A Look At the Current State of Adult Animation

Adult animation, while taking on many forms, usually has at least one show that dominates the zeitgeist from The Simpsons, South Park, and Family Guy to Rick and Morty. These were shows that everyone talked about for several years, and also it seemed like everyone was trying to copy their style to get some of that residual love. While all of these shows are still airing, they are not dominating the conversation in adult animation. But when trying to think of what is the show that everyone is rallying behind right now…nothing quite fits. There have been some great shows that have come out for sure in the last few years, and it seems to me that adult animation is entering an era of experimentation with levels of realism in this medium.

Now, of course, animation always has been trying new things, but it seems to be pushing what is acceptable and ignoring what has come before. I noticed this trend in 2019 with Primal, a show focusing on a caveman who talks in grunts and screams, and his companion a T-rex who can only roar, surviving in a very dangerous world. Here was a show that was doing something new in style and substance dealing with death and grief, but also unlike a lot of animated shows had no jokes in it. It was the only non-comedy animated series nominated at the Emmys. This trend of darker animated storytelling has continued along with shows like Arcane, with its 3D style animation and deep dive into a mentally broken character in Jinx, and how much complexity there is in societal issues of wealth and poverty. The double-edged sword of technological advancement helps society but also creates new problems in the process.

Just looking over some of the biggest new animated series I saw this Emmy cycle gave me a lot to think about with all the new ways we are seeing animation. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a well known IP that decided to take huge risks in re-telling the fundamental story and explored its characters in new ways while still staying true to the overall style of the original. Hazbin Hotel has a Disney princess-like character with musical numbers and people learning how to be better individuals. But it takes place in Hell, and has swearing, dark themes, sexual abuse, violence, and really catchy songs and vibrant colors. Scavengers Reign creates a whole strange ecosystem on a planet and lets it physically and psychologically affect human survivors of a crash. Blue Eye Samurai takes a revenge story and expands it into a cultural examination of sexism and racism while still keeping the action and character work strong. Then, who would have thought in 2024 that one of the biggest shows in animation would be a reboot of the 90s X-Men cartoon?

What has allowed all this to happen? One reason we may not have a new model that people are copying is that so many of shows that have been winning respect are so new that there hasn’t been time to copy them. Some of these newer shows are so specific in their styles that copying them would be very difficult to do. Also, we still have people trying to make new versions of Family Guy and Rick and Morty, and those kinds of comedies are easier to try to make. But more and more they are getting less people engaged with them, especially when the not as good the originals are still on, or there are not so many seasons that, if you want to see that kind of comedy, just rewatch the old episodes.

Of course we also have more and more options to put out animation. Streamers are able to get niche shows out there, giving them a chance to grow a following. Scavengers Reign started on Max, got canceled, went to Netflix and now has an Emmy nomination, so its fate is unclear but it now has a shot. I would be remiss if I also didn’t point out that while anime has been around forever, more streamers are starting to air it and it is reaching a bigger audience, which is also affecting adult animation in style but also some of the serious themes it has tackled for years.

What is exciting about all this in a weird way is that not all of these new kinds of animated shows work for me, but that has an appeal. Creators are being given a chance to express themselves, which is always a good thing. Even if I do not like it, there is another new show coming out soon that could surprise me. Primal’s animation look turned me off at first and now I think it is one of the best animated shows I have seen. Hazbin Hotel wasn’t on my radar but, after seeing it, it put a smile on my face with its fun characters.

Here’s hoping this trend continues and no single type of show dominates.