Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja - Season 1 (CERTIFIED)

Randy Cunningham isn't smart. He isn't brave. He isn't even particularly athletic. He’s just a ninth grader at Norrisville High who accidentally stumbles into the suit of the "NinjaNomicon." The twist? The Ninja’s identity must remain secret, not to save the world from a dark lord, but to maintain his "social grade."

In the golden age of early 2010s animation, shows were caught between the surreal chaos of Adventure Time and the gross-out grit of Annoying Orange . Buried in that weird middle slot on Disney XD was a show that deserved a longer life: Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja . Randy Cunningham 9th Grade Ninja - Season 1

The Secret Sauce of "Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja" – Why Season 1 Still Cuts Deep Randy Cunningham isn't smart

Stay sneaky, Norrisville.

You cannot talk about Season 1 without discussing the best "best friend" in animation. Howard is lazy, gluttonous, and morally flexible, but he is also the only person who knows Randy’s secret. Their chemistry drives the show. In "Monster Dump," Howard’s desire to skip gym class accidentally unleashes a trash monster. In "Sword Quest," Howard almost ruins Randy’s destiny because he wanted a cool sword of his own. He’s just a ninth grader at Norrisville High

(Minus one point because the "McFizzle" product placement is aggressively early-2010s Disney.)