Another After Effects 2D Question

So, I have read different forum posts here as well a other communities. I always read that I need specifics, so I will try to be as specific as possible.
I want to know if After Effects is the right program for the type of 2D animation i'm trying to achieve.
I also should make it clear that I am new to motion graphics and may get some terminology wrong. I would say I have a pretty firm grip on Photoshop and Illustrator; I'm a designer for a screen printing shop by trade. I also have a limited but functional knowledge of Premiere and am in the midst of editing 2 music videos. I have always been interested in animation and video but did not have the resources ($23,000 for 2.5 years) to study it at the Art Institute of Houston. I am mainly self taught by way of lynda.com. I have NO PROBLEM doing the training and taking a long time to develop my skill to the level I believe they need to be, but I don't really want to learn 2 different animation software programs unless absolutely necessary.
I would like to produce an animated music video for a band that will have about a 4 minute run time. The style of animation is NOT Disney, but more or less South Park (cut-out?). More specifically, the intro sequence to the 2014 season. I have read that SP uses Maya, which with my limited knowledge seems a little bit overkill. The intro sequence looks at times 3D, but I am confident I can fake the look with proper texture, shading, placement, shadows and zooming. In reality, what I want to accomplish is somewhere between the look of the intro and the actual show. The end result is a video for view on YouTube, Vimeo, etc for view on desktop computers and smartphones/tablets. TV is not the goal (although I guess it would be nice).
I think I would create the characters as vectors in AI, and perhaps bring them into Photoshop for texture.
Is AE the right software to accomplish this, or would i be better off learning something like ToonBoom Harmony, Blender or Animation Studio 10?
(or another I am unfamiliar with)
Perhaps an Adobe forum is not the most neutral place to ask this question, but I'm not giving up Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere or Speedgrade, so any and all honest opinion are welcome.
- Can I import "real" vectors into AE and use them for characters, or would everything need to be rasterized?
- Does AE have a "bones" rigging system or anything comparable?
- Does AE have a "bullet-physics"-style option? (I'm getting that terminology from Poser, which I purchased while it was on sale but have not even installed yet.)
- Can I import 3D objects from Poser?
- Does AE offer any true 3D features, or do I need Maya or a similar program?
Thanks in advance for any insights anyone can offer.
(edit: I know I asked about 2D then asked a few 3D questions at the end, but I am just curious. My MAIN concern is 2D)

Thank you for that. I started reading the comments, and it looks like this video was uploaded by someone other than the creator, and the creator calls him out on it! So here is the link to the original from the creator.
http://cgi.tutsplus.com/tutorials/create-your-own-south-park-style-animation--cms-19982
EDIT: So I went on a tirade here about how sh**ty millennials are, even though I am one myself. While I still believe every word I said, this in not the time or place for that discussion. The only thin I will keep is: HEY FELLOW MILLENNIALS: have some respect for other peoples creations and stop thinking you are entitled or owed ANYTHING, and finally stop taking selfies and posting pictures of your food; no one cares.

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Date: Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:12:16 -0700
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Textured Text with after effects
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