I always see memes saying Cartoon Network "died" in 2004, and my question is "Why though?". CN City began in 2004, and that's widely considered to be their greatest era, with amazing shows like Code lyoko, Hi Hi Puffy amiyumi, Camp Lazlo, and Ozzy & Drix. So how could CN die in the year where they began their best era EVER?
If anything, I'd peg CN as dying in 2007. After the Boston Bomb Mooninite Scare incident in February of that year, Stu "Jew" Snyder took over as president. CN City ended, the beloved Fridays block was replaced with the poor Fried Dynamite, Toonami was cancelled, the CN Real block was established, Out of Jimmy's Head, Totally drama island, and Johnny test premiered, etc.
Code Lyoko and Ozzy & Drix was okay but it wasn't enough. The old guard of Cartoon Cartoon Fridays was getting cancelled, on its way out, and even its older stuff was disappearing. 2004 was a decline. 2007 was the deathknell like all other things from other mediums and industries.
Tyler Ward
Stated perfectly
Joshua Walker
2004 was the year CN heavily rebranded itself as Nickelodeon lite, rather than the Hanna-Barbera and Looney Tunes network
Charles Jackson
Shows like Code Lyoko and Hi Hi Puffy were just the start to a weeb era. Camp Lazlo was alright but it was just a watered down Rocko.
David Lewis
The weeb era already began in the late 90s with Sailor moon, Dragon Ball Z, Gundam, Pokemon, and others
Mason Baker
This. Toonami was the anime block for Cartoon Network, and when that got success and Teen Titans was allowed to stand on primetime, further weebification was inevitable.
James Wright
I'd say the weebification began in the late 90s, then lasted until around 2007 or so.
07 was when the anime bubble burst, when the Internet had made it easier to download uncut anime, when Toonami lost popularity because of the shitty new version of TOM, etc.
Robert Richardson
I'm legitimately curious as to why anyone remembers Puffy Ami Yumi with any fondness. The animation was ass. The plots were far dumber and less clever than average cartoons. The only thing it had going for it was the weeb factor, but they weren't exactly animu girls.
Lucas Reyes
...
Jacob Ross
That design had to be internal sabotage.
Kayden Hughes
Fucking really? For me that was the decline of CN. They canceled Samurai Jack in 2004, fuck 'em. Pretty much any show from 1992 up to straddling the millennium was good.
Jordan Anderson
...
Joshua Brooks
It's strange waifu bait. Grey DeLisle and Janice Kawaye make cute voices.
Lucas Morales
Op you mentioned Amiyumi, and fucking Lazlo, in an attempt to defend 2004 era CN but no mention of Megas Xlr. Why must you be so utterly disagreeable?
Justin Kelly
I guess I can kind of understand how a cute voice can make all the difference, but when it's delivering shit material and stupid lines, the appeal is lost.
Henry Jackson
At the very least Ed, Edd,n'Eddy, K.N.D., and Billy and Mandy were all still alive and well. Saddens me that Dexter and Johnny Bravo began to end around that time. Kickass that when Justice League ended, they came back with Unlimited. DCAU is still my favorite Canon of almost anything.
Ethan Anderson
But their last seasons were terrible.
I think it was a good thing they ended, because the writers had ran out of ideas. If they dragged them on, they would've become zombies like Spongebob, Family Guy, or the Simpsons.
Carter Taylor
Ozzy & Drix was a pretty decent show. In some ways, it improved on the movie (Maria was a better "stronk female character" than Leah, who was quite simply flat as cardboard)
Zachary Lee
Don't get me wrong, as long as they have 3 decent seasons I'm glad when shows end before they get stale. What I mean is it saddens me that things like Johnny Bravo and Dexter came to and end and more things like My Gym Partner is a Monkey and Camp Lazlo is what took their place. Which is still nowhere near that state of Decay CN Is in now.
