Teen Titans
The anime-influenced DC superhero show that nailed the mid-2000s tonal whiplash — dark arcs one episode, gag-faced slapstick the next. Puffy AmiYumi's theme is still stuck in your head. Cartoon Network cancelled it after five seasons in 2006, and the 2013 spinoff only made fans madder.
Developed by Glen Murakami with David Slack and Sam Register, and drawing on Marv Wolfman and George Pérez's 1980s DC Comics runs, Teen Titans premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, with a look and tone unlike anything else on kids' TV — anime-influenced character acting mixed with Western comedy and genuinely dark story arcs. The roster of Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, Raven, and Beast Boy became instantly beloved, all anchored by Puffy AmiYumi's infectious theme song and that 'Titans, GO!' battle cry.
Over five seasons and 65 episodes through 2006, the show earned cult status for its refusal to talk down to its audience: one week it was all over-the-top gag faces and Beast Boy's terrible jokes, the next a surprisingly heavy multi-episode arc that landed for real. The anime technique of exaggerated expression became its signature move, letting the tone shift in a single cut. The TV movie Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo closed the series out on September 15, 2006.
Cartoon Network declined to renew after season 5, and fans never quite let it go. The comedy spinoff Teen Titans Go! became a long-running hit after its 2013 launch — but for devoted viewers of the original run, its very existence felt like proof that something special had been squandered.
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