TV shows can get way too heavy to consume. With burnouts and dramas on the daily, kicking it back every now and then isn’t so bad. We can’t always be down to dissect Black Mirror or Bojack’s latest season. Their intricate characterization, emotional arcs, and mind-boggling plot twists can be a bit extra on a bad day.
Sometimes, all we need is some wholesome content. And what’s more wholesome than animation? Leave your worries outside the door. It’s time to sit back and restore our faith in humanity (and maybe ourselves) with these five shows.
Summer Camp Island
All Oscar and Hedgehog want is to feel normal. But how can you do that in a sleep-away camp filled with aliens, witches, unicorns and parallel universes? Created by Adventure Time alum Julia Pott, Summer Camp Island is an adorable yet enjoyable show on friendship and making the most of our childhood.
Get your magical talking pajamas on and cozy up with a banana split in hand. This adorable anthropomorphic show is bound to make you soft.
Rilakkuma and Kaoru
This stop motion series follows a young hard working woman named Kaoru, who struggles with bad luck while navigating through adulthood. She lives with her chill (maybe lazy) stuffed toy roommates Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiroitori.
As adulting anxieties consume her, her roommates remind her to take a breather, may it be through barbecue or a much-needed walk in a park.
Carole & Tuesday
In the year 2030, two unlikely strangers meet and bond over music. Tuesday is a sheltered, frustrated musician tired of her lavish life. Carole, on the other hand, is a strong, independent woman who wants a big break. Despite their differences, they perform together in a show, trying to chase their dreams together.
It’s not the most G-rated show on the list (i.e. Mermaid Sisters’ performance). Still, it has a kick-ass soundtrack, thought-provoking plot, and it celebrates the power of female friendships. Oh, and did we mention it’s in the same universe as the gritty noir Cowboy Bebop?
Bee and Puppycat
Bee hasn’t figured out the whole “growing up” thing yet. One day, she encounters a mysterious cat/dog hybrid called Puppycat. Together, they take intergalactic temp jobs to pay off Bee’s rent. It’s a bit simple in hindsight. But as the show progresses, it gets a bit more complicated.
The show makes heavy topics more magical. It deals with themes of loss, adulting, and few existentialist themes. Minus some innuendos and light swearing, Bee and Puppycat is the soft content you’ve been looking for.
We Bare Bears
While ’90s kids debate over which Powerpuff they are, Gen Z babies choose from these three bears. This show focuses on brothers Ice Bear, Grizzly, and Panda and all their wacky hijinks. Despite all the trouble they get into, they always manage to have each other’s back in the end.
Also, they have the best guest stars. What does K-pop supergroup Monsta X and autotune extraordinaire T-Pain have in common? This show on Cartoon Network.
Still from We Bare Bears