The logo for Codename: Kids Next Door, which belongs to Cartoon Network.
Codename: Kids Next Door follows the adventures of a group of spy kids who are a part of a secret organization of children who are dedicated to fighting crimes against kids, such as vegetables and homework. These so called "crimes" are committed by adults and teenagers, as well as other kids, who need to be saved. The kids are trained, given code names in the form of numbers, and sent off to sectors, as a base of operations, all over the world.
The main characters are all ten years old and named 'numbuh' one through five, each with their own unique personality and specialty. Numbuh 1 is the bald, serious leader of the group with a British accent. Numbuh 2 is a German-American, aviation-obsessed boy. Numbuh 3 is a Japanese-American girl with a happy-go-lucky personality. Numbuh 4 is an Australian-American boy who has a short temper and gets into lots of fights. Numbuh 5 is a laid-back African American girl who is smart and a bit tomboyish. When I was younger, I personally thought Numbuh 5 was really cool and was my favorite out of the group. I looked up to her, as she was a lot more confident and brave than I was as a kid.
What really drew me into watching the show was that the main base that the kids stayed at was a giant tree house, which is basically my, and what I assume other kids', dream. It is a place to hang out that is secluded from the world with your friends. It is also like a mini house of your own. The tree house the main characters live in is huge and can be basically considered a mansion. It included the basic meeting, planning, and gadget rooms any spy would have, but it also had personalized rooms for each kid agent. I thought that was really cool, as it showed each kid's personality through what they owned and decorated it with. I personally liked it as I was really big on personalizing everything I owned when I was younger, but was held back by financial and practical reasons. But, who wouldn't want a giant trampoline in the bedroom? Or a pit of fluffy, soft stuffy toys to jump into and snuggle with? I certainly would.
There were also the technology and gadgets the team had. As the entire secret organization is made up of children, their technology is not advanced in the way you would expect spy-tech to be. In reality, their gadgets are just a random assortment of household items put together. Some of them have a visible functional use, but others are just objects taped and nailed together, but still somehow function like an actual weapon or gadget. For example, the S.C.A.M.P.P, which stood for "Soup Can And Magnified Photon Phlaser." It acted liked an actual laser weapon, surprisingly, but is actually a bunch of bottles taped to a wooden board with a flashlight, which can be seen in the photo below. The scrappy appearance of their technology actually sparked creativity in myself and my brother, as we would attempt to recreate them with items around our house, or even try to come up with similar technology on our own.
Example of one of the weapons used by the Kids Next Door, called the S.C.A.M.P.P.. The copyright belongs to Cartoon Network.
One of the main themes of the show was obviously surrounding childhood and how we all have to eventually 'grow up.' In the show, the kids are obviously the heroes who combat 'evil' adults and teenagers, as well as brainwashed kids. Though, these special agent kids still age, and when they are 13 years old, they are 'decommissioned.' This involves wiping their memory of all activity related to the Kids Next Door organization and warping their minds to what we know as reality without the KND. But sometimes, kids escape this process, refusing to grow up or have their memories wiped. This gives rise to many of the villains, who are actually kids that escaped decommissioning.
As kids, we are always in a rush to be like adults and do 'adult things,' which involve not being told what to do. But we usually don't realize that you only get to be a kid once. And by kid, I mean not having any major responsibilities that involve money. Codename: Kids Next Door shows how fun it is to be a kid, by being a super spy with your friends. They are faced with the reality that they all have to grow up eventually, and leave behind their memories of their childhood. But, in the last few episodes, they show that you do not have to give up being a kid to grow up. Yes, you get older and have more responsibilities, but that does not stop you from goofing off or having fun with your friends in activities that are usually seen to be only for kids. I found that to be a very important lesson to learn, even though I didn't really care or realize until later.