The notion of youthful love is peculiar. Kids pull hair, make fun of and even throw things at those they love. While cartoons have a unique chance to reflect on romance this way, some cartoons have gone the traditional route.
Most of the cartoon’s primary audience doesn’t know about the ways of roses and chocolates yet so cartoons need to convey romantic emotions in a way that can be understood for all viewers.
Some of the best cartoon love stories ever portray love in a way that both adults and children can appreciate. Read on to find out what the most beloved cartoon love stories are and why they are so universally appreciated.
Lady and the Tramp (1955)
Upon rapidly falling in love with the footloose and fancy-free Tramp, Lady learns about his history (by song!) from Tramp’s other girlfriends during her brief stint at the pound.
Lady approaches him angrily, refusing to be with him before he proves himself by saving the baby of her loving owners from a mean rat. The Dear Family adopts Tramp, and it’s presumed that he stays faithful to Lady and their pups.
One of the highlights of Lady and the Tramp is none other than the scene where they are eating spaghetti together. That is undoubtedly the most unforgettable romantic scene in animation history.
The best thing about this film is the lack of the typical “childish” humor that Disney has. While this was meant for both children and adults, the plot and the dialogue seem to be far more grown-up than those of contemporary cartoons.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
This is arguably one of the best films ever produced by Disney Studios and the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The movie and the characters have become instantly familiar. And you can see the influence of Beauty and the Beast or Belle and the Beast in other films.
This is one of the few stories in which the transition from a cruel villain to becoming the love interest of the main character – an idea attempted a million times over – has been achieved with such success.
Aside from the tale of love, the atmosphere and the animation and character design give this film a uniquely romantic feel even for Disney.
Corpse Bride (2005)
As the title might imply, this is not a scary story but rather a lovely tale of lost love. One of Tim Burton’s best features, this stop-motion marvel voice casts Helena Bonham-Carter and Johnny Depp.
The characters, Emily and Victor, look very much like real actors.Their voices and movements are two of the things that have made the film so memorable.
And it’s beautifully composed, visually stunning, classical (yet still unique) tale of love has become a must to be seen by all ages.
Cinderella (1950)
Besides being one of the most romantic animated films ever made, this is also the quintessential love story about which so many others have been released.
Yet the classic concept of a happy ending where the poor or the ugly prevails against a richer character never seems to stop being appealing to the public.
It’s possibly because identifying with a more “human-like” character is easier than identifying with a classic perfect Disney princess.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Disney brought this classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen to screen with great graphics and design.
The classic tale of a mermaid who falls in love with a prince is filled with several new characters (such as Ursula the octopus), which gives the story a completely different atmosphere.
Ariel, the rebellious daughter of the god Triton, and her love for the stunning prince is the fitting illustration of any love affair among adolescents.
Bottom Line
These cartoon love stories portray romantic feelings in a way that is universal so that they can be grasped not only by children but also by adults.
The list features various types of love with a childish twist and an adult charm that make the movies classics for now and beyond.