Adult animation, also known as mature animation, and infrequently as adult-oriented animation, is any type of animated motion work that is catered specifically to adult interests and is mainly targeted and marketed towards adults and adolescents, as opposed to children or all-ages audiences.
Animated works in this medium could be considered adult for any number of reasons, which include the incorporation of nudity, explicit or suggestive sexual content, graphic violence, profanity, dark comedy, or other thematic elements inappropriate for children, and/or any young viewers. Works in this genre may explore philosophical, political, or social issues. Some productions are noted for their complex and/or experimental storytelling and animation techniques. This includes animated films, television series, and web series.
Adult animation is typically defined as animation that skews toward adults.[1][2][3][4] It is also described as something that "formative youths should stay far, far away from"[5] or has adult humor[6][7] and comes in various styles,[8][9][10][11] but especially sitcoms and comedies.[12] Some have stated that it refers to animations with "adult themes and situations," which uses "explicit language" and make jokes that adults, and occasionally teens, are "more likely to understand" than others.[13] On television, such animations often run in the evening, but they are not generally pornographic or obscene.[14][15] AdWeek called adult animation "animated projects aimed at grown-ups, not kids."[16] They also focus on issues that adults handle,[17] and have cheeky, and occasionally crass, humor "that has no limits—bouncing between funny and offensive," while evoking a "balance of reality and fantasy." They may also contain violence or sexual themes.[18][19]
