and I fucking love it. Some of the deepest comedic writing I've ever seen. Thanks Doug!
I really need to watch Bojack Horseman.
Genuinely one of the greatest TV shows ever made.
As a fan, I will tell you that the first seven episodes are kind of difficult to get through. But once you get to episode eight a lot of things start making sense.
Quite possibly the best show ever made tbh
Tooop tier show man
Takes 4 episodes to get the good character arcs going, and 8 to get good and soul-crushingly brilliant though.
It is my favourite cartoon of all time, hands down. It is soul crushingly deep and some moments of that show will linger in my brain forever.
Hearing NC talk about ponies, in a positive light no less, has always been a dream of mine. Great video overall, but that was the icing on the cake for me!
Cake?? Don't you mean muffin?
of course you would, but maybe if you guys kept to your own fandom and didnt try to assert yourself into everything from music to characters in media, you would not be so damned hated
Seeing a well known brony "kinda" analyst in the comment section for a NC video is my dream.
I don't like Call of Duty, but you have tons of uploads with it. Should I be angry at you for asserting YOUR interests on RUclips? Of course not, that's silly. Grow up.
***** how about you, watching a cartoon for little girls and if you are going to nose around on my fucking channel, notice the fact that its been more fallout 4 recently cause i have had a falling out with cod so take your argument and leave you are getting straw all over the floor horse
i feel like an asshole for saying this, but Doug is sooooo much better in these videos without any attempt to be funny
No I'd say it's reasonable then anything.
Its kind of ironic not that you mention it these videos in relation to Doug's channel perfectly mirrors the trend he's talking about in this video. I hope he does more like this. 10:15
Same for me. His humour in his nostalgia critic skits just doesn't work for me, I hardly ever laugh at the jokes these days and just watch them because it has become a sort of tradition for me over the years.
Whoa whoa, that's the main persona he puts for the channel. I'm really surprised you feel that way.
Buck Wade
His delivery just doesn't work for me and more than often the jokes are more swing and miss for me. In my opinion he really just isn't that great of a comedic writer, though he definitely still has his moments. The Ghostbusters review for example had me chuckling a bit at times.
Now I just hope that he and Rob get themselves sorted out before continuing with the videos.
I want to be an architect.
"you gotta use parallel joints to support the foundation, dumbshit"
Don’t do this to me
That's... Too much man!
@@miyamotomusashi805 you guys are gonna make me cry
I'm...I'm not strong enough yo go through *that* again...
Now I have to start watching Bojack Horseman. You and Mr. Enter have sold it pretty well to me.
Do it. It is excellent.
please do; stick through it though, the first 7 episodes might seem a little too "family guy-esque" and crude, but it really delves into the deep shit after that. i didn't start liking bojack until the end of the first season and it's grown to be one of my favorite shows.
It gets easier....
Your opinion is trash in my opinion
Different critics are liked by different people. I guess that his tone of voice seems to be usually ranty, even when he's praising something, but that's because he has asperger's, and aspies tend to not change their tone much. Or maybe he doesn't sound like that to most people, I'm an aspie myself so I guess I'm not all that good at identifying a tone of voice, usually aspies tend to sound more monotone, unless they have learned to talk more normally. I myself really like the points he brings, but it's true that with his unfluctuating tone it's not very good if you just want to be entertained...
realizing that that adventure Time episode was an allegory for Alzheimer's hit very close to home
It's crazy that a cartoon about talking animals is one of the most human things on television.
artgoat I don't think it's that crazy bojack has themes like depression , addiction and existentialism while yeah these are things that a live action human actor could do it just as well it would also bum quite a few people out and possible they could stop watching by having all this come from a cartoon horse it softens the blow but not enough to take away all its power . Like brick in a pillow.
BJ Horseman it's the best netflix show, period.
BJ Horseman... Lol
And then they make Neo Yokio and the Death Note movie...it’s insane
If we talk about any tupe of show Stranger thinks is my all timw favorite but BJ horseman is still prety good
Aggretsuko is pretty good, but Bojack is definitely better.
Daredevil : am I joke to you
Remember back when merely mentioning My Little Pony, let alone praising it, was practically a Death sentence for one's credibility?
No wonder why NC waited so long to talk about it.
Yes, that is really sad
It is?
+ Throwback Jr. I've been reading a lot of comments on this video and from the looks of things, it sadly still is! A video which has good things to say about My Little Pony is bound to have positive comments from people who enjoy watching it, and yet haters are somehow surprised by this and feel the need to reply with things like "OH YOU BRONIES SUCK, KEEP IT TO YOURSELF, WHY ARE YOU EVERYWHERE? STOP COMMENTING ON HOW YOU LIKE SOMETHING THAT I DON'T!"
Eh there are still these dinosaurs walking around like its 2012.
Bowmaj 86 You do realise your precious fandom has lost a lot of people from it right?
I'm gonna show this to my mom to justify why I like cartoons so much
Good luck. I've got not one, but THREE brothers who hate modern cartoons. And I mean ALL cartoons past the 60's. Even Disney. They've found an excuse for every single one.
Worst part is, I don't even have a voice _here._ Michael [my oldest brother] is a fan of Nostalgia Critic as well. And I'm literally the only one in my family who's not supposed to be on RUclips at all. Michael's always on my case, too. It's only a matter of time before he spots this comment, screenshots it, and emails it to mom.
don't worry, Tell your Brother to Screw off, let yourself enjoy what you want to enjoy. We've only got one chance on this world, Use it to experience what you want to, you don't know how long you or any of us have left.
PS: If you can't tell your brother to screw off, I'll tell him for you.
Heh! I just got this big scolding from him at dinner about how I need to "watch stuff my age". Like, dude, who keeps putting snakes in your spaghetti? Because it would appear they love to pin it on me.
And, honestly, it's just Michael. Tom's [my twin; the youngest] a good kid, despite being a walking soundboard at this point. John [the middle] is also pretty nice when he's not backing up Michael.
good luck!
friggin Bojack. I didn't sign up for that feels trip.
Preach dude
Dat final episode tho
+Ollie Taylor I haven't seen it but I have buddies who keep recommending it. Is it really that poignant?
+Ty McNeill the last 2 episodes of season 3 left me physically ill. It made me so depressed that I literally couldn't even find the will to move
the sarah lynn episode . . . was too much man!
The music here is the perfect piece of music for this video. Does anyone know the music named here?
Thank You SOOOOO MUCH!
Chromatic
The Good Calm
You forgot Rick and Morty, another great example
true dat
And in other media: Undertale!
+lydia nelson true dat!!
My man
+Ollie Taylor *snaps fingers* yes!
"Is Weird the New Brilliant?"
Weird has ALWAYS been brilliant.
It's just become more fashionable and trendy as of late to suddenly recognize it.
:)
Weird is officially mainstream
I see you've looked at the charts
Calling something fashionable is an insult.
I don't remember who said this but 'Fashion is so ugly that we feel the need to change it every few months'
"Calling something fashionable is an insult."
'Fashionable', by definition, means " Conforming to the current styles or trends", which was the context I was utilizing, nothing more.
That's why I don't get caught up in what's new with these shows having "new leases on life" the fact is that most animated shows try to influence you with their cautionary tales and changing perspectives. Every one tries to do that in some capacity.
I feel like Futurama should be here also.
yupp and Archer
and onepiece... even though the show can be really goofy at times it gets really dark and deals with themes of slavery, poverty, injustice, racism, etc.
Rick and morty as well
+Ghostt Marine caan you tell me a few deep archer episodes because archer feels more like a awesome spy show than a deep show from the episodes i've watched, which is not a bad thing because i like that
Gintama is a better example for anime
One thing I'm surprised that noone has mentioned yet is the influence of anime in this movement. Japan embraced and popularized more adult and deeply engrossing themes and stories in an animated format several decades ago while such cartoons were scarcely made and poorly received in the west. And really the notion of weird scenarios teaching people things goes way way further back. Just think about all the crazy shit in ancient religious myths with all of their fantastical creatures and gods explaining how and why humans do what they do and the origins and purposes of the world they reside in. Wierd has always been heavily connected to brilliance as it is highly captivating and may even make it easier to explain and swallow some very complex themes.
The thing is, what's "weird" changes through time period. People nowadays are used to seeing stories about mythologies, but something absolutely out of nowhere like a half-man half-horse being a former hollywood actor, in a world where half the people are animals (with no explanation whatsoever), really has never been done before. With the passage of time, whatever was once considered "weird" could become fairly familiar afterwards, and that applies to fiction in general. Remember that back in the day, the idea of a fantastic adventure philosophical story set in space was unheard of, then Star Wars came into the picture in 1977, and now the idea of sci-fi adventure films with heavy themes of philosophy is not that weird at all.
Cookie Cat is super deep Doug, he left his family behind
I've heard all the price for BoJack Horseman, but I'm still a little hesitant to watch it, mostly because of the uncomfortable places that take you in. Right now I can barely handle the emotional depth of Steven Universe, I'm not sure I'll be able to handle BoJack Horseman just yet.
"And that's from the people who like it!" Best way to introduce the show. I laughed so hard.
LOL yeah this show would make you feel empty inside if you binged watched all 3 season. Though I still would recommend you watch it when you are good and ready. It's a great character study of person that has it all yet doesn't want any of it. That includes some amazing side characters that get there own depth as the show moves on.
same SU and Rick and morty
yeah i would recommend you to wait for it, specially because is pretty damn depressing
Although it's my favorite show, the ending of the most recent season was a pretty big downer. That kinda left me empty for a day. But it's filled with humor so ridiculous you'll at least get a ton of "wtf" laughs.
It would drive adults to drink probably, no one would be safe lol.
Reminds me of Harvey Beaks. Really underrated show with deeper meaning all involving animal kids in a forest.
same
Harvey beaks is disgustingly underrated
It's by the same guy who created Chowder, right? I loved that show back in middle school.
Whoah, really? The review I read said it was typical bad-influence kid's stuff. Which episode should I check out?
Kids version of Bojack Horseman
yeah sausage party was pretty good... top bad they treated the animators like Shit
Sausage Party, "pretty good". Well, I've seen everything.
+everett von scott unfortunately the animators were treated like garbage
+MrEm
how so? (genuinely curious)
+Dori C from what I've heard, they had to do unpaid overtime doing work on the film
How so?
I feel like the videos he makes where he actually just talks to us, are much better than the ones where he tries to be funny. Don't get me wrong, his videos are awesome, but it's the ones where he doesn't try to be funny that are just much better.
I keep replaying the MLP section because I'm in shock that even the most thought provoking analysts in the community didn't come up with the themes you picked up on.
You also might have stumbled upon the reason as to why the show is so good, even with its rainbow exterior. It dissects the emotions that come with the variations of kindness (and the other elements of course) which can be applied to various situations. It gives a greater understanding that shows how smartly written the show is while appearing to an outsider as the same cutesy stuff we had previously been subjected too. Because each episode focuses on one thing, it allows it to go in depth and be brilliant at points, while keeping an optimistic tone that serves as a break from reality and helps many of its viewers become better people in the process.
Then it does all that with fluid animation that can get so epic at points (season 4 finale's battle would fit into dragon ball), characters that grow and have extending arcs over the passing seasons and writing that can change moods without it feeling too jarring. Not to the mention the musical score and songs.
So true. I agree 100%. (Not to mention the general shock I was in from hearing Doug praise the show, because I always thought he was an anti-brony for some reason. Glad to be wrong about that.)
+Patrick R I think in one of his Top 11's, he stated that "If you like it, you like it. Who cares?". The same thing went for furries
+Patrick R I don't think he was ever anti-Brony, he just didn't want to cause a comment shitstorm by talking about it before. The whole Brony thing has died down now though
He made a Twilight vs Rainbow Dash video once. I kind of figured he was alright with it.
Maybe what we needed to find the reason was an outside source. Most bronies, myself included, are so blinded by our love for the show that we have too many reasons for loving it, thus we don't remember the main reason why it works. Doug on the other hand has seen enough of it to know why it works, but isn't blinded by love since he isn't a fan himself.
Didn't mention Adult Swim, an entire network of bizarre alternative humor with underlying satire and commentary.
YES.
Even shows like 12 oz mouse...?
Likee everything Tim and Eric, all the infomercials, On Cinema, Eric Andre, Fishcenter shorts, Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, etcetcetc...
12 oz Mouse is just. Awkward...
SOME shows are like that. Some are just garbage
I never had an interest for Bojack Horseman until I saw this video. Maybe I'll go check it out.
watch itt
It didn't really hold my interest when I started watching it, and I got about 1 and 1/2 episodes in before Netflix crashed and I didn't try to watch it again.
Just thought I would give a dissenting opinion.
I didn't even notice the supposed "infinite increase in quality" when I first watched the show, but then I binged the whole thing in a few days because it sucked me in. Frankly, I was hooked from "am I nailing this interview?" and some of the funniest and most important elements happen in those six first episodes. The whole segment about BoJack and the troops is excellent; the introduction of Sarah Lynn and BoJack trying to set things right by treating her like a child, Todd and Princess Carolyn's hilarious Boreanaz House scheme, a very interesting look into Diane's origins and last but not least the infamous theft of the D. There's a ton of great character exploration from both the profoundly silly and the profoundly deep ends of BoJack Horseman going on in those six first episodes, that people for some reason have to shit on. I don't understand it... but then again, I must have seen that first season in one evening.
I love the show it is officially my favorite animated tv show
I guess we're all different like snauw comments below I was into the show from the beginning, but it was the end of S1E7 that really hooked me and made me realize this was going to be unlike anything else I'd seen and this was confirmed with the outstanding "The Telescope" episode that followed. Also, make note of the brilliant voice cameos that this show regularly has. That S1E7 episode has guest voices like J.K. Simmons, Rachel Bloom, Steven Colbert and Kristin Chenoweth.
I feel like weirdness has become an easy substitute for creativity or originality.
Right on the money with that.
Probably the reason why I stopped watching cartoons around my early teens.
+TheSkully343
It's not really a phenomenon limited to cartoons and children movies.
Anyway, if it's both weird and smart, it has good chances to become a timeless classic, as Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Peter Pan and many others have proven. Time will tell if any of these weird shows have that kind of staying power.
Kaefer1973
I doubt it.
A lot of these shows to me look like they're gonna be viewed as nothing more than those old 80s cartoons that attempt to tell hackneyed morals which will come to be the review fodder for 'next generation' Nostalgia Critics and the like.
A few might hold up, but much like most shows from childhood, very few do.
***** For a good reason, there usually isn't more than 1 timeless classic a decade, and that's counting all media and genres in existence together.
Kaefer1973
Precisely.
And even that '1 timeless classic' is usually subjective to most people.
I start watch My little poney friendship is magic and I find not only one the best kid show of this decade but one of the most inteligent
Leonardo Maranhao Yeah no one saw it coming. I remember first learning about it thanks to The Nostalgia Critic who referenced it in his Son of the Mask review and I remembered that I saw it twice in the past but in different generations and I was dumbfounded by finding out that it was still around. And when I found out about bronies I was even more dumbfounded by finding out that males my age was not only watching it but genuinely enjoying it. It took a while to get into it for me personally being I thought that modern cartoons were bad nowadays but man was I wrong.
briansivley2001 It was the characters that attracted me to the show. They all have distinct personalities that pop out, and you're guaranteed to connect with at least one of them. It's great to see these personalities work off of each other.
"Oh."
"He brought up My Little Pony."
"Time for the comment section to be filled with that instead of anything which contributes to the conversation whatsoever."
To be fair, it's not that bad.
To be fair x2 the fairening, I'm contributing to it as well. Hypocrisy!
For some reason, I prefer animation to live action, not because because I grew up with it, but maybe though animation you can explore more and the characters and the visuals are more pleasing.
But maybe also because live action stuff can be really clunky, if they did make a live action Steven universe, you know it would be really gimmicky, and would leave out a lot of detail, because like the last Airbender or the live action Disney movies, it would be banking on the fact you saw the original, and the differences would be really distracting
Cypher I feel the same way. I love animation and I love looking at the details they put in, paying attention to the skin tecture or of the frizzy hair from rain. It is beautiful.
The Simpsons are yellow because the creators were playing a prank on the viewer. They wanted the viewers to think that their tvs were color settings were wrong so the purposefully messed the characters skin up
I always wondered about that...
Russell Higgins Everything makes sense now.
Russell Higgins huh. I thought it was done purposefully so it would catch the viewer's attention when they ware channel surfing
Russell Higgins I heard it was becuase they wanted to catch the attention of channel hoppers
Weird is not the new brilliant. Weird is now a younger mindset ready to tackle serious issues without doing it in a ham-fisted way like in the past. We know how to talk about/show depression in a meaningful way with characters that feel REAL and not just stereotypes. And hey, if you don't "get" the deep messages, then just shrugs and say "it's weird" and people can understand.
For instance, let's look at Stephen Universe at face value. 3 female superheroes save the day in a tiny town on the beach with a little kid (and god his voice can be annoying) tagging along because...it's the show. It feels like he's just a pet to their superhero squad. But when you sit through it, you see Stephen has some wisdom to his young mind, you see the issues that make the 3 gem-females they way they are, you see background characters that AREN'T just window dressing but actually have some thought behind them.
Weird is a license to do whatever, and creators are choosing well with that freedom.
This is probably the best summation of this argument I've seen so far.
anime has done this for years, western world of just catching on.
is*
Japanese animation has always been way ahead of western animation in terms of adult themes. It makes me happy to know we'll have more mature animation from western companies in the future - if this trend catches on.
At some point Western animation will keep going forward but Japanese animation will stay put, at least theme wise.
Japanese culture is still very conservative, and i estimate that in a few years its going to be more appearent, and then the Japanese publishers will either strive to create more progressive stuff to keep getting that shweet phat cash, or insulate themselves from the world and keep doing their things in japan only.
Cartoons have done this for years, it's actually Doug who's just catching on. He even shows multiple examples from the early 90's..
Terry H. It's not a new trend. Go watch a 90's cartoon.
Bojack Horseman is my favorite tv show of all time, it changed my life by having such real and human characters that when I related so much to the shitty characters it forced me to change, I just couldn’t keep living with myself knowing how much bad stuff I did.
My top 3 animations right now are: Rick and Morty, BoJack Horseman and South Park.
PS: I wouldn´t call Avatar a weird show. It´s just an american anime.
it's better written than most anime and it also has a way bigger budget
I agree
I don't get the hate for bronies. I don't personally like MLP but I'm not going to shit on people who do. It doesn't affect me personally that they like it.
actually, its because of how dumb and annoying they can be, sure there are nice bronies heck one of my best friends is one, but it's just the 11% of good bronies
Explosion Productions
true but honestly mlp has more dumb thing than any other fanbase
Explosion Productions
for the most part animations are pretty bad, just gore for the sake of being gore or making every thing into a pony
11%? where did you get this number? I know, you probably made it up. It seems like perception bias is at its work here.
I'm just annoyed when I google something on google images and always a fucking pony!
"is weird the new brilliant"
opens with a critic with a pistol and an explosion
On the "why cartoons" and "why so many now" issue: today's 25-45 year olds are essentially the first generation that grew up watching lots of cartoons on TV. It is also a generation that is filled with childhood nostalgia, to the extent that this is becoming part of its identity (case in point the success of the nostalgia critic). So being able to still enjoy a cartoon that looks silly on the surface is particularly gratifying for this generation, while, of course, the ability to combine this with age-appropriate commentary on people's fears, anxieties, and existential questions makes it all the more appealing.
I can't believe he actually praised "My Little Pony!"
It is a pretty good show. They've come a long way since the 80s.
+Mr Zilla OK, I can understand that.
+Mr Zilla I'm not trying to bash the series or anything, it's just he usually makes so many jokes about the series and bronies. And I'm a Thomas the Tank Engine fan, and he never seemed to give either show a chance.
+Isaiah Williams that's because people still has that "show for little girls" mentality so they automatically think it can only give you bland and braindead lessons. It actually is a kid's show but it's also for adults.
Trust me, watch some episodes and you'll see how much a lot of adults could benefit from the lessons shown by Twilight Sparkle and her friends.
As NC said, it started simple but it has developed into a show which teaches valuable lessons about friendship, people and human relationships. It of course stays until a certain level and doesn't reach the cynical level of Bowjack Horseman, remember it's a show made with kids in mind, but that doesn't mean it can't be good or teach important things.
I figured he wouldn't like it since some of the morals focused on the wrong thing (though nowhere near as bad as say Scrubs) and the whole winning every contest thing.
I'm surprised you haven't talked about the amazing world of gumball at all
I love BoJack Horseman, intensely. It was the first show to touch my soul and mind. Every episode got me feeling and thinking like no other animated show ever did before in my adult life.
Also, I discovered your channel a week ago. Awesome stuff!
I really love the way you defined MLP
Also THANK YOU for not insulting us by saying stuff like "bronies are fat, middle aged men that do nothing but watch and masterbait to cartoon ponies" or "Bronies are the definition of cancer and should go die!" You just said that men like to watch the show, and again I thank you for that.
I think media aimed at kids is better at handling mature subjects than "adult" media because they're forced by their rating to be subtle. I honestly find it kinda funny how Finding Dory, the cartoon about a talking fish, was a more of a mature, intelligent, and respectful story about living with disabilities than the "mature, insightful drama" Rain Man.(and really, almost every story about autism ever written)
So true
Well, most people don't seem to realize Autism is a very broad spectrum and not everyone on it has the same problems.
Oh shit, he's reviewing Tentacolino next. :O
IKR? 😦
He's going to need to smoke a bunch of Tentacolino in order to get through it.
He's also going to need a bigger bottle of booze...
He's gonna need some heavy stuff to forget that nightmare.
Oh... THAT movie... Oh god...
Um, wasn't he going to do Rocky and Bullwinkle the movie for his next review? I know last week that he was sick, but that review was suppose to be next,
Yeah he said he's gonna stay on his planned schedule and release the Rocky & Bullwinkle review sometime later this year.
He stated that it was getting pushed back to a TBD date in his "No new Nostalgia Critic" video he did last week.
Bojack Horseman loves to hold up a mirror that shoves the worst parts of yourself right in your face and forces you to acknowledge them. It hurts and it's beautiful. I'm kind of a broken person in a lot of ways and to see this kind of show exist actually makes me happy in a way. I'm so glad that that show got made and is popular, because it helps me know that I'm not alone in the world better than therapy ever has. Even if it's hard to get through sometimes and breaks my heart more often than Doctor Who, showing that so many people can identify with the things that are wrong with me just helps.
Another example, its Bobs Burguers, the plots of every chapter is simple, but the character have great personalities, mostly of them are weird, but that what make them very enjoyable.
Man, am I the only one that wants him to talk about Duckman?
I guess it's just me.
He did in an Editorial, "When does a joke go too far?"
Oh man I gotta watch that.
I think you mean "Tito Dick "Dickman", Baby"
Third animated Titanic... Oh, my poor baby, what are you doing to yourself? XD
He's remembering it so we don't have to. God bless him.
Way to take one for the team, Critic. We all owe you a beer. Hopefully all the collective beers will be enough to kill the brain cells that stored the memory of that movie.
There's a third animated Titanic movie ? Or is it the spin-off movie focusing on the octopus that sinks the Titanic in one of the animated movies Doug reviewed ?
Next thing you know, he'll start reviewing bad Titanic-related movies like the one where a new Titanic is launched and on her first cruise, a tidal wave throws an iceberg at her.
He could review "Starship Titanic"; either the book or the video game would be nice. I miss the talking bomb who didn't really want to blow himself up.
Bojack Horseman is actually so good and so life changing... I recommend it to everyone and anyone.
Anybody excited for the Tentacolino review?
i am so ready
Myself! Though Mr Enter beat Critic to the punch, I'm still looking forward!
Wonder if he'll make a cameo?
They were my favourite reviews comedy-wise, can't wait
Critic DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH Jagermeister to review this!
Still waiting for the Rocky and Bullwinkle review...
Here's what I think, animation is a tool. Let me explain what I mean, by choosing to work with animation, you're choosing an art form that alot of people show interest in because I'm sure they grew up with it. Ok, so they already have their audience hooked, they get people interested in a show about a boy with a belly button gem, or about technicolor equines, or a movie about an overweight panda who does martial arts. However, what makes animation a tool is that, if written correctly, can have an theme or message that will make children think or adults feel. Animation can help broaden the horizon of knowledge with our youth, and even adults, who still have much to learn... Am I making any sense?
Yeah. That makes pretty sense. I also see it as a tool that can be used to create all sorts of forms of entertainment that a lot of people can enjoy.
And being just a tool, it can be used very well or very poorly
This video needs more Gravity Falls and Rick & Morty tho ;)
bojack horseman is the best
If you like adventure time and steven universe, you would love Gumball. its kinda dumb in the beggining, but it gets really good.
I like it.
I love gumball!
Ah Gumball, Cartoon Network's British answer to the Simpson
adventure time infuriates me i love all the other shows you mentioned
IF YOU EVER AND I MEAN EVER COMPARE GUMBALL AND STEVEN UNIVERSE AGAIN I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN AND...just kidding gumball's ok but I personally like SU a little more.
No love for Rick and Morty?
I know right? Doug seems to like shows that are mediocre at best, but is clever enough to go under the radar as a "clever satire commentary show". R&M is the exact definition of those words, and its even better than most of the shows listed here.
Rick and Morty is my favorite show right now man.
He probably forgot to mention it.
I've seen most of the shows he talks about (as well as Rick and Morty) and I do have to say they're all in the same spot for my favorite shows; although I will admit that the least of which is probably adventure time.
They all reminded me of Rick and Morty, specially the horse
I'm surprised that there was no attention given to Gravity Falls or Rick and Morty
Marco Tewlow neither shows are really deep, from what I've seen. Good, but they have no underlying message.
STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT HIM NOT MENTIONING RICK AND MORTY!!!
Welp weird al is staring a tv show made by the guys that made phineas and ferb.
Geez, just take my money right now, why don't you?
I dont know how to feel about that, Phineas and Ferb was not... great... unless Weird Al is directing i cant say for certain the quality of that show
You say that like it's a terrible idea.
If you're referring to that Milo Murphy's Law show, it honestly looks exactly like Phineas And Ferb, right down to the animation and character models.
+Awsome2464 own no I'm excited
I love "The Matrix" and "District 9"....but I love "My Little Pony" even more. I don't even care he mocked the former.
Bronies: they're here to stay.
Not mocked: criticized.
This was a very good video. I saw Sausage Party and I thought "That was so wierd." That is interesting how silly wierd stuff could be profound like that. I am a huge MLP fan. I even recognize the episodes that are depicted in this video. I was aware of the bronies. Yet I just learned that they made up the majority of the fan-base. Yay bronies. I haven't seen the other shows. Now that you talk about them I want to check them out. I feel less bad about hating the Matrix. It was just so boring. I think it was a terrible story, so it can't hold up the message.
I even came up with more examples. Inside Out is a good example. It does seem really weird at first. Through the course of the movie, it is really fun to go through. I like exploring Riley's psyche and get invested. Then it does get deep, and at times it gets grim. There is a very profound message of how to go through the difficult changes in life and about grief. You mentioned the Twilight Zone. That show is way before my time. The title reminds me of Twilight as the Stephanie Meyer book series. It is a weird mix of romance and horror. The horror part is so different from normal horror that it even caused outrage. Yet I like the series a lot. My favorite part is that I over-analyze the heck out of it. The story is about a teenage girl, named Bella, who falls in love with a vampire and becomes one herself. When I over-analyze, I find it to be a very profound journey, like alchemy or spirituality. The goal of becoming a vampire is like the ultimate goal of becoming a god, finding heaven or reaching enlightenment. Speaking out which, there is also Twilight Sparkle as in the main character of MLP. She goes through the same thing, when she becomes an alicorn. This is one of the places where the show crosses the line from morality fables into something that is so much more profound. The change to alicorn is one of my favorite episodes to this day. Gosh I love this show.
This video is very encouraging for me personally. It is something that I happen to be working on. When I draw, I love to draw weird stuff. I have a lot of fun designing strange and cartoony monsters. I have started to write a basic novel, which takes place in a fantasy land. Yet I want to go beyond that. I also love to delve into profound ideas in philosophy, mysticism, spirituality and psychology. I have even written about these ideas abstractly. A huge challenge is to take the bast of both worlds. I wonder how these weird creatures can become guides for wisdom. It is a fun activity that I still want to work on. Maybe the best stories are the ones that do work on so many levels.
Oh my gosh! I forgot.
My favorite book series is Harry Potter. It changed my life and inspired me to create my own fictional worlds. On the surface, it is a fun fantasy story about a magic school. Yet there is so much more at a deeper level. To some extent, it is an allegory for alchemy. There are also issues of love, death and even depression. There are also some spiritual aspects as well. The stag patronous has been compared to Christ. What happened to Harry Potter at the end totally blew my mind.
Spoilers:
Harry Potter discovers that his body contains a part of Voldemort's soul. So he accepts death, in order to destroy it. Then he comes back to life, and finishes off Voldemort. The sacrificial death and resurrection is a very profound spiritual event. The most famous of that is Jesus. Yet there are plenty of pagan deities who do the same thing. The enchanted sleep of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty is like this too. There are also examples in modern fiction, now that I think of it. Harry Potter does this. This also happens to Gandalf in Lord of the Rings, and to Aslan in the Chronicles or Narnia. In superheros, this occurs in the dead man defrosting trope. This happenes in Twilight, when Bella becomes a vampire. In MLP, this happens when Twilight Sparkle becomes and alicorn. There is even fan speculation that she died after completing the mystery spell and before becoming an alicorn.
You should be a critic you have an for detail
demetric taylor Thank you. That was a very good complement. I am a huge fan of Doug Walker. Watching his videos really make me think about movies in a much deeper and more intelligent way. So while commenting it, I try to think like that and share my own ideas. Both me and Doug love the Secret of Nimh. I think it is another example. On the surface it is a really weird movie. When I look more into it, there seems to be a development into how a species evolves and advances. Doug did a whole video about his interpretation on what it means.
You sir, deserve a medal!
I read all this in a Pinkie Pie voice, fucking hilarious!
This is what I thought since some years: movies and shows that takes themself too seriously are promp to disappoint while movie movies and shows that don't take themself seriously at all are prompt to surprise. Plus metaphores allows you to sneak in a lot of true life concepts without hurting (sigh!) sensitive people.
Fiction has always been weird, people are just embracing it more. It's not about how weird your story is, it's about how you handle it.
"Where did this all come from?"
"I dunno, but there's no way in hell I'm watching a show where a HORSE is the main character!"
*almost forgets that I'm a brony*
I think we connect more with animation cause there's no mistakes in it, the drawings or movement you see is never by mistake so whatever the director wanted you to see, you're seeing it good or bad. You have to respect it for someone to say this is my choice, deal with it
As a fan of Friendship is Magic, I can't really say I'd put it in the "Weird but Brilliant" category. Actually, for edutainment cartoons aimed at the
There is a THIRD TITANIC ANIMATED FILM?!!
And it's even worst than the other two.
i thought that the search for the titanic and coming across atlantis was the 2nd movie..... its the third movie???
Tentacalino. My God.
+Clay Turner titanic 3:Abandon all hope all the who enter here
Ah, yes. I remember that one from Mr. Enter. I wonder how Doug will take the movie. Is he going to show similar problems, or will the problems be a bit more complicated. He obviously has more experience in his job than Mr. Enter did when he made that video, so I expect the latter.
You also forgot one of the greatest examples (In my humble opinion) one of the greatest examples of this trend,Gravity Falls. If you look at the first season the first few episodes are just goofy and silly fun with good humor thrown in there. But then late in that first season you get the characters to solve the mystery of the author of the jurnal. You see Bill Cipher for the first time. And then in season two it goes straight up in the drama action and mystery department. They keep getting you more and more invested in the story and mystery. And this is the first TVY7 tv show i have seen with animated blood. To me that was huge! Alrx Hirsch wasnt afraid to take a risk and he mannaged to get that passed disney. Disney! One of the most family friendly commpanies out there. It was a great show with great twists and humor that could get kids invested as well as adults. Im kinda dissapointed you didnt mention it on the list Doug. But great vid non the less.
I think the main reason he didn't mention gravity falls is that, despite the fact that he likes the show, and I like the show, unlike the examples he listed, it does t really tackle many issues. It's still my favourite modern cartoon for the writing and characters, but the only real life issues it really talks about are parental abandonment in blending game and the overarching theme of growing up.
I guess Gravity Falls isn't weird enough (not saying the show is bad, of course).
אנונימית אנונימי
Ummm. Ok I don't really agree with you on that but to each his own I guess. (Side note it's spelled cartoons.)
YOU FINALLY GAVE MY LITTLE PONY SOME CREDENCE!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!
Todd’s ace reveal was amazing, he’s portrayed so real
Nostalgia Critic I dare you to review Dead Rising the movie
Wait what, there's a Dead Rising movie? Does it have anything to do with the game(s)?
What you mean watch tower? It was fine, just a generic zombie movie. Honestly it was one of the better video game movies
+EthanUnken Kinda sorta. Bridges the gap between 2 and 3 and features Frank West (portrayed by Rob Riggle) although he isn't the protagionist. For a video game movie, it is at least good. Plus there was a...very odd cameo of the guy from Epic Meal Time (I can never remember if it's "Harley" or "Harvey").
+Dry-Boult yes
*****
Wow, that's pretty amazing. I'm glad I read this comment.
I want to point out that stories that are weird and entertaining with the ability to teach have been coming out for nearly three hundred years in English history. Although a lot of these stories have faded away in time, they became the basis for a lot of English words that we use on a daily basis and even symbols. The arrowhead heart that we use to symbolize love
" It's an interesting story about a star that was shot out of the sky by
cupid and lived on earth in a large garden of any kind of flower, the
main character of the story finds himself unnaturally attracted to her. "
So its about Adam and Eve from the Bible?,because acording to the bibles-story indeed theiy did life "in a garden of any kind of flower" and well its obvious that Adam was insanly attractet to Eve otherwise the story would not have worked xd,so was the writter of Astrophil & Stella,like: eh i have no ideas i just copy the bible to have a good story and call the names different so theiy can t kill me for blasphemy(after all that was a thing in the 1500´s) because serously,this can t just be a coincidence^^.
In defense of Keanu's performance as Neo, he was supposed to be as interesting as a blank piece of wood. The Matrix was designed to keep people complacent and mostly lacking any real thought or character in order to keep them from questioning or even caring about any abnormalities.
Notice that every other person who was freed from the matrix at an earlier age undoubtedly has more character than Neo.
Given that Neo was taken out of the Matrix so late in life, it would make sense that he'd take a very long time to really have much personality. I think as well he's supposed to be the blank slate hero so that we can identify with him and put ourselves where he is.
Now, are there definitely issues with the movie? Hell yes, but it's annoying to hear people complain about Keanu as Neo when he was supposed to be exactly that bland for the story.
And yes, the message is totally in your face, but at the time, it was a pretty new concept to the general populace.
District nine is not at a time where we haven't heard the message a million times already.
And Signs, I don't even know what that movie is trying to get across. To be fair, I think M. Night is really a hack who accidentally made a good movie or two and most of his movies have no message are just pretentious ego-stroking fests. The epitome of "Nah, you think it's bad because you don't understand it" crowd will be drawn to it.
Also, thank you for mentioning MLP as an actually smart show. Sure some episodes are dumb, but some have really great lessons. I especially liked the recent prank one, considering all the shitty and ignorant pranks done on youtube that people think are cool. If someone didn't find it funny or you made them upset, you apologize and move on to find someone who will enjoy the joke or at least tolerate it.
Anyway, that's my two cents.
Most people have such a low standard for animation that it gives most rider the freedom to explore and experiment. Which is why so many shows like BoJack horseman and even adventure Time are allowed to get weird and push the envelope when it comes to subject and how to present it.
I noticed that most of the examples you used for profound entertainment were television shows and the morally/intellectually/philosophically-lacking ones were movies. Do you think that maybe at their peaks, television has more of an ability to invest the audience into characters or can movies achieve this with the same effectiveness? Any examples of films where you think this is done just as well?
Nobody should be promoting sausage party, or give money to it, sure pirate it, but don't pay for it.
They didn't pay the animators for their work, now they are ripping the benefits of free advertisements and positive reviews.
The movie can be absolutely perfect, but it needs to be banned.
reviewing this movie is supporting extreme exploitation in the internment industry.
Good thing I pirated it
Anyone else remember the days when the only note worthy thing these guys had under their belt was Thomas The Tank Engine, and that even then their work was let down by the abhorrent writing the series was suffering at that time?
Why would you want to forget about that? Forcing people to work overtime without pay is illegal, blacklisting them, or threatening to, if they don't work overtime without pay is also illegal. This movie might make millions, yet it seems the animators didn't get paid fully for the work they did. It might be annoyed to you that people bring up this issue, but you're not the one who was treated unlawfully and unfairly.
Source?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sausage_Party#Work_conditions
Doug Walker defends My little pony.......i not going to read the comments section becouse probably is going to be like third world war.
Nah...its fine. Its not 2011 anymore.
Bartosz Skorupa The humanity advance very slowly.
Onerom4728 I know... but still, "haters" arent as common as before.
It's actually surprisingly calm.
Onerom4728 it's mostly bitching about Rick and Morty not being included....
It's ironic to see this because most of the examples did not last long... nor did the "weird brilliance"
This is all well and good, but this could swing too far the other way and lead to people over-relying on these shows, and that could be dangerous. Once the creators know what kind of extreme fanbases they have, that puts a lot of power in their hands that can lead to manipulation.
Interesting idea, care to expand on it?
+Arturo Casab Now mind you this is just me spitballing, but I think that the makers of these shows are definitely aware of their fanbases, and how reliant some hardcore fans are. When you really put a show on a pedestal (like you see extremely commonly with things like Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, etc) that show seems to be able to do no wrong. Let's face it, the people who really dig into and analyze these shows are (mostly) your more "geeky" (HEAVY QUOTATIONS there) type, the type that almost reach a point of pretentiousness when it comes to shows, stories, movies, etc like these. I fall into the same category with music. I'm just saying that these forms of media are a huge part of the lives are more people than ever before, sometimes to the point where they can indirectly influence how you act, which can lead to the creators slowly introducing their own agendas. But once again, these are just my random thoughts.
thats a really interesting and thought provoking point...
So, it's dangerous for art to be too good, because it can start affecting people profoundly and not necessarily in good ways? Dude, people have been struggling with that idea for centuries. Caring as deeply about a piece of art as people care about this particular crop of animated TV shows is far from a new thing, and the problems surrounding how audiences respond to that are just as ancient.
MagusMirificus Definitely true. It just seems that these forms of art are becoming less of an aspect of our personality but becoming the major influence of our personality.