movies/tv Continuity in cartoons, your stance?

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

For several cartoons, there's almost no continuity. One episode could have a character turned into a sack of baloniga, only to be fine the next episode as if it never happened. For other shows, continuity plays an important part. It can range from call backs, permanent changes, and sequel episodes, to myth arcs lasting the entire series, to long sprawling stories spanning several episodes. With that being said, what is your stance on continuity in cartoons?

 

If a cartoon is say, 3-4 season long zany gag comedy, then you can get away with little or no continuity. But, if your planning a myth arc of sorts, if you plan to revisit plot points, or if your planning for more 4 seasons. Then it's important to have continuity in some way. Lack of continuity can lead to a series growing stale from the lack of evolution, as well an increase risk at flanderization. Continuity can keep the show fresh, and allows the dynamics or a formula for a show to change and evolve.

[Sanic Screwdriver 345]

It really depends on the series. I prefer continuity to no continuity though, however I prefer the shows either have extreme continuity or none at all. Seeing shows with continuity in some points mess something up at another really bugs me for some reason. Honestly it depends on the show. Shows like Spongebob or Invader Zim can get away with it because there is really no point to have continuity, while shows like Avatar The Last Airbender have it as a necessity to their plot. Littlest pet shop is a show with no need for continuity, however,  it constantly references back to older episodes, and doesn't do things that changes the series in order to have some sense of continuity, without making it absolutely necessary. To recap I love any and all continuity when it's appropriate! 

[Megas 27,934]

Depends on the show. On one hand, continuity works for certain character-driven shows like My Little Pony or My Life as a Teenage Robot, and it's mandatory for something like Avatar.

 

On the other hand I could give two shits for continuity for something like Beavis and Butthead or Spongebob

[Discordian 6,015]

I really don't mind it being that way. They can do whatever they want with the characters, episodes and plot and everything "resets" in the next scene or episode. Even in the most story-centric of franchises they can write something off as "lolcartoons". It increases the amount of freedom the writers have with their characters.

[Alleviate 342]

Continuity is important in a story, so if each episode or two is it's own mini-arc, it's fine to mess about with it. During a main plot, it's generally a bad idea to throw new, inexplicable, unexplored things around, Sonic Underground I mention no names. (God, I was tasteless back then...)

[sweetolebob18 728]

The Simpsons, for example, started back in the late 1980s on the old Tracy Ullman show.  They have little continuity.  Nor does Futurama, nor many other animated shows I like.

 

On the other hand, if there is no continuity the characters can't grow.  None of the Mane 6 are what they were in Season 1 (I'm talking personality here, not just Twilicorn).  IMO, they are slowly maturing & this is a good thing.

[duidamasterXD 9,627]

Yeppers, it totally depends on the show and how seriously it takes itself. If it's a comedy show that just chronicles a series of unrelated events, continuity means nothing. But if a show relies on continuity to build on its past episodes to make something bigger and better, I won't like it when it'll throw that out the window and break its own rules. That just feels like trying to have your cake and eat it too, y'know?

 

And I'm not saying that I'll nitpick every little damn thing that could be a contradiction if you look at it under a microscope. I don't know how I could enjoy anything, if I did. But if there's some important plot point or event that changed a character, it will eat at me if they're suddenly ignored.

 

As a rule of thumb, I like continuity. Even in things that typically don't make much use of it, because it'll usually just come with some "Aha!" moment that makes me feel more connected to what's going on.

[TenorSounds 832]

Like the others said, it depends on the cartoon. I do prefer having continuity over not having it, personally. One of my favorite shows at the moment, Steven Universe, focuses heavily on continuity since it's about the main character growing and learning about his powers and the history of the world he lives in.

[Lisa 5,553]

I prefer continuity, one of my most favourite cartoons is Avatar: The Last Airbender which was an entire story made into a cartoon and chopped up in 30 minute-long pieces. (If that's how long the episodes were, I can't remember). I feel like it just makes a more interesting story than the skit-like stories from cartoons such as Spongebob.

[Silver Letter 1,832]

Continuity is necessary for any plot driven fiction in my opinion. It's very important to keep intact.

[Ashen Pathfinder 16,163]

As others have said it depends on the individual show itself.

 

One of my favorite comedy cartoons ever is Blazing Dragons, and while there was some nod to light continuity, it was never a focus of the show itself, and I'm glad for that!

 

On the other hand, we have shows like Avatar where continuity is a main focus, and again, I'm glad for that.

 

Really, variety is the spice of life, and it's good to have both.

[Moved to Elsewhere 11,331]

It depends om which kind of cartoon you're going for. If you're going for more of a Looney Tunes based cartoon, there's really no need for any major continuity since most of the story is gag based.

 

If you're trying to be more serious of heck, even slice of life, continuity can actually strengthen your story.

[Koukatsu 5,899]

I'm not the first to say it's a show by show basis.

Let's take MLPFiM, the obvious choice for at least one example. The story is lighthearted, and (usually) reliant on continuity. It works off of solid lore, and has several multi-episode stories through it's run, but in it's entirety, it can go back to any moment.

Now let's look at Adventure Time. It has SO MUCH LESS continuity. The only multi-episode stories are really deep, emotional, and give some lesser characters a lot more depth and background. You can take any episode that isn't a multi-episode, and enjoy it's crazy silly antics. The only real continuity is some real long haul stuff, like Finn having the Enchiridian in several episodes after the initial recovery of it in 1x5.

How about Regular Show? That's entirely off the wall, and I'm not sure it has any multi-episode stories to tell. You can tune in on any episode to get a few decent laughs, and it has almost 0 continuity.

[TheMisterManGuy 344]

I'm not the first to say it's a show by show basis.

Let's take MLPFiM, the obvious choice for at least one example. The story is lighthearted, and (usually) reliant on continuity. It works off of solid lore, and has several multi-episode stories through it's run, but in it's entirety, it can go back to any moment.

Now let's look at Adventure Time. It has SO MUCH LESS continuity. The only multi-episode stories are really deep, emotional, and give some lesser characters a lot more depth and background. You can take any episode that isn't a multi-episode, and enjoy it's crazy silly antics. The only real continuity is some real long haul stuff, like Finn having the Enchiridian in several episodes after the initial recovery of it in 1x5.

How about Regular Show? That's entirely off the wall, and I'm not sure it has any multi-episode stories to tell. You can tune in on any episode to get a few decent laughs, and it has almost 0 continuity.

Multi-episode stories? FiM is about as episodic as Adventure Time, which in some cases, actually has MORE continuity than FiM. The only real multi-episode stories are the 2-part season bookends, which Adventure Time has too.

[Koukatsu 5,899]

Multi-episode stories? FiM is about as episodic as Adventure Time, which in some cases, actually has MORE continuity than FiM. The only real multi-episode stories are the 2-part season bookends, which Adventure Time has too.

Not quite as much, and I would argue that FiM has more continuity. I'm looking at it from the point of "how many episodes [make sense/be entertaining] if I never saw any other episodes?"