thepient

Undoubtedly the best "for kids" animated series of all time, and probably up there in the top 5 best SERIES of all time. While it had a couple of hiccups throughout its runtime, mainly in Season 1, the extremely long list of strengths it has (see: "Pros" section of this review) more than excuses the few slip-ups. One of the few instances of the "for all ages" label being true to its word, everyone, regardless of age, should get the chance to watch this. ///// Pros: Extremely mature themes such as genocide and war handled with an appropriate level of seriousness, Iconic characters who are to this day referred to as trope codifiers even when discussing OTHER works, Worldbuilding that is not only original but beautifully expanded on, Excellent handling of plot progression and tension ///// Cons: A few Season 1 episodes, namely "The Great Divide", fail to live up to the phenomenal reputation the show has garnered itself ///// 10/10

Extremely fun, engaging, and a generation-defining series that stands near the top of all animated works. From the endearing and imaginative Season 1 antics to the heart-wrenching reveals of Not What He Seems and A Tale of Two Stans to the absolute riot that is Bill Cipher, along with the extremely unique premise of including ciphers throughout the series to allow viewers to solve the mysteries of Gravity Falls with the characters, this is a show that will undoubtedly stand the test of time. ///// Pros: Extremely good humor for children and adults alike, Imaginative and creative, both in terms of worldbuilding and in plot development, Excellent dynamic between characters, both within and out of the Pines family, Iconic and extremely entertaining antagonist, Unique cipher/puzzle element throughout that allows viewers to solve the mysteries with the characters ///// Cons: N/A ///// 10/10