Childhood Favourites

[Lirael]

1. When you were a child, what were your favourite books, movies, games, tv series etc? (can also include music, actors, magazines...)
2. Do you still enjoy these?
3. Has age allowed you to appreciate further qualities in any given example?
4. Has age caused you to notice any flaws in any given example?

For the sake of clarity, let's include anything you discovered and loved before the age of 12.



1:

• My favourite movies were The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty, The Rose and the Slipper (an old musical version of Cinderella),
• My favourite books were Harry Potter, His Dark Materials, Brian Jaques 'Martin the Warrior,' 'A Series of Unfortunate Events,' and before the age of 11, anything by Jaqueline Wilson.
• My favourite games were the three original Spyro games and the game for Disney's The Emperor's New Groove... I also quite enjoyed Sheep, Dog and Wolf, a game which revolved around Ralf the wolf and Sam the sheepdog from Loony Tunes.
• My favourite tv series included Moomin, Watership Down, Jackie Chan Adventures, The Raccoons, The Animals of Farthing Wood, Noah's Island and Pokemon.

2:

• I still really enjoy all of the named movies!
• I don't enjoy Jaqueline Wilson as much and haven't read A Series of Unfortunate Events in years, but I like Harry Potter and His Dark Materials even more than I did back then! I love 'Martin the Warrior' an equal amount (and writing this makes me want to re-read it!)
• I've played the Spyro games recently! I love them more for nostalgic reasons, but they are certainly still very fun and varied!
• Pokemon has lost its charm a bit...and The Raccoons is a little less interesting than it used to be, but Watership Down and The Animals of Farthing Wood are still simply incredible. Moomin is incredibly quirky and I sometimes wonder how I managed to go through my entire childhood watching it without getting scared...but it's still great!

3:

• I have certainly learnt to appreciate the additional layers in His Dark Materials. This is primarily due to how much I've read on the books in recent years. I will appreciate them even more when I finally get around to reading 'Paradise Lost'!
• When it comes to Watership Down...Age has made me able to see how much the script seeks to teach kids about morality and kindness. Apart from that... not really. The shows don't have a wide variety of layers, really, so most can be understood by kids.

4:

• Personally, I think anything that has a slightly childish quality isn't flawed if its intended audience is children...so I haven't really noticed any flaws, per se. I just feel ever so slightly foolish watching and reading the examples which appeal to the younger audiences.

Now over to you! =D

 

[Martel]

When you were a child, what were your favourite books, movies, games, tv series etc? (can also include music, actors, magazines...)

When I was younger, it was all about Power Rangers, Sailor Moon, Sonic the Hedgehog, Thundercats, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, the 90s Spiderman cartoon, X-Men, Pinky and the Brain, Tom and Jerry, Looney Toons, and Biker Mice From Mars. This was when I was REALLY young, before Pokemon was released and my life revolved around that from that day forward. Music-wise, I listened to what my mother listened to, but Diana Ross was my favourite; I liked Chain Reaction a lot for some weird reason. I didn't really like much in the way of books, and I when it came to video games, I was a devout Sonic the Hedgehog fan, and I liked Super Mario Land as well. Movies...the Power Rangers movie, of course. I remember seeing that for the first time in the cinema

Do you still enjoy these?

...yes. All of them.

Has age allowed you to appreciate further qualities in any given example?

It has; I appreciate the humour that originally went over my head in a lot of them. The Power Rangers movie, for example, I liked because of the action scenes, and the shiny new suits. Now I enjoy it because Ivan Ooze has some absolutely fantastic lines. TMHT and PatB both are even better than they were because of the humour in them, which I never understood as a child. I still have a soft spot for classic Sonic...and I have a huge playlist of my childhood music on it, despite the fact that it's the complete opposite of what I usually listen to.

Has age caused you to notice any flaws in any given example?

Not really, given the state of modern kid's cartoons and video games. TV shows in the old days got away with so much more than shows these days can, and it's just so much funnier because of it. If anything, I appreciate it all more than I did when I was younger, and it's a fantastic trip down memory line to watch the stuff I watched as a kid, or play a classic Sonic game, or whatever.

 

[Mitsuki]

When you were a child, what were your favourite books, movies, games, tv series etc? (can also include music, actors, magazines...)

Back in the days, it was mostly about TV shows. Martel already mentioned them, but to add a bit more... Animaniacs, Mighty Max, Bobby's World, Bananas in Pajamas wacky, etc.

But before that, (when I was around 4-7), the definition of my childhood years lies deeper than just a memory. The whole experience is simply indescribable, and the shows that I'm about to mention are truly the ones that makes me want to turn back time so that I can recapture those moments when everything was so simple - and when the world around me was perfect in my eyes.

I was into the Japanese TV series, which were dubbed in my native language. Masked Rider (Kamen Rider) is a good example - and no, not the American version. That was absolute shit.

My favorite ending song...

Masked Rider - Long Long Ago, Twentieth Century

There's a full version to this song, but I always liked the blurred look to this one.


Maskman (I still love Power Rangers, but I knew these guys before I developed a crush on Jason).

Machine Man

Shaider

Peter Pan the Animated Series

I remembered thinking "Peter Pan wears a green suit?!" when I saw the Disney movie a few years later. It made me so upset...




Cedie (Little Lord Fauntleroy) and Dog of Flanders were also my favorites.


And then I came to the U.S. and I actually forgot about them until 2007. But whenever I need to alleviate my mood, I'll listen to those songs and watch the intro/endings. But I don't just let the music wash over me; remnants of the past will also play in mind.


Do you still enjoy these?

Always.


Has age allowed you to appreciate further qualities in any given example?

Yes and no. These days people are so focused on HD and 3D. And not that there's anything specifically wrong with that, but you do realize that the content in the shows/movies back then were just as golden. A kid may look at the examples I provided and think, "That looks cheesy" and in their own right, it probably is. Back then, I didn't think so. And now? I still don't think so, but that's because there's sentimental values attached to each one. So yes, although age has expanded my eye for quality, it also never really affected how I truly "see" when it comes down to it.

I don't know if that actually answers the question or if it made sense to anyone; maybe my train of thought took a slight turn.

Has age caused you to notice any flaws in any given example?

Not a bit. I enjoyed the stuff that I grew up with, and even as I grow older, I wouldn't see it. Simply because there were no flaws to begin with.
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[moogling]

When you were a child, what were your favourite books, movies, games, tv series etc? (can also include music, actors, magazines...)

The Wild Thornberries, Rugrats, Hey Arnold, Full House, Dexter's Laboratory, The Fairly Odd Parents, Dragonball Z, Pokemon, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (this was probably when I was a little over 12, though), Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Spongebob, Tom and Jerry, Winnie the Pooh, Mulan, 101 Dalmatians, Thumbelina, the Spyro games, and the Sims. Mickey's Christmas Carol... omg. My future kids will watch iCarly over my dead body. They will get all of this good stuff.

Do you still enjoy these?

I enjoy the thought. I can't say I've watched or played any of these lately, but holy crap, suuuuuuuuuuuuper nostalgia typing these out. I'm hoping my mom has these VHS stored somewhere.

Has age allowed you to appreciate further qualities in any given example?

Of course. I can't imagine growing up with any other media.

Has age caused you to notice any flaws in any given example?

I don't think anyone who feels nostalgic of anything will remember the flaws. I certainly don't, and I don't want to go back and try to point them out. The memories will always be great, and that overrides any flaws that could have been there.

 

[Lirael]

Peter Pan the Animated Series

I remembered thinking "Peter Pan wears a green suit?!" when I saw the Disney movie a few years later. It made me so upset...

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Oh my gosh, you've reminded me of another childhood favourite, Peter Pan and the Pirates, which in turn reminds me of Pocket Dragons...

Peter Pan and the Pirates was a different Peter Pan adaptation, and for some odd reason, I actually had a crush on Peter...I was about 5. No idea what influenced the tastes I had back then!

And then there was Pirate Islands around the age of 12...

ooh, and Titanic was a favourite movie. Typically, I had the largest crush on Leonardo DiCaprio, which led me to the even better movie The Man in the Iron Mask.

 

[Kandy-Sugar]

When you were a child, what were your favourite books, movies, games, tv series etc? (can also include music, actors, magazines...)

• As a child my favourite books were The Sweet Valley Twins! I remember going to the library all the time and hiring out these books and would end up reading them in a day. XD
• My favourite movies were Disney's Mulan, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid. I loved the Neverending Story as well!!! Mulan was a big big obsession for me. XD I would watch it at least three times a day as a kid. >.<
• My favourite games were Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega. I adored that game! I always used to play it with my brother and he got annoyed that I just about always beat him. XD
• T.V. Series would most definitely be The Secret World of Alex Mack! I remember coming home after school and always making sure I got to watch this! I loved that she was just an average teenager with cool superpowers! I also loved Round the Twist! Awesome T.V. Series!

Do you still enjoy these?

Oh yes, yes I do!!! I adore all of the above still to this day! Moreso now that I'm an adult and I can appreciate them more. <3

The only thing I miss is playing Sonic. I don't have a Sega anymore.

Has age allowed you to appreciate further qualities in any given example?

Most definitely. I cry when I watch the Disney movies now. XD I'm so much more emotional than I used to be. I really appreciate the movies and the message they were trying to get across to the audience. <3 Whereas when I was a kid I didn't really seem to understand it as much.

Has age caused you to notice any flaws in any given example?

When I love something I really don't like to try and pick things apart like that. It'd ruin the experience for me. I'm sure there are a few flaws with certain things but I try to ignore them even if I have noticed them.

I appreciate the things I loved from my childhood still to this day and I have not really noticed anything different from when I used to watch that movie, read that book or play that game. I appreciate them still for what they meant to me back then and now even moreso.

 

[Mitsuki]

I've been looking for this thread for awhile. I forgot that @Salmakia created it. Anyway, I wanted to watch all the videos posted here.

Kandy - you mentioned Sonic. Reminds me of the time that my brother and I played Sonic & Knuckles on Sega Genesis. We couldn't beat the game, sadly, but we were really close.

I introduced Little Lord Fauntleroy to my daughter not too long ago. Picked up the book at Barnes & Nobles and had a blast reading with her. I'd pay to watch the series all over again though.


Edit: Damnit, some of the videos aren't available anymore.

 

[Steve-O]

oh yeah, the original sonic program, I use to watch it every weekend on CITY, also I was a huge pokemon fan, and my bus driver gave me an very early copy of the first pokemon movie 'like 6 months before it got released' soo I was the first person in my school to watch it beyblade was also a program I loved along with sailor moon which me and my bro watched all the time 'but surprisely my sister hated it xD' I will think of more... but i'll need to think, i'll update my post later

 

[Catnip]

1. When you were a child, what were your favourite books, movies, games, tv series etc?
My favourite books were anything published by the Beginner Book series by Random House. A good one was Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman. Not only just reading them, but flipping through the pages and adding my own dialogue to the characters based on their facial expressions on that current page. Basically creating a film in my imagination out of these books. As for favourite movies; every single one of the classic Disney films. Including Ducktales heh. Those were my home. Everything about them, the music, the animation, the voice acting, the lines, the characters, everything. TV series was anything on Cartoon Network, YTV and Teletoon. I remember really enjoying Courage The Cowardly Dog on Friday nights. A lot of the episodes were pretty creepy, like this one Naughty Fred guy. So awesome. I loved Dexter's Lab, The Flinstones, Bad Dog, Johnny Bravo, The Powerpuff Girls, Braceface, Angela Anaconda, Mike Lu & Og, I Am Weasel, Ed Edd n' Eddy, Two Stupid Dogs, Cow and Chicken, Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo, The Bugs Bunny and Tweety Show, The Animaniacs, The Tick, all of the DC and Marvel cartoons (especially Xmen and Batman), Reboot, The Smurfs, The Jetsons, Freakazoid, Mega Babies, Sabrina: The Animated Series, What About Mimi? Goosebumps, even adult programs like Space Ghost Coast to Coast, Undergrads, and Futurama. I also remember having a love/hate thing going on with Sheep in the Big City. I had my animes as well; Pokemon, Digimon, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, Cardcaptores. I was HUGE on video games. Final Fantasy X-2 was my first FF love, because it reminded me so much of Legend of Legaia. I'm a big RPG fan because of it. Spyro is a good one too. Rypto's Rage and Year of the Dragon were my absolute favourites. I played the first one once and didn't get through the whole thing for some reason. I just didn't feel it. I loved horror-survival games like Dino Crisis and Resident Evil. Those were the best to watch my dad play. Super Mario Bros, Donkey Kong and Sonic the Hedgehog were big ones. I was huge on platforms. I really liked F-Zero and Mortal Kombat (I was always Sonya). God, I love this thread.

2. Do you still enjoy these?
Absolutely, but a lot of them are more for nostalgic reasons. I don't enjoy them the same way I used to, no matter how much I do enjoy them now. It just doesn't compare to how much I appreciated them as a kid. There is absolutely no comparison. All of the above, that shit was my life and made up most of my childhood. That's just where they've always stayed. Although there is one thing that absolutely has not changed: I still want to be Mike from Mike, Lu & Og when I grow up :3 (even though she's about 10...)

3. Has age allowed you to appreciate further qualities in any given example?
Yes, for sure. As a writer, I've grown to appreciate traits and qualities that make up a character and their personality. I've also learned to appreciate music a lot more, since instead of simply listening to it blissfully not knowing why I'm so much in love, I can pay more attention to the emotion that it stirs in me. It can even inspire me in these ways. I can also appreciate the voice acting, which is a behind-the-scenes type of thing that never even occurred to me as a child.

4. Has age caused you to notice any flaws in any given example?
Yeah, for sure. Experience has helped me with that one heh, but it doesn't lower my opinion on them.