How Childhood Shows Made a Comeback: What Changed? (OP/ED)

Childhood shows like Teen Titans, Powerpuff Girls, and other popular cartoons have made a comeback. These comebacks will give, a new generation a chance to experience familiar characters and nostalgia. These reboots have changed animation style, humor, and storylines all while trying to keep the original shows’ fans interested.
by Mariana Castaneda and Delano Sutherland

Delano Sutherland
Pokémon Horizons: The Series - Pokémon Horizons is a modernized version of the iconic anime dubbed by 4Kids back in 1998, with the new Pokémon Horizons series being more focused on the duo-protagonists Liko and Roy as they attempt to uncover the mystery of their ancient pendant and Poké Ball, respectively. This is better compared to the "monster of the week" or "Gotta catch 'em all!" agenda that 4Kids Entertainment pushed out when the anime was releasing. Anime News Network enthusiastically claimed, "Pokémon Horizons is a fresh start that seeks to blend the familiar with the new." But even with all the improved things Horizons does, a single message still remains: following your dreams is okay even when the going gets tough.

The Looney Tunes Show - The Looney Tunes Show was created in 2011 and is the reboot of the original Looney Tunes. The Looney Tunes Show is, in my opinion, what you get if you strip away everything that makes Looney Tunes. Taking place in the suburbs of California, it keeps most of the characters but is now characterized by sitcom archetypes.

We have Bugs Bunny as the grounded, responsible host and Daffy Duck being the entitled, high-maintenance houseguest. Respectively, the other cast of characters fall into typical sitcom tropes. ​The reception when it first started airing was initially mixed, with Variety stating, "As pleasant as it is to see the characters again, The Looney Tunes Show represents a miscalculation—and basic misunderstanding of the franchise," but in the coming years, it became an underrated cult classic to cartoon fans alike.

​Mariana Castaneda
The Powerpuff Girls - The Powerpuff Girls also received a reboot back in 2016, bringing Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup back to television. The reboot kept the same basic characters from the original, along with the same superhero idea. Even with these things being the same, it was different in its own way by introducing a different animation style and new storylines. Although the reboot is fairly popular, nothing can beat the original. The original is often preferred among the audience because of the memorable humor and nostalgic feeling that it brings to its audience.
[Image courtesy of Hulu]

Teen Titans Go! - Teen Titans Go! and the original, Teen Titans, have many differences. But the biggest one has to be the overall tone of the show. The original is focused more on serious storylines, the characters' development, and action, while Teen Titans Go! uses shorter episodes filled with comedy and weird story plots.
[Image courtesy of CBR]

Although the reboot is more popular with younger audiences, many fans, including myself, agree that the deep stories and the action-filled original are much better. One thing that most fans agree on for the reboot is that it could have a more serious plot to it.


Even with many reboots oftentimes not being what people expect, their popularity shows that audiences enjoy seeing childhood favorites return. But changing too much of the original can make fans miss what made the originals feel special.