Cartoon Network bringing back ThunderCats for new animated series

[Zubz]

I wasn't a Thundercats guy. I was He-man all the way and like TF/GoBots or later the console wars, I felt I had to pick a side.

But if my kid likes this and we can watch together? That's only a bad thing if you're an asshole.

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Nobody's saying that you & your child enjoying a piece of media is bad, but art is subjective. We can still find qualms with the piece of media itself. And there are many qualms to be had if you're not assessing from the perspective of a child or their parent supporting said child.

Truth of the matter is that Cartoon Network is bleeding child viewers, & only adults were clamoring for more Thundercats. The art style is designed with what is cheapest to make while appealing to children, but if they don't suddenly care about Thundercats, this show's doomed. The criticisms this show is receiving should be taken to heart; it's being bashed everywhere.

EDIT: Added for Relevance

 

[Telpis]

Thunder cats 2011 was awesome

 

[ChasingANiche]

I just read a tweet that claimed that this was the worst thing they had ever seen. That there was literally no way for them to make it in a way that would make them more angry.

and... man you ever just have one of those realizations where you see the very worst you can be reflected in someone else, and you are just embarrassed at what you see.
Like, now maybe I'm just cool with flcl getting sequels. It might be good, or it might be bad and that's fine. Maybe caring so much about stuff like this is destructive, and juvenile.

Like the show and talk about it. Hate the show and talk about it. But do we have to lose our minds?

 

[Advc]

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This is one of the main reasons I don't watch CN anymore. That damn annoying artstyle you see on pretty much all of their recent cartoons and now they did the same with Thundercats. No thanks.

 

[Deleted member 8463]

Christ that artstyle. I gave up on the reboot from years ago but at points it was excellent.

 

[Bitanator]

Teen Titans Go has over 200 episodes now, do they shit out a new episode a day? Going at its current pace if it reaches Simpsons longevity it will have 1000 episodes made

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Teen Titans Go has over 200 episodes now, do they shit out a new episode a day? Going at its current pace if it reaches Simpsons longevity it will have 1000 episodes made

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Seems like they are very tight and incredibly hard working, some would say to a fault, but looks like they at least have fun and enjoy what they're doing so if it makes them happy why not

Egoraptor acting as if there weren't tons of TC fans who stopped watching 2011 because the writing was garbage.
It was certainly no He-Man 2002.

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Seriously. I went in with high expectations due to the animation but the writing was just horrendous and the characters unlikable so I dropped it.

 

[Gordon Shumway]

Oh god no

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Why do this?

 

[Village]

Toy industry collapsing has killed the action cartoon. CN is just killing off everything else tmbecause they need it made as cheaply as possible.

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More so, Cartoon Networks, and by that I mean networks that show cartoons inability to adapt to the market killed the action cartoon. They could create new avenues for children to engage with the brand, other than toys. Like a video...game, where you could play it or something? Regardless, their inability to adapt caused this, and their decades old parameter for what is a successful action cartoon has deemed no action cartoon successful. Thus here we are. The reason I make this distinction because places like Hasbro have seemed to adapted to this market, creating other engagement avenues better than a lot of people, because they are kinda founded on toys so that industry and toys r us collapsing puts their ass to the fire. Its really weird the toy company has adapted , not just this sense but also in a demographic sense to changes in the market that the cartoon networks. And while their ass is not out of hot water yet, its impressive.

Its almost as if , almost these non toy companies should be doing that way easier. Its almost as if one of them, literally is apart of a company that has video game and comic book branch that could I don't know, create other types of products that could create engagement and other forms of money. But you know... that would be weird man.

By the way, we haven't even gotten to, how they kill of shows when non boy children like them, because they don't buy apparently. And their just inability to try and make products for those other demographics to make money. They specifically want young boy money. Girl money, teenager money? young adult money? Throw it in the garbage. And now that the money they want isn't even a thing, fuck it scrap a whole style of animation.

Meanwhile at hasbro: "Boys like MLP too? Oh, put some characters boys will like. Oh we made money instantaneously, it would suck if we couldn't do this and was so tunnel visioned we just threw all that money away and weren't more open minded about maybe our gendered branding and age branding might need to be a bit more loose . "

 

[deftones r cool]

I wasn't a Thundercats guy. I was He-man all the way and like TF/GoBots or later the console wars, I felt I had to pick a side.

But if my kid likes this and we can watch together? That's only a bad thing if you're an asshole.

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This. I grew up watching Thundercats and Pirates of Dark Water. Those shows were a pillar of my childhood.

Let this show be for today's kids. Like, holy crap. The reason the art style is the way it is, is because of marketing. I mean look at all the avatars on this forum alone w/ those cheesy CN grins. These shows are hits. The new Thundercats writers want to be silly and more appealing to modern kids.

Re-watch old Thundercats. Nobody is taking that from you. They're cartoons on a children's network, guys.

 

[refusi0n1]

Mumra won

 

[Lil Peanut Brotha]

Every time I see something like this I just think "why...why not make a new original show".

If this is for kids, I doubt they know wtf thundercats is. The older people who know thundercats probably don't want this. So WHY! It doesn't even make business sense!

 

[Boxy Brown]

Every time I see something like this I just think "why...why not make a new original show".

If this is for kids, I doubt they know wtf thundercats is. The older people who know thundercats probably don't want this. So WHY! It doesn't even make business sense!

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[itwasTuesday]

Mumra won

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Best intro scream ever.

 

[Shingi_70]

Isn't the market for action cartoons primarily serviced by anime these days?

 

[Chris McQueen]

No, thank you.

 

[CassCade]

That art style is not appealing to me, like fuck, the art style was one of the reasons I loved the reboot.

 

[Rune Walsh]

I got really excited and then my soul was crushed again. I want that reboot series back so badly. That show had some amazingly emotional episodes with a solid story arc.

 

[CGiRanger]

I'm not going to hate on the show. But damn, what has happened to cartoon artwork designed in the West/USA? It just looks so awful and cheap across the entire medium.

The new Castlevania Netflix animated show seems to be the only case recently where they put more work into it.

As for Thundercats as a whole, I did like the reboot, but Cartoon Network totally fucked it up by playing it at bad hours.

 

[Jaoox]

I've always found Thundercats to be super duper dumb even when I was a kid..

I don't understand why everyone is freakin out over that artstyle.
It's the kind that lets you go crazy with animation whenever needed.

You cannot have a "serious" show like the original used to be with the same kind of writing and animation. It would just look so lame (imo)
It's just a new take on it, and it's mostly for kids anyway.

(and the original is still here if you're that nostalgic... But believe me, it definitely did not age well at all imo)

 

[RedHoodedOwl]

What happened to Justice League Action? Cartoon Network pulled the same move with Young Justice by airing it in the morning hours.

 

[Turbo Tu-Tone]

Super Trash. They need to bring back the last reboot to see if Cuck Lion-O manages to get his groove back.

 

[Brickhunt]

Every time I see something like this I just think "why...why not make a new original show".

If this is for kids, I doubt they know wtf thundercats is. The older people who know thundercats probably don't want this. So WHY! It doesn't even make business sense!

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I'll have to side with CN in this point. It makes completely business sense ever since Teen Titans Go proved itself to be monster success. They are just trying to take the formula that worked with TTGO and apply it to other proprieties. This time is Thundercats, which is a beloved IP from the 80s that ensures publicity for the new show. And as of the old saying, "There is no such thing as bad publicity", all this collective internet rage is going to drawn even more attention to this show, which is going to have a shit ton of references to the 80s cartoon and even possibly to the 2011 one, and the people that have watched both shows are going to love it. If the show is genuinely funny and good written, I can see a new success for CN. Remember, most kids probably haven't watched the original Teen Titans cartoon from the 00s, and it hasn't stopped TTGO from becoming a phenomenon among them.

Also, Cartoon Networks does makes a shit ton of original quality shows all the time. Even the new Powerpuff Girls show that was universally bashed has significantly improved. There is a new show almost every year, so lack of original cartoons is not a problem.

My main problem is that this is coming after the disgusting treatment by CN of the 2011 action show, and it is one more comedy show using an art-style that is starting to become generic as more and more shows adopt it.

 

[TriggerShy]

What were the problems with the writing? I haven't seen much of 2011 Thundercats, I really only remember a few things like Snarf not really talking, Lion-O losing the love triangle, and Lion-O having a complex about not being as strong as the others, but coming to terms with using diplomacy.

 

[RedDevil]

Well, it's good a Silver Hawks revival/reboot/whatever might never happen seeing this.

 

[Platy]

Teen Titans Go has over 200 episodes now, do they shit out a new episode a day? Going at its current pace if it reaches Simpsons longevity it will have 1000 episodes made

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Each teen titans episode is 10 minutes long... that is half of most cartoons so they only had a 4 seasons of 25 episodes if the show was like ... I don't know, Nick's TMNT or the new DuckTales

 

[Akela]

Posted my thoughts on Discord, which were initially negative as everyone else's. After giving it some thought, here's what I said

At some point you just gotta realize when you're being the old man in a situation and move on. Cartoons aren't for adults to enjoy.

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I'm sorry, but this is an extremely dismissive opinion that completely ignores the fact that there is an entire world of animation outside mainstream, American austerity-cartoons.

The aesthetic and tone of this new Thundercats reboot was derived entirely though economics. It's not a coincidence that this vector-based animation happens to be extremely cheap to produce compared to alternatives such as hand-drawn 2D animation or high-end CG, and it's no coincidence that they chose an artstyle that closely resembles previous shows that have found success. It's a show that has likely been engineered to make the most out of a small budget, and it says a lot about the financial situation of Cartoon Network and other cable companies in the face of Netflix and other streaming services.

Watching quality television - both live action and animation has never been easier and as accessible as it is today. Ironically though, that quality television won't be found on traditional television services, and frankly it never will be - because cable TV is dying. Go beyond cable TV - go beyond American TV, if you want to see quality animation.

 

[Akela]

I'm not going to hate on the show. But damn, what has happened to cartoon artwork designed in the West/USA? It just looks so awful and cheap across the entire medium.

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It is cheap. That's the point. The artstyle of these shows are designed to make the most out of a small, declining budget. If they tried making a season of Thundercats based on the 2011 artstyle they would barely be able to afford the pilot episode.

 

[Bitanator]

Each teen titans episode is 10 minutes long... that is half of most cartoons so they only had a 4 seasons of 25 episodes if the show was like ... I don't know, Nick's TMNT or the new DuckTales

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Spongebob only has what 400 or so episodes after so many years. They are making these too fast is the point

 

[SuperL]

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I didn't grow up with Thundercats, so I don't have any particular fondness for it, or beef against the reboot. But are we seriously going to make this argument?

 

[lunarworks]

Guys.

Thundercats was 30 years ago.

A good 98% of the original audience has completely moved on.

This isn't for you.

It's a property that had success in the past, and they're retooling it to today's tastes to see if it can work with today's kids.

I loved the show when I was a kid, and this is no way changes that. I'm not gonna watch it, but again, it's not for me either.

 

[Crocodile]

Huh. I was wondering why "Thundercats" was trending on twitter the other day. I'm curious to see how this turns out. The animation for the intro looks sick at least.

It was an A+ two part pilot.

Followed by a B-/C+ however many episodes of mediocrity.

The plant episode and Mum-Ra history episode notwithstanding.

Oh and the one with Panthro and his former dog gladiator partner.

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This is accurate. The 2011 reboot started strong but lost its way by the end. That being said, I kind of would have liked to have seen it finished for completion's sake. But yeah, it wasn't a very good show by the end.

Its sad how true this is. Cartoons needs to become more diverse not just in its stories, but in its animation. Its extremely important. (Although I do love GF's artsyle and Gumball and Steven Universe are very unique as well). Dont watch a lot of SvTFoE but Clarence, Craig Of the creak, and whatever other trash is airing on CN just looks lazy all around

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Craig of the Creek is great you heathen! :P

There are great shows, but there's also a high proportion of trash. I think there is more of a focus on quality than in the late 2000's and that is reflective in higher amounts of good shows...but we aren't out of the doldrums just yet.

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I mean to be fair, most shows are trash in every era of the past and will be in every era in the future.

 

[_Karooo]

I used to watch this cartoon like 20 years ago.

 

[Deleted member 35156]

It was great. Actually made me like the Thundercats universe. I enjoyed the fact Lion-O was just a kid who had a long way to go in his journey to become a worthy king. Tigra's older brother type bullying Lion-O was realistic especially when you learn the backstory of his true family and all the negative emotions about it he had been carrying. I really don't understand the complaints about the writing.

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Same here, I loved all but 1 episode in the series.

 

[Deleted member 6573]

.

 

[MoonsaultSlayer]

Little disappointed that soft, alt-right man-babies are using this as a sort of recruitment opportunity on YouTube. I was trying to show my son the new featurette and intro and saw at least two vids talking about this show being for "soy boys" or "a cucked up generation" without any sense of irony that their whining over a cartoon should be the defining example of their "snowflake" hunt.

YouTube should have a way to block such content assuming they're aware of the alt-right/troll-bot terminology.

 

[Brazil]

Looks neat. Looking forward to it.

 

[Usagi]

Little disappointed that soft, alt-right man-babies are using this as a sort of recruitment opportunity on YouTube. I was trying to show my son the new featurette and intro and saw at least two vids talking about this show being for "soy boys" or "a cucked up generation" without any sense of irony that their whining over a cartoon should be the defining example of their "snowflake" hunt.

YouTube should have a way to block such content assuming they're aware of the alt-right/troll-bot terminology.

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????? Que?

 

[Omegamon]

 

[dennett316]

The art style looks ugly to me, but that doesn't mean it can't be a good show. Anyone pulling the "mah childhood" shit needs to get a grip. Some of the shit I've seen posted on twitter - some idiot talking about the makers of the show obviously having an "ill intent" by gearing this towards a new audience instead of fans of past versions - just has me shaking my head.
Old fans had their versions, this is for someone else, quit whining.

Oh God, just wait till My Little Pony gets another reboot down the line. The internet might actually explode.

 

[Ororo]

All the negative comments are hardcore fans who aren't the audience and can't carry a show by themselves or casuals who would never watch the show even if it were the perfect reboot for them since they aren't fans and just comment on social media channels because of nostalgia.

The art style is horrendous but I'd wait for the writing to see how it is. I think Teen Titans Go is fun for what it is and if this is like that then no harm done. It's likely the best thing that has happened to the franchise, I mean the 2011 'serious' reboot failed, and we now have two "classic" toylines also go the way of the dodo. Like with the Star Fox racing game, this new take might be what the franchise needs to inject itself to revive interest in it.

 

[Chindogg]

I didn't grow up with Thundercats, so I don't have any particular fondness for it, or beef against the reboot. But are we seriously going to make this argument?

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I could concede this argument if Disney and Loony Tunes-era WB didn't also have an incredibly diverse cast of characters with their own iconic looks.

Since Adventure Time, CN's shows have progressively fallen into a house style that's incredibly simplistic and honestly boring. Thundercats Roar would be fine if every other show on CN wasn't shooting for the exact same style and humor. It's just boring and kinda creatively bankrupt.

 

[Omegamon]

think Teen Titans Go is fun for what it is and if this is like that then no harm done.

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TTG designs are way more appealing than this

 

[Nepenthe]

The art style isn't doing it for me, and it's because it's that same Rebecca Sugar that's populating their other shows.

I also feel the comedy angle is going to forgo any humor that results from honest yet disparate characterizations and eventually skew towards the same sarcastic, fourth-wall irreverence as Teen Titans Go and Gumball did. I liked these two shows much more when the comedy grew from the characters being themselves, well meaning yet flawed, and less like exaggerated assholes, basically.

And I'm not against comedy either; I mean, the golden era of the channel was the Cartoon Cartoon comedy block, but each show was highly distinct from a visual, written, and thematic standpoint. An Ed, Edd n Eddy episode would feel out of place in Courage, for example. But CN's line ups, outside of Steven Universe, feel interchangeable with one another.

And none of this has anything to do with it being Thundercats, because the only nostalgia I have for that show is the opening. Literally can't remember a single damn episode of the original.

 

[Galactic Specter]

TTG designs are way more appealing than this

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I agree, TTG actually has its own style unlike this.

 

[Coricus]

"I wonder how bad the artstyle is for people to be-"

OK that's literally OK KO.

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You laugh, but judging by the Berserk threads this would still be the best animated adaption Berserk ever got by a wide margin.

 

[Ororo]

TTG designs are way more appealing than this

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I don't disagree, the art style is so off putting, I mention that. But my points on my message still stand, if written correctly it could be done. I personally think He-Man would be a property that lends itself more to parody and comedy but oh well, this is still the best thing to happen to Thundercats since the 2011 reboot since it seemed like it'd be forever forgotten as an old 80s show, this has potential (and it could easily be horrible). I'll wait and see.

 

[Fj0823]

I could concede this argument if Disney and Loony Tunes-era WB didn't also have an incredibly diverse cast of characters with their own iconic looks.

Since Adventure Time, CN's shows have progressively fallen into a house style that's incredibly simplistic and honestly boring. Thundercats Roar would be fine if every other show on CN wasn't shooting for the exact same style and humor. It's just boring and kinda creatively bankrupt.

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CN has Steven Universe, that show has more character and emotion in 1 episode than all the toy adverts I watched when I was a kid combined.

Cartoons these day have memorable characters because of the way they're written, not designed.

 

[Zubz]

"I wonder how bad the artstyle is for people to be-"

OK that's literally OK KO.

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At least OK KO has 90 degree angles in some places.

 

[Cybersai]

CN hasn't had a good show since they canceled Young Justice.