REMEMBER all the cartoons that we were never allowed to watch as children? Those with cheeky jokes that flew over our heads years ago but make us chuckle now.
The good news is that many of these cartoons, more aptly known as “adult animations”, are still streaming so you can binge the shows to your heart’s content.
From the witty and timeless humour of The Simpsons to the downright hilarious plot points in Family Guy, now is the time to kick back, relax and revisit your favourite adult animations.
Family Guy
The show revolves around the dynamics of the Griffin family: Peter, the endearingly, frustratingly ignorant head of the household, his stay-at-home wife Lois, their three kids – eldest child and social outcast Meg, awkward and shy Chris, and genius baby Stewie – and their talking, martini-sipping dog Brian.
Amid the Griffins’ chaotic escapades through everyday life, they confront one outrageous scenario after another with humour, heart and tongue-in-cheek jokes, which become highly memorable moments and quotes, cementing Family Guy as a household name and resonating even with those who have not tuned into the show.
Some of popular TikTok trends, memes and GIF serve as examples of the show’s impact on popular culture.
Futurama
What happens when you put an interplanetary delivery company together with a group of employees who do not quite conform to the futuristic society they live in? You get a workplace sitcom set in the futuristic 31st century named Futurama.
Revolving around the Planet Express interplanetary delivery company and its employees, Futurama sees a delivery boy named Fry fall into a cryogenic tube in the year 2000, frozen in time for nearly a thousand years. Upon his release on Dec 31, 2999, he finds himself becoming a delivery boy yet again, working with Planetary Express Captain Turanga Leela and a bumbling, foul-mouthed robot named Bender.
As the trio journey across the universe, viewers will undoubtedly notice the strong bond that begins to form between Fry, Leela, and Bender and perhaps rather unexpectedly, the viewer’s own growing attachment to the characters as they grow and develop throughout the seasons.
Futurama stands out as one of the finest animated series of the century for its humour and emotional depth.
The Simpsons
“D’oh!” and doughnuts – these are the two things that will have you thinking about The Simpsons and more specifically, Homer Simpson.
A satirical depiction of American life portrayed by Homer and his family including hard-working stay-at-home wife and mother Marge, troublemaker Bart, charismatic Lisa, and the adorable pacifier-sucking Maggie, The Simpsons is a spin on playful critiques of the various facets of American culture, society, politics and history.
Amid the never-ending shenanigans and near-constant chaos in the daily lives of the Simpsons family, what truly captivates viewers is the love that the Simpsons have for each other, often resulting in tear-jerking scenes such as when Homer sacrifices his dream job for the sake of his family and the arrival of his youngest daughter Maggie.
Through the show’s sharp wit and clever humour, The Simpsons has endeared itself to viewers for over 32 years and 35 seasons, holding the record for the longest-running prime-time sitcom in the US.
Solar Opposites
Solar Opposites offers a glimpse into what it would be like for aliens to inhabit Earth by showing four aliens who assimilate and adjust to human life as they escape their exploding homeworld Shlorp.
Taking place a year after Korvo, Terry, Yumyulack and Jesse crash land into a suburban cul-de-sac in America, Solar Opposites sees the family evenly split on whether Earth is awful or awesome all while upholding their mission of protecting the precious Pupa, a living supercomputer from their home planet.
Packed with a ton of edgy humour that will have viewers chortling away, the show presents violence and gore in a light-hearted manner as well as stunning visuals that will captivate its audience.
Solar Opposites offers biting yet truthful commentary on the modern world. From the detrimental effects of pollution and consumerism to the remarkable creativity and innovation of humans, Korvo, Terry, Yumyulack and Jesse explore the duality of life on Earth and essentially what it means to be human.
Get a hearty dose of laughter by tuning into these adult animation titles on Disney+ Hotstar.
