Just because an animation is meant for adults doesn’t mean it is adult. Often times, it can be more childish and immature than children’s animation.
Like Guillermo del Toro said: “Animation is cinema. Animation is not a genre.” In terms of sheer creative and narrative capabilities, animation is the most versatile and unique form of cinema. Like a painter with their canvas, it has no limitations outside of the creator’s own mind. It is art captured by camera. Animation is cinema.
And yet, animation often comes prepackaged as specific genre pieces for what the audience expects. These are often negative stereotypes that may exclude an otherwise large audience from engagement. There’s kiddy entertainment ala Disney, the weird and perverse ala anime, creepy stop motion ala Tim Burton, the holiday stuff ala Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and then there’s my least favorite: adult animation.
Why “Adult” Animation?
To call certain animations “adult” is sensible but still mind-boggling to me. Sensibly, I don’t think I’d want any potential children of mine to watch South Park before the age of ten. To me, that’s fine. I love South Park and I think it has a lot to offer, but I would still not show it to any child.
However, that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t show them films like Persepolis or del Toro’s Pinocchio. By comparison, I’d call these movies not “adult” but “mature.” While they do contain dark or adult elements, they are not catered or marketed solely for adults. They do not feel the need to brand themselves with crass humor, random nudity, and a swear every thirty seconds or so.
Films like Persepolis and Pinocchio don’t have to rely on adult immaturities to get an audience. And, I see that as the biggest problem with the term “adult” animation. Because of the popularity of certain shows and films, adult animation is perhaps the most restrictive and underutilized medium of entertainment.
Adult Origins
What makes it even stranger? Animation, in a way, was intended for adults. Before the Hays Code—a sort of precursor to the modern rating system—there was practically no limit on what films could show. There were individual criteria in certain areas of the US in particular, but nothing nationwide. That means nothing really stopped what animation could do.
Older cartoons were surprisingly wild compared to what we may think nowadays. Betty Boop was first created in 1930, only to be tamed down in the late ’30s. An early stop motion film called The Cameraman’s Revenge tackles marital issues and infidelity between insects. Even Bugs Bunny—who frequented gender-bending and cross dressing—is pretty progressive even by today’s standards.
Even in the ’70s, during Disney’s Dark Age, animators like Don Bluth would make more mature and darker animated films. Stories under his belt like The Secret of Nihm, An American Tale, and The Land Before Time would become animation classics. And, then there’s Ralph Bakshi, an animator who’s as legendary as he is insane, perverse, and controversial. Seriously, look up Fritz the Cat.
It wasn’t really until Disney’s popularity in the ’50s and cheap TV animation that the medium started to be looked upon as kids media. Films like Cinderella and Lady and the Tramp, along with Saturday morning cartoons further cemented this image, even into the modern day. Hell. Even The Flintstones – an animated sitcom intended for adults—is likely seen as kids stuff today.
No Class, Only Crass
In adult animation, especially on TV, the crassness and “adult” humor is often the main selling point. If not for the crude jokes, then what’s really left? So many modern adult animated shows rely on stiff character models in realistic settings, aside from a talking animal or creature. There’s not really a moment to let the animation live.
My favorite examples of this I can think of are the Family Guy clones. Same character slots, same stiff animation, same emphasis of humor over any story or narrative. There’s really no distinction between these shows other than minute details. My favorite example is Paradise PD, which is technically a clone of a clone (Brickleberry) of a clone (Family Guy).
I keep bringing up Family Guy because it’s really the photo-typical example I think of in regards of this problem. The first few season are fine, but this show should’ve been cancelled at least a decade ago. The characters aren’t likable it Bob’s Burgers, it doesn’t feel relatable like King of the Hill, and it doesn’t have bite or commentary as The Boondocks. It really offers nothing aside from “adult” humor… and chicken fights.
When Children’s Animation is More Mature
Since probably the early 2010’s, maybe earlier, children’s animation on both the big and small screen has seen a great maturity. It allows for more complex and intriguing stories to be told and more developed characters to be portrayed. It allows complex stories to be accessible to children without catering to them.
For television, my go to examples would be Adventure Time and Bluey. Adventure Time in the later seasons would greatly explore topics in existentialism, trauma, tense familial relations. Bluey is honestly probably more for adults and teens than children, with as much lessons for parents as for young children.
The same mentality could be argued for films under Studio Ghibli and a lot of Pixar. Ghibli movies are known for their quiet stillness, a contrast from stereotypical children’s media, and can sometimes be rather violent like Princess Mononoke. And Pixar films like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, and even Inside Out tackle subjects that again could apply more to adults than children like middle-age crises, letting go of tradition, and being emotionally vulnerable.
These are all stories that don’t cater themselves solely to children nor adults, but can be deservedly enjoyed by all. That’s pretty remarkable for material that is able to cover absentee fathers, infertility, environmentalism, self-expression, and depression. And among all of those mentioned “kids” cartoons, none of them are considered “adult.” That’s mature animation.
What to be Done? Nothing.
Do I find this annoying? Yes. Seeing these mature and qualitative animated stories being regarded kiddy fluff can be really irritating. Can anything be done about it? No, not really. It’s immensely difficult to change an entire population’s view on any given subject.
Let’s not forget that what del Toro said about animation at the 2023 Oscars was said a year after the disastrous 2022 Oscars. The blatant disregard of animation as kiddy fluff—while nominating a story about a gay man escaping Afghanistan—is clear and frankly insulting. It’s even somewhat present in the 2023 ceremony. Yes, the best animation award was the first one to be given, but that could be read as getting it out of the way first for the big dogs.
Outside of critical and award-based praise, there’s also the commercial reality. The sheer viewership of any Disney or Illumination movie, or any episode of Family Guy is going to be grave compared to most. Take Smiling Friends, a recent Adult Swim show. I love it. It’s visually creative, the writing is great, and it’s one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. I doubt it will rival Rick and Morty in popularity any time soon.
Personally, what can be done is much easier. That is to simply watch more animation of all different kinds. Whether it be from a small studio, of a different language, or of a different time, animation can come from anywhere. And I say animation. Not children’s, adult, or even mature animation. Animation.
