I have to admit the clip is the first I’ve watched of this program but so far it looks a little creepy and maybe a little too intense to really be a kids’ cartoon. But then again some kid’s cartoons are getting so edgy as of late that it might be okay. It’s not so much that Over The Garden Wall seems too edgy, it’s just that it seems to deal with the kind of content that might be hard for children to really grasp right off the bat. That alone makes it great for older kids but somewhat difficult for younger kids.
Cartoons seemed to have changed a great deal not just in animation but in appearance and content as well since many of us were children. The animation is better but the appearance keeps switching back and forth from one era to another. For instance, this cartoon seems like something drawn back in the late 80’s to early 90’s. It gives kind of a nostalgic feel that hearkens back to that era in a way that almost encourages kids to think of simpler things and times than to keep moving at a breakneck pace to keep up with the world the way it is.
Anyone recall when cartoons got to be in such a big danged hurry? It used to be that if you wanted fast and loose you’d watch Looney Tunes and laugh your butt off. If you wanted serious you’d watch a live action show, and if you wanted something in between there was usually a cartoon special or movie on TV that would sate that need as well. Nowadays things are just crazy it seems and half of the cartoons on TV are so over the top ridiculous that you can’t hardly follow a thing they’re doing or saying. Just watching Teen Titans on the Cartoon Network in the mornings seems to be an effort in futility since half the time they’re little more than stereotypes.
Over The Garden Wall however is one of the few cartoons that still tells a story and keeps it moving forward at a pace that anyone can follow. The show’s got its moments when it might be a bit bland, but there’s still the idea that it’s moving forward just quickly enough that people won’t feel lost if they miss a minute or two. Plus there’s the storytelling aspect of it that’s just nice to sit and realize.
Too many cartoons these days are into telling a micro-story that lasts for thirty minutes, twenty-two on average counting commercials, that you can just barely get into before it’s all done. This is obviously meant to cater to children’s ever-decreasing attention span so that they don’t get too overwhelmed and end up spending their entire day watching TV. Yet that seems to backfire since kids want more from their programs and end up watching more anyway.
What this show does that’s so wonderful is that it tells a tale, and in doing so actually engages its audience. When you include more substance than flash kids will still pay attention, but the lessons they learn will be that much easier to remember.
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