Gemma Cockrell
When people think of animation, they usually think back to their favourite childhood cartoons from when they were younger. But why should the impressive, and sometimes even beautiful art form, be limited to childhood? Why shouldn’t it be something that can be enjoyed and appreciated for your whole life?
The answer to this question is: it can be, because adult animation exists. According to Wikipedia, adult animation is “Any type of animated motion work that is catered specifically to adult interests, and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adults and adolescents, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences.”
From The Simpsons to Family Guy
I think the most classic example that will come to people’s minds when thinking of this genre is The Simpsons, which debuted in 1989 and has remained popular for decades since. Family Guy began airing exactly a decade after The Simpsons in 1999, with South Park debuting a few years prior in 1997. Nowadays, it seems that there are more adult animation shows than ever. Shows like Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman and Rick and Morty have found a widespread audience on streaming platforms more recently.
“The main appeal of these shows, for me personally, is that each episode usually has a 20-minute run-time”
Whilst traditional American TV channels such as Fox, Adult Swim and Comedy Central have been pioneers of broadcasting adult animation, it can be argued that Netflix has played a great part in bringing these shows to new audiences and helping them rise to newfound popularity.
The main appeal of these shows, for me personally, is that each episode usually has a 20-minute runtime. I don’t usually have the time to sit down and watch 40 to 60-minute episodes, which is often the format that many of the popular live-action shows on TV follow. I also have an admittedly short attention span (and a very busy schedule!) so, 20-minute episodes suit my lifestyle perfectly.
However, I am aware that this runtime is not limited to animated shows – I will happily admit that I love sitcoms like The Office and Parks and Recreation for the very same reason. But animated shows have their own separate advantages. They can often execute storylines that live-action are unable to, because the worlds that you can create through animation are limitless – the only limit is the animator’s own imagination.
Anime
The genre of adult animation isn’t limited just to America, of course. Another major contributor to the world of adult animation is Japan. Anime isn’t a new phenomenon by any means – it has been around since the early 1900s. Its first notable peak of popularity was in the 90s with shows aimed at younger audiences such as Pokémon, Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, and Studio Ghibli films.
“They’re often very light-hearted, avoiding dealing with serious topics”
However, fast forward to 2021 and anime shows that are aimed at more adult audiences are more popular than ever. The genre has truly infiltrated into the Western media – again, this was undeniably an effect of streaming services. These shows are now more accessible to worldwide audiences than ever before, and Western viewers are falling in love with the charm that comes with their unique style of animation.
Easy-watching!
Adult animation is definitely one of my favourite genres of TV to watch. They’re often very light-hearted, avoiding dealing with serious topics – or, if they do tackle this type of material, they present it in a humorous light. The plots are often easy to follow, with the exception of the complicated plot maze that is Rick and Morty, which works as a positive rather than a negative since it only results in the show being a stand-out in the genre. Plus, watching an episode doesn’t take too much commitment or time out of your day.
What more could you ask for?
Featured image courtesy of Chris Murphy via Flickr. Image license found here. No changes made to this image.
Gemma Cockrell
Hi, I'm Gemma, I'm 20 and I'm currently a student in Nottingham. I write mostly about music, but you can also catch me talking about motorsport and occasionally TV and film.