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As the first game (a Werewolf-esque social deduction game) is introduced, the tone is set for the series as a long political game of alliances and betrayal. The 12-person cast can be a lot to follow, especially in the exposition stages. More importantly, all the game teaches can be a little overwhelming for many, especially when they’re starting with a game like that. But when you get past some of these initial hurdles and just watch the drama play out, you see quickly how fun of a concept this show is. The politics within the rewards systems is inventive and juicy, there’s always a chance for healthy confrontation, and the series is great at elevating tension without making your head spin. At the cost of a few hurdles, the payoff is worth it.

Genre: Reality

Actor: Ha Seok-jin, Lee Hye-seong, Lee Si-won, Seungkwan, Suh Dong-joo

Director: Choi Yoon-hee, Jeong Jong-yeon, Kim Ah-ra, Kim Seo-goo, Lee Soo-jin

Rating: TV-14

Steven’s earnestness in his attempts to be one of the Gems, as well as his search for his mother, are some of the most compelling story arcs you can get from this show. The nature of story arcs, however, means that the show isn’t balls to the wall crazy or fast-paced, but its emotional foundation has certainly been cared for. Everything about this show points in a starry-eyed direction. Episode to episode, Steven Universe is about self discovery and protecting your friends, but anyone who makes it through a major story or season will be forever bonded with this series.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Deedee Magno, Estelle, Michaela Dietz, Rebecca Sugar, Tom Scharpling, Zach Callison

Rating: TV-PG

It’s cool that more and more people are drawing attention to the cleanup after the cinematic explosions — much more kaiju explosions. This series is balls to the wall action, giving us the monsters and the raining down of blood and guts right away. The details are graphic and satisfying like a perverse cooking show or a horror film. When it’s not about that, we’re looking at hardworking, disciplined laborers in this absurd setting. Like many kaiju films, it’s a pretty easy show to get into, shining with its punchy animations, high octane action, ever-present danger, and a surprisingly adorable factor.

Genre: Action & Adventure, Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Asami Seto, Fairouz Ai, Keisuke Komoto, Kengo Kawanishi, Masaya Fukunishi, Sayaka Senbongi, Shunsuke Takeuchi, Wataru Katoh, Yuuki Shin

Rating: TV-14

In certain aspects, it’s a premise straight out of Disney, but the acting feels a bit more charming. It also has some legitimately funny material in the writing, refusing to rest on the laurels of a tight premise and moving the show away from one trick pony territory. The ghost rules aren’t necessarily inconsistent, but it does take a while to establish the patterns, so they feel like they’re often broken. But as a show generally following the tropes of music-centered teen shows, it excels in just about every department, from the original songs, to its themes of grief and the healing power of music.

Genre: Comedy, Family, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Booboo Stewart, Carlos Ponce, Charlie Gillespie, Cheyenne Jackson, Jadah Marie, Jeremy Shada, Madison Reyes, Owen Patrick Joyner, Sacha Carlson, Savannah Lee May, Sonny Bustamante

Director: Kenny Ortega

Rating: TV-G

Dark Side of the Ring is where the comfort of pro wrestling and the mystery of true crime meet. The very premise of the series is that the wrestling industry is rife with with sketchy and downright depressing stories; and while it continues the tradition of depicting pro wrestling tragically (to great results), the episodes are streamlined and very consistent with having an insightful and balanced pool of perspectives. There's a lot of details for wrestling fans to sink their teeth into, but for the true crime and mystery-loving crowd, expect baseline stories about drugs, self-destruction, and outlaw wrestling practices unless it's one of those transcendent stories.

Genre: Documentary

Actor: Chris Jericho

Rating: TV-MA

It’s a show with existential questions from an idealistic kid presented in the most absurd way. Finn the human and Jake the dog navigate emotions and dilemmas packaged into journeys and battles of varying degrees of cuteness and danger. The show's colors are extremely bright and virtually every character is a unique creature, which can be overstimulating unless your brain is specifically ready for it. One of the benefits of having a big cast of characters per episode, though, is more chances to connect with something on the show, and a fairly large episode count means the show will have had so many quirky songs, recurring characters, nuggets of advice, and story arcs to dive into. Just like any other candy, Adventure Time should give you a boost if you don't choke on it.

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Actor: Dee Bradley Baker, Hynden Walch, Jeremy Shada, John DiMaggio, Maria Bamford, Niki Yang, Olivia Olson, Pendleton Ward, Polly Lou Livingston, Steve Little, Tom Kenny

Rating: TV-PG