On the surface Braceface doesn't look like much, with its corny title and gimmick, skippable theme, and just ok animation. But underneath the surface, it has some of the most believably written and acted characters I've ever seen. Normal and generic aren't boring if they're done well. If normal people weren't interesting, most people wouldn't have friends. I can actually believe these people are people. Sharon can be whiny and melodramatic, like many teen girls, but she's ultimately a good person who learns from her mistakes. The messages go beyond typical PBS Kids fare, dealing with underage drinking, vegetarianism, periods, and such. It gets away with a lot, but earns it in teaching lessons that older kids need to learn. After 30 episodes I'm taking a break, as it doesn't have the variety of MLP or Buffy or the constant progression of Baby Steps. Score and ranking might change.