Cartoon Animation

Cartoon animation has been part of our lives for decades—from classic Saturday morning shows to viral animations on TikTok and YouTube. Today, it’s experiencing a huge revival as creators blend old-school cartoon energy with modern storytelling and internet culture. Whether it’s bold characters, exaggerated expressions, or fast-paced humour, cartoon animation continues to be one of the most loved and recognisable animation styles online.

What Is Cartoon Animation?

Cartoon animation is a playful, expressive style where characters and scenes are drawn in a simplified, stylised way. Instead of aiming for realism, cartoons embrace exaggeration—big eyes, bold outlines, stretched movements, and vibrant colours.

It’s fun. It’s expressive. And it instantly grabs attention.

Why Cartoon Animation Is So Popular Today

Cartoons never really went away—they’ve just evolved. Modern viewers love this animation style because:

• It's instantly recognisable and nostalgic
• It communicates emotion quickly
• It fits almost every genre—comedy, gaming, storytelling, memes, education
• It works perfectly for short-form content
• It’s visually bold and endlessly customisable

Creators love it because cartoons carry personality. One scene, one expression, one reaction can tell a whole story.

Where Creators Use Cartoon Animation

Cartoon animation shows up everywhere online, including:

• YouTube channels for storytelling, commentary, or educational content
• TikTok animation loops and meme clips
• YouTube Shorts with punchy, funny moments
• Gaming content featuring animated avatars or scenes
• Brand storytelling
• Kids’ educational videos
• Comedy and parody animations

It’s a universal style—if you can imagine it, you can animate it.

The Look, Feel, and Pacing of Cartoon Animation

Cartoon animation typically features:

• Bold outlines and colourful characters
• Smooth but simplified movements
• Exaggerated reactions and comedic timing
• Fast cuts and expressive poses
• A playful and light-hearted tone

The pacing is usually quick and energetic, keeping viewers entertained from start to finish.

What Tools Do Cartoon Animators Normally Use?

Traditionally, creators used:

• Adobe Animate
• Toon Boom Harmony
• Procreate
• After Effects
• Drawing tablets and frame-by-frame workflows

These tools are powerful, but they require time, drawing skills, and technical expertise. For many creators today, that’s a barrier—especially if they want to upload often.

This is where AI animation has changed everything.

Why AI Is Now the Fastest Way to Create Cartoon Animation

AI-powered animation lets creators skip the hardest parts of animation—drawing, rigging, keyframing—and jump straight into storytelling.

AI makes cartoon animation faster by:

• Automatically generating animated scenes
• Matching visuals to your script
• Creating characters without needing to draw
• Producing full short or long-form videos in minutes
• Letting beginners create professional-looking content instantly

The result? More creators can produce cartoon animation consistently, without the learning curve.

How Animly Helps You Make Cartoon Animation Instantly

Animly is built for creators who want to make animation without spending hours animating.

With Animly, you can:

• Generate cartoon-style animations from your script
• Browse hundreds of creator-inspired styles (from YouTube, TikTok, independent animators, and anime creators)
• Upload your own character images and animate them automatically
• Produce videos up to 10 minutes long—perfect for YouTube
• Create short-form animations for TikTok and Shorts in seconds
• Run your own animation channel with zero animation experience

Animly handles the animation… you handle the creativity.

Creators Who Use Similar Cartoon Styles

These channels helped define the modern cartoon animation style:

• Odd1sOut (cartoon storytelling)
• Domics (simple expressive cartoons)
• Jaiden Animations (clean, colourful cartoon style)
• BruceDropEmOff animatics (cartoon reactions)
• Flashgitz (intense cartoon parody animations)

Animly lets you recreate the feel of these styles—without drawing a single frame.

Cartoon Animation Video Ideas You Can Make Today

Here are some starter ideas that work great in cartoon style:

• “A Cartoon Version of My Daily Routine”
• “Funny Moments From My Childhood”
• “A Cartoon Explanation of a Complicated Topic”
• “Gaming Moments Recreated in Cartoon Animation”
• “A Comedy Sketch About Internet Culture”
• “A Parody of a Popular Show or Meme”
• “A Cartoon Version of My Worst Decision Ever”

Cartoons give you unlimited creative freedom.

Final Thoughts: Why You Should Start Creating Cartoon Animations

Cartoon animation is timeless—fun, expressive, and beloved by millions. Thanks to AI, you no longer need advanced art skills or expensive software to join the world of animated creators. If you have a script, a story, or even just an idea… you can turn it into a cartoon video in minutes.

Animly makes it possible for anyone to build their own animation channel, produce short-form content, or bring characters to life effortlessly. Your cartoon universe is only one click away.

Want to create Cartoon Animation instantly? Explore hundreds of creator-inspired animation styles on Animly and generate your own AI animated videos—up to 10 minutes long. View the full Style Library here.