Movies

Adult animation is animation that is targeted at adults. There are different reasons why a program or movie might be called "adult animation," the most common of which follow:

For American audiences, the primary reason for a program to be described as "adult animation" is adult humor. Popular programs such as FOX's The Simpsons and Family Guy contain humor that some parents might find unsuitable for children. However, adult humor can be innocuous as well, and simply above an average child's ability to appreciate, as is the case in many early theatrical cartoon series such as Looney Tunes and Popeye. An example for television of this is Steven Spielberg's cartoon Pinky and the Brain, which contains slapstick comedy for children, but jokes which can be appreciated only by teenagers and adults. Some animated series, such as Max Fleischer's Betty Boop cartoons of the 1930s and Nickelodeon's Ren and Stimpy series, walk the line between both types of adult humor.

Graphic violence is a consideration; many Japanese programs which are translated to English contain graphic violence, but even American programs such as HBO's Spawn and MTV's Æon Flux both contain violence which is unsuitable for children.

Swearing is another reason why programs garner this label. Comedy Central's South Park is a good example.

Nudity is not commonplace among American animated programs, but it can be a consideration in some theatrical releases.

Strong sexual content is another template of adult animation.

Many films, such as the works of Ralph Bakshi, contain all of these factors, and some examples of "adult animation" were originally released with the X rating in the United States.

Another reason is that a program or movie might contain animated pornography. This is virtually unheard of in American television, but there is a growing section of the population which consumes domestically produced direct-to-video animated pornography, and imported programs and movies from around the world. Animated pornography is produced worldwide, but the best known variety is the Japanese genre known to Westerners as Hentai.

Below you will find a list of programs which might be considered "adult animation," due to one or more of the above reasons: