Image courtesy of Netflix
Adult animation seems basic for Netflix. Many of the streamer’s biggest hits and most iconic shows come from this genre, many born out of Netflix’s desire to give creators artistic freedom and freedom from the restrictions of traditional broadcasting.
As a result of this strategy, Netflix has become the home of audacious comedy, violent action, and experimental art pieces, all filtered through animation.
To celebrate the wide range of adult animation on Netflix, here are the 10 best original shows produced by the streamer.
10.
disillusionment
Image Credit: Netflix
Getting Matt Groening to create an original series for the streamer was a major accomplishment by Netflix, and gave Groening himself a chance to test a new mode of storytelling. The Simpsons and Futurama were to comply with the network TV model, where each episode was to be a self-contained adventure. disillusionment The opportunity to create longer narratives and develop my characters in more interesting ways. Groening’s visuals and character development are fascinating disillusionment Another milestone in his five-season run, and the title of greatest of all time.
9.
tuca and burtie
Image Credit: Netflix
tuca and burtie wrongly exists in the shadow of bojack horseman. Both shows share Lisa Hanawalt’s art style, with her going from art designer on BoJack to showrunner on Tuka. However, Tuca and Bertie adopts a very different tone than BoJack, exploring much smaller, more subtle interactions between people. It feels far more representative of the current moment, given people working odd jobs for a living and the overall weirdness of entering adulthood in this current age. Although it only aired one season on Netflix before being cancelled, tuca and burtie Turns out to be a uniquely perceptive and funny show.
8.
Castlevania
Image Credit: Netflix
It’s been a tough decade for the Castlevania video game series as creator Konami lost interest in the field, but it’s still trying to maximize its IP. One of the best things to come out of that strategy was the Castlevania anime series, which satisfied the fanbase’s vampire bloodlust.
Castlevania is a franchise that revels in dark, Gothic aesthetics and the show makes full use of that license. Crimson Reds leap out of the frame as iconic imagery from the game is realized through stunning 2D animation. The atmosphere is right in line with the games, and when it comes time for Richter Belmont to swing his whip at some creatures, Castlevania offers some amazing battles. The four-season performance gave a classic franchise its due.
7.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunner
Image Credit: Netflix
Many of the shows on this list are either adaptations of video games or rooted in video game culture. The medium is capable of creating worlds so dense and expansive that even a dozen hours spent there cannot capture the full extent of the story. Shows like Cyberpunk: Edgerunners take an established video game world and provide more depth and style to an already fascinating digital space.
Serving as a prequel to the game, Edgerunners fills viewers with lore, while also being an enjoyable entry point for those who have caught a glimpse of it while scrolling through the streaming service. Edgerunners have a fascinating view of it. World renowned animation house Studio Trigger specializes in drawing extremely satisfying action, which works beautifully within cyberpunk’s established world of electric, neon yellows and blues that dominate each frame.
6.
love, death and robots
Love, Death + Robots is a pure celebration of worldwide animation. The anthology format works to highlight talent coming from every corner of the world, both at the pure indie level and from the biggest studios. We see work from US-based studios like Blur and Sony Imageworks, as well as top-class European talent like Studio La Cachette and Passion Pictures. All these studios have been given free rein to make something crazy, and they relish that opportunity.
Any doubts about animation being solely for children are dispelled within a few episodes of Love, Death + Robots. The incredible breadth of styles, tones, and animation styles showcases animation as one of the most adaptable and flexible artistic mediums in existence. Since each episode is under 20 minutes long, there’s no excuse not to pay attention love, death + robot.
5.
The Midnight Gospel
It’s a miracle that something as loose and experimental as The Midnight Gospel ever came into existence. The basis of each episode is a recorded podcast between co-creator Duncan Trussell and a guest, realized through animated acid trips. The conversations that make up the characters’ dialogue in the show are often stream-of-consciousness conversations that enable the animation to be as wild as possible, while also allowing for interesting insights into the psychology of these people.
That psychological element is really where The Midnight Gospel sets itself apart from the regular experience of listening to a podcast. These episodes really do feel like you’re walking into someone’s brain, with saturated colors, a lack of straight lines, and scenes that change in an instant. Recently, Netflix has spent a lot of money investing in visual podcasts, but few will be able to reach that level of ingenuity and audacity. The Midnight Gospel.
4.
of difference
Image Credit: Netflix
In Spider-Verse, introducing CG/2D hybrid animation to the mainstream industry was like Prometheus bringing fire to man. Since 2018, studios around the world have tried to put their own spin on it, but few have managed it as gracefully as Fortich did with Arcane. It’s impossible to watch even a clip of Arcane without being amazed at how crazy it looks. Every stylist gauge turned up to 11, with punk aesthetics, explosive colors and intense soundtracks swirling together to activate every neuron in your brain.
Another thing that allowed Arcane to stick with the culture was people’s intense passion for the characters. His ethical choices continue to be debated online today, a sign that the show was more than a technical showcase, but rather a nuanced exploration of morality that would be difficult to replicate.
3.
blue eye samurai
Blue Eye Samurai. Maya Erskine as Mizuho in Blue Eye Samurai. Ten million. Courtesy of Netflix © 2023
Following in the footsteps of the mysterious, blue eye samurai Felt like a stylistic refresh for TV animation. The mix of CG and 2D techniques shows that this hybrid style isn’t aimed to be the same as Spider-Verse, but each show can find its own unique spin on it. Blue Eye Samurai’s approach to animation is perfect for the era in which it is set. Nothing in Edo-period Japan should have a CG sheen, so a painterly 2D style is used to add grain and texture to each frame, helping the audience accept it as the distant past.
As fresh as the animation is blue eye samurai The story, about a mixed-race warrior on a mission of revenge, is as heart-wrenching as it is gory. blue eye samurai It’s a significant step forward for TV animation, helping transform its place in the culture from pure comedy to raw comedy that draws comparisons with iconic HBO shows. Season 2 is currently in production and is expected to return in 2027.
2.
bojack horseman
Image Credit: Netflix
One of the very first Netflix Originals that started a wave of adult animation finding a home on the platform, and yet it’s still one of the best examples of the genre on the streamer. BoJack takes the idea of an animated sitcom and breaks it in half while enjoying a network TV release. It is able to build a strong, linear narrative and gives off the expectation that everything should return to status quo in the end.
Being able to give our characters emotional momentum over six seasons presented a challenge that has haunted showrunners for decades – giving these characters a satisfying ending. Everyone’s departure in BoJack isn’t perfect, but the show does a great job of allowing the audience to delve deeper into the psychology of each character. BoJack is known as a show about depression, so that may take away from the credit it gets for how funny it is. Few shows are able to weave microgags into every line as well as set up season-long jokes like BoJack. This is the perfect invention of the adult animated sitcom.
1.
scott pilgram flew
Image Credit: Netflix
What at first seemed like an unnecessary repetition of well-worn steps ended up being a jewel in the crown of modern animation. Scott Pilgrim appeared in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It perfectly represents the lives of kids who have grown up playing video games and spending time on the Internet by the time they reach the age of 20. With this also comes some aspects that still haven’t aged well, such as the integration of Manic Pixie Dreamgirl in the manga and 2010 film. Comments off on the same idea by making Manic Pixie Dreamgirl the main character.
Instead of having Scott defeat all of Ramona’s evil exes, the show removed the male lead from the story and focused on Ramona making amends with each former ex one by one. This more mature approach is perfect for those who have grown up another decade with these characters. As emotionally resonant as it is, Take Off doesn’t neglect its anime foundation, allowing world-class studio Science Saru to portray these characters as vividly as they ever have, while capturing their fights with satisfying, fluid, stunning animation. Scott Pilgrim Takeoff has it all.
This is our pick of the best adult animated series on Netflix – which one is yours? Let us know in the comments below.
