It's not often that a cartoon catches my attention. Sure - I always loved The Tick, and both Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra were amazing. But most recently, I've discovered a little show called Steven Universe. I've been watching every episode with my entire family, which is why I've been going through it so slowly. The episodes are ten minutes or so long, and the first season has about fifty episodes.
The show centers on a young boy named Steven, who is half human and half alien, and his foster parents, The Crystal Gems. They're three aliens named Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl, and they're here to protect The Earth.
The show begins lighthearted and funny, although each episode contains a tiny bit of overarching plot exposition. Over the course of the first 50 mini-episodes, a wonderfully realized setting is imparted. The show is funny, exciting, and suitable for kids. I find myself wanting the kids to stay up late just so I can watch another episode or two.
Lastly, Steven Universe has some really well written original music inserted throughout the season randomly. Much of it includes banjo, and much of it is done in an intentionally not-good-singing kind of way. I still love it. My favorites are:
I learned about this show from a group of friends that can't stop raving about it - they're all adults.