There has been a sudden uptick in the amount of adult cartoons coming out. The quantity of these make other cartoons that haven’t reached that level of adulthood disappear behind them. Here are a few cartoons that are much deeper than they may look on the surface level that you can stream on Hulu. These shows have amazing animation, might be humor based, might be action based and continue to suck you in for every episode. These are shows you might watch once then again to figure out what’s actually going on in them. If you’re into animation and loose plots, these are the cartoons for you.
1. Steven Universe
Steven Universe is a show about a young boy named Steven who lives with three gemstone space beings and how he navigates the world. It is a beautiful show filled with laughs, adventure and drama. Steven is a highly likable character and so are the Crystal Gems. As the show progresses, the watcher finds there to be much more depth and plot than was expected in the first season. This is on the very top of the list for a reason.
2. Adventure Time
Adventure Time follows a human boy named Finn and his adoptive brother/best friend Jake the Dog as they go on adventures while protecting the Land of Ooo from different enemies. Finn and Jake are likable enough, but the extra characters such as Marceline the Vampire Queen, Princess Bubblegum, The Ice King and more are what make the show especially amazing. Each character has a story, and as the seasons go on, the show takes on a life of its own.
3. Regular Show
Regular Show is anything but regular and follows the daily strange adventures of a talking blue jay named Mordecai and a racoon named Rigby as they deal with their semi boring lives as groundskeepers of a local park. These two characters enliven the world they live in and their relationships with side characters make those characters dynamic as well. This is the kind of show where you don’t always completely know what’s going on.
4. The Amazing World of Gumball
This show focuses on a 12-year-old blue cat boy and his brother (a fish… with legs) as they circumvent their current world as students as well as family members. It’s a strange show with a strange main family, but an even stranger school environment. It is, however, very funny and well made. It even makes fun of current social issues, which makes it a hit especially for teens and adults who actually know what those issues are.
5. Gravity Falls
Gravity Falls is one of those shows that are just very well made from the detail to the animation. The animation and art style are just phenomenal, and if you don’t believe me, just look up that intro. It’s definitely drool worthy if animation is your kind of thing. This show follows two human kids who are spending their first summer away from home with their uncle. Both unfortunately and fortunately (for us more than them), their uncle lives in a tourist trap in the strange town of Gravity Falls. Each character is dynamic and every episode is honestly worth a watch with never more than you can follow.
6. Star vs. The Forces of Evil
Star vs. The Forces of Evil is one of those more underrated cartoons because it’s on Disney XD and most people get their cartoons from Cartoon Network (understandably). Disney is more known for their princess and granted, one of the characters of this show is a princess, but she is a different kind of Disney princess. Star Butterfly fights monsters and is from another dimension, which makes her as different as they get and markedly, one of the first cartoon otherworldly princesses. The show follows Star Butterfly and her foster family on Earth (in America), but specifically, it follows her and Marco Diez, a Mexican American teenager who lives life on the safe side but just so happens to know karate. The show is fun, lively, diverse and is another show that has adult jokes here and there. If you’re looking for a laugh, this show is for you. It definitely gets better the more episodes you watch.
7. Over the Garden Wall
Over the Garden Wall is one of those spooky cartoon shows. You don’t really know what’s happening until it’s happening, and that’s part of the excitement. You’re following two brothers, Wirt and Greg, as they travel through a strange land. It starts with them getting lost in the forest, and they remain lost for the most part/entirety of the show. It’s very strange though, so it honestly might not be for everyone. If you’re into weird art styles and liked Courage the Cowardly Dog, you might like this cartoon as well.
8. Dragons: Riders of Berk
This is another underrated cartoon because it’s more CGI. Many people avoid the shows that come after their movies, but this one is one worth watching. How to Train Your Dragon was amazing. The sequal was even more amazing, and the show is absolutely spectacular. You get the same main group starring Hiccup and his adorable dragon, Toothless.