One of the more underappreciated and undiscovered TV genres is animated TV shows. Usually when animated shows are mentioned the first ones that come to mind are adult animated shows like The Simpsons and Family Guy or kids shows such as Peppa Pig.
However, there are plenty less known animated shows that deserve attention. The only thing that defines a show as animated is that it’s created from a series of drawings. In this way, animation allows for people to tell magical stories that would be limited in a live-action setting.
With over 100 animated shows on Netflix, there’s something for everyone whether it’s action, comedy, or drama. For now, though, these are 5 shows I think you will enjoy.
Bee and Puppycat
While Bee and Puppycat is one of the newest additions to Netflix, it’s already garnered some attention. The show follows a woman named Bee who can’t seem to keep a job until she meets the creature known as Puppycat. The two go on jobs in other worlds and slowly become closer friends.
What drew me into the show was the gorgeous art style, the show’s ever-present dry humor, and the calming background music found throughout the series. The different worlds featured in every episode were also unique and gave me something to look forward to every episode. I hope you too can see what makes this show so fun to watch.
The Midnight Gospel
The Midnight Gospel is a short one-season series that is a creative and adventurous series that tackles multiple serious topics such as discourse on drugs, spirituality, and how people view death.
The main character is Clancy Gilroy, a spacecaster that travels to different universes looking for guests to come onto his podcast. Each episode features real audio from creator Duncan Trussel’s podcast. In addition, the show focuses on how Clancy uses interdimensional travel as an escape and this serves as one of the main overarching narratives in the series.
Unfortunately, even with the show getting high ratings such as an 8.2/10 on IMDB and a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show creator Duncan Trussel announced on Twitter that season 2 of The Midnight Gospel was canceled by Netflix. Despite this, the Trussel was still thankful for the opportunity given by Netflix and I still highly recommend checking the show.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Avatar: The Last Airbender is a classic animated show for teen audiences that was added to Netflix in the past year. The show is about Aang, the last airbender alive, and his friends as they go on a journey to defeat the Fire Nation. The fight scenes are inspired by actual martial arts techniques and the story can make you laugh and cry.
It’s received critical acclaim throughout the years and is widely regarded as one of the best animated shows out there. Both Vice and Vox called it one of the greatest shows ever made and it was even nominated for an Emmy Award. Even when it was brought to Netflix years after its last episode in 2008, the show was one of the top ten most streamed shows on Netflix for over 40 days. Needless to say, it’s definitely worth a shot regardless of age.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power tells the story of Adora, a young girl who can transform into She-Ra, a powerful warrior. She and her friends help fight with the rebellion to defeat the evil Horde. While the action is certainly fun to watch, the ever changing dynamics between characters is what makes the show interesting.
The show is remake of a She-Ra: The Secret of the Sword from 1985, but sets itself apart with it’s diverse cast. It features a wide array of LGBT characters and has been praised for it’s representation. The quality of the show has been marked as well with the show garnering a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and earning nominations for several awards.
If you want a good show that’s for a younger audience and has strong LGBT representation then I highly recommend checking out She-Ra.
Bojack Horseman
Bojack Horseman is about an anthropomorphic horse named Bojack who is an actor in Hollywood. The series is a dark comedy featuring serious topics such as depression, trauma, and addiction and boasts a well-known cast with actors such as Will Arnett, Alison Brie, and Aaron Paul. Every episode of the show is funny in some way and the more serious episodes can leave you feeling deeply reflective.
It received mixed reviews when it was first released but as the show went on it become to receive outstanding praise. Vanity Fair, Time Magezine, and GQ all named it one of the best shows released in the 2010s and the BBC even called it the 21st century’s best animation. That’s not all, the show has been nominated for over 40 awards and it brought home 34 of those.
It’s personally one of my favorite shows as well so if you’re an adult looking for a show that’ll have you thinking about it for a long time to come, I would say Bojack Horseman is an animated series you must watch.
