Animated TV shows have flourished in the last decade, from Cartoon Network to Netflix. While most of these are targeted for younger audiences, the overarching messages of some have gained large adult followings as well. Following this, more TV shows in this animated style but targeted for more mature audiences have emerged. Successful examples of these are Netflix’s “Arcane” and “Inside Job”, and Amazon Prime Video’s recent “Hazbin Hotel”, and “The Legend of Vox Machina”, both of which were picked up from smaller projects.
“Adult animation”, or animated TV shows targeted for adults, have largely been mocked in the past, called out for “ugly art styles”. They have also been heavily critiqued for depending too heavily on sex jokes as their only humor, and for having minimal character development or story beyond those jokes. These shows usually run late on Cartoon Network or similar broadcasts, and with the shift to streaming, have largely moved to Hulu, with others trickling to Netflix and the like.
In the last decade, more mature children’s animation, such as reboots of 70s and 80s shows like “Voltron” and “She-Ra” on Netflix, have drawn large adult crowds as well. This is due to their more in-depth characters and beautiful animation. With this interest growing, these services have created animated shows targeted for adults, attempting to maintain that interesting depth and the beautiful art style. Have they succeeded, or are they still under heavy fire? We’ll look at reviews of a few recent examples.
Arcane
The League of Legends TV show drew mass online attention at the time of its release. This hype continues as fans anticipate the second season to release in November 2024. The show’s unique art style and excellent voice acting were its main pulls for viewers, who stayed for the in-depth morally gray characters and complicated political intrigue.
The show was not without critique. Some viewers challenged its representation of a “crazy” main character and questioned if it was aligning with harmful stereotypes. This largely went along with calling the main character Jinx a “new Harley Quinn”. Others had issues with the pacing, saying too much happened too fast. There was also backlash against the show’s singular sex scene, which many viewers said was unnecessary and could have simply been implied.
Overall, the show grew a lot of good publicity, though. The popularity of “Arcane” led to a larger push online for unique art styles in animation and more animated shows targeted for adults, as well, or at least leaning into more mature themes.
Inside Job
Netflix’s office comedy based around conspiracy theories was not as immediately successful as “Arcane”. Much more of the humor was based around sex jokes, but it had further depth beyond that.
Reagan Ridley, the protagonist, copes with burnout, isolation, and past trauma from her manipulative alcoholic father, who continues to influence her in her adult life. Her coworker Brett, copes with being a people-pleaser and his own insecurities, handling these things as an adult who supposedly peaked in high school and college. The writing did a fantastic job investigating adults learning how to handle their past traumas and current problems, alongside a lighthearted plot and comedy.
However, Netflix cancelled “Inside Job” in November 22, ending it after its second season. This sparked online outrage about the show’s depth despite its comedic nature, and led to much debate about adult animation and cartoons. Many viewers pointed out that “ugly” shows without depth were allowed to continue to air for 8+ seasons while anything that tried something new was cancelled.
Hazbin Hotel
Amazon Prime’s most recent new animated show gained immediate attention upon release. A pilot for the show had released on YouTube in 2019 and gained popularity before it was picked up by Amazon. The show received heavy criticism at the time for its excessive foul language, which is a common criticism with its partner show, “Helluva Boss“, which is still released on YouTube. Many viewers call the constant cursing immature, and say that it interferes with any seriousness of the show.
“Hazbin Hotel” has toned down a bit from “Helluva Boss”, but still has heavy uses of language. Many more viewers loved the musical show, however, with many songs going viral on TikTok and Instagram Reels following its release. The star-studded cast also brought many viewers in, who stayed for the comedic yet heartfelt characters and interesting ongoing plot. Some viewers have complained about the songs or language interfering with the depth of the plot and characters. Others have praised the music for allowing a new way of seeing character’s problems, such as the character Angel Dust’s issues with addiction.
The show has been praised for its unique art style, excellent voice acting, catchy songs, and interesting underlying plot. Many viewers also found the characters’ ongoing progression and depth moving, particularly in the universe of the afterlife where supposedly “nothing matters”. There were also criticisms of the pacing, saying this character progress was rushed. “Hazbin Hotel” has been renewed for a second season, so viewers will soon see what happens next!
The Legend of Vox Machina
The fantasy action animated series gained immediate popularity upon its release. The show is based off of Critical Role, a Dungeons and Dragons livestream, particularly its first campaign of the same title. It was initially funded through a Kickstarter before being picked up by Amazon.
The show brought attention to Dungeons and Dragons as a community online, as well as further attention to Critical Role’s livestream and additional related content. Many new viewers did not know it was based off an improvised game, and that the voice actors had created their characters themselves.
Common critique for the show was its heavy gore, as well as a few sex scenes in the first season. The second season toned this down, which aligned with the main cast’s progression to become more serious as their challenges grew.
The show was largely successful for its beautiful, smooth animation, as well as its star-studded voice acting cast. It was also praised for its charming yet complex characters, which was what brought attention to the original livestream as well. Similar to many other popular adult animation shows, the adult main characters deal with their past traumas and insecurities, while learning to fully trust the others in their adventuring party as well.
Pushed back due to remaining COVID-19 delays and the Hollywood strike of summer 2023, there has not been a release date for the third season. In the meantime, viewers wait eagerly for Vox Machina’s journey to continue.
So, what is in store for adult animation in the future? Many popular shows await a new season, and seeing their success with Gen Z and millennials, it is likely that there will be new shows coming soon. Common praise for these shows is the representation of adults coping with trauma and improvement, which these audiences relate to as they go into adulthood. With this in mind, it is likely that this genre will grow and improve, possibly moving past its common critiques.
