Which was your favourite cartoon as a child?
Cartoons were indubitably a pivotal part of a 90’s kid’s childhood – we would get up early just to catch our favourite cartoon on TV and spend hours glued to the television set. Even if the episodes were aired previously, we would still consume them with the same eagerness as the plots are never dull. Here are 11 cartoons that would take you down memory lane.
1. Spongebob Squarepants
Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?
Sponge-bob Square-pants!
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This piece of absorbent yellow sponge has sure amassed many ardent fans over the years. This cartoon series was first aired in 1999 and till today, a good 16 years later, it’s still airing on Nickelodeon and even Okto. Who knew children loved this nautical nonsense so much?
Besides, the storylines doesn’t even make sense. Watch how Patrick drowns while living under the sea…
Not to mention how Gary the snail meows like a cat.
Fun fact: did you know Patrick the starfish and Gary the snail are cousins? In “Rule of Dumb”, it was revealed that Gary’s father is Patrick’s uncle.
The show also left us with one of the world’s greatest mystery: how did Mr Krabs’ daughter turn out to be a whale? #conspiracytheory
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2. Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry are synonymous for the cat and the mouse. Going against the laws of nature, Jerry usually outsmarts Tom.
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Nonetheless, there are also instances where both join forces to get rid of a common enemy – in this case, a robot cat:
Or times when both put their differences aside, displaying genuine friendship.
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Did you know?: The original band name of Simon & Garfunkel was Tom & Jerry.
3. Powerpuff girls
Sugar. Spice. And everything nice.
It was THE cartoon that made girls climb out of bed willingly on a Saturday morning. Every girl wanted to be a Powerpuff – why not? They’re adorable, feisty and save the world (only Townsville, actually).
Besides, there’s always a moral to the story – the good always triumphs the evil.
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Watch how the girls with ultra super powers save Christmas:
4. Mr Bean
This funny man may be a man of little words, but has certainly won hearts of many with his funny antics. He never fails to get himself into sticky situations and then resolve them with his resourcefulness.
It’s amusing to see a grown man tote a teddy bear named Teddy around and personify it as if it’s a real person. Teddy, his lifelong BFF, is always by his side. How badass does it look with that pair of shades?
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Poor Teddy also doubles up to wipe the floor and clean the toilet bowl:
5. Pokemon
Pokemon! Gotta catch ’em all!
Probably one of the most watched cartoons, kids of the 90’s would follow Ash as he embarks on his adventure to become the greatest Pokemon trainer.
Who could forget Ash’s Pokemon who refused to get into a pokeball? Pika pika!
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Or Jigglypuff who sang everyone to sleep and drew on their faces?
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Or Officer Jenny or Nurse Joy every boy had a crush on?
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Of course, no cartoon is complete without villains – the most memorable one being the infamous Team Rocket and their cat Meowth.
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Relive your memories with these Pokemon:
6. Totally Spies
Totally Spies was such an in show back then it even had its own magazine. Sam was the most popz one with her wavy red hair while most people would forget the name of Alex since she had short black hair and was deemed the least attractive. How typical of little girls!
The concept of being a secret agent on a mission to save the world definitely enticed the girls to watch. Surprisingly, despite the show’s target audience being female, statistics showed that just as many guys watched the show.
Seems like hot girls + lots of action is a winning formula for the guys:
7. Popeye the Sailor Man
I yam what I yam!
What happens when two sailors meet?
When the name Popeye is mentioned, spinach comes to mind. In fact, there’s even a National Spinach Day, which falls on 26 March.
Poor Popeye was caught in love triangle, which involves Olive and Bluto, and was subjected to Bluto’s bullying.
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No fear – Popeye gains the strength of a hulk’s after consuming spinach.
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Well kids, eat your veggies and you’ll be strong like Popeye!
Unfortunately, kids these days would probably only know Popeye to be fried chicken.
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8. The Fairly OddParents!
Timmy is an average kid that no one understands. Mom and Dad and Vicky always giving him commands.
With blue eyes, buck teeth and looking like a caricature, Timmy Turner was indeed an average kid with his own quirky charm.
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Things changed when he received two fairy godparents in the form of hyperactive, foolish Cosmo and the crazy but more responsible Wanda. To improve his miserable life, they grant every wish of Timmy’s (with rules attached). Immature Timmy often wished for something that results in a disaster, and along with Cosmo and Wanda, they try to figure out a way to “unwish” Timmy’s wish.
9. Anpanman (面包超人)
Anpanman is aptly named after his appearance, with a head made from a bun.
This hero has a weakness though – his bun head. His strength depletes when he comes in contact with water or anything that dirties his head. However, he bounces back after a new head is baked for him.
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Interestingly, he does not need to eat or drink for self-sustenance and the bean jam in his head is believed to be sufficient to keep him going. A kind and selfless hero, he removes a part of his head to give as food when he crosses paths with damsels in distress.
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10. Doraemon
Everyone’s favourite blue robot cat!
Nobita frequently gets up to no good as he abuses Doraemon’s gadgets to get back at Gian and Suneo. His plans usually backfire. Despite Doraemon’s knowledge of how Nobita tends to misuse his gadgets, Doraemon leaves Nobita to his own devices as he rushed off for dates with Michan.
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Surely every child would be thrilled to have a Doraemon. Check out the things you can do late at night when everyone else is fast asleep:
Of course, Doraemon has many other cooler gadgets like the memory bread, which memorises information for you. All you have to do is eat it – no more mugging!
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11. Crayon Shin-chan
Possibly the most uncensored cartoon ever, Crayon Shin-chan constantly goes gaga over girls and has no qualms exposing his bum or his private parts.
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The cheeky brat often frustrates his mother with his buffoonery and ends up with a huge bump on his head.
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Nonetheless, it makes for lighthearted entertainment to watch the mischief a five-year-old gets up to and his exaggeration makes the cartoon hilarious. Even adults watched and loved Crayon Shin-chan since they could relate to how inappropriate children could be.
Are cartoons passé?
Back in the good ol’ days before the prevalence of smartphones and the Internet, we spent more time with our friends and family. We could afford playing catching under the block or simply staying at home to watch our favourite cartoons. Things may be simpler, but we definitely enjoyed those times. The 90’s kids might be the last generation who watched cartoons and it’s saddening to think that our children would probably not know of these cartoons.
What do you think? Are cartoons behind the times?
If you’re feeling nostalgic, here are 90 things that all 90’s kids miss.
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Featured image via Urban Times
