Spies — Totally

That is, until they are recruited by WOOHP (World Organization Of Human Protection), a secret spy agency run by the droll, turtleneck-wearing Jerry. Armed with an arsenal of femme-forward gadgets (a belt that turns into a grappling hook, a compact mirror that doubles as a surveillance screen), the trio splits their time between acing exams and thwarting megalomaniacs. What elevated Totally Spies! above a mere Powerpuff Girls clone was its knowing wink at the audience. The show understood its own absurdity. Villains had names like Tim Scam, Boogie Gus, and Helga Von Guggen—mad scientists obsessed with eradicating wrinkles, turning the world’s population into plants, or making everyone smell bad to sell more deodorant.

So here’s to Sam, Clover, and Alex. The spies who proved that being totally girly and totally badass aren't mutually exclusive. They were, and remain, totally awesome. totally spies

Totally Spies! was never just a “girl’s cartoon.” It was a genre-bending, self-referential masterpiece of Y2K animation that taught a generation that strength comes in three sizes (small, medium, and extra-glam), and that the most powerful weapon in any spy’s arsenal isn’t a laser—it’s a loyal friend who will drop everything to help you finish your history homework before you foil the villain’s plot to turn everyone in the mall into a zombie. That is, until they are recruited by WOOHP

In the early 2000s, the animation landscape for girls was a desert of saccharine princesses and low-stakes school dramas. Then, three chirpy Beverly Hills teenagers in lime-green catsuits dropped out of the sky, armed with lipstick lasers, jetpack backpacks, and an attitude that was equal parts Charlie’s Angels and Clueless . above a mere Powerpuff Girls clone was its