Animation has the ability to create worlds that live action can only dream of. You want a universe filled with animal-people or unicorn missiles? Done. But good animation takes the genre one step further, not only creating a visual palette only limited by a creator’s imagination but using that medium to construct a unique emotional narrative. Cartoons that hurt are my favorite poison, and that’s what we’re highlighting today.

Not every animated project can transcend to that level, but the few that can have been responsible for some of the sweetest, most devastating, and coolest moments of the year. These characters may be made of drawn lines and brushstrokes, but many of them are some of the most human creations to grace television. And in more than a couple cases their stories were better executed than some of the most critically-acclaimed shows of the year.

Because there were only room for 10, not every animated delight could make this list. It hurts to cut the barbed irreverence of the inconsistent but overall lovely Disenchantment or the family-focused delight that was Incredibles 2. But the following shows and movies were beyond merely great. They used their form to tell a deeper, more complicated story that’s missing from the world of live action. Clear out your Saturday morning. You have cartoons to watch.

10 'She-Ra and the Princesses of Power's diversity It’s not just that Noelle Stevenson’s reboot of the beloved ’80s show broadened the original’s scope from an endless sea of angular white ladies. It’s how the series expanded the limits of this story’s every element, from its always interesting designs to it’s multi-faceted characters, that transformed this series into a new Netflix gem. Through Adora’s (Aimee Carrero) growing acceptance and later arrogance around her new form and Catra’s (AJ Michalka) compelling jealousy She-Ra set the stage for one of the most interesting hero arcs of its kind. The freshman show isn’t quite perfect, namely when it comes to its lacking battle scenes and hurried beginning. But its first season was a welcome and unexpectedly wonderful start. Watch She-Ra and the Princesses of Power on Netflix

9 The breath-taking imagery of 'Isle of Dogs' Wes Anderson’s latest film leans into several of the director’s faults, especially when it comes to using non-American culture and characters as props. But that doesn’t stop this story about a boy trying to find his dog from being heart-wrenchingly gorgeous. Anderson’s hyper-specific attention to detail and framing works beautifully, transforming both big action pieces and mundane moments into feasts for the eyes. Even something as simple as Isle of Dogs‘ sushi-making scene transforms a small moment into something oddly sweet, interesting, and deeply human. Where to stream Isle of Dogs

8 'Big Mouth's Shame Wizard God there was a lot to love about Season 2 of Nick Kroll, Andrew Goldberg, Mark Levin, and Jennifer Flackett gleefully disgusting show about puberty. After all this is the season that featured both an empowering and highly graphic musical number about women loving their bodies and a Planned Parenthood skit episode. But even in the crowded, ever-charming landscape of this Netflix original David Thewlis’ Shame Wizard stood out. Transforming growing up into a constant battle between containing your gross impulses and hating yourself for them is such a smart take it feels absurd that the Hormone Monster and Shame Wizard didn’t exist two years ago. Watch Big Mouth on Netflix

7 The many daddy problems of 'The Venture Bros.' It’s a rule of life — the sky is blue and The Venture Bros. will always be as secretly depressing as it is hilarious. But there’s something about the specific wayChristopher McCulloch, aka Jackson Publick, twisted his knife this season that made the Venture family uniquely haunting. Since the series first premiered in 2003 we’ve known that Hank (McCulloch) and Dean (Michael Sinterniklaas) are massive disappointments to their father. But it wasn’t until the emotionally withholding Season 7 that we learned just how deep that familial revulsion ran. Pour one out for Rusty (James Urbaniak) and never forget that The Venture Bros. is one of the most tonally accurate portrayals of hidden emotional abuse on television. Where to stream The Venture Bros.

6 'Castlevania' surprising moral complexity Leave it to Kevin Kolde and Adi Shankar to prove that video game adaptations can actually be great. After its four-episode first season the vampire drama left us on the precipice of a war between humans and vampires. We knew the culmination of that war was going to be a bloody and action-filled affair, but what no one was expecting was how well reasoned and believably evil this series could be. Castlevania‘s Dracula isn’t evil for evil’s sake, though he has every right to be. He’s conflicted and bitter, his sense of humanity warped from being alive for too long, and his court is more than willing to take advantage of his confusion. It’s that complexity that transformed this series into something better than it has any right to be. Watch Castlevania on Netflix

5 The overpowering loneliness of 'Final Space' Olan Rogers and David Sacks’ Final Space is the most gorgeous and haunting animated project of 2018 that no one is talking about. The series follows Gary (Rogers), a dumb and often cruel man-child who is sentenced to life alone in space for his crimes. But when he becomes friends with a mysterious alien creature, he’s launched into a journey that could potentially save the universe. It’s not just that the artwork of the series is painfully beautiful. It’s that every element of the series works together, masterfully and quietly using space to highlight the loneliness that grips us all. Final Space hurts in the best way possible. Watch Final Space on VRV

4 'Into the Spider-Verse' expanding Marvel like never before It feels odd to add a movie to this list that has yet to be released, but it’s not every day that an animated film gets a 99 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and is praised for being one of the greatest movies Marvel has ever made. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse uses its gripping animation to tell the story of Miles Morales, a Brooklyn teen who’s convinced he’s the one and only Spider-Man. Turns out he’s incredibly wrong in that assumption, and the mind-bending journey he goes on to set the multiverse straight has been hailed as a delight. For years fans have begged Marvel to add a multiverse to its film empire, and Into the Spider-Verse proves it can be in a way that feels both effortless and fun.

3 'Adventure Time's finale, "Come Along with Me" It’s rare for a show to end on a satisfying final episode, especially a show with a mythology as dense as Adventure Time‘s. But Pendleton Ward’s team accomplished just that in a way that felt effortless. The four-part “Come Along with Me” opens on a version of the epic, universe-threatening showdown Adventure Time has been secretly teasing since its first season. But in its final moments, it’s not Finn’s (Jeremy Shada) sick fighting moves that save the day. It was song and the quiet promise of friendship. “Come Along with Me” somehow managed to embody the same lessons this show has been preaching for 10 seasons all while being completely unexpected. Where to stream Adventure Time

2 'Steven Universe's ambitious implosion Even if you saw it coming you’ve got to hand it to Rebecca Sugar this year. It takes some major courage to completely overturn the entire premise of your show, but it’s another thing entirely to make that upheaval work. Throughout this Cartoon Network show’s many twists and turns Steven Universe’s story about biological and chosen family has always taken one thing for granted — we can trust the Crystal Gems. So waiting until Season 5 to reveal that the Crystal Gems’ leader and the mother Steven idolized was always part of the plan to destroy Earth hurt us just as much as it hurt the Crystal Gems. However it wasn’t just its plot twist that made this season remarkable but how it was handled. After dropping this bomb, Steven Universe consciously took a step back, allowing each character to process this life-altering revelation in his or her own way. Where to stream Steven Universe