Underrated : "Daria"

"Daria" is a strange piece of pop culture, and not because it's a female-led animated series, or the fact that it's an offshot of the popular and slightly more superior satire "Beavis and Butthead"; no, the strangeness lies in the mix of snark, satire, and sentimentality that the show provides, coming off more as a prototype for future shows like "Freaks and Geeks" or "Bojack Horseman" or "You're the Worst" in its strange willingness to cut through the irony and into the real emotions of all its characters, whether they're sympathetic, or just plain stupid.

The thing about "Daria" is that it's a very '90s creation, what with its emotionally-detached main character whose quips are quick and her face stoic as if her ever-present frown was plastered by sculptors from her depressing past. Though she's an anti-social intellectual with a penchant for mockery, she's doesn't have low self-esteem: from her own words, "I have low esteem for others."

And yet, strangely enough, in spite of her detached nature when dealing with others, Daria appears to be well-loved by everyone around her, from her overbearing but supportive family, to the peers who still respect her in spite of her status as an outcast, to her best friend Jane Lane whom I will admit has a certain chemistry with Daria that tends to blur the lines between friendship and relationship, if you know what I mean.

[And yes, I may have written a couple of stories exploring this Jane/Daria ship, but nothing that will ever find their way online]

The strangeness of "Daria" is how this character-based sitcom tends to come together. These characters surrounding "Daria," in spite of their differences to her, still treat her with respect, and Daria, despite her mockery of the world, still works towards changing the world for the better. It creates a picture of the world that is much less cynical than its predecessor "Beavis and Butthead" had been: even if it's not much, we can still make a difference in others' lives, and even if we're different, a little respect can give a much better outcome than stigmatising those who are different.

It's probably why "Daria" has aged well, in spite of the many '90s trappings it has, like stable jobs, unions, and Walkmans. It's optimism of the human spirit shines through in the 5 seasons and 2 movies that the series had, and makes it a much more enjoyable watch than most other '90s shows, especially from MTV (*shudder* The Real World *gag*)

tl;dr: "Daria" is a damn funny show that has aged remarkably well, and y'all should watch it if you can.