The animation industry is full of eclectic art styles, and anime is an area that continues to push boundaries in ambitious ways. Anime has a wealth of unique genres that allow for specialized storytelling that appeal to contrasting demographics. Some audiences flock to anime because of its mature and violent content, but the opposite extreme is just as prevalent with tons of successful series for children.
A major staple of North American television is the style of cartoons that would fill network schedules during Saturday morning. There’s a specific energy that accompanies Saturday morning animated series, which some anime effortlessly emulate.
10 Doraemon Is A Beloved Mascot With A Flair For Mischief
There are an endless variety of adorable anime mascots that cater towards a younger demographic, but there’s an extra level of celebration that surrounds everyone’s favorite robotic cat from the future, Doraemon. There are nearly 1800 episodes of Doraemon and dozens of feature films and extended stories that are a testament to the quirky anime’s legacy.
Doraemon is highly episodic, and the titular character’s extensive arsenal of creative inventions feel exactly like the light-hearted and broad antics of Saturday morning fare. Doraemon’s popularity in North America is only a fraction of what it experiences in Japan, but the anime would perfectly fit on any Saturday morning animation block.
9 Samurai Pizza Cats Takes The Ninja Turtle Model An Anime Makeover
Samurai Pizza Cats, or as it was originally known in Japan, Cat Ninja Legend Teyandee, very clearly draws inspiration from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and is a very self-aware and humorous hybrid of anime and Saturday morning staples.
The anime focuses on a trio of crime-fighting feline superheroes in a farcical and futuristic depiction of Japan. The English dub of Samurai Pizza Cats takes many liberties, but many of them oddly work in the show’s favor and are partly why the cult anime series has gained an increasingly large reputation.
8 Yu-Gi-Oh! Is A Seamless Blend Between Entertainment And Merchandising
Some of the most successful anime properties are the ones that can successfully translate their core concept into a game that can be experienced in real life. Pokémon’s collectible card game was a breakout success, but Yu-Gi-Oh! successfully leans into the card game angle even harder since it’s literally an anime about card duels.
Yu-Gi-Oh! features younger characters and an easy-to-replicate formula that makes it easy to enjoy for both newcomers and dedicated fans alike. It’s just different enough from Pokémon and the other big hits of its respective decade that it’s able to connect with audiences and establish its own voice.
7 The Adorable Nature Of Hamtaro Is Impossible To Deny
It’s sometimes incredibly obvious that an anime series is going to connect with its target audience before it’s even aired a single episode. Hamtaro is a low-concept burst of joy that’s content to follow around a group of adorable hamsters for hundreds of episodes. Every single hamster in the series is lovable in a different way, and all of their designs reflect contrasting personalities.
Hamtaro exudes pure happiness, and it’s the type of frivolous but entertaining programming that children hope to find on the television on Saturday morning.
6 Monster Rancher Is An Engaging Adventure For All Ages
Monster Rancher is an anime series that was able to tap into a larger audience thanks to the groundwork established by similar series such as Pokémon. However, Monster Rancher has enough of its own identity that it doesn’t just feel like an empty imitation.
Monster Rancher effectively captures the sense of adventure as Genki explores a fantastical world, alongside a group of monsters, with a very personal goal that pushes him forward. Monster Rancher has all of the ingredients to draw a younger audience in. It wraps its story up in a modest number of episodes, making it a manageable watch.
5 Time Bokan Riffs On Sentai Stereotypes And Educates Its Audience At The Same Time
Tatsunoko Production is a foundational animation studio that’s responsible for many series that have a breezy Saturday morning energy to them. The Time Bokan series has exploded into a sprawling property that includes the Yatterman anime and even has a successful live-action feature film adaptation.
Time Bokan shares a lot in common with Power Rangers and other Sentai series, but there’s an educational aspect to the series that makes it feel like an anime Carmen Sandiego. Characters travel through time and history, learning the “true history” of the world along the way.
4 Sailor Moon Saves The World As She Struggles With Adolescence
Sailor Moon is one of the most popular anime properties of all time in Japan, but it’s also a formative series for North American audiences and instrumental in the localization of anime during the 1990s. Sailor Moon is a fitting example of the magical girl genre, but the original series is heavy with episodic storytelling and slice-of-life predicaments that younger audiences can understand.
Sailor Moon’s English dub was turned into even more of a Saturday morning-friendly series, and the “Sailor Says” segments at the end of episodes are reminiscent of the lessons that conclude G.I. Joe installments.
3 Dagashi Kashi Is A Love Letter To Snack Foods
Dagashi Kashi is an anime series that really sneaks up on its audience with its cozy and natural storytelling. There are teenage characters at the center of the anime, but it operates with a child-like awe and wonder towards Japanese candy and snacks that’s highly infectious.
Kokonotsu goes through the motions at his family’s candy shop only for Hotaru Shidare to open his eyes to the joy that surrounds snacks. Dagashi Kashi is fun and entertaining, but it genuinely educates the audience on all of the unique snacks available in Japan and the fascinating history surrounding them.
2 Detective Conan Provides Hundreds Of Hours Of Hard-Boiled Entertainment
Detective Conan, also known as Case Closed in its English dubbed version, has been an anime staple for decades and has more than 1000 episodes to show for it. Detective Conan bears so much in common with Saturday morning cartoons that it’s a little surprising that a full remake has never happened.
A brilliant teenage detective gets transformed into a child, which doesn’t slow down his desire to get to the bottom of every mystery. Kudo’s unique situation is a fun idea for younger audiences to latch onto, and it’s the perfect binge or standalone watch due to the variety of all of the show’s cases.
1 Pokémon’s Episodic Journeys Make It Easy To Watch In Whatever Order
Pokémon has transcended its humble video game roots, and the anime companion series has collectively produced over 1000 episodes that celebrates the franchise’s versatile world. Many North American audiences first caught Pokémon during its Saturday morning airings, and it appropriately fits into that mold of programming.
A larger serialized story does occur in Pokémon, but by and large, episodes are self-contained and explore a different creature from the wide world of Pokémon. Many of the similar series that operate in the same fashion as Pokémon, such as Digimon, also properly embody that playful and youthful Saturday morning energy.
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