Your thoughts on Clarence

[Dr.Pepper]

I’ve been rewatching Clarence on Hulu (unfortunately they don’t have the last season). I’m normally not a binge watching kind of person, but I could easily watch five or six episodes in a row. I know most people regard it as one of CN’s worst shows, but it’s actually one of my favorites.

My history with the show is that I first saw it in the summer of 2014 while I was housesitting for someone. It was the episode about the field trip to the zoo. I enjoyed it but I didn’t give it much thought. Later in 2016, I watched it on Hulu after Steven Universe initially didnt grab my attention as much as I wanted it to (I later went back to SU but that’s another story for another day). I was pretty much obsessed during the spring of 2016. I watched new episodes whenever they came out from that point onward. I rewatched it again in 2020, but I’m not sure if it was on Hulu or Max (I’m almost certain I saw the final season so I don’t know if Hulu removed it since then).

I like the show for being surprisingly heartwarming and touching, despite the strange art style. I also find it hilarious. If Ed Edd n Eddy is a slice of life show but with cartoonish gags, this is a slice of life show with surrealistic humor. Actually it really does remind me of Ed Edd n Eddy. That mixed with Arthur as bizarre as that sounds.

My favorite episode was Mystery Girl. It’s where Clarence becomes friends with a girl he accidentally prank called. I was really hoping she would become a reoccurring character but that wasn’t the case.

Anyways, thoughts?

 

[TheGuy]

I'll admit probably one of the weaker shows of the CN Renaissance but not like Uncle Grandpa (trash). Even though Clarence's voice can be kinda annoying I do appreciate the down-to-earth feel and It does capture that childhood feel which I do like.

 

[JMTV]

I enjoy Clarence. I think it's very underrated. I didn't watch it when it first came out due to me aged out of CN after 2013. It wasn't until 2018 when I watch Season 1 of Clarence, and I thought it was charming. The show was like the less zany Ed Edd n Eddy of the 2010's, in a good way.

 

[Daikun]

This show was a nice counterweight to the more whimsical shows of the CN Renaissance. Shows with magic, fantasy, sci-fi, etc. are great, but you also need a grounded show to balance out a network, and Clarence was the right show to do it.

 

[Francisque]

It's not the worst show by any means though

If anything, I find it "endearing"

 

[Markus Nelis]

Clarence was one of those shows that it was different from others. Fun episodic show if you're into kids getting on adventures. Feels much like Craig of the Creek, too.

 

[Darklordavaitor]

I love Clarence! I like how it's basically the perfect middle ground between Ed, Edd n' Eddy- a show about kids that goes off its rockers- and Craig of the Creek- which is a largely grounded kids show- and goes for a slice of life approach that isn't afraid to go off its rockers a little. The show had its sweeter moments but it was almost always funny. I'd call both shows better at the end of the day, but I'm glad that we had it. I especially liked the relationship Clarence had with Mary and Chad, a lovely mother and stepfather pairing.

I don't know if it would really be considered one of CN's worst, but it did seem undervalued when animation fans wanted works with heavier storytelling like Steven Universe and Adventure Time, although Clarence and Gumball (as well as Uncle Grandpa, which I've also found underrated, although I like it less than all of these) were closer to what I've always liked from Cartoon Network back in the day. Sometimes you just need a good laugh, and Clarence more than fit the bill to me,

 

[toonatic#_#]

I grew up watching this area of Cartoon Network, so it has a lot of nostalgic value to me. It's not the greatest show but it's a good comfort show to put on when I don't want to watch anything new.

Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk

 

[CNNickFan]

Like, really, not as good as I remember.

I'm sorry, it's just one of the weaker CN shows, I would rather watch Adventure Time, Regular Show, We Bare Bears, Uncle Grandpa, or Steven Universe.

 

[Red Arrow]

I personally loved Clarence, but I find it hard to talk about it. It doesn't have the special art styles and jazz music that Hey Arnold and Ed Edd n Eddy have, but it has very "deep" (I can't seem to find a better word) characters. After watching all episodes, you really understand them in a way that you can't say about most other cartoons' characters.

My favorite episodes are Pilot Expansion and Clarence's Stormy Sleepover.

 

[Silverstar]

I saw bits and pieces of it, but I couldn't get into it. Grounded cartoons like Clarence, King of the Hill, These Are the Days, etc., aren't really my thing. My favorite cartoons are the ones which really take advantage of the medium; my feeling is the makers are going to restrict themselves like that, they might as well be working on live-action.

I'll admit probably one of the weaker shows of the CN Renaissance but not like Uncle Grandpa (trash).

Totally disagree; I legit liked Uncle Grandpa. Now that's an underrated CN show.

 

[Shiloh Otter]

The art style hurts my eyes, so no, I could never get into it.

 

[Checkerboard]

I actually love the show. Not because it would be the underdog, that too, but because I genuinely feel connected to the characters and like the art style. If you want to find "bad" shows from that era just look at Uncle Grandpa, Robotomy, Problem Solverz, Secret Mountain Fort Awesome, MAD. Those would be in the same bag of forgotten "meh" or "same stuff different paint".

 

[Action!]

I really like Clarence. It's a good show.

 

[Pooky]

I only watched some for the first time about six months ago. It didn't really make much of an impression on me, positive or negative, but I never went that big on Hey Arnold or Ed, Edd n Eddy either. However I am a big Peanuts fan and I have got a soft spot for Doug, so maybe I'd have liked it more if he had an anthropomorphic dog? I can see how it might have seemed a little fresher 10 years ago though. Or if, you know, I were a kid.

 

[Space Cadet]

I saw bits and pieces of it, but I couldn't get into it. Grounded cartoons like Clarence, King of the Hill, These Are the Days, etc., aren't really my thing. My favorite cartoons are the ones which really take advantage of the medium; my feeling is the makers are going to restrict themselves like that, they might as well be working on live-action.

I think the beauty of animation is that you can make "cartoony"-type shows but also shows that are more grounded in reality(of course, it depends on the type of show being made). But I respect your position!

 

[Silverstar]

^^ I definitely believe that there's a place for grounded shows; animation is an art form and like all art forms, there should be a variety, it should be able to embrace all genres and styles. That particular style just isn't for me.

 

[Dr.Pepper]

I saw bits and pieces of it, but I couldn't get into it. Grounded cartoons like Clarence, King of the Hill, These Are the Days, etc., aren't really my thing. My favorite cartoons are the ones which really take advantage of the medium; my feeling is the makers are going to restrict themselves like that, they might as well be working on live-action.

It’s cool if you didn’t like Clarence, but the show had a ton of surrealistic scenes despite the plots being relatively grounded in reality. So it has a different feel than something like Hey Arnold or Doug.

 

[Checkerboard]

Yup, the magic of Clarence is it can make even ordinary things special. I prefer it to Craig.

 

[Silverstar]

It’s cool if you didn’t like Clarence, but the show had a ton of surrealistic scenes despite the plots being relatively grounded in reality. So it has a different feel than something like Hey Arnold or Doug.

Maybe I'll give it a second look if I can find it somewhere (it's not on Max anymore).