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Animation isn't always just for laughs! Join us as we examine cartoons that weren't afraid to address profound topics, from parental abuse to eating disorders, grief, trauma, and gun violence. Our countdown includes episodes from shows like "The Owl House," "BoJack Horseman," "Static Shock," "Rugrats," and many more that found ways to discuss difficult themes with surprising depth and sensitivity.
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00:00How do I move on from all the stuff I've been through? How do I live life if it always feels
00:05like I'm about to die? Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're looking at cartoons that tackled
00:11serious issues, whether the message was aimed at kids, adults or viewers of all ages.
00:16My sweet little Chucky, though I must leave you behind me, this poem will tell you where
00:22you always can find me. Number 10, Escaping Expulsion, The Owl House. Sadly, I have no
00:31choice in the matter. Luce, Willow, Augustus. Effective immediately, you are no longer students
00:37of Hexhide. No! But us! Good! Amity! Tell them!
00:44When we first meet Amity Blight, she might seem like a one-dimensional rival for Luz. She becomes
00:49so much more as her relationship with Luz develops and we learn more about Amity's
00:53repressive home life. Feeling that Luz and her friends are negatively impacting her daughter,
00:58Amity's parents, namely her mother, uses their position to get them expelled.
01:02The abomination situation. The destruction of detention. The rampage of Grom. These are
01:09but a few of the incidents that have endangered Hexhide students, including our daughter.
01:14The usually outspoken Amity feels powerless around her mother, who literally gets inside her head.
01:21We're brought up with the mindset that we should listen to our elders. While that can be a good
01:25rule of thumb, it's equally important to recognize when a parent is being manipulative and emotionally
01:30abusive. This is when one must follow Amity's example and stand up for themself. As if I'd actually
01:36let them go back. I will call every authority I know. I'll make sure they can't-
01:40Dahlia, you made a deal with your daughter and a blight always upholds their end of the deal.
01:47Besides, she's getting stronger. Strong enough to become a coven head someday.
01:53Number 9. April 9th. Arthur.
01:56You don't understand. My dad's still in there. He needs help.
01:59Don't worry, Arthur. My crew is looking for him. They're gonna get him out.
02:03Can I just see him? Stop. It's not safe to go in there yet.
02:07This episode's called April 9th and first aired on November 29th, 2002.
02:11Another infamous date loomed over the story, September 11th, 2001.
02:16While that real-world tragedy isn't directly mentioned, it's hard not to think about 9-11
02:20as fire trucks gather around Lakewood Elementary, turning what started as a normal day into one the
02:25students will never forget. Writer Peter Hirsch was in New York when the towers were attacked,
02:29bringing a relatable perspective to each character.
02:32When I saw my first fire close-up, I had trouble sleeping for weeks. But after some time passed,
02:38I didn't feel so scared. Why not?
02:40I did what we're doing right now. Talking about it.
02:43Sue Ellen copes with loss, Binky conceals his trauma, Buster feels disconnected,
02:48and Arthur feels that something horrible can still happen. The episode not only spoke to New Yorkers,
02:54but to anyone struggling to process this event that made the world stop. Yet, we had to move forward.
03:00The aquarium? Good. I was worried it might be at another school.
03:04Arthur, schools are safe places. The fire chief said it was just some faulty wiring.
03:09I know, but I'm still happy you're not going back into a school.
03:13Number 8. The American Dad After School Special. American Dad.
03:16Where's Debbie? Behind that fat girl? No, Dad, that's...
03:19Is the fat girl going to lead us to Debbie? No, that's...
03:21She's carrying a purse. She must have a map to Debbie in her purse.
03:24Dad, that's Debbie!
03:26To the panic room! With a title like that, you might assume this episode is going to be
03:31a satire of how corny after school specials usually are. The episode is not only clever,
03:37but surprisingly poignant in its depiction of how people with eating disorders can view themselves.
03:42When Stan criticizes Steve's plus size girlfriend, he becomes self-conscious about his own weight.
03:47Good God, it's true! I've become one of them!
03:56No matter how much he exercises or diets, Stan keeps gaining weight.
04:00Although it seems like his family is conspiring against him, it's the opposite.
04:04In a shocking twist, we find that Stan is actually anorexic. But whenever he looks in the mirror,
04:09he sees himself as a beast. The episode demonstrates how eating disorders aren't just physical,
04:14but also rooted in our mental health. I had a real connection with someone for the first time in
04:18my life, and all you cared about was her appearance. I don't care if she was fat or thin. She was sweet
04:25and beautiful and kind of freaky in a good way. And I'm gonna check every buffet in town until I find her!
04:31Number seven, Kenny dies, South Park.
04:34South Park weekly tackles serious issues. It also killed off Kenny in almost every episode for its
04:53first few seasons. So you wouldn't think an episode about Kenny dying would be a big deal. When Kenny
04:58comes down with a terminal illness toward the end of season five though, it isn't merely brushed off.
05:03He just stopped breathing and it was over. But I didn't get to see him. I didn't get to say goodbye.
05:17Did he say anything before he went? He just said, where's Stan? Stan and Cal react how many kids would
05:25it if they had a young friend under these circumstances. Cal puts on a brave face for Kenny,
05:29while Stan is too broken up to face his friend. Stan eventually finds the strength within, but by then
05:34it's too late. Kenny is gone forever, or at least for another season. While the ending is a punchline,
05:41Stan and Cal's grief feels bizarrely genuine.
05:43And so we will all miss Kenny, his playful laughter, his innocent smile. But we will never forget that
05:51it was because of brave Kenny that stem cell research was allowed to continue.
05:57Number six, Growing Pains, Steven Universe Future.
06:01Steven, do you remember anything bad in your childhood that particularly stuck with you?
06:06I guess I kind of freaked out when they canceled my favorite ice cream. Younger audiences often envy the
06:12adventures that kids in cartoons get to go on. As we grow up though, we begin to notice that some
06:17adventures would actually be kind of terrifying. Most animated kids never realize this because
06:22they don't get older. Steven Universe does however. Enduring Growing Pains, Steven goes to the doctor
06:28for the first time. This is just one sign that Steven didn't have the most stable childhood despite
06:33being surrounded by loved ones. You've been dealing with genuine threats from such a young age.
06:38Your body is now responding to minor threats as if your life were in danger.
06:43But why am I only swelling up now? Stress is less harmful when we have people we trust to help us
06:49through it. While Steven always knew his upbringing wasn't normal in the conventional sense, it's only
06:54now that he starts to recognize how traumatizing these experiences were. All of these repressed emotions
06:59flood back at once and they only get bigger the more Steven denies something's wrong.
07:04My body, it's reacting like it's the end of the world. I think I've seen the world almost end so
07:10many times now that everything that goes wrong feels that extreme. I should be feeling so good these
07:17days. Number five, I Remember You, Adventure Time. Marceline, is it just you and me in the wreckage of the world?
07:25Although he initially seems like a goofy villain, the Ice King emerges as one of the most tragic
07:39characters in Ooo. This isn't just because of what the Ice King has lost, but the fact that he
07:44doesn't realize just how much has been taken from him. Although Ice King can't remember, he was the
07:50father figure that Marceline needed when she had nobody. His memories have faded, making it difficult
07:55for Marceline to be around the person she once knew. Marrowing the relationship many children have
07:59with parents or grandparents who develop Alzheimer's. I'm so alone. Won't somebody tell me what's wrong with me?
08:08Anybody? Anybody? Anybody? Anybody? Anybody? The episode sees Marceline try to reconnect with someone
08:20who has become a stranger. They struggle to have a conversation, but music triggers something that
08:25appeared to be gone. You know I'm actually glad to see you. Maybe I'm the one who's nuts.
08:37Number 4. Times Arrow. Bojack Horseman. You want me to work for your father and get paid for it like
08:43some sort of slave? That is the opposite of slavery. Is it? Yes, it is. You have no facility for language.
08:51With the protagonist routinely dealing with substance use, depression, and self-destructive tendencies,
08:56we could include the entity of Bojack Horseman on this list. This standout episode centers on Bojack's
09:01mother Beatrice, revealing how trauma can be generational. As an Asian Beatrice endures dementia in the present,
09:07we see fragments of a miserable upbringing that culminated in a toxic marriage.
09:11Tell me a story. Once upon a time. Quiet. Your father's home. How was work, darling?
09:19Terrible. Those fish do not like being canned. Well, I burnt dinner again.
09:24Rather than end the cycle of abuse that started with her emotionally absent father, she repeats the cycle,
09:29not only taking out her unfulfilled dreams on Bojack, but also ripping another mother and child apart.
09:34Despite their strained relationship, Bojack tries to bring his mother some comfort as her time runs out.
09:40Neither can undo the past that caused so much irreversible damage, however.
09:44I can see it. It's so clear. What are we doing here, Bojack?
09:49We're sitting on the back porch and we're listening to your brother play the piano.
09:54And we're eating ice cream. Vanilla ice cream.
09:57I've been on the phone all morning calling every government agency in town and everything led me to this place.
10:07Federal Office of Information?
10:09Somewhere in this building is the information we need to find Mr. Wynn's daughter. All we gotta do is get it.
10:14Although not mentioned in this Christmas special, Arnold's parents have notably been missing since the first episode.
10:19Perhaps that's one of the reasons that Arnold is compelled to help reunite Mr. Wynn with his long lost daughter Mai.
10:25So, it's almost Christmas time.
10:27Yes, this time of year always make me remember.
10:32Remember what?
10:34It was a long time ago, Arnold. A very complicated story.
10:40While the separation between a parent and child is always serious, Wynn's case is especially
10:45solemn for a Nickelodeon show, considering that he lost track of Mai during the Vietnam War.
10:49He gave Mai to US soldiers a mid-Operation Babylift, giving Mai a better shot at life.
10:54Wynn eventually made it to America, but has yet to find his daughters showing how the plights of
10:59many immigrants go unheard. Arnold hears Mr. Wynn though, getting the snowball rolling for a Christmas miracle.
11:04Number two, Mother's Day, Rugrats.
11:19Sometimes I dream about having a mom though. It's always the same dream too. We're always outside,
11:27and there's lots of grass and flowers. I think she likes flowers.
11:32From early on in the series, there had been talks among the crew about why Chaz is a single parent.
11:37Co-creator Paul German suggested that he was either divorced or a widower.
11:41Nickelodeon didn't think either was appropriate.
11:44After German left the series, the idea was revisited in this special,
11:47which reveals that Chucky's mother died from a terminal illness.
11:50Much like how Nickelodeon was hesitant about tackling the loss of a parent,
11:54Chaz tries to conceal any memory of his late wife, fearing that it will upset Chucky.
11:59Uh, maybe we should keep this in a safe place for now, okay?
12:04What's the matter, Chucky?
12:06I don't know. I thought it was a really pretty picture.
12:10I guess my dad doesn't like it, Tommy.
12:13Chaz finds that loss can't stay boxed up in the back of a closet.
12:17It may be painful, but remembering a loved one can also be as beautiful as the flowers and clouds.
12:22When the long grass enfolds you, that's me holding you tight.
12:26When the wiper wheel sings, that's me whispering.
12:29Life. Life.
12:31Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
12:34Lore of the Herb, The Smurfs.
12:37It's not a coincidence that this aired during Nancy Reagan's Just Say No campaign.
12:41Forward, stop! Don't you see? The more we resist, the stronger we'll become.
12:46If we keep using the arm, we'll be stuck here forever.
12:50My, my, such willpower.
12:54Resistance is useless, you fool.
12:56Where there's smoke, Ozzy and Drinks.
12:58A reminder that substance use starts with the brain.
13:02Ah, good the police are here.
13:04No, bad. They've been brainwashed by Nick.
13:06Cigarette team. Cigarette team.
13:11If I'm gonna cut the connection between cigarettes and pleasure, I gotta get inside.
13:15The music, Bobby's World.
13:17Abe crosses over.
13:19I don't, I don't want him to be done.
13:23I, I feel, I feel real bad, Daddy.
13:26I know you do, Bobby.
13:28See, when, when, when somebody we love dies,
13:32it makes our heart hurt and that, and that makes us feel sad.
13:35Mother Simpson. The Simpsons.
13:38You're never too old to miss your mom.
13:40Don't forget me.
13:41Don't worry, Homer.
13:43You'll always be a part of me.
13:45Don't!
13:50The mask.
13:51Courage the Cowardly Dog.
13:52The mask is creepy, but what it conceals is far scarier.
13:56Oh no! Mad Dog is coming!
13:58The mask!
14:01Aaaaaaaaah!
14:05Aaaaaah!
14:09Aaaaaah!
14:13Aaaaaah!
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14:28We could make a list of times that this superhero show tackled serious issues.
14:49Fans will agree that one episode in particular went further with its subject matter than we ever thought Kids WB would go.
14:55We've seen many shows deal with teasing at school, but this episode reveals what can happen
15:00when the victim is pushed to the edge.
15:18Jimmy reaches his breaking point, stealing his father's gun and pointing it at his tormentors,
15:22although it's Richie who gets caught in the crossfire.
15:24While Richie survives, Jimmy has possibly thrown his future away and not everyone learns from
15:29this experience.
15:30Virgil does, however, demonstrating that you don't need powers to be a hero.
15:34Simply letting people know they aren't alone can make a difference.
15:49What other cartoons tackled serious issues?
15:51Let us know in the comments down below.
15:53And don't forget to like and subscribe for more WatchMojo videos.
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