Among the screen arts, animation occupies a special place, representing a distinctive phenomenon in modern culture. Animation has long gone beyond the sphere of entertainment, designed mainly for children’s viewers. Animated films are made not only for children: the older you become, the easier it is to grasp the nuances hidden between the lines.
Animation is a broad industry that, over a hundred years of existence, has come up with many different ways to make the pictures on the screen move. There are drawn animation, sand animation, plasticine animation, puppet animation, computer animation, and three-dimensional animation. Animators from different countries experiment with tools and come up with new visual solutions to evoke emotions in viewers. And each country has its vision of what the “right” cartoon should be. Today we have access to works of animation art from all over the world, and this allows us to travel from the comfort of our homes.
In this article, we have collected for you the most popular cartoons from more than 40 countries. Each of them reflects the cultural heritage of the country and through them, you can trace the values and norms of a particular society. Cartoons from our selection belong to completely different genres and will be interesting not only for children but also for their parents.
Chinese animated series Sanmao tells about the exploits of a boy who lived in Shanghai in the 1930s. The hero of this cartoon is one of the oldest animated characters in the world, and his name literally translates as “Three Hair”. It is this trait that will remain unchanged, despite the fact that the cartoon has been redrawn many times, by various animators. The character of Sanmao was created back in 1935, as a manhua hero.
Tom and Jerry is one of those legendary cartoon series known, without exaggeration, all over the world. The plot of most of the cartoon series centers on Tom’s futile attempts to catch the mouse and the mutilation and destruction that follows from it all. Since the characters get along quite peacefully in some episodes, it remains unclear why Tom is constantly chasing Jerry. As a rule, neither Tom nor Jerry speaks. But there are rare exceptions when there is a full-fledged, though usually short, conversation.
In 1957, the Georgian cartoonist Vakhtang Bakhtadze invented a robot assembled from constructor parts and named it “Samodelkin”. However, there was a lot of controversy about the authorship of the character, and Russia claimed to be the main creator of Samodelkin. Samodelkin is not an animated series, but a cycle of seven full-length cartoons. The first cartoon with his participation – “The Adventures of Samodelkin” was released in 1957, and later Bakhtadze made many more films with this character, the last one dated 1983.
Smurfs are fictional little creatures of sky-blue color living in the forests of medieval Europe. This Belgian animated series tells about the exciting adventures of these blue creatures. Discovering the world, Smurfs often get into trouble, but friends and family always help the heroes to deal with difficulties. This is a very cute and sometimes touching animated series, which is liked not only by children but also by their parents.
The first comic book about Asterix and Obelix was published in 1959, and since then 33 books have been published about these characters, four feature films, and 10 cartoons have been translated into dozens of languages. The authors of Asterix were comic book artist Albert Uderzo and editor René Gosinni, who met in 1951. And today, Asterix and the Obelisk is one of Europe’s most famous and popular comedy franchises.
The Polish animated series Rex is a true classic of animation, relevant at all times. The cartoon tells about the adventures of a cute dog, whose name became the name of the animation. In 1967 at the studio of animated films in the ancient Polish city of Bielsko-Biala began to create a Polish cartoon about Rex, which included short stories about the incredible adventures of a clever dog. During this period, 60 episodes about Rex were released, with the pilot episode “Rex the Polyglot”.
Professor Balthazar is a Croatian animated television series produced between 1967 and 1978. A total of 59 episodes were produced, telling the story of an old inventor named Balthazar. In each episode, someone around him has a problem, which he duly considers and invariably finds a solution. The characters on the show do not speak in any intelligible language, but instead, the narrator retells the story behind the scenes.
Cossacks is a unique animated product created by Vladimir Dakhno and Eduard Kirich. This animated series has its fans not only in Ukraine but also abroad. The very first part of the future animated series viewers saw in 1967, and the final part – in 1995. The authors initially could not decide what language to voice the cartoon, Ukrainian or Russian, but thinking that with the advent of fame, they would have to translate the cartoon into other languages, decided to limit themselves to just sounds, shouts, and gestures, which are understandable in any country.
The Brazilian animated series Monica and Friends is not very popular outside of its country, but for Brazil, it is a really significant work. The animation was based on comic books by Estudios Mauricio de Sousa, created especially for Cartoon Network. The first episode of the animated series was released in 1986 and since then there have been 11 seasons with 10 episodes each.
Pat and Mat or Tjapa and Ljapa is a Czech, animated series about two friends and neighbors Pat and Mat, created by redirector Lubomir Benes in 1976. The plot revolves around two silent characters, Pat and Mata, who are inseparable friends and neighbors. They constantly encounter various everyday problems and try to solve them using an unconventional approach and ingenuity. Despite the lack of dialog, the cartoon is easy to understand and sympathetic to viewers of all ages due to the universal language of comedy, gestures, and facial expressions.
It is a militarized animated series from North Korea featuring brave fighters Squirrel and Hedgehog and their friends defend their home Flower Hill from vicious enemies – ferrets, mice, wolves, and foxes. The first episode of the animated series was created in 1977 by the Korean Animation Film Studio named after April 26, and the last episode was released in 2012.
It is a Cuban cartoon series about Colonel Elpidio Valdés, a fighter for the liberation of Cuba from Spanish colonialism. The first episode of the cartoon was created by director Juan Padrón in 1974. Elpidio Valdés is a fictional character, but he embodies the traits of the Cuban people. The cheerful, brave Elpidio invariably defeats all enemies.
An animated film based on Istvan Fekete’s fairy tale of the same name about the adventures of a mischievous little fox, Vuk. This braggart survived a lot before he turned into a strong intelligent fox, who managed to outwit even a famous hunter. The cartoon was created in 1981 by director Dargay Attila. The plot revolves around a little fox. After the tragic death of his parents from the paws of hunters, Vuk finds himself alone in the big world. He finds refuge with his uncle Karach, who takes him under his wing and teaches him all the tricks of the forest.
This Swiss animated series tells about a mischievous penguin named Pingu, his family, and friends. All the characters of the animated series live at the South Pole and speak the “penguin” language, understandable to everyone. The restless little Pingu, his little sister, and his caring parents live in the igloo ice house, where the atmosphere is always warm. Every day Pingu finds new games and adventures and makes useful and important discoveries. The first episode of the animated series was released in 1986.
The House in the Glade is a cute cartoon from Azerbaijan, created in 1986 by Afiz Akperov. This is a story about two mice, one living in a field and the other living in the city. The mice meet in a field where the city boy has come with his masters on vacation. The cartoon was produced by Azerbaijanfilm Studio founded back in 1923.
The Amazing Adventures of the Musketeers is a full-length animated movie based on Dumas’ novel. The characters are placed in an atmosphere where the mice are musketeers and the cats are guardsmen led by a cardinal. Thus, it is obvious that the animation was intended as the Romanian answer to Tom and Jerry. The Amazing Adventures of the Musketeers is a cartoon about how cats, mice, and dogs read Dumas’ novels and decided to play Musketeers and Cardinal’s Guards.
The Nutcracker Prince is a beautiful Canadian animated film created in 1990 and capable of plunging viewers of all ages into the atmosphere of a real magical fairy tale. The plot of the animated movie gets its development on the eve of the most magical holiday – Christmas. A little girl named Clara is incredibly happy with all the gifts received from relatives, but she does not even suspect that the main and most magical gift awaits her ahead. The girl is given a strange but appealing doll called the Nutcracker.
The cartoon About the Knight Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything, created in Belarus in 1991, tells about a fairy-tale country, which is inhabited by a whole lot of amazing creatures. Here lives one very brave knight, famous for his heroic deeds for the whole kingdom. One day, during their wanderings, the brave knight and his assistant meet a real devil, which forces the protagonists to fight with him. As a result, the devil is defeated.
Jungledyret Hugo is a Danish full-length animated film from Stefan Fjeldmark and Flemming Quist Müller, which premiered worldwide on December 10, 1993. Hugo is a rare animal, possibly the last of his kind. He lives carefree in his jungle with his friends the monkeys Zig and Zag. One day a millionaire’s wife decides to make Hugo her pet. Fleeing from her, the creature ends up in Copenhagen, where he meets Rita, a street fox. Together they try to escape the dangers of the big city.
In 1993, Bangladesh’s national television broadcast an animated film about a small and fragile girl named Meena and her struggle to attend school. Since then, more than 20 episodes about the girl have been released, each with the support of UNICEF. Meena has become a cult character and has long gone beyond just cartoons.
The Axe is an animated cartoon for adults, shot at Armenfilm studio, based on the fairy tale “Brother Axe” by the classic of Armenian literature Ovanes Tumanyan. The cartoon is about the people of a certain country who don’t know what an axe is, and when one day they receive it as a gift, they only maim themselves. The Axe is a very subtle, though rather wicked satire on modern society. And despite the fact that the cartoon was released in 1994, it is still relevant today.
Pokemon is one of the most famous Japanese animated series. It is an exciting anime in which the world is populated by a variety of creatures known as Pokémon. The plot centers around a young trainer named Ash Ketchum, who dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master. His journey begins when he chooses his first Pokémon, Pikachu, and together they embark on an exciting adventure.
Elias: The Little Rescue Boat is a cartoon about an anthropomorphic lifeboat named Elias, who at home in Norway is the titular character of several books and animated series. The main character, the little lifeboat Elias, lives in Quiet Cove, plays with his friends, and occasionally, but very rarely, saves someone. Not because he’s lazy, just that there’s not much going on around him. But suddenly the big ship gets stuck in the Black Rocks and only Elias can save it in time. The full-length animated film was released in 2017.
The Simsala Grimm series, released in Germany in 1999, tells about the journey of two friends – the underdog Yo-Yo and the expert of fairy tales Croc, with the help of a magic book, in the world of fairy tales of the Grimm brothers. This cartoon is very kind, funny, and fun, in addition, the fairy-tale atmosphere that will follow the viewer from series to series will be pleasant to everyone, regardless of age and genre preferences. Each episode of the animated series will plunge the viewer into one of the magical fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm.
Winx Club is a colorful Italian animated series adored by millions of girls around the world. Famous Italian fashion designers, including the duo of Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, worked on the image of the wizards. The series of Italian animated series “Winx Club” combines elements of European style and the Japanese animation genre Maho-shojo. The main characters are six girls from different planets: Bloom, Stella, Flora, Muse, Tecna, and Leila. The characters’ looks are partly based on Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Lucy Liu, Pink and Beyoncé.
A Jordanian cartoon about two friends Ben and Izzy, Treasure Seekers, was released in 2007. The plot revolves around kids who are smart, savvy, and very curious, but unfortunately, it’s not always safe. So, for example, they go on an archaeological dig, led by Ben’s grandfather, and free the real genie. Contrary to stereotypes, the genie turns out to be not a bearded old man at all, but a cute girl named Yasmin.
This Mexican animated film, released by Ánima Estudios in 2006, is based on the TV series El Chavo del Ocho. The cartoon tells the story of a poor boy nicknamed El Chavo, who lives in a Mexican village, and his friends. Unlike the original, which is based on a 1970s setting, the cartoon takes place in the 2000s. Throughout the years, there have been more than 150 episodes of El Chavo Animado released.
This modern Estonian animated series is about a little dog named Lotte who lives in the village of Gadgetville. This village is famous for being home to inventors. Lotte has a best friend, Bruno the kitten, and a little sad bunny, Albert, who can’t make friends with anyone. Lotte’s dad is the inventor Oscar, who wins every competition. Albert’s dad is Adalbert, a jealous and inconsiderate hare, and Bruno’s dad threw the hammer so hard that he flew over the horizon and never came back, so Bruno’s mom forbids him to play sports.
Shaun the Sheep is a super popular British cartoon, which tells the adventures of animals that don’t talk but are quite clear and logical in their thinking. Sean is rightfully considered the leader of the flock. He constantly gets his fellow lambs involved in various comic situations, turning everything upside down on his home farm. Even the watchdog sheepdog named Bitzer, who wears a blue hat, called to keep order and loyalty to his master, as well as to keep an eye on the flock, cannot cope with them, and sometimes he even gets carried away by what is happening and helps them by participating in their entertainment.
At the center of the plot of this Israeli cartoon is an energetic puppy named Wipo, who has always dreamed of flying like a bird. He regularly stumbles over his long ears, until one day he swung them so hard that he managed to get off the ground. Having learned to fly thanks to his ears, he decides to embark on an unpredictable journey around the world to see the world and help those in need. He is accompanied by his best friends – a plush toy cat Betty and Henry the Stork.
Upin and Ipin, produced by the Malaysian animation studio Les’ Copaque Production, was originally conceived not as a stand-alone series, but as a spin-off of the animated film Gan: The Adventure Begins. Released during the month of Ramadan in 2007, it aimed to teach children about the significance of this holy month. The overwhelming success prompted the creators to release a second season in 2008, also centered on Ramadan. The following seasons focused more on the daily lives and adventures of the characters.
The cartoon from Kyrgyzstan Keremet Koch was initiated by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2006 and since 2007 has been broadcast on national and regional channels to stimulate the early development of children through educational and cognitive material in the Kyrgyz language. The cartoon was also adapted into Turkish and broadcast on TRT AVAZ.
Pororo the Little Penguin is, without exaggeration, the most loved and best-known animation hero in South Korea. The little blue penguin with yellow glasses is very much loved and is considered the main character in the history of Korean animation. And now he is becoming popular all over the world. The creators of the fairy tale character from Okheon chose the penguin as the main character because of its resemblance to a child.
An animated film produced by Telefónica Producciones, Ikiru Films, and Lightbox Entertainment was released in 2012. Tad, the Lost Explorer tells the story of an ordinary Chicago construction worker who dreams of exciting travels. One day he is mistaken for a famous archaeologist and sent to Peru to search for Inca treasure. There the hero awaits incredible and sometimes very dangerous adventures.
The main character of this Australian cartoon is an energetic and curious koala named Blinky Bill, who goes on a long and dangerous journey to find his missing father. Along the way, he meets new friends and learns to be more courageous and open to new experiences. This cartoon, full of humor and touching moments, is perfect for family viewing. In Australia, the adventures of Blinky Bill the koala bear have been known since childhood: books about the koala bear are classics of Australian children’s literature.
Moomins is the story of Moomi-Trolls, popular characters in the books of Finnish Swedish-speaking writer Tove Jansson, who managed to create, describe, and draw a whole universe of fairy-tale creatures. Mumi-Trolls are one of the most popular fairy tale characters of the twentieth century, thanks to which their creator became a symbol of Finland. In fact, this cartoon was created more for adults than for children.
Chhota Bhim, a.k.a. the Boy in the Orange Clothes, is a popular Indian cartoon character. He has incredible strength and constantly helps to solve difficult situations. In India, cartoons about this hero are incredibly popular among both children and adults, because they tell about the struggle for justice and the victory of good over evil.
The main character of this Swedish animated film is a bear cub named Bamse – a good-natured animal who lives with his relatives in the forest. He is absolutely no different, at first glance, from other representatives of his species, but there is one secret that makes Bamse a very special bear. The main character gains incredible strength by eating just one jar of honey. However, this cute and simple-minded superhero also has enemies, and the cartoon tells about Bamse’s fights with them.
Miffy and Friends is a Dutch animated cartoon for toddlers that tells how Miffy the rabbit and his friends embark on an endless journey that will result in them learning about friendship, communication, and counting. The first Miffy book was published on June 21, 1955, and was called Miffy at the Zoo, and there are a total of 32 books in the Miffy series. The last one came out in 2017, the year the author, Dick Bruna, died.
Nu, Pogodi! is a legendary Soviet cartoon, which is watched and loved by several generations of Russians. The main characters of this fascinating cartoon are Hare and Wolf. Wolf – a bully who is always chasing the Hare to eat him. The Hare does not let the Wolf down. The sly, mischievous Hare now and then asks Wolf “tasks”, which he solves as they come. This cartoon is a kind of Russian answer to the American Tom and Jerry.
Kelileh and Demneh is a popular Iranian fantasy animated series based on a collection of fables of the same name. In 2022, the first season of this animated series was released, consisting of 11 episodes. Each episode is a separate fable, with its deep meaning and wise moral at the end.
Keloğlan Masalları, which translates as “The Tales of Keloglan”, is a Turkish cartoon, which first aired on TRT Çocuk, in 2008. The cartoon depicts the adventures of a boy named Keloğlan, who is the symbol of truth, honesty, and goodness, and his friends. The cartoon was produced by Animaks Animation Studio and continues its adventures as a comic book in TRT Çocuk magazine.