Cartoon Saloon: An Irish Animation Studio that Needs More Attention
Cartoon Saloon is an animation studio that should be appreciated more. They tell unique stories with unique animation, proving that 2D animation is still alive and well.

Quan is a story about a young boy tired of working for his relatives in the rice paddies and dreaming of a life where he is free to pursue whatever he desires. Doing so, he befriends an elderly bus driver, who teaches him the value of doing something you enjoy, for a living. Finding a new family, leaving your past isn't an easy task, especially for a young boy, and destiny can always find a way to turn things around in life.
Cartoon Saloon is an animation studio that should be appreciated more. They tell unique stories with unique animation, proving that 2D animation is still alive and well.
Documented human suffering is never easy to view or read about and is understandably triggering for many people, but it can be educational, and education is a key to change. An overwhelming amount queer people worldwide (and in my own country) have it far worse than I could imagine, and documentaries such as Welcome to Chechnya bring issues to light that certain groups of people would never see.
Intergenerational friendships and community can be so powerful, and this was a great example.
An aspect of She-Ra that I find refreshing is even though a large portion of the cast is on the LGBTQ+ Spectrum, being gay is never mentioned. While this might initially sound like a negative thing, in the show’s land of Etheria being on the gay spectrum is shown to be so common and normalized that straight isn’t the default. As much as there is to appreciate about narratives revolving around the obstacles that may come from being non-heteronormative, it’s nice to get immersed in a world where no one bats an eye at all to any sort of differing identity.
Animation as a medium of storytelling can be thought to be open to all ages and as I hope my reading will reveal, 'Nimona' could be interpreted as a transgender story.
In season 3 of 'Umbrella Academy', Diego, Allison, and Viktor finally get character arcs that address their unique experiences as a Latino man, a Black woman who lived through the 60s, and a trans man.