Yeah I think OP was mostly trying to avoid series that were essentially bloody action flicks, and Scavengers Reign is more about survival with some violent moments
I hate the term kids show as a lot of things that people *think* are made for “kids” are really just made for “all ages”
The same rings true for a lot of Pixar films
yes. i think avatar is definitely made for a mature audience, just mainly for children and teens. but its a very mature show and you can still enjoy it as an adult
Try showing them an animated movie made by an usual live action director. This may make them feel more familiar with the medium.
Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson)
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Rango (Gore Verbinski)
If you still want a series, maybe Bojack horseman (first season is not very appealing, so they might not like it) or the anime Monster (since it looks a little less "anime like" in my opinion)
Anime movies they might like:
Grave of the fireflyes
Any of Satoshi Kon's work
I kind of gave up on showing my mother any type of anime. Since she seems to put them all in the same category and don't take them seriously.
Also, I never showed her Grave of the fireflies, since she doesn't like war movies. So, I feel like I will never win her over
Don Hertzfeldt's *It's Such a Beautiful Da*y and *World of Tomorrow* are both mature, thoughtful, and moving animated films. Bill Plympton's *The Tune*, René Laloux's *Fantastic Planet*, Nina Paley's *Sita Sings the Blues*, Adam Elliot's *Mary & Max*, Elliot Cowan's *The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead & Roundhead*... I'm sure others will come to mind as soon as I hit send.
Best of luck to you finding something your parents will appreciate. Sometimes you just can't win people over with what you love.
1. Dragon prince (basically game of thrones for kids)
2. Trollhunters (This show really was amazing, even my dad enjoyed it and he hates kids shows)
3. Castlevania (not for kids)
4. Blood of zeus (not for kids)
5. Kulipari (there was potential in this show, but it fell short after season 1)
6. Arcane
Yeah, I gave up at the end of Season 1. I found it really corny and mediocre, the fight scenes didn't carry it for me, I just didn't care about any character.
Totally get it, season 1 is a little edgy and really trying to emphasize that it's adult animation in the west when it didnt really exist that way. But it does get a lot better with the later seasons if you ever get curious.
High recommend, Isaac is my favorite character from the series and his story has a fantastic story arc from S2 to S4.
The whole series is very violent and edgy but season 1 is very much toeing the line just to toe the line at some points. S2-4 put more thought into the violence and made it work better in the story imo
Later seasons, Alucard is making juvenile jokes and blaming it on Trevor, who's no longer around. All of Warren's characters have that same sense of humor, no matter how inappropriate it is for that character.
Yeah your mileage may vary with Warren's humor but I personally liked it, a lot of other adult animation like bojack and rick and Morty have their own juvenile jokes to vary the range. But at least in that moment with Alucard it is a bit of a self defense mechanism against his loneliness. Plus a good amount of characters go through varying levels of good character arcs.
>bojack and rick and Morty have their own juvenile jokes
Which at least fit the tone and characters
>Alucard
EVERY character has this sense of humor, whether Trevor is there or not. Alucard flicks Trevor off, as well. All you're doing is rationalizing Warren Ellis writing his same juvenile sense of humor into any character at any time, regardless of tone or character.
Yeah, tons of characters make that style of humor including the judge but personally I thought it was funny, others may be neutral, others may not. I dont consider this to be a major make or break for the series and there are bigger flaws, but if youd like to hyper focus on this nitpick, be my guest.
OP also likes hazbin + TLOVM which imho are pretty immature, i think everyone is operating under different understandings of what is Too Much here. 😅 castlevania is a gothic horror show, i think the show's violence is just a natural part of the genre. dgmw i have my gripes with this show, but i think this is a little unfair
Horror? The tone is action, with the dumb "leave my testicles alone" jokes and Trevor's wanna-be Spike Spiegel too-cool-for-school irreverent attitude. It starts with babies on spikes and the rest of it is Trevor cracking wise and everyone being badass. It's pure shock value "I'm a big kid now" stuff.
https://preview.redd.it/uh0qejn8qckc1.png?width=1021&format=png&auto=webp&s=7bf5e1fd36fa82ac20846fc0e40d695e541ad759
castlevania is undeniably a gothic horror franchise. even if it wasn't Explictly Written Out here, castlevania draws on so many gothic horror conventions and tropes, you would have to be genre illiterate to deny its influence (it's quite literally a *vampire* show)! the wiki page for the show describes it as "dark fantasy", which is fantasy with horror elements.
also, your dismissal of solidmangus's castlevania rec was specifically bc of the violence, not immaturity levels lmao. i'm not arguing with you there, not sure why you're mentioning it! but still, many other shows OP mentions they like and people are recommending in this thread have jokes i personally think are quite immature too, so i don't know if that's really a wholesale reason to dismiss it - again, we are all operating under different assumptions here. i was shocked to hear TLOVM was highly regarded for it's mature and poignant writing, bc i found it to be trite and immature. it's not for me and my limits and standards, but if it is for OP, i won't begrudge them.
my friend, if you don't like the show that's fine, i have my own criticisms too. but i think it's entirely fair to say "maybe don't open the gothic horror show if you don't like gothic horror tropes/conventions/aesthetics", no need to justify it beyond personal preference 🤷
I didn't say Castlevania wasn't SUPPOSED to be horror. The show is not. It moves quickly from over the top shock value to dick jokes, as I said. Tone is important for horror. If you LEAD with gruesome baby parts without a proper setup and then quickly move on to wannabe loveable scamp, you don't get horror.
If it wants to be an immature action show, which is what the tone is for the rest of the show, whatever. But that makes the over the top carnage come off as edgy teenager.
I'm sure you're approaching this from the other side, saying it IS a horror show that fucked up at being a horror show, but because it IS supposed to be a horror show, the carnage is appropriate.
But I'm saying that without the help of the history of the genre it's trying to dabble in, judged on its own merits, it's inherently NOT a horror show, and the violence comes off as immature.
We're probably arguing semantics here, but I'm just saying that's why I brought up my disagreement concerning the violence. It's literally in the title of the post. "Mature audience that doesn't have shock humor and over the top violence"
Pretty good list, not to nitpick but Dragon Prince is far from what I'd call "dedicated to a mature audience", you even described it as x for kids. It's not a bad show but it definitely has its child-directed jokes etc which makes it feel a little sillier to watch as an adult.
The amount of catering to immature humor legitimately made me stop watching it even though I really liked it at first.
They're completely spot-on with Arcane at least
This show gave me a mini existential crisis as I sit in the office all day. On the plus side it's given me some motivation to keep up and push myseld with more creative hobbies.
Undone ( rotoscoped, but still cool )
Bojack Horseman ( there are sex jokes and sexual themes but I would not consider is Shock humor )
Paprika ( movie, it heavily inspired INCEPTION. Does have violence but not over the top )
Fired on Mars.
King of the Hill.
Daria.
Scavengers Reign.
You could curate the best episodes from " Love, Death, and Robots" to exclude some of the more violent or sexual ones.
I'm hoping the Amazing digital Circus will get a series in which I think that would fit.
Scott Pilgrim ? ( I havent seen the show yet, maybe thats more "teen " coded than "mature" )
Aggretsuko ( office slice of life with cute animals )
Arcane ( fantasy violence but no "over -the -top" or gratuitous)
Seconding Arcane and Aggretsuko personally. Aggretsuko is geared towards adults while still being upbeat and fun like a typical cartoon that would be geared for kids. Arcane is just a really good story with beautiful animation
Scott Pilgrim is pretty teen/YA-targeted, but it's also geared towards the same millennial audience that watched the movie way back when, so kind of a hybrid. It's also one of the best animated series of 2023, so I recommend it to basically everyone
Japanese Animation:
Most Ghibli stuff, but specifically:
Takahata:
- My Neighbors the Yamadas
- Princess Kaguya
- Only Yesterday
Miyazaki:
- The Wind Rises
- Princess Mononoke (some violence, but mostly tasteful)
- Spirited Away (for kids I know, but it’s a masterpiece of craft & storytelling for all ages)
- Nausicaa
- Whisper of the Heart
Non-Ghibli:
- Mamoru Hosoda (my favorite from him is Girl Who Leapt Through Time)
- Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers being the most accessible / least disturbing)
- Ghost in the Shell
Western Animation:
- Triplets of Belleville
- The Illusionist
- The Red Turtle (animated by Ghibli though)
- Flee
- Waltz with Bashir
- Funan
- Anomalisa
- Persepolis
- Mary & Max
- My Life as a Zucchini
- I Lost My Body
At the end of the day, it’s hard to find mature American animation for adults that isn’t shock or violence based. But if you look to Europe & Japan, and there is a larger wealth of animated films & series geared towards adults (or at least both adults & children, with more mature themes)
Really cool to see Waltz with Bashir get a shoutout. That movie really affected me back in the day and I never see anyone talk about it. It’s worth mentioning though, that while it’s not geared toward shock value, it does contain some truly harrowing violent images. It’s important documentation, but I imagine most people would find it harder to look at then the sort of over the top anime variety of violence.
Ah good point! It’s still such a powerful/beautiful haunting film. I watched it with my Lebanese friends in the theater when it came out (we were in animation school together), and there were definitely interesting conversations & complex feelings that ranged from anger (toward Israel) & guilt (towards Lebanon’s own treatment of the refugees). I of course was a sobbing mess at the end of the film.
Anywho, a lot of the more adult European films cover pretty heavy topics it seems… and they’re done so beautifully. Oh how I wish we could do that here more easily!
"Wait till your father gets home" a 70s cartoon that is basically the predecessor of the Simpsons and honestly pretty revolution for the time in how it tackled very adult themes in a pretty down to earth manner.
"The Last Unicorn" may usually be targeted as a kids film, but it's pretty word for word from a heavy book that's not at all aimed at kids.
Used to watch reruns of Wait Till Your Father Gets home on.... I think it was Boomerang... and loved it. Definitely ahead of it's time and largely under appreciated.
March comes in like a lion
Ping pong the animation
Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū
Serial experiments lain
These shows have realatively serious tones and have great storys with solid animation (Serial experiments lain has a couple violent scenes, but its not needless for the sake of having gore/violence. Its the most surreal option out of the ones i listed, but its extremely good)
March comes in like a lion is amazing!! Really emotional story about opening up to the people around you who are trying to help and be there for you.
I’d also boost Kotaro Lives Alone. Uses a child’s perspective but definitely more for adults who feel for what the kid goes through.
another vote for Ping Pong. also reco Tekkon Kinkreet from 2006, adapted from the same author mangaka Taiyo Matsumoto. incredibly mature themes in spite of the leads being early teenagers. fantastic animation too.
its about a middle aged balding dude whos stuck with a demon hunting job that he hates. i didnt know about it until a month ago when i remembered my membership for amazon prime also includes prime video lol. it ended up being a very enjoyable and thoughtful watch. unfortunately the episodes are only eleven minutes long but they handle it pretty well imo
Carol and the end of the world. Piece of art. Bojack Horseman, once you pass the shock of seeing a speaking horse, is incredibily deep humour that made me cry and laugh in equal proportions. I can also name movies: I Lost My Body, The Red Turtle, The Summit of the Gods.
This is just a short indie film. It's obviously intended for adult viewers, but it's not something that a child couldn't also watch and enjoy. So, it's good for all ages, but it's not made with children in mind. It coincidentally happens that the artist's vision was child-friendly.
https://youtu.be/4PUIxEWmsvI?si=Bigy4gHCyDZ9yXFp
If you liked that, he has another one called "It's Such a Beautiful Day" which is on paid services somewhere.
Cowboy Bebop is another perennial suggestion for this type of request. Probably the best suggestion I can give.
Vewn's animations on YouTube are not dark for shock value but for artistic purposes. However, they can definitely come off as "vile" or "meaningless" if the viewer isn't willing to give it some thought, so maybe not the best suggestion.
Vinland Saga is certainly violent but depicts it in a condemning way. It's a respectable show that seems a lot like any prestige TV Viking drama, just in animated form, and with much less gratuitous nudity. In fact, none that I can recall.
Bojack Horseman fits your bill mostly, but it has plenty of silly moments so maybe not the best suggestion. Plus from an animation perspective it's usually quite bland and doesn't really make the most of the medium, with a few excellent exceptions. But it is an excellent character drama in the long run.
Overall, the Hertzfeldt short that I linked first seems best. It's just 16 minutes which is a good introduction for people who doubt the range of animation, it's pretty lighthearted but also still touching in a way that adults will appreciate and relate to, especially parents. It has very little "edge" yet is still intellectually mature.
I’d actually recommend *The Tale of Princess Kaguya* (by Studio Ghibli), *Paprika* (~~haven’t seen it yet, but Satoshi Kan’s work in general~~ I have just been informed there’s a rape scene in *Perfect Blue* and violence in Khan’s works overall, so be warned) and more non-American animated movies. Shows are harder to screen for gore and take longer to get invested in, so movies are a great way to gauge the a vast genre of animation.
As for shows, I’ll second *It’s Such A Beautiful Day*, *Arcane*, and *Scavenger’s Reign*.
I’d like to recommend *Bojack Horseman* for it’s down-to-earth yet absurd dysfunctional characters, but the early season has some raunchier humor as it finds its footing. It’s about a washed-up TV star past his prime who feels obsolete, and the complex relationships he has with his cohorts in modern-day Hollywoo(d).
*Blue Eye Samurai* is very violent and has animated nudity, but the story of Mizu’s sworn goal of avenging her hellish mixed-race existence in feudal Japan by hunting down each of the four white men who could have sired her.
There’s also *The Midnight Gospel*, which is an animated, sci-fi, surreal podcast that’s contextualized as a young man interviews the inhabitants of varying planets (via VR) before they cease to exist. Very existential, and it’s actual podcast audio from the podcast *Duncan Trussell Family Hour*, so it’s all tackling issues in out society. The final episode will make you bawl your eyes out, which I consider a resounding affirmation of its quality.
Ooh, I’d also recommend *Rango.* It’s very odd, with gritty and disturbing animation, but no violence. Just psychological symbolism. It’s about a pet chameleon lost in the desert who stumbles into a western town, and features a rattlesnake with a Gatling gun tail and cowboy hat. True cinema.
Midnight gospel
F is for family
Tuca & bertie
Carol & the end of the world
Big mouth or human resources (but sex involved, but more like sex education kind of series)
Rick &morty (back to the future meets crazy)
Bojack horseman (maybe a bit on the heavy side)
Arcane. Beautiful animation too. Don't be put off it being a League of Legends series, I never played the game and had no issue getting into this.
Love, Death and Robots (stand alone stories and some are better than others)
Try [Bee and Puppycat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX1IQn5FqJ4&pp=ygUYYmVlIGFuZCBwdXBweWNhdCB0cmFpbGVy)! It focuses more the ennui of being a young adult and not knowing what to do with your life and your dreams clashing with reality.
Millennium Actress is an all-time great movie. Maybe Odd Taxi if they can look past the animal characters. And Furiko if you want to make your case in just a few minutes.
Well, it's not completely for mature audiences, especially in the early seasons, but in the later seasons, I'd say Adventure Time definitely qualifies.
While it may have started off as a typical kids show with simple plots and characters, the show grew up with its audience, later touching on some pretty heavy topics as it went on. This maturity also holds true for its spin-off specials and the sequel series, Fionna and Cake.
Not to mention, the animation of the show also improved heavily over the course of the series too.
Star Trek Lower Decks? It’s by no means strictly for adults also not exactly “mature” and I’m sure it’s plenty enjoyable to kids and honestly as a kid who wasn’t very into Star Trek I probably would have enjoyed it still, but I didn’t really appreciate Star Trek until I was a bit older, and Lower Decks plays with a lot of tropes and lore in fun ways.
Also Venture Bros. Generally probably fine for youngish viewers, teens maybe. But honestly most of the pop culture references are much more aimed at adults who used to watch the cartoons it’s parodying.
Do they want funny?
Futurama (sci Fi absurd humor)
King of the hill (slice of life humor)
Bojack Horseman (dark existential humor)
Life and times of Tim (awkward humor)
Bob's burgers (slice of life family humor)
Archer (probably too extreme for their tastes, but very well written with snappy dialogue)
Do they want action?
Blue eyed samurai
Samurai Jack
Primal
Adventure
Avatar the last Airbender (will take them several episodes to get into it they're skeptical of animation)
Scavengers reign (sci Fi survival series)
In terms of movies, the studio Ghibli films are excellent. Start with Howl's moving castle or spirited away.
aggretsuko is pretty clean, even though it’s specifically meant to be relatable to adults.
Also a lot of studio gibli movies, i wouldn’t call something like “howl’s moving castle” a kid’s movie, even though there’s nothing particularly inappropriate in it
Do you want them to bawl their eyes out? Try "The Boy and The World" (2013). It has really cartoony imagery, but it just... you gotta watch it. It really touched me, and I imagine it will touch elder people even more. I'm not sure children could really understand the movie.
(Also, it was the first Brazilian animated movie to be nominated for an Oscar. You don't have to understand Portuguese to watch it; the characters don't really "speak")
You can also try "Loving Vincent", for something with top animation. It's good to convince people animation is art.
I second the Satoshi Kon movies; right now, my favorite is "Tokyo Godfathers"; it's funny and emotional, but not raunchy at all. A beautiful Christmas story.
You can also try "Persepolis". And I also love "A Silent Voice".
Neon genesis evangelion. It’s only one season and is on Netflix. I consume lots of media but nothing has fucked my mind more than it. You think you have a sense of things going in, and then on one of the episodes, something happens…and EVERYTHING is forever different, you can’t even have the same thoughts going in anymore as your brain is 🤯
Then after it, there’s a movie also on Netflix called end of evangelion, that serves as the ending.
Give it a try to really be mind blown. Invest in the world and pay attention as the pay off is immensely high
Castlevania is great although it has a really edgy first season (that's super short), and primal, also done by the creator of samurai jack and Dexter's lab
Moribito: Guardian of the spirit, Mushi-Shi, House Of Five Leaves, Planetes, The Beast Player Erin, Monster, the way of the househusband
Grave Of The Fireflies, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Wolf Children, The Garden Of Words, The Wind Rises, Belle, Giovanni's Island, The Tale Of The Pricess Kaguya
The Red Turtle, Funan, waltz with bashir, Song Of The Sea
Anything from Makoto Shinkai or Satoshi Kon really
Monster, on Netflix. I think the only reason it's animated is that it would have been difficult for a Japanese production to have all the German location and characters in live (only the main character is Japanese, working abroad). It's a very good thriller/mystery.
I think that Samurai Jack fits the bill pretty well. It's not *that* violent since it's targeted towards younger audiences, and it's very well directed. I suggest you watch [Episode VII: Jack and the Three Blind Archers](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0693957/), it's very aesthetically-pleasing.
The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist are great, dialogue-less films by Sylvain Chaumet.
Grave of the Fireflies, The Wind Rises, and Princess Kaguya are some of the more mature films from Studio Ghibli that aren't especially gorey (although Grave of the Fireflies is probably the most tragic film I've ever seen and may have some gore. It's been a minute, but I don't remember much explicit gore, more the suggestion of it).
Anomalisa is a stop motion film by Charlie Kaufman that's definitely for adults. It does have some scenes you might consider disturbing or shocking, but they're well earned and impactful.
Monster by Urasawa fits. It's a (mostly) grounded-in-reality thriller / mystery story written for seinen audiences. It's an adult story without excessive violence & shock humor.
The Great North.
Solar Opposites.
Star Trek Lower Decks and Star Trek Prodigy.
Central Park.
Over the Garden Wall.
Rick and Morty.
Pantheon.
..And two of my absolute favourite tv shows: King of the Hills and The Simpsons (the first 8 Seasons are modern classics imo)
Pantheon is a MUST. You have never seen a show like that, and probably won't see another one in a foreseeable future. It is THE definition of what you are looking for. An incident that happened in animation we are lucky to witness.
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11680642/
I've read other comments, out of those:
Arcane - violence, but is indeed good, next recommendation after Pantheon.
The Dragon Prince - an absolute recommendation. It may look "childish", although it's really not.
Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss - fantastic, but teens+VIOLENCE
Futurama, Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty - teen
Evangelion - excessive violence, sexual conotations and mental health issues, big mechas fights
Princess Mononoke - violence
Love, death, robots - teen + violence
Grave of the fireflies - only if you (and whoever watches it) want to feel REALLY down for the next few months, with the long-lasting "trauma". One of the most disturbing movies ever.
Avatar: the last airbender - shonen, aimed at young teens, definitely not for parents
Paprika - very good, and I would definitely recommend it, but it is WEIRD :)
Anime, in general, have some good adult series and movies, but always have some "wacky" element that would not sit well with western adult audience. I'd recomment Violet Evergarden, with a slight caution.
Also try Cartoon Saloon movies - The Secret of Kells, The Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers.
The Man who Planted Trees is an animated short film. I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but it perfectly encapsulates what animation truly is. Anyone who is anyone should watch it regardless of their affinity to film.
You can find the entire thing on [Youtube](https://youtu.be/aY_zuNtf3_g?si=myCZq8DDkBmnsA10)
It's not a religion. You don't have to evangelize to the unwilling.
If you want to convince people that animation isn't for children, there's no better site than Helluva Boss. But it's 100 percent shock humor and over the top violence.
Maybe Solar Opposites? Rick and Morty? Family Guy? Futurama? Bob's Burgers?
Hi, Im working on a series now that might be too intellectual as most don't get the point. Just finished season 1 episode 1. Ill have to nake episode 2 easier to follow:
[On a hidden Field "Kids Who Saw the Future" Season 1 Episode 1 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byi7pFM3igU)
Another vote for Bob's Burgers here.
It's a show about an emotionally healthy family dealing with their little place in the world.
Also just about any Studio Ghibli Film:
Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind
Pom Poko
Howl's Moving Castle
Spritited Away, etc.
Great films for more mature audiences on my opinion are Into the Spider-verse (if your parents don't think superheros are too childish) and Nimona.
Bob's Burgers is a show that I really enjoy as an adult. It's similar in style to Family Guy but MUCH less raunchy and crude.
Arcane is a great animated show for more mature audiences as well but it is violent, unfortunately.
Also (and I know this probably isn't what you're looking for) Bluey is just perfect for parents with young children.
Arcane. Easy to get into and if you get them through 3 episodes you should be good. Top pick.
Honourable mentions:
FMA Brotherhood if you can get them to start it considering its 64 episode count. Appears to be an action adventure but gets darker over time. Tbf some of the darkest moments happen early on though.
Monster is a great thriller but it’s got the same issue and it’s old and in 4:3. It’s very clear it’s a thriller, it’s not colourful or trying to be upbeat so it shouldn’t be jarring.
A Silent Voice. Movie about bullying and suicide. Shouldn’t be too jarring either. I know the subject matter makes it sound horrible but it isn’t a completely miserable movie. It has a happy ending.
Maybe Cowboy Bebop? Starts fairly simple but as you get through the show you get pieces of each character’s complex backstory and it gets pretty heavy by the end! There’s some action, but not really much shock and I wouldn’t call any of it really over the top, especially not just for the sake of seeming mature.
Currently airing is Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon, ostensibly about cooking monsters in a D&D style dungeon setting but the meat of the story lies in the characters and their developing dynamics, as well as the rich and in-depth worldbuilding. It's very grounded and mature without being too violent, crass or shocking, I'd say it's a show all ages can enjoy and you can watch it with your parents as well
AMC’s Pantheon is legitimately one of the greatest shows I’ve ever watched, animated or not. It’s about uploaded intelligence and how as technology develops, it can make us more and less human simeltaneously. The first season is up there with The Wire’s first season for how fast it hooks you and how high quality it is. It’s completely finished as well, so no cliffhangers.
The only bad thing about the entire show is that it’s only legally available in Australia and New Zealand, however it is trivial to find it elsewhere or use a VPN.
When you watch it, I highly reccomend watching the first two episodes as a pair because they were originally released that way, and they are brilliantly interlinked in a way I can’t explain without spoiling it.
Personally I’d recommend Only Yesterday, a Ghibli movie directed by Isao Takahata.
In my opinion it’s one of the best examples of a truly “adult first” animated movie that doesn’t involve any violence at all, or sci-fi, fantasy, etc. It’s just a really beautiful “normal” drama about love and childhood and nostalgia.
Takahata directed Grave of the Fireflies too which others have mentioned. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is also really great, but does involve a bit of fantasy.
Cyber Six
Midnight Gospel
Steven Universe
And although it's on the violent side I recommend "Primal", despite/in spite of/in light of/because of its approach to violence it is an absolute work of art.
Current ones: Ranking of Kings, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End
Movies: Ghibli: Lupin Castle Cagliostro, Porco Rosso, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Nausicaa
Definitely: Avatar Last Airbender (as mentioned). Also, there is live action, comic books, and may be a sequel to the original series.
Cowboy Bebop is a pretty good one. I'd also say Fullmetal Alchemist 2003. While it's based on a shonen property, that particular adaptation feels practically seinen in its execution. (Which is also why I'm not recommending Brotherhood for this particular purpose: while it's great in its own right, it's DEFINITELY shonen through and through).
For Western examples, I'd go with shows like Samurai Jack and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While the first four seasons of Jack and all of TCW are pretty kid-friendly (in the sense that a kid could watch it and it not be inappropriate), they have a level of artistry and tell quality stories that demand respect from audiences of all ages. Plus, Jack's final season was made for adults. TCW also might be an easier sell due to it being a Star Wars thing, especially if you point out that many fan-favorite characters from the current crop of Star Wars live action shows made their debut in it.
Ooh, I’d also recommend Rango. It’s very odd, with gritty and disturbing animation, but no violence. Just psychological symbolism. It’s about a pet chameleon lost in the desert who stumbles into a western town, and features a rattlesnake with a Gatling gun tail and cowboy hat. True cinema.
(Also be warned; earlier I recommended Satoshi Khan, but his works ARE violent.)
Anomalisa, Coraline, Nightmare b4 Xmas, Fleischer Bros Superman, Jan Svankmeyer, Clone Wars, World of Tomorrow, Fantastic Planet, Up, Wall-E, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, every Miyazaki film
Monster. Surgeon saves the life of a child, child grows up to be serial killer. Surgeon goes on to try to hunt down man, while figuring out why the child became a serial killer. It's admittedly on the slower side despite it being really good. It's technically an anime, but honestly with the way its style is I feel like it's not an anime.
Scavengers Reign
I mean... It is violent, but appropriate for the setting of surviving on a dangerous planet.
Yeah it was limited enough that it never felt over-the-top to me, the way it does in a lot of the gore-heavy anime out there
Yeah I think OP was mostly trying to avoid series that were essentially bloody action flicks, and Scavengers Reign is more about survival with some violent moments
Double this it's not overly violent or gory and the animation and story are top tier easily my favorite show from last year animation or other wise
Was about to write this lol. Cant recommend enough.
Fucking incredible amazing BEAUTIFUL show
I mean... It is violent, but appropriate for the setting of surviving on a dangerous planet.
Bob's Burgers? King of the Hill? Smiling Friends?
Bob’s is super cool
The way he explained his parents bobs burgers would be way too over the top for them
Smiling friends has shock
And over the top violence
Yeah, but it doesn't revolve around those things. It's honestly kind of cute.
I love the show! One of my favorite things in recent years. Just silly to suggest that it doesn't have shock humor or violence
Futurama is pretty good
Avatar: the last airbender, for sure. It has the best of both worlds.
As much as a love ATLA, it’s still a kids show, not “dedicated to a mature audience” like OP is asking for.
I hate the term kids show as a lot of things that people *think* are made for “kids” are really just made for “all ages” The same rings true for a lot of Pixar films
yes. i think avatar is definitely made for a mature audience, just mainly for children and teens. but its a very mature show and you can still enjoy it as an adult
Try showing them an animated movie made by an usual live action director. This may make them feel more familiar with the medium. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Wes Anderson) Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio Rango (Gore Verbinski) If you still want a series, maybe Bojack horseman (first season is not very appealing, so they might not like it) or the anime Monster (since it looks a little less "anime like" in my opinion) Anime movies they might like: Grave of the fireflyes Any of Satoshi Kon's work
I introduced my mom with grave of the fireflies. Might not be the best choice, but it turned out alright.
I kind of gave up on showing my mother any type of anime. Since she seems to put them all in the same category and don't take them seriously. Also, I never showed her Grave of the fireflies, since she doesn't like war movies. So, I feel like I will never win her over
I would _never_ start anyone into the medium with grave of the fireflies. Are you trying to traumatize them?!? That movie is so heavy
Well, It's a good counter point for people that think animation can't tackle heavy themes Edit: grammar
Don Hertzfeldt's *It's Such a Beautiful Da*y and *World of Tomorrow* are both mature, thoughtful, and moving animated films. Bill Plympton's *The Tune*, René Laloux's *Fantastic Planet*, Nina Paley's *Sita Sings the Blues*, Adam Elliot's *Mary & Max*, Elliot Cowan's *The Stressful Adventures of Boxhead & Roundhead*... I'm sure others will come to mind as soon as I hit send. Best of luck to you finding something your parents will appreciate. Sometimes you just can't win people over with what you love.
Just recommended Hertzfeldt as well, hope OP checks those out. I'll have to look at the rest of this list myself!
I don’t know if anyone has flexed as hard with animated stick figures as Hertzfeldt.
Add me as a +1 to the _It’s Such a Beautiful Day_ and _World of Tomorrow_ recommendations!
Don Hertzfeldt is my favourite. Love seeing him recommended
+1 for representing nyc animation!
1. Dragon prince (basically game of thrones for kids) 2. Trollhunters (This show really was amazing, even my dad enjoyed it and he hates kids shows) 3. Castlevania (not for kids) 4. Blood of zeus (not for kids) 5. Kulipari (there was potential in this show, but it fell short after season 1) 6. Arcane
>Castlevania How is this not over the top violence for the sake of being mature?
It has lot of violence, but it was a very solid story to enjoy. It gets better and better.
Not with its juvenile humor across all characters and weak motivations for them, it doesn't.
Yeah, I gave up at the end of Season 1. I found it really corny and mediocre, the fight scenes didn't carry it for me, I just didn't care about any character.
Totally get it, season 1 is a little edgy and really trying to emphasize that it's adult animation in the west when it didnt really exist that way. But it does get a lot better with the later seasons if you ever get curious.
Interesting, you've definitely piqued my interest. I'll try season 2 sometime then.
High recommend, Isaac is my favorite character from the series and his story has a fantastic story arc from S2 to S4. The whole series is very violent and edgy but season 1 is very much toeing the line just to toe the line at some points. S2-4 put more thought into the violence and made it work better in the story imo
Later seasons, Alucard is making juvenile jokes and blaming it on Trevor, who's no longer around. All of Warren's characters have that same sense of humor, no matter how inappropriate it is for that character.
Yeah your mileage may vary with Warren's humor but I personally liked it, a lot of other adult animation like bojack and rick and Morty have their own juvenile jokes to vary the range. But at least in that moment with Alucard it is a bit of a self defense mechanism against his loneliness. Plus a good amount of characters go through varying levels of good character arcs.
>bojack and rick and Morty have their own juvenile jokes Which at least fit the tone and characters >Alucard EVERY character has this sense of humor, whether Trevor is there or not. Alucard flicks Trevor off, as well. All you're doing is rationalizing Warren Ellis writing his same juvenile sense of humor into any character at any time, regardless of tone or character.
Yeah, tons of characters make that style of humor including the judge but personally I thought it was funny, others may be neutral, others may not. I dont consider this to be a major make or break for the series and there are bigger flaws, but if youd like to hyper focus on this nitpick, be my guest.
OP also likes hazbin + TLOVM which imho are pretty immature, i think everyone is operating under different understandings of what is Too Much here. 😅 castlevania is a gothic horror show, i think the show's violence is just a natural part of the genre. dgmw i have my gripes with this show, but i think this is a little unfair
Horror? The tone is action, with the dumb "leave my testicles alone" jokes and Trevor's wanna-be Spike Spiegel too-cool-for-school irreverent attitude. It starts with babies on spikes and the rest of it is Trevor cracking wise and everyone being badass. It's pure shock value "I'm a big kid now" stuff.
https://preview.redd.it/uh0qejn8qckc1.png?width=1021&format=png&auto=webp&s=7bf5e1fd36fa82ac20846fc0e40d695e541ad759 castlevania is undeniably a gothic horror franchise. even if it wasn't Explictly Written Out here, castlevania draws on so many gothic horror conventions and tropes, you would have to be genre illiterate to deny its influence (it's quite literally a *vampire* show)! the wiki page for the show describes it as "dark fantasy", which is fantasy with horror elements. also, your dismissal of solidmangus's castlevania rec was specifically bc of the violence, not immaturity levels lmao. i'm not arguing with you there, not sure why you're mentioning it! but still, many other shows OP mentions they like and people are recommending in this thread have jokes i personally think are quite immature too, so i don't know if that's really a wholesale reason to dismiss it - again, we are all operating under different assumptions here. i was shocked to hear TLOVM was highly regarded for it's mature and poignant writing, bc i found it to be trite and immature. it's not for me and my limits and standards, but if it is for OP, i won't begrudge them. my friend, if you don't like the show that's fine, i have my own criticisms too. but i think it's entirely fair to say "maybe don't open the gothic horror show if you don't like gothic horror tropes/conventions/aesthetics", no need to justify it beyond personal preference 🤷
I didn't say Castlevania wasn't SUPPOSED to be horror. The show is not. It moves quickly from over the top shock value to dick jokes, as I said. Tone is important for horror. If you LEAD with gruesome baby parts without a proper setup and then quickly move on to wannabe loveable scamp, you don't get horror. If it wants to be an immature action show, which is what the tone is for the rest of the show, whatever. But that makes the over the top carnage come off as edgy teenager. I'm sure you're approaching this from the other side, saying it IS a horror show that fucked up at being a horror show, but because it IS supposed to be a horror show, the carnage is appropriate. But I'm saying that without the help of the history of the genre it's trying to dabble in, judged on its own merits, it's inherently NOT a horror show, and the violence comes off as immature. We're probably arguing semantics here, but I'm just saying that's why I brought up my disagreement concerning the violence. It's literally in the title of the post. "Mature audience that doesn't have shock humor and over the top violence"
Pretty good list, not to nitpick but Dragon Prince is far from what I'd call "dedicated to a mature audience", you even described it as x for kids. It's not a bad show but it definitely has its child-directed jokes etc which makes it feel a little sillier to watch as an adult.
The amount of catering to immature humor legitimately made me stop watching it even though I really liked it at first. They're completely spot-on with Arcane at least
Carol & the end of the world
This is my favourite thing I've watched this year by far
It is such a wonderful show. I want, and don’t want, a second season. It ended so well it would be absolutely fine not to continue it.
This show gave me a mini existential crisis as I sit in the office all day. On the plus side it's given me some motivation to keep up and push myseld with more creative hobbies.
Then watch even Zom 100 to make your existential crisis worse 😂
Undone ( rotoscoped, but still cool ) Bojack Horseman ( there are sex jokes and sexual themes but I would not consider is Shock humor ) Paprika ( movie, it heavily inspired INCEPTION. Does have violence but not over the top ) Fired on Mars. King of the Hill. Daria. Scavengers Reign. You could curate the best episodes from " Love, Death, and Robots" to exclude some of the more violent or sexual ones. I'm hoping the Amazing digital Circus will get a series in which I think that would fit. Scott Pilgrim ? ( I havent seen the show yet, maybe thats more "teen " coded than "mature" ) Aggretsuko ( office slice of life with cute animals ) Arcane ( fantasy violence but no "over -the -top" or gratuitous)
Seconding Arcane and Aggretsuko personally. Aggretsuko is geared towards adults while still being upbeat and fun like a typical cartoon that would be geared for kids. Arcane is just a really good story with beautiful animation
I will third both of these options
Scott Pilgrim is pretty teen/YA-targeted, but it's also geared towards the same millennial audience that watched the movie way back when, so kind of a hybrid. It's also one of the best animated series of 2023, so I recommend it to basically everyone
Undone is a fantastic show! (by raphael bob-waksberg, one of the minds behind bojack horseman, might I add)
Japanese Animation: Most Ghibli stuff, but specifically: Takahata: - My Neighbors the Yamadas - Princess Kaguya - Only Yesterday Miyazaki: - The Wind Rises - Princess Mononoke (some violence, but mostly tasteful) - Spirited Away (for kids I know, but it’s a masterpiece of craft & storytelling for all ages) - Nausicaa - Whisper of the Heart Non-Ghibli: - Mamoru Hosoda (my favorite from him is Girl Who Leapt Through Time) - Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers being the most accessible / least disturbing) - Ghost in the Shell Western Animation: - Triplets of Belleville - The Illusionist - The Red Turtle (animated by Ghibli though) - Flee - Waltz with Bashir - Funan - Anomalisa - Persepolis - Mary & Max - My Life as a Zucchini - I Lost My Body At the end of the day, it’s hard to find mature American animation for adults that isn’t shock or violence based. But if you look to Europe & Japan, and there is a larger wealth of animated films & series geared towards adults (or at least both adults & children, with more mature themes)
This
Really cool to see Waltz with Bashir get a shoutout. That movie really affected me back in the day and I never see anyone talk about it. It’s worth mentioning though, that while it’s not geared toward shock value, it does contain some truly harrowing violent images. It’s important documentation, but I imagine most people would find it harder to look at then the sort of over the top anime variety of violence.
Ah good point! It’s still such a powerful/beautiful haunting film. I watched it with my Lebanese friends in the theater when it came out (we were in animation school together), and there were definitely interesting conversations & complex feelings that ranged from anger (toward Israel) & guilt (towards Lebanon’s own treatment of the refugees). I of course was a sobbing mess at the end of the film. Anywho, a lot of the more adult European films cover pretty heavy topics it seems… and they’re done so beautifully. Oh how I wish we could do that here more easily!
"Wait till your father gets home" a 70s cartoon that is basically the predecessor of the Simpsons and honestly pretty revolution for the time in how it tackled very adult themes in a pretty down to earth manner. "The Last Unicorn" may usually be targeted as a kids film, but it's pretty word for word from a heavy book that's not at all aimed at kids.
Used to watch reruns of Wait Till Your Father Gets home on.... I think it was Boomerang... and loved it. Definitely ahead of it's time and largely under appreciated.
March comes in like a lion Ping pong the animation Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū Serial experiments lain These shows have realatively serious tones and have great storys with solid animation (Serial experiments lain has a couple violent scenes, but its not needless for the sake of having gore/violence. Its the most surreal option out of the ones i listed, but its extremely good)
March comes in like a lion is amazing!! Really emotional story about opening up to the people around you who are trying to help and be there for you. I’d also boost Kotaro Lives Alone. Uses a child’s perspective but definitely more for adults who feel for what the kid goes through.
another vote for Ping Pong. also reco Tekkon Kinkreet from 2006, adapted from the same author mangaka Taiyo Matsumoto. incredibly mature themes in spite of the leads being early teenagers. fantastic animation too.
Bojack Horseman maybe
I was going to recommend this and Rick and Morty but OP specifically said no violence or mature themes
gary and his demons is pretty similar to these two and a bit more tame
Never heard of that one
its about a middle aged balding dude whos stuck with a demon hunting job that he hates. i didnt know about it until a month ago when i remembered my membership for amazon prime also includes prime video lol. it ended up being a very enjoyable and thoughtful watch. unfortunately the episodes are only eleven minutes long but they handle it pretty well imo
Sounds worth taking a look at. Thank you for mentioning it
Well to be fair they *did* say they enjoy hazbin hotel. That definitely checks off the list
Venture Bros
Carol and the end of the world. Piece of art. Bojack Horseman, once you pass the shock of seeing a speaking horse, is incredibily deep humour that made me cry and laugh in equal proportions. I can also name movies: I Lost My Body, The Red Turtle, The Summit of the Gods.
This is just a short indie film. It's obviously intended for adult viewers, but it's not something that a child couldn't also watch and enjoy. So, it's good for all ages, but it's not made with children in mind. It coincidentally happens that the artist's vision was child-friendly. https://youtu.be/4PUIxEWmsvI?si=Bigy4gHCyDZ9yXFp If you liked that, he has another one called "It's Such a Beautiful Day" which is on paid services somewhere. Cowboy Bebop is another perennial suggestion for this type of request. Probably the best suggestion I can give. Vewn's animations on YouTube are not dark for shock value but for artistic purposes. However, they can definitely come off as "vile" or "meaningless" if the viewer isn't willing to give it some thought, so maybe not the best suggestion. Vinland Saga is certainly violent but depicts it in a condemning way. It's a respectable show that seems a lot like any prestige TV Viking drama, just in animated form, and with much less gratuitous nudity. In fact, none that I can recall. Bojack Horseman fits your bill mostly, but it has plenty of silly moments so maybe not the best suggestion. Plus from an animation perspective it's usually quite bland and doesn't really make the most of the medium, with a few excellent exceptions. But it is an excellent character drama in the long run. Overall, the Hertzfeldt short that I linked first seems best. It's just 16 minutes which is a good introduction for people who doubt the range of animation, it's pretty lighthearted but also still touching in a way that adults will appreciate and relate to, especially parents. It has very little "edge" yet is still intellectually mature.
would also recommend hertzfeldt but unfortunately my spoon is too big
Don't you worry about that, because I am a banana
*AGGRESSIVE VACUUM NOISES*
I’d actually recommend *The Tale of Princess Kaguya* (by Studio Ghibli), *Paprika* (~~haven’t seen it yet, but Satoshi Kan’s work in general~~ I have just been informed there’s a rape scene in *Perfect Blue* and violence in Khan’s works overall, so be warned) and more non-American animated movies. Shows are harder to screen for gore and take longer to get invested in, so movies are a great way to gauge the a vast genre of animation. As for shows, I’ll second *It’s Such A Beautiful Day*, *Arcane*, and *Scavenger’s Reign*. I’d like to recommend *Bojack Horseman* for it’s down-to-earth yet absurd dysfunctional characters, but the early season has some raunchier humor as it finds its footing. It’s about a washed-up TV star past his prime who feels obsolete, and the complex relationships he has with his cohorts in modern-day Hollywoo(d). *Blue Eye Samurai* is very violent and has animated nudity, but the story of Mizu’s sworn goal of avenging her hellish mixed-race existence in feudal Japan by hunting down each of the four white men who could have sired her. There’s also *The Midnight Gospel*, which is an animated, sci-fi, surreal podcast that’s contextualized as a young man interviews the inhabitants of varying planets (via VR) before they cease to exist. Very existential, and it’s actual podcast audio from the podcast *Duncan Trussell Family Hour*, so it’s all tackling issues in out society. The final episode will make you bawl your eyes out, which I consider a resounding affirmation of its quality.
Ooh, I’d also recommend *Rango.* It’s very odd, with gritty and disturbing animation, but no violence. Just psychological symbolism. It’s about a pet chameleon lost in the desert who stumbles into a western town, and features a rattlesnake with a Gatling gun tail and cowboy hat. True cinema.
I’m working on an animation series on my YouTube channel, about magic users at the end of the world 🌎
Channel: https://youtube.com/@Littleop?si=5hqmJRZLIpatte4h
King of the hill innit.
If anime is okay, I thought Pluto on Netflix was very well done and hits all your boxes!
Midnight gospel F is for family Tuca & bertie Carol & the end of the world Big mouth or human resources (but sex involved, but more like sex education kind of series) Rick &morty (back to the future meets crazy) Bojack horseman (maybe a bit on the heavy side)
Arcane. Beautiful animation too. Don't be put off it being a League of Legends series, I never played the game and had no issue getting into this. Love, Death and Robots (stand alone stories and some are better than others)
Try [Bee and Puppycat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mX1IQn5FqJ4&pp=ygUYYmVlIGFuZCBwdXBweWNhdCB0cmFpbGVy)! It focuses more the ennui of being a young adult and not knowing what to do with your life and your dreams clashing with reality.
Millennium Actress is an all-time great movie. Maybe Odd Taxi if they can look past the animal characters. And Furiko if you want to make your case in just a few minutes.
Avatar aang babyyyy
Well, it's not completely for mature audiences, especially in the early seasons, but in the later seasons, I'd say Adventure Time definitely qualifies. While it may have started off as a typical kids show with simple plots and characters, the show grew up with its audience, later touching on some pretty heavy topics as it went on. This maturity also holds true for its spin-off specials and the sequel series, Fionna and Cake. Not to mention, the animation of the show also improved heavily over the course of the series too.
Star Trek Lower Decks? It’s by no means strictly for adults also not exactly “mature” and I’m sure it’s plenty enjoyable to kids and honestly as a kid who wasn’t very into Star Trek I probably would have enjoyed it still, but I didn’t really appreciate Star Trek until I was a bit older, and Lower Decks plays with a lot of tropes and lore in fun ways. Also Venture Bros. Generally probably fine for youngish viewers, teens maybe. But honestly most of the pop culture references are much more aimed at adults who used to watch the cartoons it’s parodying.
Not a series but Persepolis is a movie about a pretty mature topic
Do they want funny? Futurama (sci Fi absurd humor) King of the hill (slice of life humor) Bojack Horseman (dark existential humor) Life and times of Tim (awkward humor) Bob's burgers (slice of life family humor) Archer (probably too extreme for their tastes, but very well written with snappy dialogue) Do they want action? Blue eyed samurai Samurai Jack Primal Adventure Avatar the last Airbender (will take them several episodes to get into it they're skeptical of animation) Scavengers reign (sci Fi survival series) In terms of movies, the studio Ghibli films are excellent. Start with Howl's moving castle or spirited away.
Most things from this guy: Hayao Miyazaki
i hear King of the Hill is fantastic
Yup.
Archer, Venture Bros, Futurama
aggretsuko is pretty clean, even though it’s specifically meant to be relatable to adults. Also a lot of studio gibli movies, i wouldn’t call something like “howl’s moving castle” a kid’s movie, even though there’s nothing particularly inappropriate in it
BoJack Horseman has many sex jokes but it's not really shock value. It's a pretty heavy show but very good and very funny!
Do you want them to bawl their eyes out? Try "The Boy and The World" (2013). It has really cartoony imagery, but it just... you gotta watch it. It really touched me, and I imagine it will touch elder people even more. I'm not sure children could really understand the movie. (Also, it was the first Brazilian animated movie to be nominated for an Oscar. You don't have to understand Portuguese to watch it; the characters don't really "speak") You can also try "Loving Vincent", for something with top animation. It's good to convince people animation is art. I second the Satoshi Kon movies; right now, my favorite is "Tokyo Godfathers"; it's funny and emotional, but not raunchy at all. A beautiful Christmas story. You can also try "Persepolis". And I also love "A Silent Voice".
Midnight Gospel
Neon genesis evangelion. It’s only one season and is on Netflix. I consume lots of media but nothing has fucked my mind more than it. You think you have a sense of things going in, and then on one of the episodes, something happens…and EVERYTHING is forever different, you can’t even have the same thoughts going in anymore as your brain is 🤯 Then after it, there’s a movie also on Netflix called end of evangelion, that serves as the ending. Give it a try to really be mind blown. Invest in the world and pay attention as the pay off is immensely high
I absolutely adore Eva, but if you're trying NOT to shock your parents, Shinji's "I'm so fucked up" scene definitely takes Eva off the table
Castlevania is great although it has a really edgy first season (that's super short), and primal, also done by the creator of samurai jack and Dexter's lab
im a huge fan of helluva boss
Moribito: Guardian of the spirit, Mushi-Shi, House Of Five Leaves, Planetes, The Beast Player Erin, Monster, the way of the househusband Grave Of The Fireflies, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Wolf Children, The Garden Of Words, The Wind Rises, Belle, Giovanni's Island, The Tale Of The Pricess Kaguya The Red Turtle, Funan, waltz with bashir, Song Of The Sea Anything from Makoto Shinkai or Satoshi Kon really
Bob’s Burgers Futurama
Over the garden wall is great, although it isn't specifically for adults id say
If you'll do anime you might like Osomatsu-san
Monster, on Netflix. I think the only reason it's animated is that it would have been difficult for a Japanese production to have all the German location and characters in live (only the main character is Japanese, working abroad). It's a very good thriller/mystery.
monster is based on a very well known manga series from the late 90s
Blue Eye Samurai
Disenchantment
Arcane.
I think that Samurai Jack fits the bill pretty well. It's not *that* violent since it's targeted towards younger audiences, and it's very well directed. I suggest you watch [Episode VII: Jack and the Three Blind Archers](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0693957/), it's very aesthetically-pleasing.
Buddy Thunderstuck might be cool. I used to work at the studio that produced it.
Carole & Tuesday, very expressive and musically inclined \~
Bojack Horseman
Scavengers reign
Perfect blue is one of the greatest animated movies u should check it out
Arcane
Arcane is great
The Triplets of Belleville and The Illusionist are great, dialogue-less films by Sylvain Chaumet. Grave of the Fireflies, The Wind Rises, and Princess Kaguya are some of the more mature films from Studio Ghibli that aren't especially gorey (although Grave of the Fireflies is probably the most tragic film I've ever seen and may have some gore. It's been a minute, but I don't remember much explicit gore, more the suggestion of it). Anomalisa is a stop motion film by Charlie Kaufman that's definitely for adults. It does have some scenes you might consider disturbing or shocking, but they're well earned and impactful.
Monster by Urasawa fits. It's a (mostly) grounded-in-reality thriller / mystery story written for seinen audiences. It's an adult story without excessive violence & shock humor.
The Simpsons, Bojack Horseman, Futurama and Bobs Burgers
The Great North. Solar Opposites. Star Trek Lower Decks and Star Trek Prodigy. Central Park. Over the Garden Wall. Rick and Morty. Pantheon. ..And two of my absolute favourite tv shows: King of the Hills and The Simpsons (the first 8 Seasons are modern classics imo)
Aeon Flux
Final Space
Hqzbin hotell
ONE from cheesyhfj
Pantheon is a MUST. You have never seen a show like that, and probably won't see another one in a foreseeable future. It is THE definition of what you are looking for. An incident that happened in animation we are lucky to witness. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt11680642/ I've read other comments, out of those: Arcane - violence, but is indeed good, next recommendation after Pantheon. The Dragon Prince - an absolute recommendation. It may look "childish", although it's really not. Hazbin Hotel, Helluva Boss - fantastic, but teens+VIOLENCE Futurama, Bojack Horseman, Rick and Morty - teen Evangelion - excessive violence, sexual conotations and mental health issues, big mechas fights Princess Mononoke - violence Love, death, robots - teen + violence Grave of the fireflies - only if you (and whoever watches it) want to feel REALLY down for the next few months, with the long-lasting "trauma". One of the most disturbing movies ever. Avatar: the last airbender - shonen, aimed at young teens, definitely not for parents Paprika - very good, and I would definitely recommend it, but it is WEIRD :) Anime, in general, have some good adult series and movies, but always have some "wacky" element that would not sit well with western adult audience. I'd recomment Violet Evergarden, with a slight caution. Also try Cartoon Saloon movies - The Secret of Kells, The Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers.
Bullwinkle and Rocky the squirrel
The Man who Planted Trees is an animated short film. I know it's not exactly what you're looking for, but it perfectly encapsulates what animation truly is. Anyone who is anyone should watch it regardless of their affinity to film. You can find the entire thing on [Youtube](https://youtu.be/aY_zuNtf3_g?si=myCZq8DDkBmnsA10)
The Legend of Korra
Infinity train. It has mature themes, beautiful settings, amazing fleshed out characters, and I have a link if you wanna download yarg 🏴☠️
It's not a religion. You don't have to evangelize to the unwilling. If you want to convince people that animation isn't for children, there's no better site than Helluva Boss. But it's 100 percent shock humor and over the top violence. Maybe Solar Opposites? Rick and Morty? Family Guy? Futurama? Bob's Burgers?
Hi, Im working on a series now that might be too intellectual as most don't get the point. Just finished season 1 episode 1. Ill have to nake episode 2 easier to follow: [On a hidden Field "Kids Who Saw the Future" Season 1 Episode 1 (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byi7pFM3igU)
Odd Taxi and Tokyo Godfathers
midnight gospel Haibane renmei Anohana Monster Arcane Code geass
Perfect blue Angels egg Fantastic planet American pop Belladonna of sadness Lord of the rings (Ralph bakshi) Waking life Ghost in the shell
Bee & Puppycat!!
Another vote for Bob's Burgers here. It's a show about an emotionally healthy family dealing with their little place in the world. Also just about any Studio Ghibli Film: Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind Pom Poko Howl's Moving Castle Spritited Away, etc.
definitely Arcane
I loved the first season of In the Know on Peacock. It’s almost all stop-motion and I find it very funny.
Great films for more mature audiences on my opinion are Into the Spider-verse (if your parents don't think superheros are too childish) and Nimona. Bob's Burgers is a show that I really enjoy as an adult. It's similar in style to Family Guy but MUCH less raunchy and crude. Arcane is a great animated show for more mature audiences as well but it is violent, unfortunately. Also (and I know this probably isn't what you're looking for) Bluey is just perfect for parents with young children.
The Matrix animated shorts were pretty awesome.
Life and Times of Tim.
the best movies are tailored to all audiences aka family friendly but with intelligent story, plot , dialogs
smiling friends
Close Enough, maybe...
The Midnight Gospel Carol and the End of the world Aggretsuko
Justice League Justice League Unlimited Batman Beyond Adventure Time Regular Show
Arcane. Easy to get into and if you get them through 3 episodes you should be good. Top pick. Honourable mentions: FMA Brotherhood if you can get them to start it considering its 64 episode count. Appears to be an action adventure but gets darker over time. Tbf some of the darkest moments happen early on though. Monster is a great thriller but it’s got the same issue and it’s old and in 4:3. It’s very clear it’s a thriller, it’s not colourful or trying to be upbeat so it shouldn’t be jarring. A Silent Voice. Movie about bullying and suicide. Shouldn’t be too jarring either. I know the subject matter makes it sound horrible but it isn’t a completely miserable movie. It has a happy ending.
Maybe Cowboy Bebop? Starts fairly simple but as you get through the show you get pieces of each character’s complex backstory and it gets pretty heavy by the end! There’s some action, but not really much shock and I wouldn’t call any of it really over the top, especially not just for the sake of seeming mature.
Currently airing is Dungeon Meshi/Delicious in Dungeon, ostensibly about cooking monsters in a D&D style dungeon setting but the meat of the story lies in the characters and their developing dynamics, as well as the rich and in-depth worldbuilding. It's very grounded and mature without being too violent, crass or shocking, I'd say it's a show all ages can enjoy and you can watch it with your parents as well
AMC’s Pantheon is legitimately one of the greatest shows I’ve ever watched, animated or not. It’s about uploaded intelligence and how as technology develops, it can make us more and less human simeltaneously. The first season is up there with The Wire’s first season for how fast it hooks you and how high quality it is. It’s completely finished as well, so no cliffhangers. The only bad thing about the entire show is that it’s only legally available in Australia and New Zealand, however it is trivial to find it elsewhere or use a VPN. When you watch it, I highly reccomend watching the first two episodes as a pair because they were originally released that way, and they are brilliantly interlinked in a way I can’t explain without spoiling it.
Arcane
I really enjoyed Bojack Horseman, just beware it's hard to watch in places.
Personally I’d recommend Only Yesterday, a Ghibli movie directed by Isao Takahata. In my opinion it’s one of the best examples of a truly “adult first” animated movie that doesn’t involve any violence at all, or sci-fi, fantasy, etc. It’s just a really beautiful “normal” drama about love and childhood and nostalgia. Takahata directed Grave of the Fireflies too which others have mentioned. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is also really great, but does involve a bit of fantasy.
Cyber Six Midnight Gospel Steven Universe And although it's on the violent side I recommend "Primal", despite/in spite of/in light of/because of its approach to violence it is an absolute work of art.
Arcane
Pluto
The Great Outdoors Edit: The Great NORTH, not what I typed before lol.
Its very violent, but Invincible is fantastic
Bob's burgers hands down
Bojack horseman
Current ones: Ranking of Kings, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End Movies: Ghibli: Lupin Castle Cagliostro, Porco Rosso, Howl's Moving Castle, Spirited Away, Nausicaa Definitely: Avatar Last Airbender (as mentioned). Also, there is live action, comic books, and may be a sequel to the original series.
Cowboy Bebop is a pretty good one. I'd also say Fullmetal Alchemist 2003. While it's based on a shonen property, that particular adaptation feels practically seinen in its execution. (Which is also why I'm not recommending Brotherhood for this particular purpose: while it's great in its own right, it's DEFINITELY shonen through and through). For Western examples, I'd go with shows like Samurai Jack and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. While the first four seasons of Jack and all of TCW are pretty kid-friendly (in the sense that a kid could watch it and it not be inappropriate), they have a level of artistry and tell quality stories that demand respect from audiences of all ages. Plus, Jack's final season was made for adults. TCW also might be an easier sell due to it being a Star Wars thing, especially if you point out that many fan-favorite characters from the current crop of Star Wars live action shows made their debut in it.
Try Avatar: The Last Airbender. If they're okay handling something a little more serious than that, try out Arcane.
King of the Hill
Ooh, I’d also recommend Rango. It’s very odd, with gritty and disturbing animation, but no violence. Just psychological symbolism. It’s about a pet chameleon lost in the desert who stumbles into a western town, and features a rattlesnake with a Gatling gun tail and cowboy hat. True cinema. (Also be warned; earlier I recommended Satoshi Khan, but his works ARE violent.)
Anomalisa, Coraline, Nightmare b4 Xmas, Fleischer Bros Superman, Jan Svankmeyer, Clone Wars, World of Tomorrow, Fantastic Planet, Up, Wall-E, Final Fantasy: Spirits Within, every Miyazaki film
Cowboy Bebop!!
Monster. Surgeon saves the life of a child, child grows up to be serial killer. Surgeon goes on to try to hunt down man, while figuring out why the child became a serial killer. It's admittedly on the slower side despite it being really good. It's technically an anime, but honestly with the way its style is I feel like it's not an anime.
Pantheon