I know we all have a diverse tastes and preferences(and this is a pretty broad question). But when you watch an animated series, what expectations do you come in with?(For example, when do you come in the expectation of cartoony animation? Or sweeping storylines).

For example, sometimes animation isn't great, but it takes a backseat to great writing.

edited 17th May '12 7:43:31 AM by blueflame724

I usually come in expecting extremely cartoony, borderline-crude art. Now, that expectation doesn't make me a bit happy. But ever since AS started their whole "making an ironic virtue out of cheapness" schtick, Western animation has had a "Get Out of Jail Free" card that absolves animators of any requirements to draw well.

On the other hand, the standards for plotting and dialogue have skyrocketed, so one can (and should) expect a high level of wit, throwaway humor, and story originality. So in short, I usually expect a good yarn with cheap-looking art that, at best, exploits the cheapness for all it's worth.

I want the same out of any television show: good storytelling.

I guess it depends. If I'm watching daytime cartoons, I expect something with crappy animation that caters to the lowest common denominator. If I'm watching a Pixar movie, I expect only the very best of everything. If I'm watching some old cartoon from the nineties, I expect mediocre animation and jokes that went over my head when I was seven.

In the end, the only thing I consistently expect across the board is humor.

To be honest, the only thing I expect is that it entertains me and doesn't make me feel dirty for watching it.

It depends on the show, I think.

It's very rare I go into something with no expectations, but that's generally because I at least know a little bit about the show/movie either because I knew it from previews, I know its production company/people involved in making it, or at the very least, the timeslot the network's decided to show it in. If it's shown earlier in the morning, I expect something a bit more kiddish. If I know the movie's produced by Disney, I expect high-quality animation and that it will probably be sentimental enough to make me go for the tissues. If it's one of Tim Burton's flicks, I know it'll be a little bit morbid and a lot bit quirky. It's really rather situational.

I can think of exactly two times off the top of my head where I went into a cartoon with absolutely no expectations whatsoever: Totally Spies! and Code Lyoko. Both because they got their start on a completely new CN block, and they were imports from a company I'd never heard of. I only sort of "got" Totally Spies!, and the few previews didn't give me any idea what Code Lyoko was about at all. Since I knew nothing about it, when I ended up accidentally catching an episode (I think it was the Kill Sat one, which is one of the most nightmare fuel-a-riffic ones in the series), I was pretty darn shocked by how much it interested me.

For example, I bet upon myself that Father of the Pride would run for at least 3 seasons.