Pokémon

Ten-year-old Ash Ketchum oversleeps on the most important day of his life and ends up with the one Pokémon nobody wanted — a Pikachu that refuses to listen to him and would rather electrocute him than cooperate. That's how Ash Ketchum's dream of becoming a Pokémon Master begins, and honestly, the shaky start is what makes it work. After nearly getting torn apart by a flock of angry Spearow, Ash and Pikachu reach an understanding, and from there it's 276 episodes of catching creatures, gym battles, and run-ins with Team Rocket — a trio of villains so incompetent they loop back around to being genuinely endearing. Ash picks up traveling companions along the way, starting with Misty, who's mostly following him because he wrecked her bike. The dynamic between the cast keeps things moving even when the formula is predictable, and the creature designs are still some of the most iconic in animation. The tone is comedic and action-packed without ever getting heavy — it's comfort viewing that holds up surprisingly well. If you grew up with Digimon Adventure or Yu-Gi-Oh, this is the one that started the whole creature-collecting anime wave in the late '90s. Even Beyblade owes it something. Studio OLM gave it a bright, clean look that aged better than you'd expect from 1997. It's not deep, but it's not trying to be. It's a kid chasing a dream with a stubborn electric mouse, and that's enough.