10 Animated Series for Adults Who Refuse to Grow Up

1. Metalocalypse

Dethklok, the world's most popular (and dysfunctional) death metal band, isn't just about music. Their escapades, from summoning sea trolls to sparking geopolitical crises, are monumental. Backed by brutal riffs, the band's antics get investigated by a shadowy organization. As the series progresses, prophecies of the band's role in an apocalypse emerge. The finale, a rock opera, pits prophecy against free will amidst musical mayhem. Can the power of metal avert doomsday?

2. The Midnight Gospel

Ready to dive head-first into the cosmic jukebox? Clancy, our space podcaster, uses a universe simulator to explore dying worlds and interview its inhabitants. Zombies, magical land wars, prison riots – the settings are wild, yet conversations are deeply philosophical. Issues like life, death, and rebirth get hashed out in these animated sessions.

As Clancy delves deeper, he grapples with his own real-world problems. The show concludes on Earth in a heartfelt episode with his mom, leaving viewers with a heady mix of emotions. Can a space-caster find real-world answers?

3. Over the Garden Wall

Ever got lost in the woods and stumbled into a fantastical realm? No? Well, Wirt and his stepbrother Greg did. The Unknown, an eerie, mysterious place, played host to their bizarre adventures: from singing birds to creepy pumpkin towns. As they tried finding their way home, a sinister beast lurked in the shadows. The climax? A whirlwind of revelations about the brothers, the Unknown, and the nature of their journey. Just a lost dream, or a bridge between life and death?

4. Moral Orel

Think 1950s Americana meets dark satire. In the town of Moralton, young Orel Puppington is on a divine mission to live righteously. But what's righteousness in a place rife with hypocrisy? His naive misinterpretations of Bible lessons lead to, well, calamitous outcomes. As the town's facade crumbles, Orel's family secrets spill. The series finale jolts with its break from the show's formula, hinting at deeper traumas. Can faith be found amidst fractures?

5. Superjail!

Imagine a jail, but not just any jail – the most brutal and bizarre penitentiary, located inside an active volcano! The Warden, with his Willy Wonka-esque flair, dreams up sadistic punishments and surreal spectacles. While his assistant Jared and brutish guard Alice deal with the chaos, the inmates, like the Twins, plot and scheme.

However, beneath the vibrant violence lie societal commentaries and metaphysical muddles. The series finale goes full-on meta, making viewers question the nature of Superjail's reality. Just a madman's dream, or a vivid reflection of our world's own absurdities?

6. Frisky Dingo

Step into a world where Killface, an alien aiming to destroy Earth, is our star. Marketing his plan via merch? You bet! But when his plan accidentally boosts the economy, politics come into play. Arch-nemesis Awesome X (a.k.a billionaire Xander Crews) has his own bag of tricks. Their power tussles, sprinkled with corporate absurdities and media parodies, reach a peak when Killface runs for President. But as curtains close, do good and evil really matter, or is it all just a hilarious game of thrones?

7. Mary Shelley's Frankenhole

Victor Frankenstein, now immortal, has boredom knocking. His solution? Create portals (Frankenholes) to any time and place, tinkering with historical figures' fates. With monsters like Dracula and mummy wives by his side, chaos is constant. As timelines blur and histories hilariously intertwine, Frankenstein's arrogance remains central. The end leaves viewers baffled, with twisted moralities and time's cyclical nature underlined. When you play with time, does anything truly end?

8. China, IL

Welcome to China, Illinois, where the University staff is more dysfunctional than its students. Professors, led by brothers Frank and Steve Smith, often prioritize personal agendas over teaching. From seeking the perfect roast to combating giant babies, academic adventures go haywire. Amidst musical numbers and epic battles, campus life redefines insanity. And when the grand finale hits, allegiances shift, fates intertwine, and everything's up in the air. Is this the real life or just academia gone wild?

9. Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil

Lucy is Satan's 21-year-old daughter and, surprise, she's not too keen on following the family business. While Satan plans the Apocalypse, Lucy explores her humanity, dates a DJ (who might be the second coming of Christ), and faces the dilemmas of her lineage. Amidst church agents and devilish plots, her life oscillates between ordinary and outrageous. The ambiguous ending, rife with prophetic confrontations and moral quandaries, leaves viewers both laughing and pondering. In the fight between good and evil, can one find their own path?

10. BoJack Horseman

Ladies and gents, let's gallop into the world of washed-up Hollywood "has-beens", where BoJack, a horse and former '90s sitcom star, reigns supreme. Struggling with addiction, failed relationships, and a downward spiral? Check, check, and check. Navigating this minefield, his agent Princess Carolyn (a literal pink cat) keeps trying to rekindle his career.

As BoJack stumbles from one disaster to another, we meet his frenemy Mr. Peanutbutter, writer Diane, and roommate Todd. Laced with dark humor and existential despair, the series ends ambiguously, questioning BoJack's redemptive arc. Is change just another Hollywood script?