Lockdown watchlist: Five cartoon shows for kids that adults will also love on Prime, Disney+ Hostar and Netflix

• Cartoons for kids can leave adults wanting for more and not every 'adult cartoon' is something you can watch with you kids.
• During the lockdown, cartoons that are meant for all ages can be a real boon for the whole family.
• Here's a list of cartoons that kids will love while also keeping adults entertained.

The statement that ‘cartoons are for kids’ is a myth. In fact, there are many that fight the cliche — like Family Guy, the Simpsons and the Cartoon President. But those shows aren’t always ‘age-appropriate’ if you’re sitting down with young ones.

Amid the Coronavirus pandemic, it’s good to have a list of animated shows handy to pass the time that your kids can watch — which also won’t bore you to death for a good hit of humour without the drama and stress.

Let me kick things off by saying that this list doesn’t include the usual suspects like Doraemon, Tom and Jerry, Shinchan or Chota Bheem. These are shows that you probably haven’t heard of to help add a little bit of spice to an otherwise mundane lockdown.

Here are some of the best (yet often overlooked) cartoon shows on Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ Hotstar:

1. Gravity Falls on Disney+ Hotstar

• IMDb: 8.9/10
• Creator: Alex Hirsch

The show centres around two siblings, Dipper Pines and his twin sister Mabel who have come up to Gravity Falls, Oregon to spend the summer with their quirky great uncle — or as they call him ‘Grunkle’. Over the summer they discover the paranormal forces and supernatural creatures that govern the town and it’s weird traditions.

With two teenagers in the mix, you would think it’s a coming of age series — which it is, but only mildly so. Each episode focuses on getting to the bottom of a conspiracy or finding reasons why things are going wrong.

Unlike generic animated series, this one makes you think.

2. Star Wars: The Clone Wars on Disney+ Hotstar

• IMDb: 8.1/10
• Creators: George Lucas, Genndy Tartakovsky, Paul Rudish, Christian Taylor, Ben Edlund, Bryan Andrews, and Darrick Bachman.

If the Star Wars movies weren’t enough to satisfy your appetite for intergalactic wars, then the Clone Wars series is a good way to jump back into the battle between the Republic and the Separatists. The storyline dictates what happened between Star Wars Episode II - Attack of the Clones and the Episode III - Revenge of the Sith movies with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and, of courses, clones and droids.

3. Tales of Arcadia on Netflix

• IMDb: 8.4/10
• Creators: Guillermo del Toro, Aaron Waltke, Kevin Hageman, Dan Hageman, AC Bradley, and Chad Quandt.

The Tales of Aracadia is a series of shows for all ages and will keep everyone entertained, from a five-year-old kid to a 30-year old working woman. The story is simple but entertaining nonetheless. There are two separate series within — Trollhunters and 3Below — with the final part of the Trilogy, Wizards, set to release sometime in June.

What connects all three is that they’re based in the quaint little town of Arcadia Oaks. Teenage heroes and supernatural creatures alike fight for their town’s survival against the evils that, in some cases quite literally, lurk in the shadows.

4. The Dragon Prince on Netflix

• IMDb: 8.4/10
• Creator: Aaron Ehasz

Another Netflix original, the Dragon Prince takes place in the fantasy world of Xadia ruled by the six elements of nature. The graphics and fight for survival are reminiscent of the Nickelodeon series, Avatar the Last Airbender with a twist of Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series. However, the storyline has an original take of its own that’s bound to capture your attention.

5. Niko and the Sword of Light on Amazon Prime

• IMDb: 8.4/10
• Creators: Bobby Chiu, Kei Acedera, Jim Bryson and Adam Jeffcoat.

This series revolves around a 10-year old boy, Niko — the last of his kind — who’s trying to bring light back to his kingdom. All he has is a magic sword at his side as he embarks on his quest making new friends — but quite a few enemies as well.

In the journey that ensues, Niko only uncovers secrets about himself — but also about where he comes from.

See also:
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