A Constant in my Life is Dying: Animation for Teens

Earlier last year, my favorite show was canceled. I was devastated. So many questions were unanswered, so many things teased, and yet—it was gone. Fans were infuriated. I was infuriated. How could they throw away a show with so much potential? With so much popularity, despite the lack of promotion Cartoon Network gave it? Infinity Train was the perfect balance for my 15-year old self, and now it felt like there was nothing to entertain me. A shift in age shouldn’t require a loss of my leisure, right?

Cartoons and animation have always been a constant throughout my childhood and preteen years, from My Little Pony to Steven Universe. However, my indulgence in the art form has slowly been dying, and not because my interest in the topic is decreasing, but because there has been a lack of cartoons directed towards teenagers in the US.

A couple of years ago, around age 12, I wouldn’t have been embarrassed to rant to my friends about the cartoons I watched religiously (maybe that’s an exaggeration, but it was my main form of entertainment). Now, however, I can’t say that I’d shamelessly announce that piece of information. In fact, when I voiced my love for Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe, the reaction I got was, “eugh, that show is so cheesy.” My friend wasn’t wrong for the response. The show was made for kids; it was interlaced with jokes for kids. Still, it was a series I savored till the end. If you could ignore the immature humor from time to time, it truly was a beautiful work of art that explored mental health, diversity, LGBTQ+ relationships, along with many other salient themes, through the lens of a boy caught up with the world of space gem aliens.

Steven Universe | Image: Cartoon Network

I’ve noticed that there’s an assumption that cartoons are only for children. I can clarify that that is not the case—animation has never been limited to a specific age group, the media being aimed towards adults all the way back since the 1930s (take the popular character Betty Boop), and there are many admired adult cartoons now (BoJack Horseman and The Midnight Gospel to name a few). The art also finds itself in multiple genres from adventure and action to horror and comedy, so finding something to watch shouldn’t be difficult.

So despite all the diversity in the world of animation, I find myself questioning, “why aren’t there more American cartoons intended for teens?” (The reason why I choose to say “American” specifically is because of the Japanese world of anime, but I’ll get to that later.) You might be telling me, “Ines, you said it yourself! There are a bunch of adult cartoons out there!” And it’s true! They exist! But when I transitioned from kids shows to adults, I found myself taking a huge jump in what I was consuming. 

Here’s what I discovered: there is little to no “in between” or “middle ground” for cartoons in terms of age group. Which essentially leaves nothing (at least in the US) for the teens. What I’d been watching—shows I genuinely liked, ruined by cheesy childish humor—had been totally wiped away, and instead replaced with everything that can make a “mature” rating, mature. This includes violence, cursing, drinking, sex, etcetera. Listing them out makes adult animation seem like the crudest thing ever, so I’ll clarify that it was more like everything I watched had at least one of those aspects. The Simpsons (which was generally rated ages 9-14+ by kids) simply did not hold the deeper plot and specific storyline that I craved in Adventure Time. 

Anime is essentially the opposite of the western industry: there is an overload of shows made for teens and young adults. Your Name., A Silent Voice, along with a multitude of Studio Ghibli movies, are not only ranked among my favorite animations, but my favorite films. The serious and engrossing storylines weren’t excessive in “adult” nature, and it wasn’t stuffed with cringey humor either. And now you’re probably telling me, “why not just watch anime then?” I could do that, but. The anime world is huge, albeit not all of it is good. Much of it is repetitive or contains lackluster writing, but that’s an argument for another time.

A Silent Voice | Image: Shochiku

The few times I did find animated American shows that held the perfect balance for teenagers, it was canceled or it just wasn’t promoted as much. Despite the fact that Owen Dennis literally scripted the entirety of another season, he stated that his show, Infinity Train, was canceled for not having a “child entry point”—it wouldn’t appeal to children. What companies don’t understand is that other age groups actually watch their channel. Although Cartoon Network is intended for kids, no other company has offered to continue Dennis’s work, which combined real life, relatable protagonists, with an original, mysterious plot.

Disney Channel also comes across a similar situation with their show, The Owl House, popular among all age groups. Released in January of 2020, after only two fully fledged seasons, the series is ending with a shortened third season, which will consist of three 44-minute specials. Fans were outraged when news got out, especially after they were notified by Dana Terrace (creator of TOH) and crew, that there had been plans for a whole other season; character arcs, memorable moments, proper pacing—all of this—lost. And the whole reason for cancellation was not concrete either. Terrace posted on Reddit: “there are a few business people who oversee what fits into the Disney brand and one day one of those guys decided TOH didn't fit that ‘brand’.” Not for LGBTQ+ representation, covid or budget reasons, or even bad ratings. Just like that, the series was cut short.

The Owl House, “Thanks to Them” (Season 3, Episode 1) released on October 15th, 2022. The Owl House | Image: Disney Channel

In the cute and chill pastel world of Bee and Puppycat, the series’s pilot was released in 2013, the first season in 2014-2016, and the second season is to be released in 2022 on Netflix (though the episodes were leaked back in early 2020). The show was born on YouTube, and took a break for nearly 5 years. During that time, I nearly forgot about it, until I was randomly reminded of the appealing story and humor. It was only until recently that the show was released on Netflix, though original fans of the show convey varying opinions on the changes made (slimming down protagonist Bee’s body and removing specific jokes from the original YouTube series were among some of the complaints).

Bee and PuppyCat | Image: Frederator Studios

That’s the thing. With so little media in the category of teen cartoons, there’s a lack of variety, and a risk of having nothing to watch if you drop the only show made for teens. I have hope for the western animation industry, though, and with so much to offer, I’ll keep encouraging others to partake in the diverse art form as well.