A couple misconceptions aboutanimation. One: It’s not a genre, it’s a medium. It’s a method of telling different stories in different genres, just like “live-action filmmaking.” So if there are any Blockbuster Video managers reading this, first of all: How are you holding up? Second of all: Organize your animated films within their actual specific genres, please! And two: While we are appreciative of the manyfamily-friendly,kid-focusedanimated TV shows, animation is not just for kids. In fact, we’ve all been lucky enough to be living through a golden age of adult animated television. If you’re looking to dive into some imaginative, shocking, transgressive, oftenhilarious, and always entertaining animated TV shows for adults, look no further. Check out the best animated shows for adults streaming right now — and try not to turn into a pickle while youbinge-watch.
For more recommendations, check out our lists of thebest shows on Netflix,Hulu,Prime Video, andHBO.
‘Human Resources’ (2022 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | IMDb: 7.1/10
Human Resources
Spun off fromBig Mouth, the hit adult animated series about tweens going through puberty,Human Resourcesexplores the world ofBig Mouth’s monsters. Building on the intricate foundation set by the original series,Human Resourcesis a workplace comedy centering around the Lovebugs, Logic Rocks, Ambition Gremlins, and their cohort, more so than the Hormone Monsters featured inBig Mouth. In the first season ofHuman Resources, Lovebug Emmy (Aidy Bryant) is assigned to a human adult, Becca (Ali Wong), as she gets closer to giving birth to her first child. With neither of them prepared for the responsibilities in front of them, hilarious yet poignant shenanigans ensue.– Yael TygielWatch on Netflix
‘Inside Job’ (2021 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 79% | IMDb: 7.7/10
Inside Job
With an art style and sense of humor not too dissimilar from adult science-fiction comedyRick and Morty,Inside Jobhails from the minds ofAlex Hirsch(The Owl House) andShion Takeuchi(Gravity Falls). Although the animation onInside Jobis more grounded, the premise and ridiculous humor defy gravity.Inside Jobfollows the employees of Deep State, whose sole responsibilities are to keep conspiracies a secret. Overflowing with clever writing and bursting with talent,Inside Jobemploys the voice talent ofLizzy Caplan(Fleishman Is in Trouble),Christian Slater(Mr. Robot),Clark Duke,andTisha Campbell.– Yael TygielWatch on Netflix
‘Aggretsuko’ (2018 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 96% | IMDb: 8.0/10
Aggretsuko
Aggretsukois a great starter show if you’re new to the world of anime and a great option for changing things up if you’re an anime fan looking for something new to watch. Of all the cartoons to really offer some solidarity when exploring the trickiness and subtle frustrations of adulthood, I never expected to peg the anime seriesAggretsukoas the one to nail it perfectly. This fresh and fun anime series follows Retsuko, a shy and polite accountant who deals with the frustrations of working in an office with a terrible boss and ignorant co-workers by going to karaoke bars after working and singing death metal. Yes, that is a very real sentence I just wrote and yes, it should immediately have you running to Netflix to binge both seasons (and a perfect Christmas special!). This is an animated series which articulates how frustrating an overbearing or terrible boss can be (Retsuko’s boss is literally a pig, FYI), what it’s like to feel like you’re suffering from imposter syndrome, what it’s like to navigate anxiety or depression while trying to remain productive, or even what it feels like when you’re trying to meet whatever dumb standards of successful adulthood look like and ultimately realizing every one of those standards are dumb, dumb, dumb. Retsuko is the metal singing panda hero we need right now because she gets it. Her rollercoaster initiation into adulthood is (probably) very similar to our own respective initiations into adulthood.Aggretsukois the kind of slyly therapeutic animated series you need right now because of this, so just click “Play”, whydontcha? - Allie GemmillWatch on Netflix
‘Arcane’ (2021 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 9.0/10
An absolutely stunning animated steampunk series,Arcaneis loosely based on the hugely popular video game. Building on the foundation of the game,Arcane’s writing team, led by newcomerAlex Lee, crafted a deep and intricate backstory. StarringHailee Steinfeld(Pitch Perfect 3) andKevin Alejandro(Lucifer),Arcanetravels narratively across an upper city, a utopian place called Piltover, as well as the lower class underground dwellings of Zaun. Along with an abundance of canon to pull from, this surprisingly entertaining science-fiction fantasy series tackles topics like classism and crime while stuffing the first season with easter eggs for game fans.– Yael TygielWatch on Netflix
‘Tuca & Bertie’ (2019 - 2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% | IMDb: 7.4/10
Tuca & Bertie
Hailing fromBoJack Horsemanproducer and animatorLisa HanawaltisTuca & Bertie, one of the best animated shows of 2019 (and one of the most irksome cancellations on 2019). The series putsTiffany HaddishandAli Wongin the driver’s seat as best bird friends Tuca (Haddish) and Bertie (Wong). Tuca is a toucan with a big personality, big dreams, but little in the way of proper life skills. Meanwhile, Bertie is a shy bird who lives with her sweet, supportive boyfriend, Speckles (Steven Yeun) who loves to bake and has a hard time speaking up for himself. Together, these two lady friends make a dynamic duo, their adventures over the course ofTuca & Bertie’s lone season making for a thoroughly exciting watch. ButTuca & Bertieeventually peels back its zany layers to reveal a show which readily tackles pressing issues unique to the female and/or adult experience, like healing from childhood trauma, breaking free from toxic relationships, and advocating for your needs. As the series creator, Hanawalt transfers lots of thingsBoJackfans love about the series — a distinct animation style, great visual gags and running bits, and a heartfelt, intense narrative at the core of the show — intoTuca & Bertie, making this a must-watch series.- Allie GemmillWatch on Netflix
‘Big Mouth’ (2017 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 7.8/10
Big Mouthis a fascinating mix of a show that is, on the one hand, extremely graphic, but on the other hand aimed directly at kids. This animated series is a no-holds-barred look at impending adolescence and hormones as told through the eyes of three young pre-teens, two boys and a girl. It covers everything from periods to masturbation to young love, and while it doesn’t hold back in accurately portraying the fear and shame that come with budding hormones, there’s also a sweetness throughout the whole thing. It’s graphic but never “gross” if that makes any sense. But even though it resonates strongly with young ‘uns going through these ups and downs, it should also be mighty familiar for adults who recognize their same past struggles portrayed onscreen. Oh, and it’s also absolutely hilarious.– Adam ChitwoodWatch on Netflix
‘BoJack Horseman’ (2014 - 2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 93% | IMDb: 8.8/10
BoJack Horseman
“Oh look!” you say, searching for something to watch on Netflix. “A silly animated comedy about a talking horse who’s now a washed-up actor voiced by Gob fromArrested Development! Sounds fun!” Stop! Because you are half-right. But the other half… will knock you on your ass.BoJack Horsemanis indeed a silly animated comedy about a talking horse who’s now a washed-up actor voiced byWill Arnett. He tries to put back his career and keep his life on track, supported by cat agentAmy Sedaris, will-they-won’t-they socially progressive love interestAlison Brie, cheerfully dumb dog actorPaul F. Tompkins, and slacker roomieAaron Paul. And all of this is bolstered by wildly imaginative visual gags (the underwater episode? Fuhgeddaboutit) and acerbic jokes about Hollywood’s worst impulses. ButBoJack Horsemanis also one of the darkest, deepest, and most thorough examinations of darkness in any TV show I’ve ever seen, talking horse or not. The show dives headfirst into depression, substance abuse, sexism, racism, suicidal ideation, Alzheimers, and many more potentially triggering subjects with shocking clarity and empathetic sensitivity – one episode, appropriately titled “That’s Too Much, Man!”, rendered me literally speechless for an hour or so after watching. If you like to chase your chai lattes with blacker-than-black coffee,BoJack Horsemanis your new favorite show. - Gregory LawrenceWatch on Netflix
‘Cowboy Bebop’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 45% | IMDb: 7.6/10
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Beboptakes all of the things that are cool in the world, puts them in a cool-ass space blender, and, wouldn’t you know it, makes a show that’s beyond cool. Following the travels and travails of Spike Spiegel and an intergalactic bounty hunting crew,Cowboy Bebopfeels like classic noir, contemporary cyberpunk neo-noir, melancholy 1970s case-of-the-week TV crime dramas, and Westerns – all scored with unbelievable jazz sounds from maestroYoko Kanno. ButCowboy Bebopain’t just an exercise in style (though it’s very good at that). Spike’s story is fundamentally tragic, deep, and bittersweet – and his supporting characters, especially Jet Black, get plenty of opportunities to interrogate the traumas of their past, too. At a clean and tight 26 episodes, the series knows exactly what it wants to say and says it perfectly, while giving ample time for experimental, character-driven, self-contained adventures, too. Also – and I don’t mean to poke the sub/dub hornet’s nest – but this is one anime I do prefer watching with the English voice cast dubbing. See you, space cowboy. -Gregory LawrenceWatch on Netflix
‘F Is for Family’ (2015 - 2021)
IMDb: 8.0/10
F Is for Family
F Is for Family… and it’s also for Favorite, as in, this is my favorite animated series right now, edging out fellow Netflix seriesBig Mouth. My only beef with the show is that we don’t get enough of it! It premiered nearly two years beforeBig Mouth, and yet there have been five fewer episodes! That said, the wait between seasons has been worth it, as the writers have done a brilliant job creating compelling storylines for the blue-collar Murphy family, led by co-creatorBill Burras Frank, a miserable veteran with a quick temper and a foul mouth who works at the airport. Frank and his wife Sue (Laura Dern) have three kids, Kevin (Justin Long), Bill (Haley Reinhart) and Maureen (Debi Derryberry), all of whom are quite different and follow theSimpsonsmodel of the delinquent, the sensitive one, and Daddy’s harmless little princess. Burr’s gruff Boston accent is well-suited for animation and serves the character of Frank quite well, given his anger issues. The title sequence alone, set toRedbone’s catchy “Come and Get Your Love,” does an expert job of relaying the day-to-day anxieties of middle age. Meanwhile, as of February, the cast now boasts two Oscar winners between Dern andSam Rockwell, who plays scene-stealing womanizer Vic Reynolds. A third Oscar winner,Allison Janney, is among the many guest stars who have lent their distinctive voices to the show, includingVince Vaughn,T.J. MillerandMichael K. Williams.F is for Familymay play rough from time to time – especially given its time, the 1970s – but there’s an underlying sweetness to the show that makes us root for this dysfunctional family. F may be for Family, but it’s also for Funny, and personally, I can’t wait for season Four.- Jeff SneiderWatch on Netflix
‘Love, Death & Robots’ (2019 - Present)
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% | IMDb: 8.4/10
Love, Death & Robots
Executive produced byTim Miller(Deadpool) and legendary filmmakerDavid Fincher, the animated anthology seriesLove, Death & Robotsis kind of the perfect catch-all for sci-fi fans. Each episode is an animated short film that hails from a different writer and director, and the theme holding them all together is the idea of sci-fi technology. As a result you get a wide range of tone from uber-violent to romantic to hysterically funny. Some are only a few minutes long, while others are longer, offering diversity in length as well. And yes, this is a show for adults. Sex, death, and violence are recurring themes throughout, which shouldn’t come as a surprise given that the show hails from Fincher and Miller.– Adam ChitwoodWatch on Netflix
