#but it was a mid 2000s cartoon when serialised storytelling in western animation was still in its infancy

[elexuscal]

Danny Phantom, The Show:

geeky kid gets super powers from his parents' weird inventions! now he has to fight a rogue gallery of ghosts... but uh-oh! he still has to keep his grades up, deal with his embarrassing parents, and navigate girl troubles! rap theme song!

Danny Phantom, the Fandom, After 19 Years of Fermentation:

a child dies. but not quite. the inherent tension between life and death. the obsession of the dead for faded remnants of the living. warped green shadows on the walls of a dark laboratory. having to hide your true nature from those who should be your greatest allies. the fear of the monster you could become if you let yourself. being a ghost as a metaphor for the trans experience. a cold breath on the back of your neck in the dead of the night. rap theme song!

#also wes is there #danny phantom #okay okay i'm exagerrating on both points obviously #it's been a LONG time since i watched the original tv show #but of course it had elements of these deeper themes and that's why the fandom's lasted so long #but it was a mid 2000s cartoon when serialised storytelling in western animation was still in its infancy #the fandom has spent a long time leaning into the story lines and themes that never would have flown then