When we were kids, chances are we grew up with animation as our primary form of television and film. Be it Saturday morning cartoons, Disney, Cartoon Network, or Nickelodeon, nearly all of us grew up on animation.
But why is it then that this sort of media hits less and less as we age? How come adults say they “like animation” but seldom go out to see animated films and shows? Is animation inherently for kids, is it an industry thing, or is it just in our heads? If what creatives rant about online is true, why do that many adults really not care for animation?
Why kids care more about animation than adults
For better or worse, it is beyond argument that animation is more inherently appealing to kids. The obvious first reason is that the bright colors and slapstick antics characteristic of animation pop out to younger audiences. Another is that the pronounced and often exaggerated expressions of animated characters are easy to read compared to actors. And finally, a child’s imagination naturally drifts towards the fantastical and creative worlds of animated media. Adults may get hung up on logistics or believability, but kids easily look past these sorts of things. I am sure we all have films we saw as kids and thought that they were more than they are.
In my experience, animated worlds tend to be much more upfront with their outlandish elements than live action. For example, most Disney and Pixar films introduce their unique magic or technology in their first few minutes, while the Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean films hold their punches for a while. Adults tend to value character writing and dramatic tension over spectacle, so they logically prefer live-action films placing greater emphasis on the former, and first impressions matter. There of course are exceptions to both, but this is what I observed myself.
Lastly, some adults may just be too cynical to care for animation. In Cars (2006) the characters are sentient vehicles in order to directly embody its themes of Americana, car culture, and masculine competition. Many adults however cannot look past their obvious marketability and outlandishness though, and they are not totally wrong.
The industry’s role in animation’s reputation
I think that the biggest point regarding adults and animation is how the industry itself handles this genre. The biggest animation companies produce kids media, meaning adults must search for more mature offerings. Popular adult animation like Family Guy or The Simpsons do not help, as their reliance on slapstick, crass, and sex comedy makes them often feel just as juvenile. The a select few offerings like BoJack Horseman and Invincible focus on mature writing, the others mostly being buried within streaming sites.
Looking to the east however presents a much different story, especially as anime enters the picture. Anime operates entirely differently from western animation, and most eastern viewers just see it as another medium. Studio Ghibli is the most well-known example of this, with many of its films making most of their box office from adult viewers. Films like Only Yesterday, Grave of the Fireflies, and The Boy and the Heron would go completely over kid’s heads, or even traumatize them. Many of these slow, introspective, and poignant films could have easily been live action. But these studios constantly chose animation as their medium, and audiences keep watching.
I also think that awards programs like the Oscars carry blame for animation’s reputation in the west. Kids films dominate the Best Animated Feature award, with only the occasional adult film sneaking in. I have no inherent problem with this, but when coupled with frequent low-brow jokes about children torturing their parents with them, it only worsens the situation. When it comes to animated offerings, adults unfortunately seem to often boil it down to a popularity contest.
How adults can care for animation
The main throughline of adults having a harder time with animation is down to the suspension of disbelief. Viewers know films are not real, but good films get them invested anyway through relatable characters and compelling conflicts. Some may not relate to drawn characters over actors simply due to taste, which is perfectly fine. But I do urge people to consider the current state of western live-action filmmaking, particularly Hollywood. Hollywood films can have so much CGI and effects that sometimes the actors are the only ‘real’ thing on-screen. I would argue that at this point, the film is more animated than live-action.
If you can enjoy these sorts of films, animated films are not much of a leap from there. Animation fundamentally operates the same as live-action, and can tell all the same kinds of stories. While not as ‘real’, animation at its best is arguably the most literal example of art in motion. Being free of any physical limitations allows for truly anything to be possible on the screen, and good writers will still make it all make sense. Well-done animation can have most of the subtleties of live-action, but also mix in exaggerations in a way live-action cannot.
Up to this point, I also have been completely disregarding how adult already care for western animation. Many such films, particularly Pixar, have a lot of adult themes and humor sprinkled in that make them hit differently to adults. Plus, The Simpsons and such are still great for dumb fun. Just know that this is not all animation is.
Animation projects adults can get started with
Everyone knows the onslaught of live-action remakes Disney has been pumping out over the last decade. They are notorious for their heavy use of CGI, and films like The Lion King (2019) are entirely computer-animated. Officially called photorealistic animation, these are likely the most extreme examples of people irrationally preferring live-action to animation. Most however agree that the uncanny valley will, possibly forever, prevent this style of film from being visually appealing. The best animation is not trying to mimic reality, instead going for a strong style of its own.
I would recommend all the positive examples of animation I have mentioned to anyone. Pixar, Studio Ghibli, and BoJack Horseman are awesome avenues for seeing what animation can offer for adults. If you want to go a step further, indie projects are everywhere, and popular anime like One Piece, Cowboy Bebop, Ghost in the Shell, and Monster have fan-made viewing guides to make them digestible to new viewers. The sky is the limit, and the deeper you search, the better things you will find. If you are tired of how fake modern films look, turn that on its head and try animation!
