How to Find Animated Series for Adults

The demand for animated series is on the rise, especially those intended for adults. An adult animated series allows more to be done than a typical Hollywood film because almost any story and visuals can be created at a much more modest budget. If you are ready to find a good animated series and seeking something better than "Smurfs," here are some tips to finding a great one.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Watch free clips online. One good way to see if a series is intended for adults or for children is to watch free clips or trailers of the shows. Trailers can be found on sites like YouTube. If you search for "Cowboy Bebop," "X-Men" or even the film "Akira," there are many free clips of the shows. All you need is a computer and the Internet.
2. Read up on the Internet. There are dozens of sites that specialize in animated series and animes. Just do a search for "Transformers" and you will see that some animated series are very popular. Read a few commentaries on the shows--many of them also come with a rating.
3. Courtesy Bandai Look to Japanese anime. Anime shows are different than American animated series. In the United States, most animated series are intended for children, but in Asia, animated series for adults are just as common as children’s shows. For every "Dragonball Z," there is a "Cowboy Bebop." Consider looking for these series first, because you can get more horror and science fiction plots in the anime.
4. Courtesy Marvel Comics Look to a comic book series. "Batman," "X-Men," "Spider-Man," "Iron Man," "The Hulk" and "Justice League" have all become quality animated series that have been adapted from comic books. Often these series can be enjoyed by both children and adults. Take "X-Men," which premiered in the early 1990s. The comic book has some of the most ambitious plots in all of comic history, including time traveling mutants, men with metal skeletons, and alien races. These can be a bit complicated for children, but are perfect for adults. Most of these series based their successes on attracting comic book readers as there are just as many adult comic readers today as children.
5. Check your local video stores. Some series have been released on DVD and VHS, and can be rented or purchased while others remain in distribution battles and may never see the light of day again. Sometimes the new DVD sets will not be available, but used copies can be found with a little bit of effort. These series can get expensive, so look for the best deal on multiple sites.

Tips & Warnings

• You should be frugal. Some series go for hundreds of dollars on certain sites. This is because they are sold out or haven’t been re-released in years.
• Some series initially intended for live action (a regular show) are adapted into animated series. One example is "Highlander." These can be intended for adults, so try to find clips and reviews of the series.
• Some series are bootlegged copies of the series. If you find something very cheap on eBay, ask if it is the original, because otherwise you risk getting bad copies.