Gone are the days when animation meant something that children watched, glued to their TV screens. There’s a new kind of animation that has been around for a while but is finally being recognized by more and more people. Adult animation has been around since The Simpsons, and then moved along to South Park and most recently evolved with shows like Inside Job and Chicago Party Aunt. This genre has been growing every day with new shows and movies adding on to it.
Adult animation has mostly dominated the comedy industry on different streaming platforms, be it Hulu, Prime, or Netflix. Viewers are constantly looking for new seasons of their favorite shows or something new to watch that can just help them unwind and relax, and these shows are perfect. So, we’re here to tell you which adult animated shows you need to watch!
1. Rick and Morty
Lately, everyone has been obsessed with the concept of the Multiverse (thanks to Marvel) but Rick and Morty have been toying around with the multiverse for almost a decade now. This American sitcom started in 2013 and is currently in its 6th season. Rick and Morty have been a fan favorite and the pinnacle of adult animation and science fiction. This show has managed to push the boundaries of space and time as grandpa Rick and his grandson Morty explore different universes, go on some crazy adventures, and also make some time for their family, who are all recurring characters in this sitcom.
Rick and Morty have always been at the top of everyone’s list and the show has been nominated for several prestigious awards like the Emmys, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and more. So, if you wish to explore the infinite universes with this crazy duo, we recommend streaming Rick and Morty on Netflix! Here is all the information you need about the upcoming episode.
2. Big Mouth
Apart from being humorous, Big Mouth is also one of the most progressive shows on the internet right now. Albeit being animated, this show has managed to capture audiences from all age groups, and there’s something for everyone. Big Mouth, created by Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg, is loosely based on their childhood and the challenges teenagers face growing up, especially with puberty and hormones. Big Mouth highlights these challenges with the help of a range of characters and their monsters.
This show has covered a lot of important issues like gender, sexuality, anger, periods, and much more. Most recently, Big Mouth released its sixth season and has been renewed for a seventh season already! We don’t see this adult animated show ending any time soon as they yet have plenty to explore. A little fun fact, one of the creators Nick Kroll, also voices roughly five characters on Big Mouth! You can read more about Big Mouth Season 6 here.
3. Chicago Party Aunt
We started with the big guns, Big Mouth and Rick and Morty, but now we must divert your attention to the underdog of adult animation, and that is Chicago Party Aunt. Although this show only has one season so far, which makes perfect sense considering it was only released last year, it has managed to capture hearts all across the world. We’d suggest not going by the ratings on this one, and instead watching the trailer and maybe the pilot episode before you start binging! A reckless aunt who likes to have fun, what could possibly go wrong, right? Apparently, a lot can go wrong because one person likes to have far too much fun.
Chicago Party Aunt revolves around the life of Diane Dunbrowski whose one aim in life is to live it to the fullest. While she might take partying to a whole other level, she does care a whole lot about the people around her. She has a good relationship with her nephew, co-workers, and neighbors, and although her relationship with her sister is a little rocky, we see them come together in one special episode. It’s an easy watch that must be on your list!
4. Inside Job
Inside Job is one of a kind and proof that adult animation truly knows no bounds. The good thing about adult animation and its creators is the fact that they tend to explore topics and up the ante, every single time, and Inside Job is the perfect example of that. This show follows the Shadow Government organization called Cognito Inc and its star worker Reagan Ridley, or at least so she likes to believe. Reagan is an interesting father, an incompetent team of co-workers, and a boss who hasn’t recognized just how brilliant she is.
Inside Job talks about every single conspiracy theory that we have ever come across. Whether it is the lizard people or the illuminati, Inside Job covers it all. So far, only Part 1 of the show has been released, but the good news is that Part 2 is on its way and will be released in 2022! So catch up on Inside Job Part 1 if you haven’t already, and buckle in for some crazy new conspiracy theories in Part 2, including the fact that minions might just be real.
5. BoJack Horseman
It’s often said that BoJack Horseman is not everyone’s cup of tea and you have to be in the right mindset to watch this show because it can get depressing from time to time. However, it’s still animation, it’s still funny, just darker than most of the shows you might be used to so far. BoJack Horseman tells the story of a humanoid horse who has decided to make a comeback in his acting career. However, it isn’t as easy as it seems. In fact, the journey is rather harsh as he comes to face the reality of life. BoJack Horseman has a lot of references to addiction, sex, drugs, and depression, and is only suitable for a mature audience.
This show went on to become one of the most popular animated shows because of how much people could relate to a humanoid horse and the struggles that he goes through. There are a total of 77 episodes over a span of 6 seasons, making it a perfect binge. We’d recommend watching it with a few episodes of Big Mouth or Inside Job thrown in the middle, just to make it a little lighter.
6. South Park
It would be a crime to talk about adult animation without mentioning the legendary show, South Park. This Emmy award-winning show has been around since 1997, and most recently released its 25th season in 2022. Although the most recent season consisted of only 6 episodes, fans don’t have to worry, because this isn’t the end of South Park just yet. South Park has been popular in the media for several reasons. It has also been banned and awarded, and everything that could go right or wrong has probably happened with this show. Despite that, they continue to impress their fans with their crude humor and the bizarre adventures of the four friends, Kyle, Eric, Kenny, and Stan who live in South Park.
This show is most likely one of the most popular animated shows, giving tough competition to The Simpsons (another great animated show, by the way). If you have thick skin and can handle some not-so-appropriate shows, then we recommend putting South Park at the top of your weekend binge list.
7. Archer
Archer, created by Adam Reed has received a whopping 90% on rotten tomatoes and has been critically appreciated from the very first season in 2009. Although there’s no interdimensional travel or a talking horse, Archer has a charm of its own kind. Archer revolves around the story of the international spy, Sterling Archer. The different episodes of this show cover different thrilling missions, friends, co-workers, enemies, and much more. However, Archer isn’t just an animated spy show, it also has some brilliant comedy, despite it being a little dopey from time to time with a couple of dad jokes sprinkled all over.
Archer is most definitely the world’s greatest spy and extremely handsome, but being both of these things isn’t always easy. There are a total of 13 seasons so far, and the most recent one premiered in 2022 itself. The jury’s still out for whether or not Archer will be renewed for another season, but if we had to place our bets, we’d say yes!
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a new series to begin, we recommend watching any of these from the list. A lot of these adult animated shows are getting new seasons in 2022 and 2023, so you will have plenty to look forward to as well.
Deepti is a prolific content writer for OpenMediaHub who specializes in movies, tv shows, and web series, along with occasional reviews. Her interests lie in watching different genres and reading comics books, although her main passion is writing for as long as she remembers.
