The 30 best cartoons even adults can enjoy
By Shawn Lealos
11. Avatar: The Last Airbender / The Legend of Korra
Anime has long been a genre that has large quantities of adult fans and while there have been many animated series that came before, and some huge ones that came after (see: Dragon Ball Super). It was Avatar: The Last Airbender that brought young and old together for television viewers in the United States.
Debuting in 2005 on Nickelodeon, Avatar presents a world where individuals can manipulate different elements using a mystical force called bending. The show based its animation style more on American cartoons than anime, although it brought the anime storytelling elements into the mix to create a hybrid that stood tall as a groundbreaking cartoon effort.
Avatar: The Last Airbender was a substantial critical and commercial success and even spawned a movie (that was nowhere near as good as the TV cartoon). It is almost hard to believe the series only lasted three seasons and 61 episodes, but it told a complete story from start to finish about the child bender Aang, who could control all four elements – fire, air, water and earth.
Fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender got a massive treat in 2012 when a sequel series, The Legend of Korra aired. In this case, the Avatar was a female named Korra, a reincarnation of Aang, and her goal of unifying the modern world. That series lasted four seasons and 52 episodes and included a complete story that also received great critical acclaim.