HBO’s Animals & 9 Other Underrated Adult Animated Series

Carrying on the legacy of iconic shows like South Park and Family Guy, animation on TV has been used as an effective trope for edgier shows than the usual children’s cartoons. Several mediums and genres have been used by studios to create adult animation with a cult following, ranging from Archer to Bojack Horseman.

With more and more adult animated shows being produced every year, it’s natural to miss out on some underrated gems. These shows are underrated either because of a limited season run or for not garnering enough buzz.

10 Animals (2015 – 2018)

The essence of Animals lies in its simple name. It is an anthology series focusing on different animals in urban landscapes, and their daily lives. The show’s humor is focused on satirically presenting real-world issues from the perspective of animals. So, one can expect a sweatshop of rats being exploited to make clothes or a pigeon confronting its sexual identity, and so on.

Even though it ran for just three seasons, Animals boasts of brilliant deadpan humor and popular guest stars. The show is filled with random moments of amusement, such as A$AP Ferg and A$AP Rocky rapping as cats, or a group of neo-Nazi dogs asserting their identity.

9 Tuca & Bertie (2019 -)

The titular protagonists of this animated show, created by Bojack Horseman‘s production designer Lisa Hanawalt, are two birds who live in a world of anthropomorphic animals.  Dark humor and socio-political drama are used to show their turbulent lives, as they deal with adulting, patronizing male animals, harassment, and facing their own fears and deep insecurities.

On the surface, it might seem like a pretty goofy show, but, as the narrative builds up, Tuca & Bertie offers a fresh and realistic take on the sitcom formula. Ali Wong perfectly captures the shyness of Bertie while Tiffany Haddish’s carefree attitude toward Tuca feels effortless. After being canceled by Netflix, its sophomore season is supposed to be released by Adult Swim.

8 Undone (2019 -)

Talking about Bojack Horseman, program creator Raphael Bob-Waksberg also helmed the creation of the Amazon Prime original Undone. Undone is of a darker and more philosophical tone, adorned with surreal frames and emotionally-charged moments of introspection. The series makes great use of rotoscoping, adding a touch of realism to its animation.

Rosa Salazar stars as the protagonist, a woman in her 20s who survives a potentially-fatal accident. As a result, she ends up obtaining powers to shift through time. However, rather than using time travel as a gimmick, Undone explores it in a nuanced way, as the lead character’s troubled past with her late father is brought back. With its atmospheric build-up and a binge-worthy storyline, this show is clearly one that brings up several questions and interpretations.

7 Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law (2000 – 2007)

One of Adult Swim’s earliest classics, Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law is a smart parody of the superhero genre as well as Hannah-Barbara cartoons of the past. It’s hard to sum up the general premise of the series, but it mainly revolves around a law firm that has superheroes as employees.

At the center of the plot is the titular Harvey Birdman, a former “third-rate superhero” who attempts to find new meaning in his life as a superhero. His misadventures also get him in touch with classic cartoon characters characters like Scooby-Doo and Fred Flintstone. Such is the show’s parodying nature that it even delves on questions like the aforementioned Shaggy’s apparent usage of recreational drugs.

6 Metalocalypse (2006 – 2013)

Metalocalypse dealt with the inner workings and performances of a fictitious metal band known as Dethklok. Serving as both a parody and a tribute to the heavy metal culture, the show pulled off a good job in blending realism with fantasy. Apart from some graphic violence, Metalocalypse also offered an insight into death and the ever-growing greed of an artist.

While the band members seem to be glorified at first, their vulnerabilities are exposed to the viewers as the band struggles with its own fame. The animation boasts of great attention to detail, as the way the musicians perform, from drumming patterns to chord positions, is very accurate.

5 Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000 – 2015)

One of the most surreal adult animated shows in recent years, the leads of Aqua Teen Hunger Force are a meatball, a milkshake, and an order of fries. Together, these food items solve mysteries in their New Jersey neighborhood. Produced by Adult Swim, the show was conceived as a spin-off of the adult animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast.

However, Aqua Teen Hunger Force proved to be so popular on its own right that it ran for 11 seasons and 139 episodes in total. The series is still revered greatly for its sharp dialogue and randomly strange episodic arcs.

4 Afro Samurai (2007)

Based on the manga of the same name, Afro Samurai stars Samuel L Jackson as a samurai hell-bent on seeking revenge from his father’s killer. The story is pretty straightforward, but the one-season anime makes for great viewing, as its episodes stylistically brim with influenced from martial-arts films and hyperviolent animes.

The soundtrack draws heavily from hip-hop sounds, being scored by RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan. With just six episodes and a TV movie, Afro Samurai makes for a perfect binge, even after all these years.

3 Tales From The Tour Bus (2017 – 2018)

Created by Mike Judge, Tales From The Tour Bus is a bizarre, educational trip for aficionados of various music genres like rock, funk, and soul. Each episode focuses on a particular artist and is presented in an oral biographical format. The interview subjects or the artists themselves are animated in rotoscope, while the cel-shaded format is used to depict some of their craziest anecdotes and behind-the-scenes moments.

Even though some of these moments are exaggerated to add the oomph-factor, Tales From The Tour Bus works pretty well as a music documentary series.

2 Frisky Dingo (2006 – 2008)

Frisky Dingo is a smartly-written entry into the ‘”anti-superhero” genre, delving into the complexities of heroes and villains unlike their glorified counterparts in mainstream comic-book entertainment. The central character is a villain called Killface whose cliched purpose of life is to take over the entire world. However, for obvious logistical reasons, Killface’s goals take a long time to achieve. Further, he’s usually interrupted by the superhero Awesome X, whose alter ego is another cliched billionaire playboy.

Awesome X has his own motives to sell his action figures and merchandise as he takes on Killface, exposing the corporate nature of superhumans. It’s a funny yet rather insightful take on the possibility of real-life heroes and villains.

1 Seis Manos (2019 -)

Seis Manos has a little bit of everything for everyone, blending several genres at once. A martial arts-driven show, it involves a group of fighters who investigate the mystery of their murdered master. This gets them closer to a plot involving drug cartels and paganistic rituals.

With just eight episodes, Seis Manos builds a good-enough atmosphere for its hyperviolent nature. While it didn’t quite get the hype, fans of shows inspired by Chinese and Japanese fighting styles would be delighted with its fast-paced action. Even though the action in it isn’t based on a particular martial art, it remains a captivating watch for fans of the sport.

About The Author

Shaurya Thapa
(727 Articles Published)

Shaurya Thapa is an Indian freelance journalist who mostly dabbles in writings on cinema, music, and human interest features. When it comes to Screen Rant, he writes lists on a wide array of subjects ranging from international films to mainstream Netflix series and comic book trivia. He also hosts a podcast called ‘BhindiWire’, an Indian parody of IndieWire.

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