I love Craig McCraken, the creator of two of the past decade and a half's best animated shows "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends." I was a little bit wary of his third show, "Wander Over Yonder," when I heard it would be airing on Disney Channel instead of Cartoon Network. This shouldn't have mattered, but the whole idea of my favorite animator's show airing on a network other than Cartoon Network, especially the odd choice of Disney, seemed wrong. However, when I worked up the nerve to give it a chance, it became one of my favorite shows on TV. I looked forward to having a highly enjoyable cartoon to watch for at least three or so more seasons. However, I found out this gem of a show will not be renewed for a third season. This is totally shocking to me and seems like a great shame, given the show's decent following after only two seasons. Disney Channel could be forgiven for cancelling "Gravity Falls" after two seasons because the show was always intended to last that long. However, the cancellation of "Wander Over Yonder" signifies a lack of vision for Disney, who seem unable to recognize the potential hit it could be. Here are five reasons not renewing "Wander Over Yonder" would be a giant step back for Disney Channel's growth into the next level of animation network.

1. Sublime Animation

"Wander Over Yonder" is a beautiful show with top notch animation. This is particularly impressive to me because I believed it would have looked like all other Disney Channel shows. However, the mixture of McCracken's typically imaginative style with a subtle dash of Disney's usual aesthetic really makes this show. "Powerpuff Girls" had its superhero concept and in "Foster’s Home" the imagination was the limit, so it is no surprise that "Wander Over Yonder" and its concept of two nomads rambling across the universe follows suit with its open-ended nature. McCracken uses this template to produce episodes full of imaginative characters and situations with an inclination towards fluid, experimental, and colorful animation. This show started out exceptional and has only gotten more nuanced. Cancelling it now would deny fans the opportunity to see the show's animation evolve into something even more special. At least there is still a half season's worth of visual panache to look forward to.

2. Perfect Theme and Title

Just like Cartoon Network's best show ever, "Adventure Time," viewing an episode of "Wander Over Yonder" is never complete unless the theme song and title card have been experienced. The theme song is simple and mostly composed of hillbilly gibberish, but I enjoy it even more then the "The Powerpuff Girls" and "Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends" theme due to its endless catchiness and perfect encapsulation of the world of the show. Like seriously, I will rewind the theme song several times to get myself in the right mood. The title cards are enjoyable too because they always come at the right moment in the episode, accompanied by proper setup from the characters, a freeze frame, and a reliable banjo pluck. These two small aspects of the shows combine to lend "Wander Over Yonder" a rewatchability that is so perfect for syndication, it is mind-boggling Disney wants to cancel it.

3. The Protagonists

Wander is a banjo strumming, furry, orange combination of Spongebob and Bugs Bunny, Sylvia a tough Yoshi-like “Zebornak.” These two are the “heroes” of the show, but are really just nomadic altruists who try to help anyone they wander by. Wander’s naïve desire to help at all costs sometimes clashes with Sylvia’s pragmatism, but unlike Bloo and Mac of "Foster’s Home," they always try to see the best in each other and actually seem like good friends most of the time. This type of well-balanced character dynamic is a formula for longevity that Cartoon Network uses to great effect and will be sorely missed here. I can’t help but wander, I mean wonder, how the executives at Disney don’t recognize this.

4. The Antagonists

The two marketable protagonists of "Wander Over Yonder" are matched only by the antagonists who manage to carry the show on their own roughly half of the time. Lord Hater is a villain that wonderfully recalls Mojo Jojo in his villainy, fueled by rejection and a desire to be loved. The great Tom Kenny voices his exasperated second-in-command General Peepers who constantly has to reel in Lord Hater from distractions like trying to destroy Wander (whose number one goal is to befriend him), find love, or look cool. This dynamic, full of potential for plots centered around it, parallels Wander and Sylvia’s in how each ultimately brings out the best in the other and, by extension, the show and, by further extension, the network.

5. Continuity

"Wander Over Yonder" began mixing continuity into the show's episodic format. It was a light touch in season two, with a season-long story arc depicting the rise of truly evil villainess (and one-sided love interest for Lord Hater) Lord Dominator. This storyline has been criticized as underdeveloped and annoying. Many believe that she has not been given any significant characterization and seems like more of a plot device for Wander, Sylvia, Hater, and Peepers to bounce off of. I’ve heard this type of storytelling called “faux serialization” meaning when a show pretends to have a clear arc but doesn’t truly. Though I mostly agree, I feel as though this issue was addressed in the series musical episode “My Fair Hatey” where, during her climactic number “I’m the Bad Guy,” she confirms that she is a force of true evil who wants to destroy the universe and not much else beyond that. This revelation is enough to color her in for me and, more importantly this character moment unites the four main characters against her. Even if she still remains something of a mystery in terms of characterization, her introduction to "Wander Over Yonder" has helped open up the possibility of true serialization to a degree. To cancel the show now would mean to deprive the show of the chance to strengthen this element and pave the way for other shows on the network to try the same approach.