When we think of animation today, the types of things that come to mind are Nickelodeon shows such as Spongebob Squarepants or Disney movies like the ever-popular Frozen.
Telling someone that you went to see a Disney film in theaters, or that you’re currently enjoying an animated television show, can often result in being looked down upon or viewed as childish.
But what a large portion of the populace fails to realize is the fact that while animation can appeal to children, it also possesses many aspects that can appeal to adults as well. It’s an art form that lacks the appreciation it deserves by the masses due to it being perceived as “childish.”
There’s also the fact that some forms of animation simply aren’t meant to be viewed by children, and are solely meant to be consumed by adults.
Animation is an art form. You wouldn’t call something painted by Monet, or a play that was written by Shakespeare, or a novel written by Earnest Hemmingway “childish” since they’re considered to be works of art — so why animation? It is a tool that can be used in order to bring images, colors, and characters to life on a screen, in a way which actors or novels can’t, by using vibrant colors and fluid movements to tell a story.
Each movement a character makes is animated in a way to be able to tell the viewer about who they are and how they act.
Love and care for the art form are put into every millimeter of detail by the animators. Citing the example of Disney and Pixar’s recent film, Coco, animation is used to show the vibrancy and life of Mexican culture — it’s a true love song to Mexico. The way each character moves and interacts with the environments around them portrays this in a way that can only be done through animation.
Many animated works that are usually viewed as being “for children” possess deeper themes and darker elements hidden beneath the surface. Just because a show is animated doesn’t mean it can’t have the same thematic elements that you might find within a primetime show on NBC. A great example of this lays within the Nickelodeon series Avatar the Last Airbender.
Despite the targeted demographic for the show being children between the ages of 8 and 12, it is heavily enjoyed by adults to this day for its fleshed out characters and complex themes. At face-value, the show appears to be another cartoon focused on a kid with powers having adventures with his friends.
However, when looking at the story closer one can see the intense level of world-building that went into the show’s creation, as well as its heavy themes of race, genocide, tyranny, loss, abuse, moral conflicts, and war.
This isn’t to say that children cannot appreciate or understand these thematic elements, but they’re also themes that can connect with adults—probably even more than they could with kids.
However, while themes like this are geared a little bit more towards adults, you would be surprised by the darker themes you can find even within more “kid-friendly” cartoons.
Does anyone remember the episode of Hey Arnold where Arnold’s neighbor, Mr. Hyuhn, gave up his infant daughter to the United States Forces in the middle of the Vietnam War so she could live a better life? Or how about the episode of The Rugrats that explores the death of Chuckie's mother and what life is like for children living with a single parent?
Or perhaps the implied sex phone line service Rocko works for in Rocko’s Modern Life? Okay, maybe that last one isn’t so deep, but it’s still pretty dark for a kid’s show.
Speaking of dark elements in a kid’s cartoon, there are some animated works that are specifically made for adults, not for children. The natural shows to jump to in this genre are adult cartoons you may see on FOX such as Family Guy, American Dad, or Bob’s Burgers.
While, yes, these shows are cartoons that are meant to be enjoyed by the adult demographic, those aren’t the types of shows I’m referring to.
In Japan, animation, or “anime”, can be seen just about anywhere on television, and many of their animated shows are specifically written for adults. Taking a look at the award-winning series, Fullmetal Alchemist, adults are presented with a show that focuses on the science of alchemy and its laws of equivalent exchange.
Within this anime are themes of war, government conspiracy, science versus religion, and mass slaughter — stuff that your average 8-year-old may not be able to easily understand. It’s a series specifically geared towards teenagers and adults to enjoy in the same way they would a good book or movie.
There are hundreds of stories like Fullmetal Alchemist that can be found in the depths of Japanese animation that aren’t found as frequently in western animation. The reason behind this could heavily tie into the western perspective that animation is something that’s meant for children. As a result, “adult cartoons” over here are mainly limited to comedy series like Family Guy rather than action or drama series.
If we can start viewing animation as something that can be enjoyed by both adults and children, then perhaps we will be surprised by the types of things animation has to offer us.
