I don’t know if this really counts but there was an episode of the Proud family where a boy in a wheelchair claims to be in love with Penny. He spray paints love messages everywhere and Penny and her friends are all suspended for it. Even when the real culprit is caught literally all he has to do is say “I’m sorry”. Penny agrees to go out with him because she feels sorry for him but he turns out to be a real jerk. He’s rude to everyone, including her family and even invites himself on their family vacation. Penny feels like she can’t say anything about it because he acts like a victim like “you only don’t like me because I can’t walk”. He gets away with just about everything because everyone feels they have to tiptoe around him (no pun intended)
Wow, never knew this shows that not everyone with a disability can be kinder and considerate Still not sure why in some kids shows there came unfair or hated moments like this
@@CBMOA I think the message is that being different doesn’t give you the right to be disrespectful whether you’re physically disabled, mentally disabled, LGBT+, etc…
Another BTAS episode is the one where Bruce disguises himself as a homeless guy and gets put into a forced labor camp. While it's not though of much these days, slavery is STILL very much alive today. It also touches on poverty and homelessness due to the amount of homeless people in that episode. Ignoring the amnesia trope, pretty good episode.
And then with Pokémon Sun & Moon, there’s of course the episode “One Journey Ends… Another Begins” where Stoutland actually dies and it shows Litten’s grief afterwards. Both Ash and Meowth are very sad about Stoutland’s passing and the effect it had on Litten.
Hoo...boy. The early seasons of Pokémon (and the first three films) are *FILLED* with episodes and moments that are super melancholic and serious material. Stuff ranging from the great lengths Ash goes to in order to protect Pikachu in the first two episodes, Brock's mother having passed away when he was still a young teen and his father being absentee for much of his young life, Misty being the picked-on little sister of her family, Pikachu refusing to give up even when outclassed by Lt. Surge's Raichu, Jessie having a really deprived and harsh childhood, James running away from an exceptionally oppressive and suffocating arranged marriage as a boy, Meowth learning to walk and talk like a human in the misguided hope it would win the love of a female Meowth who instead spurns him as "a walking talking freak", the Ghost of Maiden's Peak, the Lavender Tower episode where Ash and Pikachu almost d!'e and are briefly made ghosts by the ghost Pokémon in the tower, Gym Leader Sabrina being an isolated and mentally split girl who didn't know how to control her psychic powers and struggled with making friends. And that's before you get to the movies, particularly the heart-wrenching aspect of Mewtwo being lost in existentialism and struggling to understand what he is, what meaning and purpose life has; including his own as an artificial bioengineered lifeform. A special preview short film that accompanied the Japanese version of the First Movie called Mewtwo's Birth even goes into the tragedy of other clones (the three Kanto starters) that were created alongside Mewtwo (including a little girl) dy!'ng before fully gestating in their growth vats. And then the third Pokémon movie centers on a girl named Molly who gets separated from her parents and retreats into a fantasy world created by the Unown Pokémon feeding off her imagination to try to avoid dealing with the hurt of losing her parents. A lot of this has to do with the fact that the primary writer for the show, Takeshi Shudo (who is also the creator of Lugia) struggled his whole life with alcoholism and dru'g abuse and was dependent on them to help his creativity, but at an obvious hard cost to himself.
@@GreyWolfLeaderTW Of course as we see the later seasons also have a lot of emotional moments like “A Cellular Connection” where Squishy (or as it’s called in Japanese Puni-Chan), gets separated from Ash and his friends after they encountered Team Flare in the previous episode. Bonnie is absolutely distraught about Squishy being missing and she’s desperate to find it again, leading to an argument between her and Clemont, her older brother. Also later on in the episode Clemont’s Bunnelby gets injured badly and this causes Bonnie guilt as she feels he got injured because of her. There’s a special flower needed to cure Bunnelby, but it’s out of season and can only be found in a forest full of territorial and very hostile Bug types such as Scolipede. Bonnie goes off on her own to get the flower and Clemont finds her while she’s searching, promising that he doesn’t blame her for Bunnelby getting hurt and that once he’s better, Clemont will help Bonnie look for Squishy again. They do manage to get the flower and Bunnelby gets fully healed. Squishy had also returned at that point, as it had secretly been watching Bonnie after it ran away.
@@GreyWolfLeaderTW I dont think Brocks Mum ever died that was somthing the DUB just said. That and they is a stand alone Episode about brock going back to his Gym and his mum turns it into a water Gym.
The Underdwellers has a moment that especially underscores how big a deal the subject matter is. Batman TAS follows the traditional depiction of Batman's use of violence - that is, he has a high value on human life, and does not kill, even the most ruthless of criminals. However, the cruelty on display in this story is so severe that Batman proclaims, "I don't pass sentence! That's for the courts! But this time. . . This time I am sorely tempted to do the job myself!" The writers doing an expert job of demonstrating how much of a real-world problem such exploitation is by showing Batman on the edge of his own moral compass, something the likes of even The Joker had not provoked in the series thus far.
That's So Raven had an episode that tackled racism in a workplace: Raven applies for a job at clothing store but her friend Chelsea is chosen for the position instead. Then she has a vision of the manager full on admitting she doesn't hire black people, so she plans to expose her by having her mom record the confession on camera resulting in the woman getting fired
One I used to watch every year. Hey Arnold Christmas. Mr. Hyunh tells Arnold that his baby daughter got the last seat on a helicopter to American during the Vietnam war but he hadn’t been able to find her since coming to America.
Also the Pigeon Man episode. The city's ignorant hatred literally drive a man to fly off into the sunset, Arnold being unable to help the situation despite making friends with him.
There was an episode of Punky Brewster where Cheri got stuck in a refrigerator during a game of hide and seek. Also the episode of teen titans where Raven confronts her father and calls him out for being abusive - "You may have created me, but you were never my father! Fathers are kind! Fathers protect you! Fathers raise you! I was protected by the monks of Azarath, I was raised by my friends!"
When I saw BraveStarr episode "The Price" for the first time, it shocked me. It was such a heavy episode even for a series that deals in crimes and consequences. Very few, if any others, took the consequence of substance abuse that far at the time. It was such a heartbreaking episode.
I'd recommend some more Jem and the Holograms episodes. They had a handful of episodes where they tackle various topics like illiteracy, foster care, abuse, neglect, depression, and death, but I think the more stand out episodes for serious topics are The Music Awards Pt. 1 and 2 (S1E13-14) which deals with abuse, neglect, and runaways, Father's Day (S2E7) which deals with the loss of a father and neglect, Out of the Past (S2E25) which deals with the loss of a mother, and Riot's Hope (S3E11) which deals with an abusive parent. If I were to choose one episode, I think it'd be Riot's Hope. Jem episodes can have a mix of light-hearted (and sometimes whacky) and serious tones, but the tone of that episode was straight up serious throughout the entire episode. I think it'd be a good one to cover, but I'd recommend watching them all (or the entire show. lol).
"Transformers: Prime" had an episode called "Stronger, Faster" in which Ratchet uses synth-en and he becomes addicted to it. It clearly demonstrates the physical and psychological effects that a substance can have on someone.
I have a suggestion: Thomas and Friends’ Escape. It’s basically one engine saving another from death/scrapping, which was a big deal when the original story was written in 1968
"The Counselor" Mr. Belvedere Formula for Hate came out in 1992, I was seven and had already heard a lot about AIDS by then. Drugs and AIDS were the two big PSAs they kept hitting you with, saving the rain forests probably came third. The Mr. Belvedere episode "Wesley's Friend" came out in 1986 and on the DVD commentary the actress who played the mom said she thought they were doing something groundbreaking but by the time it aired, a lot of other shows had already beaten them to the subject.
"I'll get Doc Clayton." "Don't bother. It's already too late." I remember nothing of BraveStarr other than his horse being able to stand on two or four legs like a transformer, but that episode stuck with me.
That episode hit like a semi. I remember turning to my mother and saying, "He... *died*." I was just shocked because you never saw that in any of these episodes; it was always the "I have to go to rehab, but I promise I'll get clean" ending. But in that episode, there were permanent repercussions. That always stuck with me.
Got a lesser-known, slightly unconventional one for you- Transformers Animated S1EP4- Thrill of the Hunt. In this show the character Ratchet is a war veteran, and this episode sees him have multiple PTSD flashbacks to a particular event from the war. It's all treated really respectfully. Through the episode Optimus Prime is offering to listen if Ratchet opens up about his experiences- Ratchet refuses at first, but after the events of the episode he has a change of heart and confides in Prime. In fact, Ratchet's entire storyline through the show is about trauma from his past re-emerging, but this episode is a good self-contained example.
In the series Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers, one episode has Gadget give up on inventing after several failed inventions cause issues in the team. Her depression leads her to quit the Rescue Rangers and become the target of a local group called the Cola Cult. At the same time, one member of the Cola Cult is trying to reach out to the Rangers for help and is being continuously silenced by other cult members. It's still pretty light but it is kinda chilling seeing Gadget fall victim to her depression and the cult's false promise of having a place to belong being repeated over and over again to it's unwary members.
I remember that it turned out that one of Gadget's inventions was sabotaged by the cult leader's assistant because he didn't want the Rescue Rangers to find out that he had been scamming the members out of their money and was planning to usurp the cult leader in the process!
I think something great about the Teen Titans episode is also how unknown racism can happen. When Star tells them Troq means 'nothing', the team misunderstands and thinks it's just a word until she explains it better. It's the same way how people from another culture can sometimes run into problems where they hear someone calling someone a certain name but they don't know the meaning behind it.
@@LetsRunItBackit’s actually the perfect followup go the episode featured in this video as it directly connects the ending of the racism episode with it
Oh hey,that's the episode I brought up in the previous video, while there are some great gems in modern cartoons, they don't make as many as they used to in the 90's/2000s [which given the rise of bad faith critics, I can see why it would be a challenge]
I have another suggestion: X-Men The Animated Series has dozens of episodes that could count, due to the subject material's connection to themes of intolerance. But one that really sticks out to me is the two part episode, "Time Fugitives," from Season 2. Depicting anti-mutant violence in the wake of the spread of a mysterious virus, it served as a metaphor for the homophobic reactions to AIDS.
One good one is Avatar The Last Airbender's "The Storm" which shows both Aang and Zuko's traumatic pasts. Aang has survivor's guilt of running away from the Nomads shortly before the genocide happened and Zuko's past comes back revealing his scar comes from his father burning him for speaking out at a war room meeting.
Oh my god, a video that talks about Jem! I was thinking I was gonna have to suggest this one when I finished watching through all of these Very Special Episode videos, but you actually did it already! I first saw the episode Alone Again when I was in early elementary school and it traumatized me with the scene where Laura, while high, hallucinates her lunchbox turning into a bird and then tries to jump out a third story window, onto concrete below, because her mind decided that she's a bird. I didn't fully understand what was happening in the scene at the time, but I was terrified since I knew she could get badly hurt, and Jerrica was so terrified when she went to save Laura from jumping out the window. I understand the scene much better now as an adult, and wow, realizing what could have possibly happened to Laura if Jerrica didn't save her almost re-traumatized me! Thank you for covering the episode, it covers an important topic! I only saw the episode when I did since my mother had a DVD set of the series since she was a fan of the show growing up, and she forgot the episode existed. She says if she had remembered, she would have told me to skip that episode until I was a little bit older since I could be quite sensitive to things and got traumatized easily when I was little.
You're welcome, I'm happy that I was able to include a episode that means so much to you. Thank you for watching my videos, and it makes me happy that you enjoy the series.
The Captain Planet Aids episode may be at odds with kids nowadays. But remember this was the 90s. In a pre-9/11 world, adult rat mutants in trench coats could've hung out at high schools without raising the alarm with teachers and school staff.
Static Shock has a lot of episodes like this, but one I often see overlooked is the episode Tough As Nails. The episode focuses on a bang baby named Allie, AKA Nails, who was lured to Gotham by Harley and Ivy. Using aliases, they promised a cure to metahuman affliction, and use it to blackmail Nails into committing crimes for them. The episode came out back when the internet was still new, and there wasn't much education about the dangers that came with it. The lesson is that not everyone online is your friend, and that you have to be careful.
The GI Joe story that involved the Joes and Cobra teaming up to battle a drug kingpin was awesome. Cuz i loved how it answered the question, what kind of evil would have to come across to get both sides to team.up.
The episode of Captain Planet where Wheeler ends up on the street, having lost his memory and doesn't remember he's a Planeteer. This episode tackles homelessness, and poverty among youth.
What always comes to mind first with special episodes for me is the episode from Arthur, "April 9th" where a fire occurs at the school and it explores the different reactions of the characters. That episode has always stuck with me for its serious tone and heavy subject matter, not to mention that it was made as a response to 9/11.
I come back to your videos not just for the great content, but for your lovely voice. Very gentle and comforting, and rather similar to Kevin Michael Richardson (although I'm sure you get that a lot lol) Great video!
One episode that hit me was in Full House. DJ and Kimmy are peer pressured into drinking at a college party. It ends with DJ preventing Kimmy from driving home drunk explaining that a drunk driver killed her mom and that she didn't want the same thing to happen to her best friend.
There’s another episode of full house where they tackle underage drinking. It was an earlier episode where DJ caught a guy that she had a crush on and a couple of his friends drinking, but Jesse caught her holding a can when she was trying to stop it and he thought she was drinking.
In the last episode, when you were talking about Full House, I expected it to be the one where the eldest girl catches a couple of boys drinking beer at school. When she calls them out, they splash her with it, and then run away as her dad approaches... And then the dad just starts bitching this poor girl out for smelling like beer without even so much as THINKING about asking her what happened, with no reason shown for him to automatically assume her to be in the wrong, and he never considers any of this to be a mistake on his part until one of the younger girls tells him that the eldest is upset. I never watched a whole lot of that show but I saw that episode like 5 different times growing up and even back then it made me really mad to see the adult in the situation have a kneejerk reaction, rather than getting to the bottom of what REALLY happened and taking action accordingly. It helped to cement certain unhealthy ideas I had about most adults not being trustworthy and being "out to get" kids for their own satisfaction growing up due to unrelated traumas. When I look back on it as an adult, it makes me think this episode could have been handled a lot better because as it is, it doesn't much set a good example for grownups as to what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation with your children, OR for children that the adults in their lives SHOULD be the ones they turn to if they find themselves in any kind of trouble without fear of punishment.
It wasn't DJ's dad that approached her in the hallway smelling of beer it was her uncle Jesse! And I remember that her dad and Joey didn't believe her either when she tried to explain what happened. She ended up having Mrs. Gibler driving her back to the school to prove her innocence. The guys finally realized that she was telling the truth after Kevin, her date, told them what really happened. It still pisses me off about Jesse's overreacting to the incident!
The Troq episode of Teen Titans helped me finally feel seen. I cried when I saw that another woman who at least looked whte, was experiencing racial discrimination and prejudice and people actually acknowledged it, cared and defended her, because no one ever did for me. Even though it was in an animated show, it helped at least a little bit to have the validation that racism can be experienced by anyone, not just people of certain skin tones, when in pretty much any other show when racism was discussed, we're presented as the aggressors. During that time I was experiencing the same type of bullying and harassment from my peers that people of other races say they've experienced, yet no one cared when it was happening to me. If anything they also laughed or engaged in it too. I didn't understand why it was wrong when other kids experienced that same type of bullying, but no one cared when I was the victim of it for the same reasons. When I would try to defend myself, the response would be "Oh, it's because I'm (insert race here)!" I didn't understand why they were just allowed to get away with it and even blamed me for it, like I deserved it. As an adult, I STILL see it. If anything it's even worse. I hate going out in public because I deal with at least one person spewing microaggressions, EVERY. TIME. But if I were to speak out against it, I'd be the villain and others would immediately stand in to defend the other person without even caring what the situation was. Seeing that Teen Titans episode helped me see that I wasn't crazy, that it IS the behavior and beliefs that are wrong and that it isn't just wrong based on the race of the person perpetuating it.
Arthur has quite a bit of episodes that deal with serious topics. -“April 9th” deals with coping with disasters and the aftermath. -“the great macgrady” deals with cancer and the different ways children cope with illness. -“so long sparky”deals with loss of a pet -grandpa Dave’s memories deals with grandparents changing with age (leaning more towards dementia and Alzheimer’s)
About the BTAS Underdwellers episode, this is one of rare/only times where Batman honestly considered breaking his no-kill rule. The Rat King pissed him off that much.
I don't know if this counts as a "special" episode too, but after seeing Jem "Alone Again", it reminded me of another Jem episode: Out of the Past. It explored not only Jerrica and Kimber's childhood growing up with their parents, but it also covers a significant ambiance of grief with Jerrica missing her mother and wishing to honor her spirit.
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a VSE, per se, but there was one episode of Danny Phantom that stands out in my mind for its message - "My Brother's Keeper". It was about a new school counselor who turned out to be a soul-sucking ghost feeding on the children's misery, and in a weird way, it kind of dealt with the topic of depression in teenagers. As well as gaslighting and the fine line between being supportive and trying to force someone to be happy. It's a big turning point for Danny's sister, Jazz, and is one of the few episodes in the series that tries to explore the mental/emotional toll of Danny's secret life - not just on himself, but his family, as well. So I think it might be worth a mention!
I know FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman has three episodes on distracted driving, the PowerPuff Girls has Equal Fights about the right and wrong way to go about gender equality, Super Mario World has Little Learning about bullying, and Yo-Kai Watch had a web exclusive episode about peer pressure and damaging your eyes but it was taken down
Batman: TAS episode The Underdwellers even has a part where the kid he brings back to Wayne Manor has a gun pointed at Alfred. Batman takes it away and even says “children and guns do not mix” and how it wasn’t loaded but it could’ve been. So they mixed in a bunch of messages in episodes like that. Good list and ty for doing these videos. I grew up with all these shows and you definitely do a good job with the videos. Keep it coming please.
There was an episode of Static Shock where he helped a mentally ill and unhoused girl with ice powers named Permafrost. (I think her actual name was Marie but don't remember for sure) It was a really great look at mental illness and homelessness
Thank you for more of these. I like seeing the ones I remember seeing when I was a CHILD (as Ren Hoëk would say) a ones I haven't seen but seem to be at the same level in messages
Even though Animaniacs was often known for humor, parody, and satire, they've also had very deep, emotional content. One particular episode that stood out was "A Gift of Gold," which centered around the adventures of a piece of gold wrapping paper, who went from being a stunning beauty (at least, in her opinion, anyway), to being reduced to a piece of scrap paper. Spoiler warning: The episode concluded with a homeless family, celebrating a young boy's birthday. The dismantled piece of paper was used to lovingly wrap the boy's birthday present, and he kept it in his pocket, to cherish forever. Not only was this a commentary on the environment, but on homelessness, as well. Jim Cummings' narration gave the episode an extra special touch. Another episode that deserves recognition is "Inherit the Wheeze," from Pinky and the Brain, another series that was also often known for its clever parody and satire. However, this particular episode focused on the dangers of smoking. Brain was being subjected to a series of tests, on nicotine addiction, and became the spokesperson, or mouse, as it were, for a popular brand of cigarettes. Spoiler alert: If it hadn't been for Pinky's intervention, he would've continued in this fashion. It was Pinky's concern and compassion for his health, that really drove the message home.
Hi great video and I'm glad you reviewed the teen Titans episode troq it's one of the reasons Starfire is my favorite character. I also enjoyed how the other titans backed her up without hesitation and their hero worship of val yor disappeared as soon as they found out he was being racist towards their friend. That also proves Starfire's other message that many don't judge others for the way they look or where they're from and those are the people whose words truly matter.
I just thought of some Sesame Street episodes 1 dealt with the death of the beloved shop keeper Mr. Hooper after the actor who played him Will Lee died,2 the Hurricane where Big Birds nest was destroyed by a storm ,3 the Elmo 9/11 episode where Elmo is traumatized by a fire at Hooper's store ,4 they tackled racism, 5 they addressed the effects of having a parent Incarcerated, 6 they have a muppet with autism
The episodes about drug addiction reminded me of a couple from He-Man. One is where Teela’s friend, I don’t remember her name, meets a strange old woman who gives her a potion to be more stronger and energetic. The friend is shy and timid and wants to be more outgoing or something like that, but goes the wrong way. After a few potions, the woman who is actually a bad guy in disguise, tells her to steal something if she wanted another potion. That time, he reveals himself, doesn’t give her the potion, and she faints. She’s found by the good guys and reveals what happened. They used the magic ring the bad guy gave the girl to catch him and defeat him. The other one that came to mind was a similar episode, I think it’s from She-ra. A boy wins boy of the year, but he’s been getting drugs in the form of a flower by the bad guys. He realizes just how bad it is when his brother or friend also gets a dose of the flower. Fortunately, everyone’s okay at the end of the episode. Sorry if it’s vague, I can’t remember all the details.
Another one I remember watching recently is Batman Beyond, not sure of the name of the episode...but Terry gets contacted by a girl with psychic abilities, but when he arrives to her house, shes not there. The parents tell her their daughter was taken to school for people like her. Turns out its a child TRAFFICKING thing, as they want to exploit her powers...
I feel like one episode that isn't brought up as much as it should, is the transformers G1 episode, the golden lagoon, which tackles the problems wars take on the environment and even when. The good guys win, the consequences are very dire
For the next live action vid, the old show Ghostwriter had an episode called "What's Up With Alex?" that talked about Drugs. Or if you want a break from talking about drugs, it also has an episode called "To the Light" which is loosely about homelessness.
I grew up watching the OG "Ghostwriter". Calling it old is wild to me since I also grew up with TGIF on ABC! 😂😂😂 Outside of that, "Building Bridges" is also a great 4-episode GW arc. It deals with gang violence.
There's also the one where the gang finds out that their community garden has been poisoned by chemical waste and lots of people, including Alex's little sister, have gotten sick from it. A very good episode about the effects of pollution
For Live Action, I'd like to put in "A my name is Alex" from Family Ties, which was a two parter set in the aftermath of a friend of Alex (played by Michael J. Fox) dying in a car accident and his emotional breakdown in dealing with the grief. The second part is amazingly done with it being set like its on a stage with Alex talking to an off-screen psychiatrist about his thoughts on his friend dying, plus his feelings about things like being smart, his family, and his beliefs. Also, Home Improvement had some good ones like "The Longest Day" when they think Randy has cancer, but it's actually a thyroid issue and "What a Drag" when Brad is caught with pot and we learn that Jill experimented with pot when she was younger at a Led Zepplin concert and had a bad reaction from it due to it being laced with something, sending her to the hospital and was in jail afterwards due to someone turning her in.
the best part of "Troq" was that Cyborg talks to Starfire about it. He tells her that he understands what its like to be discriminated against. The audience realizes that under the superhero robotic parts, he is a person of colour and he does understand.
I don't know if this is considered a special episode but I think the Josh is done episode of Drake & Josh could be a good one to cover also the Chuckie's wonderful life episode of Rugrats where Chuckie imagines a world without him is another good suggestion.
Corny as it may sound, The Real Ghostbusters episode " Follow that Hearse" has an important environmental message and also the fact that the GBs spare the spirit.
The Ed, Edd n Eddy episode, "Dueling Eds" was considered one about cultural sensitivity. Mainly the parts with Rolf being crushed by Eddy's blasphemy, especially the latter's remark of "stupid fishball".
I just recently started watching your videos. Among the ones I've seen, including this one, this is pretty good. As for suggestions for future videos on special episodes, I have three: April 9th (an episode of Arthur from 2002 dealing with a school fire), Nancy's New Friend (an episode of Fancy Nancy where Nancy meets Lionel's autistic cousin Sean), and Princesses Soccer Spectacular (an episode of Princess Power where the show's four princesses, mainly Rita, deal with a young blind girl that wants to play soccer).
The Pokemon Sun and Moon anime had several episodes where things got really real. Episode 21 'One Journey Ends, Another Begins...' And episode 79 'Showering the World with Love!' both touch on loss and grieving, in different ways. In episode 21 the Stoutland that had been a reoccurring character and mentor for the Litten takes sick and eventually passes away (it's just old age really). Marking, I *think* the first time in the entire series that a (permanent) death happened /in/ the show (as opposed to before, as there's been multiple episodes dealing with ghosts of people who had died in the past) AND one that directly affected the main character. Anyone who has lost a pet can relate so hard to this episode. And episode 79 the class gets to see a Minior shower (Minior = tiny little meteor like pokemon) and them popping out of their shells and ultimately fading away once no longer protected by their shell. And it's revealed right at the end that no, they're not going back to space, they are dying. This is the final step in the Minior's life cycle. So, more touching on loss and letting go (one of the characters had experienced this before when he was younger but blocked out the painful memory of having to say goodbye to his new friend).
There was an episode of C.O.P.S. that dealt with drugs where the COPS and Crooks team up to take down a drug dealer. Very similar to the G.I. Joe episode you highlighted here.
The Jem episode Alone hits close to home especially since I have lost family to drug addiction & overdose, I even the Captain Planet AIDS episode great work on another emotional video.
Now this is podracing! I don't have any suggestions this time, just want to say, good luck. The algorithm seems to have hit you with a big one, and I love to see it
I don’t know if this counts, but I grew up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 2003 and some episodes that stayed with me were “Still Nobody” which focuses on gang violence and the importance of walking away from it and the episode “The Ancient One” where Leonardo had to face his PTSD firsthand and how to let go of his trauma
Hey I noticed that you’ve been alternating between animated episodes and live action episodes throughout the series and I think that’s a great idea I actually have a suggestion for the next time we do a live action portion may I suggest that you tackle the two episodes of zoom that aired following the September 11 attacks America‘s kids respond and America’s kids remember because it really in my opinion helped youth deal with the trauma of events by telling them how to cope with their feelings in a healthy manner and I really think it was groundbreaking considering that those events were so unexpected
@@LetsRunItBack Thanks again just so you know these are pretty easy to find just remember their titled America’s kids respond and America’s kids remember Respectably
Congrats on 2,000 subs, my dude! :) You've been doing great. Keep up the excellent work on these videos. I also wanted to say that I hope you're not overwhelmed with all the requests you've been getting about this topic. I know it can be easy to feel burned out on something that you're asked to talk about repeatedly, so I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay about it. Especially with the bevy of heavy topics discussed in episodes like these and how many good & impactful ones of them there are across generations of TV.
Thank you, and I'm doing ok with the request and making the videos. I already plan to take a short break after the next video by doing 1-2 different videos before returning to the series. Also with October coming I will dive into Halloween stuff. Thanks for the concern though. I get joy seeing you guys liking the videos.
I'd say that 1. 1/4 of Steven Universe is Very Special Episodes, including ones dealing with PTSD, racism, familial abandonment, grief, and more. You could probably do a full episode on the series without much difficulty. 2. Even early Pokemon had an area dedicated to dealing with loss of loved ones by having the ghost Marowak fight in Lavender Town. So the anime having episodes dealing with that matter makes sense.
TROQ was one of my favorite Teen Titans episodes because in the end it shows people they do matter. There's a few episodes of Batman cartoons that deal with serious issues like Underdwellers. There's an episode about a girl named "Ace" who's not only a danger to herself but a danger to everyone around her. If she were to die she could kill everyone around her (Even though technically this is a Justice League episode it still deals with Batman)
My suggestions: The Owl House season 3 episode 1: Thanks to Them - This episode deals with the kids' trauma, but it particularly highlights Luz's depression resulting from her trauma. There are even hints of suicidal ideation. MASH season 1 episode 17: Sometimes You Hear the Bullet - A VSE because MASH was intended to be a comedy, but the writers wanted to experiment with a more dramatic episode. This was the first serious episode of the series, and it proved that it was perfectly acceptable to include drama in your comedy. Especially since the setting was the Korean War, and by its very nature, it was impossible to show only the hijinks the doctors got up to during lulls. SYHTB ultimately shaped MASH into the dramedy we all know and love today. Molly of Denali season 1 episode 1 (production order): Grandpa's Drum - This is the official opening episode of this PBS Kids series that focuses on the adventures of an Alaska Native girl in the interior of Alaska. As an introductory episode, it makes quite an impact by immediately discussing an issue that has never been addressed in children's media before: The government's forced assimilation programs for Native kids. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has several VSEs, including One Bad Apple, Tanks for the Memories, and Flight to the Finish.
The episode of Tiny Toon one drink was actually done by the creators of the show in the most sarcastic way possible because they didn't want to do a very special episode. They made that episode to troll the studio and were pleased with the reaction their malicious compliance received.
I have another one. Where There's Smoke, episode of That's So Raven. Raven suspects Cory is smoking, so Raven gathers all his friends to talk to him about the dangers of smoking, but finds out it was Cindy (Cory's girlfriend), who was the one smoking, But after hearing all the things they told Cory, she was gonna quit
There's a Transformers G1 episode known as the Golden Lagoon where even though its message is not constantly present it has powerful scenes that illustrates the devastation the Transformers wars has wrought.
C.O.P.S had one as well. It was an old cartoon of the 80s where one of the villians succumbed to drug use as well. Arthur had so many The Littles had two. One with drugs and the other drinking.
The Bravestarr episode was wild. It is kinda odd to think of a hallucinogen killing someone, but otherwise it's not the worst anti-drug episode I've ever seen.
Not sure if this one has been suggested, but Arthur had an episode that was made in response to the terrorist attack on 9/11. The episode is called "April 9th" and it's a fascinating dive into various different responses to traumatic incidents, from "missing out" to loss of sentimental objects (something that I think should be touched on more) to irrational behavior (Arthur's and Binky's anxiety and paranoia)
It's been requested alot lately and i in my notes for when I do Part 5. Thanks for suggesting however and if you ever think of more leave them in the comments 😎
There were a couple of live action shows that got "hooked" on "Very Special Episodes" and eventually forgot to be comedies. "Grace Under Fire" comes to mind. As far as actually good "Very Special Episodes" go, though, Home Improvement had an episode where Brad had a serious health scare, and Roseanne had a famous one where they had to deal with Dan's parents suffering from Alzheimer's, leading to people actually taking John Goodman seriously as an actor. Star Trek: The Next Generation had an infamous one called "Symbiosis" about one species of aliens getting another species hooked on drugs. Babylon 5 had a story arc where the doctor was addicted to "stims," or a type of futuristic amphetemines. Doctor Who had "Vincent and The Doctor," a really sad episode where the Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh. Amy takes it upon herself to save Van Gogh from suicide, and when they get back to the present, she's horrified to learn that nothing had changed. The Doctor comforts her by explaining that some things are inevitable, but at least they gave Van Gogh one more good day than he'd had before.
Two animated examples I can think of at the top of my head: Transformers: Prime - "Stronger, Faster" Air date: September 17, 2011 Covers: Substance abuse The episode features Ratchet, the Autobot's medical officer, desperately trying to find a way to help his teammates in the field. He makes a synthetic form of energon, their life-blood, and uses it on himself to test it. He eventually becomes addicted to it and becomes rage-filled and reckless in the battlefield. He gets himself into some trouble with the Decepticons and gets hurt. He gets saved by his team and learns a valuable lesson. The Lion Guard - "Long Live the Queen" Air date: October 20, 2019 Covers: Death and grief The episode begins with a warning to parents of young viewers to watch with them as it deals with death and loss. The episode is the only episode of a Disney Jr. show so far to have a warning at the beginning of the episode. The episode begins as normal with the show's usual formula and we see the Lion Guard saving others. Then it takes a tragic turn as the character Queen Janna, the queen of the Night Pride, completes her journey in the circle of life. On screen we see Janna peacefully pass away surrounded by her loved ones and friends. The character, Rani, Janna's granddaughter and heir, is now facing not only grief but the heavy burden of becoming queen. Not gonna lie the Lion Guard episode hit me. I lost my mother back in 2020 and whenever I binged TLG a couple years after it hit close to home. Back then I was around 24-26 at the time. I'm now 28 and it still hits. Almost cried typing the description for it. I know this might not make it into a video but I just wanted to share some episodes that deal with the "heavier" topics. Hopefully someone else remembers as well.
Im not sure if this would count but in the Sym-Bionic Titan episode "the Phantom Ninja" Lance (the former soldier character) struggles to adapt into earth society and ends up becoming a vigilante beating up criminals and the moonlighting double life takes a toll on him and almost gets his friends killed when he reveals his alien tech in front of earthlings, its a good lesson about believing in others laws and not taking the law into your own hands, theres also the episode "Shaman of Fear" which tackles loss, trauma, guilt, and phobias through a villain that attacks through nightmares and the characters of Lance and Ilana go through the pain of having lost both of their parents and find it hard to fight back against fear. Ultimately it shows that while fear is powerful and things seem scary, believing in yourself and having courage is how to overcome loss and tragedy
If you're willing to cover the same show twice, then I'd reccomend "Alone at Sea" from "Steven Universe" as it covers the subject of toxic relationships. Basically, Steven tries to take Lapis Lazuli on a fishing trip. However, water is a trigger for Lapis after spending months under the water fused with Jasper as Malachite. She starts to let her guard down and have fun, until Jasper shows up and begs Lapis to fuse with her again, promising that "It'll be better this time." And that she's "changed." Lapis puts her foot down and says that what they had wasn't healthy, before knocking Jasper off the boat. It's suprisingly upfront about the subject and I respect that.
Add this to the list C.O.P.S episode The case of the lowest crime. A drug dealer named Addictum is giving out his designer drug called crystal twist and tried to promote it to Big Boss but denied, but when Berzerko tried to make a heist, he accidentally fell into a box of the drug and overdosed so both the both sides worked together to bring down the dealer.
One that I can't believe I haven't watched yet: the Arthur episode April 9th, that looks at the different ways kids can be affected by a single big traumatic event (in this case, a fire at their school). I don't know if it was ever definitively confirmed to be meant as a response to the aftermath of 9/11, but I know that it's viewed that way by a lot of people.
I remember an episode from the old Sonic adventures where at the end of the episode Sonic gives a PSA about none consenual touch. A subject I see rarely touched on in cartoon series.
I'm not sure if this was already suggested. There is a 2 part episode from Arthur called April 6th that deals with a fire at the school and how different characters feel during and after. This episode was made in the reaction to the 9/11 tragedy.
The entire pokemon franchise deals with death a lot, i was really surprised when watching it with my little brother. In indigo leaug there is an episode where a charizard is waiting for its owner in the rain, but the thing is that the owner abandoned it because he thought it was weak. It amost dies, since it must keep its tail flame lit to survive.
There’s an episode of Doug in which Patti goes on a crash diet before a track event, thinking if she drops weight it’ll make her faster. She nearly passes out before the race, and fortunately a female couch recognizes the problem and is able to help. As Told By Ginger had many episodes dealing with heavy subjects, but one that comes to mind (aside from the brilliant And Then She Was Gone) is one where Ginger starts taking caffeine so she can stay awake for class work. (And it’s not animated but I rarely see this subject tackled: Disney Channel’s The Famous Jet Jackson had an episode tackling ageism, in which his elderly grandmother gets a job as a receptionist for a pediatrician. But the doctor is skeptical of her skill because of her age, and when she gives advice to two parents (one whose child simply had gas, and the other who suffered motion sickness) he blows her off, believing that because she’s old, her suggestions are all outdated and invalid.
![กี่หมื่นฟ้า | Your Sky Series EP.1 [2/4]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qJbQs_nhjD4/mqdefault.jpg)
You know you messed up when Cobra and G.I. Joe decide to team up to take you down
Cobra draws the line at bodily harming others: mind control is one thing, but you don’t physically hurt others!
Agreed, it appears even Cobra has its limits and believes fatal drugs are pushing it too far.
I don’t know if this really counts but there was an episode of the Proud family where a boy in a wheelchair claims to be in love with Penny. He spray paints love messages everywhere and Penny and her friends are all suspended for it. Even when the real culprit is caught literally all he has to do is say “I’m sorry”. Penny agrees to go out with him because she feels sorry for him but he turns out to be a real jerk. He’s rude to everyone, including her family and even invites himself on their family vacation. Penny feels like she can’t say anything about it because he acts like a victim like “you only don’t like me because I can’t walk”. He gets away with just about everything because everyone feels they have to tiptoe around him (no pun intended)
Thanks for the suggestion, I will look it up and put it in my notes for a future video!
Wow, never knew this shows that not everyone with a disability can be kinder and considerate
Still not sure why in some kids shows there came unfair or hated moments like this
OG Proud Family was good. It's a shame how crappy Louder and Prouder is.
@@LetsRunItBack I'll suggest the Static Shock Christmas episode with Perma Frost
@@CBMOA I think the message is that being different doesn’t give you the right to be disrespectful whether you’re physically disabled, mentally disabled, LGBT+, etc…
Another BTAS episode is the one where Bruce disguises himself as a homeless guy and gets put into a forced labor camp. While it's not though of much these days, slavery is STILL very much alive today. It also touches on poverty and homelessness due to the amount of homeless people in that episode. Ignoring the amnesia trope, pretty good episode.
I remember that episode. Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
@@lycanthis9963 That’s one of my favorite episodes!
And then with Pokémon Sun & Moon, there’s of course the episode “One Journey Ends… Another Begins” where Stoutland actually dies and it shows Litten’s grief afterwards. Both Ash and Meowth are very sad about Stoutland’s passing and the effect it had on Litten.
Just added to my notes, thanks for suggesting!
Hoo...boy. The early seasons of Pokémon (and the first three films) are *FILLED* with episodes and moments that are super melancholic and serious material.
Stuff ranging from the great lengths Ash goes to in order to protect Pikachu in the first two episodes, Brock's mother having passed away when he was still a young teen and his father being absentee for much of his young life, Misty being the picked-on little sister of her family, Pikachu refusing to give up even when outclassed by Lt. Surge's Raichu, Jessie having a really deprived and harsh childhood, James running away from an exceptionally oppressive and suffocating arranged marriage as a boy, Meowth learning to walk and talk like a human in the misguided hope it would win the love of a female Meowth who instead spurns him as "a walking talking freak", the Ghost of Maiden's Peak, the Lavender Tower episode where Ash and Pikachu almost d!'e and are briefly made ghosts by the ghost Pokémon in the tower, Gym Leader Sabrina being an isolated and mentally split girl who didn't know how to control her psychic powers and struggled with making friends.
And that's before you get to the movies, particularly the heart-wrenching aspect of Mewtwo being lost in existentialism and struggling to understand what he is, what meaning and purpose life has; including his own as an artificial bioengineered lifeform. A special preview short film that accompanied the Japanese version of the First Movie called Mewtwo's Birth even goes into the tragedy of other clones (the three Kanto starters) that were created alongside Mewtwo (including a little girl) dy!'ng before fully gestating in their growth vats. And then the third Pokémon movie centers on a girl named Molly who gets separated from her parents and retreats into a fantasy world created by the Unown Pokémon feeding off her imagination to try to avoid dealing with the hurt of losing her parents.
A lot of this has to do with the fact that the primary writer for the show, Takeshi Shudo (who is also the creator of Lugia) struggled his whole life with alcoholism and dru'g abuse and was dependent on them to help his creativity, but at an obvious hard cost to himself.
@@GreyWolfLeaderTW Of course as we see the later seasons also have a lot of emotional moments like “A Cellular Connection” where Squishy (or as it’s called in Japanese Puni-Chan), gets separated from Ash and his friends after they encountered Team Flare in the previous episode. Bonnie is absolutely distraught about Squishy being missing and she’s desperate to find it again, leading to an argument between her and Clemont, her older brother. Also later on in the episode Clemont’s Bunnelby gets injured badly and this causes Bonnie guilt as she feels he got injured because of her. There’s a special flower needed to cure Bunnelby, but it’s out of season and can only be found in a forest full of territorial and very hostile Bug types such as Scolipede. Bonnie goes off on her own to get the flower and Clemont finds her while she’s searching, promising that he doesn’t blame her for Bunnelby getting hurt and that once he’s better, Clemont will help Bonnie look for Squishy again. They do manage to get the flower and Bunnelby gets fully healed. Squishy had also returned at that point, as it had secretly been watching Bonnie after it ran away.
@@cassandraspoelhof3752I still think Squishy becomes her starter once she becomes a trainer.
@@GreyWolfLeaderTW I dont think Brocks Mum ever died that was somthing the DUB just said. That and they is a stand alone Episode about brock going back to his Gym and his mum turns it into a water Gym.
The Underdwellers has a moment that especially underscores how big a deal the subject matter is. Batman TAS follows the traditional depiction of Batman's use of violence - that is, he has a high value on human life, and does not kill, even the most ruthless of criminals. However, the cruelty on display in this story is so severe that Batman proclaims, "I don't pass sentence! That's for the courts! But this time. . . This time I am sorely tempted to do the job myself!" The writers doing an expert job of demonstrating how much of a real-world problem such exploitation is by showing Batman on the edge of his own moral compass, something the likes of even The Joker had not provoked in the series thus far.
I said in a previous video that Batman was not closer to killing a guy than this one
That's So Raven had an episode that tackled racism in a workplace: Raven applies for a job at clothing store but her friend Chelsea is chosen for the position instead. Then she has a vision of the manager full on admitting she doesn't hire black people, so she plans to expose her by having her mom record the confession on camera resulting in the woman getting fired
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
This is easily one of the most memorable episodes of That's So Raven.
One I used to watch every year. Hey Arnold Christmas. Mr. Hyunh tells Arnold that his baby daughter got the last seat on a helicopter to American during the Vietnam war but he hadn’t been able to find her since coming to America.
It's in my notes for a future episode, thanks for suggesting!
My all-time favorite episode. :)
A very good episode that dates the show a bit, but unfortunately we can play it again in about 10-15 years just by changing Mr. Huynh's ethnicity.
@@kyuven What?
Also the Pigeon Man episode. The city's ignorant hatred literally drive a man to fly off into the sunset, Arnold being unable to help the situation despite making friends with him.
There was an episode of Punky Brewster where Cheri got stuck in a refrigerator during a game of hide and seek. Also the episode of teen titans where Raven confronts her father and calls him out for being abusive - "You may have created me, but you were never my father! Fathers are kind! Fathers protect you! Fathers raise you! I was protected by the monks of Azarath, I was raised by my friends!"
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
Not a bad choice, but Raven and Trigon's relationship wasn't really the focus of the episode, the fight for survival was.
It's likely been suggested but don't forget of course the Mr Hooper episode of Sesame Street in which Big Bird learns about death
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
When I saw BraveStarr episode "The Price" for the first time, it shocked me. It was such a heavy episode even for a series that deals in crimes and consequences. Very few, if any others, took the consequence of substance abuse that far at the time. It was such a heartbreaking episode.
I agree,I felt so bad for Jay's friends,Brad and Daisy and his mom in the end when he died!
I like how Cyborg was the one that reached out in that episode because he most likely faced discrimination before he even got his powers.
I'd recommend some more Jem and the Holograms episodes. They had a handful of episodes where they tackle various topics like illiteracy, foster care, abuse, neglect, depression, and death, but I think the more stand out episodes for serious topics are The Music Awards Pt. 1 and 2 (S1E13-14) which deals with abuse, neglect, and runaways, Father's Day (S2E7) which deals with the loss of a father and neglect, Out of the Past (S2E25) which deals with the loss of a mother, and Riot's Hope (S3E11) which deals with an abusive parent. If I were to choose one episode, I think it'd be Riot's Hope. Jem episodes can have a mix of light-hearted (and sometimes whacky) and serious tones, but the tone of that episode was straight up serious throughout the entire episode. I think it'd be a good one to cover, but I'd recommend watching them all (or the entire show. lol).
Thanks for all the great suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
@@LetsRunItBack You're very welcome. Love the videos! Keep up the great work!
"Transformers: Prime" had an episode called "Stronger, Faster" in which Ratchet uses synth-en and he becomes addicted to it. It clearly demonstrates the physical and psychological effects that a substance can have on someone.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I have a suggestion: Thomas and Friends’ Escape. It’s basically one engine saving another from death/scrapping, which was a big deal when the original story was written in 1968
Thanks for suggesting that, I will add it to my notes now!
"The Counselor" Mr. Belvedere
Formula for Hate came out in 1992, I was seven and had already heard a lot about AIDS by then. Drugs and AIDS were the two big PSAs they kept hitting you with, saving the rain forests probably came third. The Mr. Belvedere episode "Wesley's Friend" came out in 1986 and on the DVD commentary the actress who played the mom said she thought they were doing something groundbreaking but by the time it aired, a lot of other shows had already beaten them to the subject.
The counselor episode is in my notes. Thanks for suggesting!
"I'll get Doc Clayton." "Don't bother. It's already too late."
I remember nothing of BraveStarr other than his horse being able to stand on two or four legs like a transformer, but that episode stuck with me.
That episode hit like a semi.
I remember turning to my mother and saying, "He... *died*." I was just shocked because you never saw that in any of these episodes; it was always the "I have to go to rehab, but I promise I'll get clean" ending. But in that episode, there were permanent repercussions. That always stuck with me.
I suggest Avatar the Last Airbender episode Appa's Lost Days which depicts animal cruelty in one scene.
Added to my notes for a future video. Thanks for suggesting!
That episode won a Genesis Award from the US Humane Society for its depiction of animals held captive in the circus.
Or the episode where Katara almost falls to the dark side by wanting to get revenge on the person who killed her mother.
Got a lesser-known, slightly unconventional one for you- Transformers Animated S1EP4- Thrill of the Hunt. In this show the character Ratchet is a war veteran, and this episode sees him have multiple PTSD flashbacks to a particular event from the war. It's all treated really respectfully. Through the episode Optimus Prime is offering to listen if Ratchet opens up about his experiences- Ratchet refuses at first, but after the events of the episode he has a change of heart and confides in Prime.
In fact, Ratchet's entire storyline through the show is about trauma from his past re-emerging, but this episode is a good self-contained example.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
In the series Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers, one episode has Gadget give up on inventing after several failed inventions cause issues in the team. Her depression leads her to quit the Rescue Rangers and become the target of a local group called the Cola Cult. At the same time, one member of the Cola Cult is trying to reach out to the Rangers for help and is being continuously silenced by other cult members. It's still pretty light but it is kinda chilling seeing Gadget fall victim to her depression and the cult's false promise of having a place to belong being repeated over and over again to it's unwary members.
Thanks for the suggestion, I put it in my notes floor a future video!
Their theme still lives rent-free in my head to this day.
@@baffledbrandon3132
Saaaame! I love singing along to old Disney cartoons!
I remember that it turned out that one of Gadget's inventions was sabotaged by the cult leader's assistant because he didn't want the Rescue Rangers to find out that he had been scamming the members out of their money and was planning to usurp the cult leader in the process!
I think something great about the Teen Titans episode is also how unknown racism can happen. When Star tells them Troq means 'nothing', the team misunderstands and thinks it's just a word until she explains it better. It's the same way how people from another culture can sometimes run into problems where they hear someone calling someone a certain name but they don't know the meaning behind it.
Kickin' it off with Jem? Noice. Im a huge Jem fan and this episode hit like a truck.
I suggest the Static Shock episode Frozen Out which deals with the struggles of homelessness.
I have it noted, and it will be in a future entry. 😎
suggested this an hour ago on the first video, it’s a good one!
@@LetsRunItBackit’s actually the perfect followup go the episode featured in this video as it directly connects the ending of the racism episode with it
Oh hey,that's the episode I brought up in the previous video, while there are some great gems in modern cartoons, they don't make as many as they used to in the 90's/2000s [which given the rise of bad faith critics, I can see why it would be a challenge]
I have another suggestion: X-Men The Animated Series has dozens of episodes that could count, due to the subject material's connection to themes of intolerance. But one that really sticks out to me is the two part episode, "Time Fugitives," from Season 2. Depicting anti-mutant violence in the wake of the spread of a mysterious virus, it served as a metaphor for the homophobic reactions to AIDS.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
Professor X and Magneto are really supposed to represent MLK and Malcolm X before he started to have a change of heart.
One good one is Avatar The Last Airbender's "The Storm" which shows both Aang and Zuko's traumatic pasts. Aang has survivor's guilt of running away from the Nomads shortly before the genocide happened and Zuko's past comes back revealing his scar comes from his father burning him for speaking out at a war room meeting.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
Oh my god, a video that talks about Jem! I was thinking I was gonna have to suggest this one when I finished watching through all of these Very Special Episode videos, but you actually did it already! I first saw the episode Alone Again when I was in early elementary school and it traumatized me with the scene where Laura, while high, hallucinates her lunchbox turning into a bird and then tries to jump out a third story window, onto concrete below, because her mind decided that she's a bird. I didn't fully understand what was happening in the scene at the time, but I was terrified since I knew she could get badly hurt, and Jerrica was so terrified when she went to save Laura from jumping out the window. I understand the scene much better now as an adult, and wow, realizing what could have possibly happened to Laura if Jerrica didn't save her almost re-traumatized me! Thank you for covering the episode, it covers an important topic! I only saw the episode when I did since my mother had a DVD set of the series since she was a fan of the show growing up, and she forgot the episode existed. She says if she had remembered, she would have told me to skip that episode until I was a little bit older since I could be quite sensitive to things and got traumatized easily when I was little.
You're welcome, I'm happy that I was able to include a episode that means so much to you. Thank you for watching my videos, and it makes me happy that you enjoy the series.
Glad you took my BraveStarr suggestion.
Thanks for the idea!
I'll be here for very special episodes Part 83 if I have to wait that long for mine. I adore this channel and all the viewers here.
I'm happy that you have been enjoying the video. Thanks for watching!
The Captain Planet Aids episode may be at odds with kids nowadays. But remember this was the 90s. In a pre-9/11 world, adult rat mutants in trench coats could've hung out at high schools without raising the alarm with teachers and school staff.
Static Shock has a lot of episodes like this, but one I often see overlooked is the episode Tough As Nails. The episode focuses on a bang baby named Allie, AKA Nails, who was lured to Gotham by Harley and Ivy. Using aliases, they promised a cure to metahuman affliction, and use it to blackmail Nails into committing crimes for them. The episode came out back when the internet was still new, and there wasn't much education about the dangers that came with it. The lesson is that not everyone online is your friend, and that you have to be careful.
Thanks for the suggestion, I put it in my notes for a future video!
The GI Joe story that involved the Joes and Cobra teaming up to battle a drug kingpin was awesome. Cuz i loved how it answered the question, what kind of evil would have to come across to get both sides to team.up.
The episode of Captain Planet where Wheeler ends up on the street, having lost his memory and doesn't remember he's a Planeteer. This episode tackles homelessness, and poverty among youth.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
That transition at 3:00 was so smooth!
What always comes to mind first with special episodes for me is the episode from Arthur, "April 9th" where a fire occurs at the school and it explores the different reactions of the characters. That episode has always stuck with me for its serious tone and heavy subject matter, not to mention that it was made as a response to 9/11.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I come back to your videos not just for the great content, but for your lovely voice. Very gentle and comforting, and rather similar to Kevin Michael Richardson (although I'm sure you get that a lot lol)
Great video!
Thank you, I'm happy you enjoy my content!
One episode that hit me was in Full House. DJ and Kimmy are peer pressured into drinking at a college party. It ends with DJ preventing Kimmy from driving home drunk explaining that a drunk driver killed her mom and that she didn't want the same thing to happen to her best friend.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
There’s another episode of full house where they tackle underage drinking. It was an earlier episode where DJ caught a guy that she had a crush on and a couple of his friends drinking, but Jesse caught her holding a can when she was trying to stop it and he thought she was drinking.
There was an episode of Captain Planet named “Teers in the Hood” that dealt with gang violence.
Just put it in my notes, thanks for the suggestion
In the last episode, when you were talking about Full House, I expected it to be the one where the eldest girl catches a couple of boys drinking beer at school. When she calls them out, they splash her with it, and then run away as her dad approaches...
And then the dad just starts bitching this poor girl out for smelling like beer without even so much as THINKING about asking her what happened, with no reason shown for him to automatically assume her to be in the wrong, and he never considers any of this to be a mistake on his part until one of the younger girls tells him that the eldest is upset.
I never watched a whole lot of that show but I saw that episode like 5 different times growing up and even back then it made me really mad to see the adult in the situation have a kneejerk reaction, rather than getting to the bottom of what REALLY happened and taking action accordingly. It helped to cement certain unhealthy ideas I had about most adults not being trustworthy and being "out to get" kids for their own satisfaction growing up due to unrelated traumas. When I look back on it as an adult, it makes me think this episode could have been handled a lot better because as it is, it doesn't much set a good example for grownups as to what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation with your children, OR for children that the adults in their lives SHOULD be the ones they turn to if they find themselves in any kind of trouble without fear of punishment.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
It wasn't DJ's dad that approached her in the hallway smelling of beer it was her uncle Jesse! And I remember that her dad and Joey didn't believe her either when she tried to explain what happened. She ended up having Mrs. Gibler driving her back to the school to prove her innocence. The guys finally realized that she was telling the truth after Kevin, her date, told them what really happened. It still pisses me off about Jesse's overreacting to the incident!
The Troq episode of Teen Titans helped me finally feel seen. I cried when I saw that another woman who at least looked whte, was experiencing racial discrimination and prejudice and people actually acknowledged it, cared and defended her, because no one ever did for me. Even though it was in an animated show, it helped at least a little bit to have the validation that racism can be experienced by anyone, not just people of certain skin tones, when in pretty much any other show when racism was discussed, we're presented as the aggressors. During that time I was experiencing the same type of bullying and harassment from my peers that people of other races say they've experienced, yet no one cared when it was happening to me. If anything they also laughed or engaged in it too. I didn't understand why it was wrong when other kids experienced that same type of bullying, but no one cared when I was the victim of it for the same reasons. When I would try to defend myself, the response would be "Oh, it's because I'm (insert race here)!" I didn't understand why they were just allowed to get away with it and even blamed me for it, like I deserved it. As an adult, I STILL see it. If anything it's even worse. I hate going out in public because I deal with at least one person spewing microaggressions, EVERY. TIME. But if I were to speak out against it, I'd be the villain and others would immediately stand in to defend the other person without even caring what the situation was. Seeing that Teen Titans episode helped me see that I wasn't crazy, that it IS the behavior and beliefs that are wrong and that it isn't just wrong based on the race of the person perpetuating it.
Arthur has quite a bit of episodes that deal with serious topics.
-“April 9th” deals with coping with disasters and the aftermath.
-“the great macgrady” deals with cancer and the different ways children cope with illness.
-“so long sparky”deals with loss of a pet
-grandpa Dave’s memories deals with grandparents changing with age (leaning more towards dementia and Alzheimer’s)
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
@@LetsRunItBack April 9th is definitely the one I would recommend. It’s been one of my favourite episodes :)
About the BTAS Underdwellers episode, this is one of rare/only times where Batman honestly considered breaking his no-kill rule. The Rat King pissed him off that much.
When you posted the BraveStarr one, it reminded me of an episode of He-Man, where a friend of Teela's gets hooked on a substance.
That will be in a future episode, since it is in my notes 😎
I already suggested that one. 😉
I don't know if this counts as a "special" episode too, but after seeing Jem "Alone Again", it reminded me of another Jem episode: Out of the Past. It explored not only Jerrica and Kimber's childhood growing up with their parents, but it also covers a significant ambiance of grief with Jerrica missing her mother and wishing to honor her spirit.
Thanks for the suggestion, I will look it up and put it in my notes for a future video!
I'm not sure if this qualifies as a VSE, per se, but there was one episode of Danny Phantom that stands out in my mind for its message - "My Brother's Keeper". It was about a new school counselor who turned out to be a soul-sucking ghost feeding on the children's misery, and in a weird way, it kind of dealt with the topic of depression in teenagers. As well as gaslighting and the fine line between being supportive and trying to force someone to be happy.
It's a big turning point for Danny's sister, Jazz, and is one of the few episodes in the series that tries to explore the mental/emotional toll of Danny's secret life - not just on himself, but his family, as well. So I think it might be worth a mention!
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I know FETCH! with Ruff Ruffman has three episodes on distracted driving, the PowerPuff Girls has Equal Fights about the right and wrong way to go about gender equality, Super Mario World has Little Learning about bullying, and Yo-Kai Watch had a web exclusive episode about peer pressure and damaging your eyes but it was taken down
Thanks for the suggestions, I will look them up and put them in my notes for future videos!
Batman: TAS episode The Underdwellers even has a part where the kid he brings back to Wayne Manor has a gun pointed at Alfred. Batman takes it away and even says “children and guns do not mix” and how it wasn’t loaded but it could’ve been. So they mixed in a bunch of messages in episodes like that.
Good list and ty for doing these videos. I grew up with all these shows and you definitely do a good job with the videos. Keep it coming please.
Thank you very much, I'm happy your enjoying videos. It means a lot.
@@LetsRunItBack very welcome and thanks again :)
There was an episode of Static Shock where he helped a mentally ill and unhoused girl with ice powers named Permafrost. (I think her actual name was Marie but don't remember for sure) It was a really great look at mental illness and homelessness
Thanks for the suggestion, I put it in my notes for a future video!
Thank you for more of these. I like seeing the ones I remember seeing when I was a CHILD (as Ren Hoëk would say) a ones I haven't seen but seem to be at the same level in messages
You're welcome, I'm happy you enjoy the series!
Even though Animaniacs was often known for humor, parody, and satire, they've also had very deep, emotional content. One particular episode that stood out was "A Gift of Gold," which centered around the adventures of a piece of gold wrapping paper, who went from being a stunning beauty (at least, in her opinion, anyway), to being reduced to a piece of scrap paper. Spoiler warning: The episode concluded with a homeless family, celebrating a young boy's birthday. The dismantled piece of paper was used to lovingly wrap the boy's birthday present, and he kept it in his pocket, to cherish forever. Not only was this a commentary on the environment, but on homelessness, as well. Jim Cummings' narration gave the episode an extra special touch.
Another episode that deserves recognition is "Inherit the Wheeze," from Pinky and the Brain, another series that was also often known for its clever parody and satire. However, this particular episode focused on the dangers of smoking. Brain was being subjected to a series of tests, on nicotine addiction, and became the spokesperson, or mouse, as it were, for a popular brand of cigarettes. Spoiler alert: If it hadn't been for Pinky's intervention, he would've continued in this fashion. It was Pinky's concern and compassion for his health, that really drove the message home.
Thanks for the suggestions, I will look them up and put them in my notes for future videos!
Hi great video and I'm glad you reviewed the teen Titans episode troq it's one of the reasons Starfire is my favorite character. I also enjoyed how the other titans backed her up without hesitation and their hero worship of val yor disappeared as soon as they found out he was being racist towards their friend. That also proves Starfire's other message that many don't judge others for the way they look or where they're from and those are the people whose words truly matter.
Static Shock did a WAY better job of tackling racism than that stupid unnecessary reboot of The Proud Family.
That's because it wasn't written by far left lunatics.
"Black people can't be racist!"
"Slaves built this country."
Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit.
That they did.
I just thought of some Sesame Street episodes 1 dealt with the death of the beloved shop keeper Mr. Hooper after the actor who played him Will Lee died,2 the Hurricane where Big Birds nest was destroyed by a storm ,3 the Elmo 9/11 episode where Elmo is traumatized by a fire at Hooper's store ,4 they tackled racism, 5 they addressed the effects of having a parent Incarcerated, 6 they have a muppet with autism
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
The episodes about drug addiction reminded me of a couple from He-Man. One is where Teela’s friend, I don’t remember her name, meets a strange old woman who gives her a potion to be more stronger and energetic. The friend is shy and timid and wants to be more outgoing or something like that, but goes the wrong way. After a few potions, the woman who is actually a bad guy in disguise, tells her to steal something if she wanted another potion. That time, he reveals himself, doesn’t give her the potion, and she faints. She’s found by the good guys and reveals what happened. They used the magic ring the bad guy gave the girl to catch him and defeat him. The other one that came to mind was a similar episode, I think it’s from She-ra. A boy wins boy of the year, but he’s been getting drugs in the form of a flower by the bad guys. He realizes just how bad it is when his brother or friend also gets a dose of the flower. Fortunately, everyone’s okay at the end of the episode. Sorry if it’s vague, I can’t remember all the details.
Thanks for the suggestion, I will look it up and put it in my notes for a future video!
Holy Snapple I feel seen! Both of my suggestions were on here
Means you made some great choices 😎
I actually suggested the Gi Joe episode
Another one I remember watching recently is Batman Beyond, not sure of the name of the episode...but Terry gets contacted by a girl with psychic abilities, but when he arrives to her house, shes not there. The parents tell her their daughter was taken to school for people like her.
Turns out its a child TRAFFICKING thing, as they want to exploit her powers...
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I feel like one episode that isn't brought up as much as it should, is the transformers G1 episode, the golden lagoon, which tackles the problems wars take on the environment and even when. The good guys win, the consequences are very dire
Thanks for the suggestion, I put it in my notes for a future video!
For the next live action vid, the old show Ghostwriter had an episode called "What's Up With Alex?" that talked about Drugs.
Or if you want a break from talking about drugs, it also has an episode called "To the Light" which is loosely about homelessness.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I grew up watching the OG "Ghostwriter". Calling it old is wild to me since I also grew up with TGIF on ABC! 😂😂😂
Outside of that, "Building Bridges" is also a great 4-episode GW arc. It deals with gang violence.
I miss Ghost Writer! That show was soooo good!
There's also the one where the gang finds out that their community garden has been poisoned by chemical waste and lots of people, including Alex's little sister, have gotten sick from it. A very good episode about the effects of pollution
For Live Action, I'd like to put in "A my name is Alex" from Family Ties, which was a two parter set in the aftermath of a friend of Alex (played by Michael J. Fox) dying in a car accident and his emotional breakdown in dealing with the grief. The second part is amazingly done with it being set like its on a stage with Alex talking to an off-screen psychiatrist about his thoughts on his friend dying, plus his feelings about things like being smart, his family, and his beliefs.
Also, Home Improvement had some good ones like "The Longest Day" when they think Randy has cancer, but it's actually a thyroid issue and "What a Drag" when Brad is caught with pot and we learn that Jill experimented with pot when she was younger at a Led Zepplin concert and had a bad reaction from it due to it being laced with something, sending her to the hospital and was in jail afterwards due to someone turning her in.
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
I remember that episode of Bravestar so well!
the best part of "Troq" was that Cyborg talks to Starfire about it. He tells her that he understands what its like to be discriminated against. The audience realizes that under the superhero robotic parts, he is a person of colour and he does understand.
The Punky brewster episode unhooking Henry is about Henry developing an addiction to pain killers
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I don't know if this is considered a special episode but I think the Josh is done episode of Drake & Josh could be a good one to cover also the Chuckie's wonderful life episode of Rugrats where Chuckie imagines a world without him is another good suggestion.
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
Corny as it may sound, The Real Ghostbusters episode " Follow that Hearse" has an important environmental message and also the fact that the GBs spare the spirit.
Thanks for the suggestion, I put it in my notes for a future video!
There was an episode of Beverly Hills Teens that dealt with crash diets and body image
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
This was great! Thank you for sharing it, God Bless You and stay safe 🙏 ❤️
Thank you, I'm happy you enjoyed the video. Same to you ❤️
The Ed, Edd n Eddy episode, "Dueling Eds" was considered one about cultural sensitivity. Mainly the parts with Rolf being crushed by Eddy's blasphemy, especially the latter's remark of "stupid fishball".
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
I just recently started watching your videos. Among the ones I've seen, including this one, this is pretty good. As for suggestions for future videos on special episodes, I have three: April 9th (an episode of Arthur from 2002 dealing with a school fire), Nancy's New Friend (an episode of Fancy Nancy where Nancy meets Lionel's autistic cousin Sean), and Princesses Soccer Spectacular (an episode of Princess Power where the show's four princesses, mainly Rita, deal with a young blind girl that wants to play soccer).
Thanks for your suggestions, I will add them to my notes to consider for future videos.
The Pokemon Sun and Moon anime had several episodes where things got really real. Episode 21 'One Journey Ends, Another Begins...' And episode 79 'Showering the World with Love!' both touch on loss and grieving, in different ways. In episode 21 the Stoutland that had been a reoccurring character and mentor for the Litten takes sick and eventually passes away (it's just old age really). Marking, I *think* the first time in the entire series that a (permanent) death happened /in/ the show (as opposed to before, as there's been multiple episodes dealing with ghosts of people who had died in the past) AND one that directly affected the main character. Anyone who has lost a pet can relate so hard to this episode.
And episode 79 the class gets to see a Minior shower (Minior = tiny little meteor like pokemon) and them popping out of their shells and ultimately fading away once no longer protected by their shell. And it's revealed right at the end that no, they're not going back to space, they are dying. This is the final step in the Minior's life cycle. So, more touching on loss and letting go (one of the characters had experienced this before when he was younger but blocked out the painful memory of having to say goodbye to his new friend).
Thanks for the suggestions, I will look them up and put them in my notes for future videos!
There was an episode of C.O.P.S. that dealt with drugs where the COPS and Crooks team up to take down a drug dealer. Very similar to the G.I. Joe episode you highlighted here.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
The Jem episode Alone hits close to home especially since I have lost family to drug addiction & overdose, I even the Captain Planet AIDS episode great work on another emotional video.
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video.
Now this is podracing!
I don't have any suggestions this time, just want to say, good luck. The algorithm seems to have hit you with a big one, and I love to see it
Thank you for the kind words and support. I truly appreciate it.
@@LetsRunItBack You got this, man. Keep it up
Glad to see two of my suggestions featured. 😃
Thanks for the ideas!
I don’t know if this counts, but I grew up with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles from 2003 and some episodes that stayed with me were “Still Nobody” which focuses on gang violence and the importance of walking away from it and the episode “The Ancient One” where Leonardo had to face his PTSD firsthand and how to let go of his trauma
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
Hey I noticed that you’ve been alternating between animated episodes and live action episodes throughout the series and I think that’s a great idea I actually have a suggestion for the next time we do a live action portion may I suggest that you tackle the two episodes of zoom that aired following the September 11 attacks America‘s kids respond and America’s kids remember because it really in my opinion helped youth deal with the trauma of events by telling them how to cope with their feelings in a healthy manner and I really think it was groundbreaking considering that those events were so unexpected
Thanks for the suggestion, I will look it up and put it in my notes for a future video!
@@LetsRunItBack Thanks again just so you know these are pretty easy to find just remember their titled America’s kids respond and America’s kids remember Respectably
Congrats on 2,000 subs, my dude! :) You've been doing great. Keep up the excellent work on these videos. I also wanted to say that I hope you're not overwhelmed with all the requests you've been getting about this topic. I know it can be easy to feel burned out on something that you're asked to talk about repeatedly, so I just wanted to make sure you were feeling okay about it. Especially with the bevy of heavy topics discussed in episodes like these and how many good & impactful ones of them there are across generations of TV.
Thank you, and I'm doing ok with the request and making the videos. I already plan to take a short break after the next video by doing 1-2 different videos before returning to the series. Also with October coming I will dive into Halloween stuff. Thanks for the concern though. I get joy seeing you guys liking the videos.
I'd say that
1. 1/4 of Steven Universe is Very Special Episodes, including ones dealing with PTSD, racism, familial abandonment, grief, and more. You could probably do a full episode on the series without much difficulty.
2. Even early Pokemon had an area dedicated to dealing with loss of loved ones by having the ghost Marowak fight in Lavender Town. So the anime having episodes dealing with that matter makes sense.
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos! That's a good idea btw to do videos like that for just 1 serious.
TROQ was one of my favorite Teen Titans episodes because in the end it shows people they do matter. There's a few episodes of Batman cartoons that deal with serious issues like Underdwellers. There's an episode about a girl named "Ace" who's not only a danger to herself but a danger to everyone around her. If she were to die she could kill everyone around her (Even though technically this is a Justice League episode it still deals with Batman)
I will look into it and add it to my notes. Thanks for suggesting
Awesome video! There are so many other very special Batman: The Animated Series episodes for future parts
I have several more written down for future videos 😎
I don’t remember much of the Batman series, but I remember the Underdwellers episode
My suggestions:
The Owl House season 3 episode 1: Thanks to Them - This episode deals with the kids' trauma, but it particularly highlights Luz's depression resulting from her trauma. There are even hints of suicidal ideation.
MASH season 1 episode 17: Sometimes You Hear the Bullet - A VSE because MASH was intended to be a comedy, but the writers wanted to experiment with a more dramatic episode. This was the first serious episode of the series, and it proved that it was perfectly acceptable to include drama in your comedy. Especially since the setting was the Korean War, and by its very nature, it was impossible to show only the hijinks the doctors got up to during lulls. SYHTB ultimately shaped MASH into the dramedy we all know and love today.
Molly of Denali season 1 episode 1 (production order): Grandpa's Drum - This is the official opening episode of this PBS Kids series that focuses on the adventures of an Alaska Native girl in the interior of Alaska. As an introductory episode, it makes quite an impact by immediately discussing an issue that has never been addressed in children's media before: The government's forced assimilation programs for Native kids.
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has several VSEs, including One Bad Apple, Tanks for the Memories, and Flight to the Finish.
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
The episode of Tiny Toon one drink was actually done by the creators of the show in the most sarcastic way possible because they didn't want to do a very special episode. They made that episode to troll the studio and were pleased with the reaction their malicious compliance received.
I have another one. Where There's Smoke, episode of That's So Raven. Raven suspects Cory is smoking, so Raven gathers all his friends to talk to him about the dangers of smoking, but finds out it was Cindy (Cory's girlfriend), who was the one smoking, But after hearing all the things they told Cory, she was gonna quit
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
There's a Transformers G1 episode known as the Golden Lagoon where even though its message is not constantly present it has powerful scenes that illustrates the devastation the Transformers wars has wrought.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
C.O.P.S had one as well. It was an old cartoon of the 80s where one of the villians succumbed to drug use as well.
Arthur had so many
The Littles had two. One with drugs and the other drinking.
Thanks for the suggestions, I will look them up and put them in my notes for future videos!
@@LetsRunItBack Welcome!
When you see someone like Thirty/Thirty being SAD, you know is a hard blow. like when Raph cries when he is looking Donnie's dead body in a TMNT comic
The Bravestarr episode was wild. It is kinda odd to think of a hallucinogen killing someone, but otherwise it's not the worst anti-drug episode I've ever seen.
Not sure if this one has been suggested, but Arthur had an episode that was made in response to the terrorist attack on 9/11.
The episode is called "April 9th" and it's a fascinating dive into various different responses to traumatic incidents, from "missing out" to loss of sentimental objects (something that I think should be touched on more) to irrational behavior (Arthur's and Binky's anxiety and paranoia)
It's been requested alot lately and i in my notes for when I do Part 5. Thanks for suggesting however and if you ever think of more leave them in the comments 😎
There were a couple of live action shows that got "hooked" on "Very Special Episodes" and eventually forgot to be comedies. "Grace Under Fire" comes to mind.
As far as actually good "Very Special Episodes" go, though, Home Improvement had an episode where Brad had a serious health scare, and Roseanne had a famous one where they had to deal with Dan's parents suffering from Alzheimer's, leading to people actually taking John Goodman seriously as an actor.
Star Trek: The Next Generation had an infamous one called "Symbiosis" about one species of aliens getting another species hooked on drugs. Babylon 5 had a story arc where the doctor was addicted to "stims," or a type of futuristic amphetemines. Doctor Who had "Vincent and The Doctor," a really sad episode where the Doctor and Amy meet Vincent Van Gogh. Amy takes it upon herself to save Van Gogh from suicide, and when they get back to the present, she's horrified to learn that nothing had changed. The Doctor comforts her by explaining that some things are inevitable, but at least they gave Van Gogh one more good day than he'd had before.
Thanks for the suggestions, I will look them up and put them in my notes for future videos!
Two animated examples I can think of at the top of my head:
Transformers: Prime - "Stronger, Faster" Air date: September 17, 2011
Covers: Substance abuse
The episode features Ratchet, the Autobot's medical officer, desperately trying to find a way to help his teammates in the field. He makes a synthetic form of energon, their life-blood, and uses it on himself to test it. He eventually becomes addicted to it and becomes rage-filled and reckless in the battlefield. He gets himself into some trouble with the Decepticons and gets hurt. He gets saved by his team and learns a valuable lesson.
The Lion Guard - "Long Live the Queen" Air date: October 20, 2019
Covers: Death and grief
The episode begins with a warning to parents of young viewers to watch with them as it deals with death and loss. The episode is the only episode of a Disney Jr. show so far to have a warning at the beginning of the episode. The episode begins as normal with the show's usual formula and we see the Lion Guard saving others. Then it takes a tragic turn as the character Queen Janna, the queen of the Night Pride, completes her journey in the circle of life. On screen we see Janna peacefully pass away surrounded by her loved ones and friends. The character, Rani, Janna's granddaughter and heir, is now facing not only grief but the heavy burden of becoming queen.
Not gonna lie the Lion Guard episode hit me. I lost my mother back in 2020 and whenever I binged TLG a couple years after it hit close to home. Back then I was around 24-26 at the time. I'm now 28 and it still hits. Almost cried typing the description for it. I know this might not make it into a video but I just wanted to share some episodes that deal with the "heavier" topics. Hopefully someone else remembers as well.
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!
Im not sure if this would count but in the Sym-Bionic Titan episode "the Phantom Ninja" Lance (the former soldier character) struggles to adapt into earth society and ends up becoming a vigilante beating up criminals and the moonlighting double life takes a toll on him and almost gets his friends killed when he reveals his alien tech in front of earthlings, its a good lesson about believing in others laws and not taking the law into your own hands, theres also the episode "Shaman of Fear" which tackles loss, trauma, guilt, and phobias through a villain that attacks through nightmares and the characters of Lance and Ilana go through the pain of having lost both of their parents and find it hard to fight back against fear. Ultimately it shows that while fear is powerful and things seem scary, believing in yourself and having courage is how to overcome loss and tragedy
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
If you're willing to cover the same show twice, then I'd reccomend "Alone at Sea" from "Steven Universe" as it covers the subject of toxic relationships.
Basically, Steven tries to take Lapis Lazuli on a fishing trip. However, water is a trigger for Lapis after spending months under the water fused with Jasper as Malachite. She starts to let her guard down and have fun, until Jasper shows up and begs Lapis to fuse with her again, promising that "It'll be better this time." And that she's "changed." Lapis puts her foot down and says that what they had wasn't healthy, before knocking Jasper off the boat. It's suprisingly upfront about the subject and I respect that.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
Add this to the list C.O.P.S episode The case of the lowest crime. A drug dealer named Addictum is giving out his designer drug called crystal twist and tried to promote it to Big Boss but denied, but when Berzerko tried to make a heist, he accidentally fell into a box of the drug and overdosed so both the both sides worked together to bring down the dealer.
Just put in my notes, thanks for the suggestion
One that I can't believe I haven't watched yet: the Arthur episode April 9th, that looks at the different ways kids can be affected by a single big traumatic event (in this case, a fire at their school). I don't know if it was ever definitively confirmed to be meant as a response to the aftermath of 9/11, but I know that it's viewed that way by a lot of people.
I have it planned for the next episode in this series since it has been requested alot over the last week.😎
I remember an episode from the old Sonic adventures where at the end of the episode Sonic gives a PSA about none consenual touch. A subject I see rarely touched on in cartoon series.
I remember that, I added ty list for when I do a video on short PSA's
I'm not sure if this was already suggested. There is a 2 part episode from Arthur called April 6th that deals with a fire at the school and how different characters feel during and after. This episode was made in the reaction to the 9/11 tragedy.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
The episodes with drugs really hit home for me. Two of my uncles died of overdose, and it still hurts to think about it.
Amazing video,fantastic job.
Thank you very much!
The entire pokemon franchise deals with death a lot, i was really surprised when watching it with my little brother. In indigo leaug there is an episode where a charizard is waiting for its owner in the rain, but the thing is that the owner abandoned it because he thought it was weak. It amost dies, since it must keep its tail flame lit to survive.
Thanks for the suggestion, I have it in my notes for a future video!
Hello, i recently joined this channel of yours. And i can't wait for more
Welcome to the channel, I can't wait to continue entertaining you!
oh man you should do that cult episode form "Rescue Ranger!" its the one about "cuckoo cola" :P
Thanks for suggesting, I put it in my notes.
@@LetsRunItBack cool :)
There’s an episode of Doug in which Patti goes on a crash diet before a track event, thinking if she drops weight it’ll make her faster. She nearly passes out before the race, and fortunately a female couch recognizes the problem and is able to help.
As Told By Ginger had many episodes dealing with heavy subjects, but one that comes to mind (aside from the brilliant And Then She Was Gone) is one where Ginger starts taking caffeine so she can stay awake for class work.
(And it’s not animated but I rarely see this subject tackled: Disney Channel’s The Famous Jet Jackson had an episode tackling ageism, in which his elderly grandmother gets a job as a receptionist for a pediatrician. But the doctor is skeptical of her skill because of her age, and when she gives advice to two parents (one whose child simply had gas, and the other who suffered motion sickness) he blows her off, believing that because she’s old, her suggestions are all outdated and invalid.
Thanks for the suggestions, I put them in my notes future videos!