Animated features aren’t just for kids in this day and age. Now, there exist a plethora of amazing cartoons catered specifically to adults, from college students to retired folk alike. Though there are plenty of animated kids series adults can watch, this list will focus specifically on adult cartoons that deserve the recognition. Let’s get started!
The revolutionary Netflix show’s final season is upon us, so it is important to remember BoJack Horseman for its introspective look on Hollywood, satire, and mental health. BoJack Horseman was a surprise to many who didn’t expect a show about anthropomorphized animal celebrities to engage in thoughtful – if cynical – discourse about its characters’ deep trepidations.
As for its titular character, BoJack’s struggle for success, happiness, and purpose has pulled audiences along for an incredible and sometimes deeply unsettling journey through depression. Even with all that, BoJack Horseman never loses touch with its premise’s inherent wackiness as an animated show about a talking horse.
Genndy Tartakovsky’s new hit series on Adult Swim, Primal, is perhaps the creator’s most ambitious storytelling feat in his animation career yet. And that’s including his previous work on The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Sym-Bionic Titan!
Amongst all of Tartakovsky’s animated work, the commonality has always been their ability to entertain even adult audiences. As a result, Primal feels like a natural evolution for the creator that is surely satisfying both mainstream adult audiences and animation fans.
If you’re into blood-thirsty, ultra-violent period pieces, Primal is the adult cartoon that will deliver.
What is there left to say about Rick and Morty? We could have been counter-cultural and not listed this show, but who benefits from that? Rick and Morty has become a phenomenon across all of pop-culture, what with its biting satire, unique writing, and imaginative reinvention of classic fantasy and sci-fi tropes.
Adult cartoons don’t often come like Rick and Morty, so catch it while it’s still at the top of the zeitgeist!
Anime fans and video game enthusiasts alike, prepare to meet one of the first good adaptations of a video game franchise since… well, ever. Though an anime, Castlevania is actually American-produced, which makes its faithfulness to the source material all that sweeter considering Netflix’s previous adaptations of Japanese material.
If the vampires and the gothic aesthetic don’t sell you, then the interpersonal character relations and smooth animations will definitely bring some appeal.
Inspired by comedian Bill Burr’s childhood, F is For Family is an adult cartoon set in the 1970s that manages to deliver a fresh take on the decade in animation. Focused upon the exploits of the Murphy family, the dynamics between each Murphy member are complex enough to resonate with its Netflix viewers.
The energy F is For Family manages to capture is one grounded in reality, to the point it can be very uncomfortable to watch with how real it actually gets. Emotional intelligence and the psychological impact parents have upon their children are the central themes of this adult cartoon, making this a must-watch if you’re into learning more about mental health.
Daria seems the oddball out in a list centered around modern animated adult cartoons, but when has Daria ever needed to fit in? The inclusion of Daria on our list isn’t simply due to the series’ timeless characters and writing, but also from the recent announcement that the famous ’90s cartoon will be getting its own spin-off!
So, to prepare for its successor series, catch up on Daria. Adult cartoons have rarely been able to challenge the apathetic disillusionment that Daria dished out (Maybe save Rick and Morty). Daria had been a pivotal look at teen life in the ’90s, and yet there are still more similarities than there are differences to today’s youth culture.
Aggretsuko is a gentle slice of life cartoon for the adult that still loves the Hello Kitty and Molang cutesy aesthetic. With much of adult cartoons being filled with raunchy, depraved, and crude humor, Aggretsuko opts for a different, one-less-traveled route: sincerity. Instead of being a witty commentary or comedic dissection of everyday life, Aggretsuko immerses itself in the mundane.
While other adult cartoons revel in vulgarity for mass-market appeal, Aggretsuko is secure in its real depictions of adult life without the need for crass antics.
This is a controversial entry even for animated adult sitcoms due to Big Mouth‘s premise of tackling the raunchy side of middle school puberty. Not to mention its unappealing character designs have sparked debates within online animation communities slowly rejecting the Seth MacFarland and Adult Swim cartoon stylings.
But, hey, we listed Big Mouth here because while it seems to have a lot going against it, there is genuine creativity and willingness to educate on its topics. It has heartfelt messages buried deep within its episodic formula and it has John Mulaney. C’mon, who doesn’t love John Mulaney?
What started as a parody of spy and espionage stories has since evolved to become a high-concept anthology tackling scores of iconic genres. Archer has always been a dialogue-heavy show, which probably helped ease its limited animation budget in the beginning. But, once audiences stuck around, Archer rewarded its fans with season-spanning plots, worthwhile character arcs, and a deeper journey into this show’s world.
This entry would have been considered cheating given the show’s first two seasons were very much made as a kid’s show. Now, following a five-year-long cancellation, Young Justice was finally revived for a third season due to fan outcries and retooled as a cartoon for adults.
Why should you watch Young Justice? The show offers an impressive look at the socio-economic and political structure of the DC Comics universe. Operations by the Justice League and its teenaged sidekicks are played out with startling realism, as the world of DC Comics is reimagined as one entrenched in eerily-similar politics that are now combined with supervillain agendas. This is as realistic as a superhero adaptation can get, without the need to sacrifice the fantastical or overly darken DC’s brightest characters.
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