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Truly "Adult" Animation

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ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#1: May 13th 2017 at 8:04:16 AM

Like it or not, the All Adult Animation Is South Park mindset hasn't really gone away. My question is, what exceptions are there? What animated series are there out there that target adult audiences WITHOUT resorting to sex jokes, toilet humor, graphic violence, and profanity? They don't necessarily have to not be comedies, they just have to be outside the "raunchy sex/violence/grossout" mold that adult animation is associated with in America.

Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
#2: May 13th 2017 at 9:44:40 AM

Are you asking for shows that are "adult" in nature without resorting to sex, drugs and violence? Or are you asking for shows that don't rely on them as their primary means of entertainment?

There's a solid arguement that Toy Story 3, while not made just for adults, manages to tackle the ideas of mortality, death, pergatory, hell and reincarnation pretty well in a way that flies over kids' heads.

If its the second, I'll go ahead and say Bojack Horseman. It uses drugs, sex and violence, but its about significantly more and significantly less than that.

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#3: May 13th 2017 at 9:49:32 AM

I'm fine with violence/sex/profanity. That's the reason they are "adult"-rated in the first place. I just wonder if the West is capable of making "adult" animation without it being a black comedy and/or comedy isn't a focus.

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Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
#4: May 13th 2017 at 10:01:13 AM

I'd argue that Bojack is a tragedy with a lot of jokes, but OK.

AHI-3000 Since: Jul, 2014 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
#5: May 13th 2017 at 10:09:16 AM

Yeah, though Bojack Horseman is still by default a Black Comedy show with a raunchy sense of humor. The Dramedy is what makes it stand out.

Robbery Since: Jul, 2012
#6: May 13th 2017 at 10:30:38 AM

Is "the West" capable of making animation for adults? Sure they are, and western creators have made animation for adults. Just look at Ralph Bakshi's science fiction/ fantasy output. Remember, though, that serious animation for an adult audience doesn't get made that often anywhere. The vast majority of any country's animation output is either stuff for kids or genre adventures. Japan, of course, runs the gamut of every type of animation you can think of, but even there I'd say genre adventures dominate.

We don't get more because, for the most part, it doesn't sell terribly well over here. The animation would distract most audiences, who by virtue of the work being animated would be expecting something outre to happen. In the West, if something is animated, we rightly or wrongly tend to expect there to be a reason for it to be animated, either stuff is going to happen that would be awkward to do in live action, or the work requires the heightened sense of reality that animation provides. Most people in the West might look at, say, Only Yesterday or When Marnie Was There, and couldn't keep themselves from asking "Why was this animated?"

edited 13th May '17 10:31:37 AM by Robbery

ewolf2015 MIA from south Carolina Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I-It's not like I like you, or anything!
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#7: May 13th 2017 at 10:50:11 AM

[up] although I by no means like drama that much, it would be a breath of fresh air and if an animation intended for adults had more going for it. I'm not expecting animation in the West to be anime (Since I want to take a break from all the fanservice), but what I do want is for it to tackle certain subjects. For one thing, if they ain't genderless aliens, good luck getting way with 2 chicks kissing.

edited 13th May '17 10:59:04 AM by ewolf2015

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#8: May 13th 2017 at 10:53:30 AM

The third season of Moral Orel

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#9: May 13th 2017 at 11:00:24 AM

[up][up]That isn't treated as porn.

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Sabertooth1000000000 Sabertooth from Land of the Livid Dead Since: Jul, 2010
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#10: May 13th 2017 at 11:15:10 AM

King of the Hill is the best answer to this question.

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#11: May 13th 2017 at 12:39:55 PM

Ones I can think of off the top of my head:

  • Clerks (by its very nature being based on a movie for adults)
  • Mission Hill (basically a guy, his brother, and his friends living in an apartment in not-Brooklyn, notable for being one of the first shows ever to respectfully portray a gay couple)
  • Clone High (a bit zany and definitely a parody show, but solid entertainment regardless)
  • all the examples aforementioned by others
  • Don Hertzfeldt's work (this is what you want if you want work that isn't a comedy; admittedly, some of it is a bit extreme, and most of it is pretty abstract, though I recommend above all else his movie It's Such a Beautiful Day)

I should note, pretty much all of the examples I gave either were commercial failures, cult hits, or only revered in indie circles.

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Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
#12: May 13th 2017 at 12:46:54 PM

Watership Down is also very violent, but also dead serious in tone.

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#13: May 13th 2017 at 12:47:09 PM

King of the Hill is basically an above average live action sitcom that happens to be animated.

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Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
#14: May 13th 2017 at 12:52:29 PM

Just found out Watership Down is being redone as a Netflix special. I wonder how many traumatized children this will spin out.

My guess: more than a few

edited 13th May '17 12:52:48 PM by Zeromaeus

RAlexa21th Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I <3 love!
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#15: May 13th 2017 at 1:00:20 PM

Speaking of adaptations. Animal Farm was made in Britain, wasn't it?

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Zeromaeus Since: May, 2010
#16: May 13th 2017 at 1:02:02 PM

Yes. Funded in part by the United States' CIA if this very wiki is to be believed.

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#17: May 13th 2017 at 1:14:07 PM

It actually was,part of their efforts to fight communism's influence if I recall correctly.

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#18: May 13th 2017 at 1:22:26 PM

Some more examples of non-crass adult animation would be of course the works of Matt Groening — The Simpsons and Futurama, both some of the greatest works of television animation and television in general. Bob's Burgers would also count as an example.

Now IMO, most raunchy adult cartoons are less for "adults" and more for "stupid teenagers a la Beavis and Butthead", but the point remains the same — they're not for kids. The way I see it, the whole "it's not for kids" is also why a lot of adult animation has so much sex, violence, and other discretionary content, because when the majority people believe a medium is entirely for children, the only way to make it crystal clear that your cartoon isn't for kids is by making it blatant in the most graphic way possible.

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ewolf2015 MIA from south Carolina Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: I-It's not like I like you, or anything!
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#19: May 13th 2017 at 1:49:06 PM

[up] why not make it so complicated that kids won't get it?

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#20: May 13th 2017 at 1:55:48 PM

The Illusionist ...and I assume other movies by the same person. Titan AE maybe?

Loves feel-good animation a whole lot.
TargetmasterJoe from Velocitron Since: May, 2013 Relationship Status: I like big bots and I can not lie
#21: May 13th 2017 at 2:05:27 PM

Haven't seen either myself, but I suppose Heavy Metal and Anomalisa count? Even if they are in different spectrums in terms of tone?

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#22: May 13th 2017 at 2:07:44 PM

I'd point out Dan Vs. as a cartoon for adults disguised as a cartoon for kids. Almost literally. Dan and Chris originally conceived it as something that would play on Adult Swim or some similar channel, but somehow they got the interest of The Hub (most famous for My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic) instead. So they toned down the black comedy and almost completely removed the sex jokes, and got something that kids could watch. Except, in spite of being bowdlerized enough for a child audience, the resulting show is still fundamentally about a misanthrope responding to adult problems (identity theft, the Department of Motor Vehicles, high-school reunions, obsolete computers, jury duty, traffic) with over-the-top violence. It was allegedly kid-friendly, but I still think adults were the primary audience.

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#23: May 13th 2017 at 2:42:59 PM

I'd argue Ralph Bakshi's Wizards is a Truly "Adult" Animated Film. It tackles the subjects of Faith (both in each other and in higher purposes) and Propaganda (including the literal use of Nazi propaganda), while keeping the more Black Comedy aspects 'tasteful' (Elinore, for instance, while Stripperific, is never nude and is never sexual herself, at least not until the end).

WhatArtThee Since: Oct, 2015
#24: May 13th 2017 at 3:32:46 PM

In terms of "not over-the-top raunchiness/violence" The Simpsons and Futurama are sitcoms that just so happen to be animated.

In terms of "non-comedic, deep adult animation": I haven't SEEN any, but there's some like that, such as Ralph Bakshi's sci-fi/fantasy stuff, Don Hertzfelt's darker/tragic works, and The Plague Dogs.

edited 13th May '17 3:33:02 PM by WhatArtThee

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ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#25: May 13th 2017 at 5:11:50 PM

Interesting choices you've all got. As far as the comment about Toy Story 3 goes, I agree with the common sentiment that Pixar movies can be enjoyed by all ages, but there's no denying that they're not marketed towards children first and foremost. They just happen to be children's movies that adults can get an equal amount of enjoyment from. Titan A.E. had the opposite problem. It was aimed squarely at an audience of 12-year old boys, a.k.a. the one demographic that's famous for actively AVOIDING animated movies and anything else they see as childish ("A Disney movie? Eew! Let's go play Grand Theft Auto instead."). Needless to say, it didn't do too well.

I suppose the ones that come the closest to what I was thinking about are Clerks, Anomalisa, Wizards, King of the Hill, Bo Jack Horse Man, and pretty much anything Don Hertzfeldt's done. That's a very eclectic mix, but I suppose if your only criteria is "adult-oriented animation that doesn't fit the stereotype", you're going to end up with that. Some of them are still comedies, but unlike, say, South Park, they typically try to stay grounded and relatable.

As for my own suggestions, I think Archer also qualifies. So might this movie apparently being produced for Netflix: http://deadline.com/2017/03/netflix-animated-film-america-channing-tatum-voicing-george-washington-1202056188/

edited 13th May '17 5:19:12 PM by ElSquibbonator


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