I was going to call these ‘adult animations’, but this isn’t Fritz the Cat. Just programs and movies either intended for adults or lost on kids.
From part of the creative team that brought you Futurama and The Simpsons comes The Critic: a show about Jay Sherman, a fat cranky film critic trying to find love and be a decent dad.
This isn’t anything special on its face. There’s dozens of like-minded sitcom premises. What sets The Critic apart are its characters and voice actors. The guy whose face gets torn off in Silence of the Lambs? He’s Jay’s crazy-fit boss. The stepdad Chucky hangs in Child’s Play 2? He’s a nonsense spouting father figure. The Brain? He’s Jay’s best friend.
These are your stars, folks.
Jay himself is of course voiced by the incomparable Jon Lovitz. This is by far my favorite thing he’s been in, including SNL. He’s perfect as an angry film reviewer, but also as a caring dad, a good boss, an adopted son, and every other emotion he has to play. Fine work.
Sadly, to see The Critic, you’ll have to shell out some dough (or borrow it from my brother in law Grizz). It would be a great addition to Netflix, but we can’t have everything.
Soul Eater is my latest anime obsession. It follows a group of students who go to a school where they learn to fight with/turn into weapons and harvest demon souls. And it’s run by Death. Who is a stich!
It’s got some classic anime ‘adult’ humor (nosebleeds when confronted with busty women, etc), but the themes of friendship and teamwork at very deep. This ain’t no Mighty Ducks or Big Green: if these kids fail, they will die.
The cast of characters is too big to recount, but the seven main kids are great. Three dimensional, and well acted. I’m especially a fan of Patty and Liz, sisters who become twin pistols wielded by Lord Death’s son, Death the Kid.
It’s hard to explain.
The animation is like Beetlejuice meets Spirited Away. It’s colorful and weird. The sun and moon both have faces. They’re…well.
That.
I haven’t read the manga, but I’ve heard nothing but good things. This is another one on Netflix, so it’s easy to find. Enjoy!
I did not want to like this show.
I saw the previews on Fox alongside The Simpsons and American Dad, and I was appalled. The animation was bizarre, the characters formulaic (ooh, a fat kid, a nerd, and a baby, hiya Griffen family!), and it just looked crappy.
I have never been so wrong.
Bob’s Burgers follows Bob Belcher and family as they try to make a go of their struggling family restaurant. The characters are complex and HYSTERICAL. Tina, the awkward teenage daughter, is one of the most realistic portrayals of a girl her age I’ve ever seen. In many ways I was that girl. It was crazy to see it onscreen.
Not in this way, though.
The voice talent is another draw. Bob (the dad) is Archer, his youngest daughter (Louise) is Cheryl Wassername, and who cares about the rest, ARCHER! There’s even a crossover episode of with Archer (sorta).
Give it a chance. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
BoJack Horseman is the story of the titular man-horse: a washed up 90s sitcom star who has sunk into the depths of Hollywood’s vacuous void. His possible salvation comes in the form of Diane, a ghostwriter working on his autobiography.
What starts as a so-so comedy quickly becomes dark and serious. One episode had me in tears as BoJack comes to a painful realization: he is not a good person, and there may be no hope for him. It’s harsh and brilliant.
Other characters include his houseguest/moocher Todd (human), ex-girlfriend/current agent Princess Carolyn, (a pink cat), and Mr. Peanutbutter (Golden Retriever), another 90s star who is “too dumb to realize how miserable he should be” to quote BoJack.
So BoJack.
It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time, and has the voice talents of Will Arnett as BoJack, Aaron Paul as Todd, Patton Oswald as EVERYTHING and many other comedy alums. If you have Netflix, check it out: this baby’s exclusive!
Watership down is a book, a movie, and a Saturday morning cartoon. The cartoon is the closest thing to being kid friendly, but it’s still graphic.
The animated movie is a whole other animal. There’s blood, death, fighting, all graphic and very realistic. These rabbits suffer. It is an amazing journey. It’s like ‘Homeward Bound’ without the whiskey-voiced golden retrievers.
The voice talent is lacking in spots (not all actors are cut out for it), but I enjoy John Hurt as Fiver, a psychic rabbit who saves his brother and a few other members of his warren from death. His prophesies lead the rabbits to a new home, but the journey is fraught with danger. A lot of bunnies get killed.
This is slightly less bleak than the movie. Slightly.
This book is a favorite of mine, and the movie adaptation is very faithful. I love the art, especially in the opening segment where the rabbit’s mythology is explained. They have their own language, gods, and folklore. It’s a rich world. If you can stand blood and animal death (usually at the paws of other animals, no inhumane humans or anything), give it a go.
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