Tangled: The Series has quite a few elements that split the fanbase to say the least:
- The timeline of the show is interesting. It takes place after the end of the movie, but before the events of Rapunzel and Eugene's wedding in the Tangled Ever After short. Therefore in the pilot of the series Rapunzel starts out with the short, brunette hair she had at the end of the movie, but then regains her 70 feet of blond, magic note hair. There are those who don't mind bringing it back, since it's about the journey not the destination (as the creators once said). On the other hand there are those who wish the series took place directly after the short and actually showed the struggles of being a royal couple.
- Half of the fanbase adores the more adventure based story-lines in the latter half of the first season and consider it to be the definite Growing the Beard moment of the series, but the other half wishes that it would have stayed a Slice of Life cartoon and that the shift to a darker tone, while a good idea in theory, was handled clumsily, citing Too Bleak, Stopped Caring as a reason why. There are also those who think it's trying too hard to be like Star vs. the Forces of Evil, another Disney show about a blond haired princess that's also been accused of handling Cerebus Syndrome poorly.
- The Cerebus Syndrome in general is this, switching from more epic, story driven stories to more fun, lighthearted episodes. There are those think the show switches tones pretty well, or those who think the tone is inconsistent, and can't decide whether to be fairly serious or fairly lighthearted.
- Is "Rapunzel's Enemy" a refreshing take on the "trying to befriend someone who doesn't like you" plot, or is it a poor episode where it treads sensitive ground that's very rarely pulled off well?
- Is "Secret of the Sundrop" an epic conclusion to Season 1 that manages to open the opportunity to get better, or does it suffer greatly from trying to do too much and not fully capitalizing on the idea?
- "Queen For A Day" is either seen as a dark and thrilling special with tons of high stakes and maturity, or just an okay special with poor pacing and a false sense of darkness and maturity (with Rapunzel's parents brush with death and Pascal's Disney Death being the prime offender, as most Tangled fans know for a fact that they make it to Rapunzel and Eugene's wedding in Tangled Ever After, which nullifies all possible stakes.)
- Season 2 has proved a bit divisive so far for the following reasons:
- There are those who think that moving the action away from Corona was a smart move to allow the show's lore to expand, and those who think that doing so means that Corona still isn't greatly expanded on, and thus feels like wasted potential.
- The season followed a theme on staying in a certain location for a few episodes, essentially slowing down the main plot. There are those who don't mind it due to seeing it as an opportunity to expand on the world while simultaneously building up the plot, or those who find it a boring distraction due to essentially acting like it doesn't matter.
- Many of the locations visited so far are downright bizarre, from a cottage that has a couple who uses magic to turn people into birds, to an island society of strange creatures, and water beasts, to name a few. The excuse is that this is because no one knows what the outer area of Corona is like, which some believe, and some don't, feeling it's trying too hard to act weird like some other shows, especially compared to how grounded in reality the season started out. The contrast with the original movie is especially jarring, as the former treated magic as exceptional rarity and made the setting seem even more realistic.
- The art style is also up for debate, with one group calling it "cheap flash garbage" (even though this is hand drawn) and calling it dated or those who praise how the colors blend together well and are reminiscent of Rapunzel's paintings in the movie, giving it a sense of elegance.
- The humor is also up for debate, namely in how some episodes ("Way of the Willow" for example) seem a bit more concerned with trying to squeeze in a lot of jokes, or have jokes that undermine the episode (like Episode 5). Again, this is all about preference.
- The way some of the arc driven episodes are handled, mainly in how Downer Endings are rather common, is another topic for debate. One side argues that it works since it helps show that not everything can be sunshine and rainbows, and how this show is for older kids. The other side argues that the series should take an approach like Sofia the First and Elena of Avalor, two Disney Junior shows, and still put a good emphasis on the happy moments even when things get bleak.
- Cassandra was always a Base-Breaking Character, but her arc in the third and final season took her divisive nature to new heights. Proponents argue that she is a complex and relatable Tragic Villain due to her being driven by the Awful Truth of Mother Gothel being her biological mother and abandoning her in favor of Rapunzel (someone she’s always felt overshadowed by), her longing for the recognition she’s felt deprived of her whole life, and Zhan Tiri serving as a Toxic Friend Influence while using her as an Unwitting Pawn. Detractors view her grief over being abandoned by Gothel (and grudge against Rapunzel over it) as Wangst due to how it was followed by her receiving an adoptive father who genuinely loved her (that being the Captain of The Guard) while Rapunzel was abused and imprisoned by Gothel, and argue that her already receiving recognition at several points (such as from her friends, her father, Corona, and Vardaros) prior to her Face–Heel Turn, her choosing to follow Zhan Tiri’s immoral advice, and the harm she causes throughout Season 3 (from endangering the lives of Rapunzel and her friends to nearly destroying Corona) make her petty and selfish. There’s also the topic of her redemption in the Grand Finale: some were happy with it due to the remorse she shows and her part in defeating Zhan Tiri (which temporarily came at the cost of her own life), while others criticized how she only performs a Heel–Face Turn after Zhan Tiri steals the Moonstone from her and believe she fails to properly make up for her misdeeds.
- Tying into the above, Cassandra being allowed to leave Corona and find her destiny in spite of the crimes she committed when all is said and done. Some were happy with her send-off, as it came on the heels of her reconciling with Rapunzel, performing a Heel–Face Turn, and helping Rapunzel defeat Zhan Tiri, on top of finding it to be a heartwarming conclusion to her character arc. Others were angered by how Easily Forgiven she was, and believe the lack of any real punishment she receives for her actions, such as imprisonment, makes her a Karma Houdini (especially when compared to Varian, who spent months in the dungeon after his own stint of villainy). A third party argues that, even if Cassandra shouldn’t be imprisoned, she should’ve at least helped repair the damage she did to Corona before leaving.
