Discussion Main / MatureAnimalStory

This trope may be unfairly omitting some rather mature animal works (like Watership Down, which is intended for children ages 6 and up, or even the classic Looney Tunes, Classic Disney Shorts, Tom and Jerry, and MGM Tex Avery Cartoons, which are, not targeted primarily to kids) because those mature animal works do indeed target children or are for all ages rather than being primarily for adults.

Maybe this trope should be soft-split into two types

• Type 1 - Adult and What Do You Mean, It's Not for Kids?: The stuff is targeted for older teens, young adults, and adults.
• Type 2 - All Audiences, What Do You Mean It is Not Just For Kids, and What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: The stuff is targeted for all ages, families, or even kids; but has family-unfriendly content, mature subject matter, or a general mature theme similar to many truly mature and adult-targeted works.

Watership Down and its movie adaptation are examples of Type 2. There are bloody, gory scenes, mature themes, and the usage of a mild swear word, like when the seabird yells, "Piss off!" at one of the rabbits, but kids are among the target audience for these works.

If this soft split gets accepted, maybe the, "Please note that if it is marketed as a work for children, it is not this trope." disclaimer should become, "Please note that if the mature work is marketed as a work for children or for all ages, it is Type 2 of this trope, and if the children-targeted work is not mature in its themes, it is not an example of this trope."