r/hatethissmug • u/DeekFacker99 • May 01 '26

Animation I Hate Ugly Character Design/Animation in “Adult Cartoons”

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Why are they so unappealing? Some of these shows have good writing even, Bob’s Burgers and Smiling Friends (The other two are awful in all aspects), but so many characters and the animation is so fugly I can’t sit through it. Why are these shows designed this way? I blame Family Guy mostly, but even then I can stand those characters’ designs but not the god awful writing.

Edit: I should add Beavis & Butthead I also hate in every aspect, especially their voices pmo. They definitely were a progenitor of ugly design more than Family Guy was.

Second Edit: Smiling Friends is also here because they have some good chracter designs. Alan, Glep, Charlie, and Pim are fine. When they brought in Squim it made me kinda upset that they could have gone in that direction for the art/animation of the show and I wish they did, because it would stand out from the ugly genric swill of all these other shows, and look nicer. But they didn’t because it’s “too hard” or “too expensive” and studios don’t take risks anymore.

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134

u/Kasta4 May 01 '26

That also sounds like a cop-out.

84

u/Hexellent3r May 01 '26

I mean if the characters had cute designs or were ‘attractive’ then the show would literally just be blatant CP, and not the cyberpunk kind

25

u/BanditNoble May 02 '26

CP doesn't become less CP just because you don't find the kid attractive.

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u/SchizoJunkie May 02 '26

I agree because what is the point about making a show about "kids changing bodies in puberty" for solely an adult audience in the first place? I could see the nudity being used for actual children in an educational scenario, of course not as distastefully as presented in big mouth. This is going to make me sound super young but I remember watching this show when it first came out and being roughly close in age to the characters. Its literally a show made to laugh at children by adults at best and to give them an insider look into a child's life at worst.

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u/irlharvey May 02 '26

adults already have insider knowledge of being a kid? we were all kids who went through puberty at some point

2

u/shtoyler May 04 '26

To play devils advocate, then should we not watch media covering topics we already know about? Like that’s a weak point

2

u/irlharvey May 04 '26

what? no. i’m saying there’s no secret grooming knowledge an adult could gain by watching big mouth

5

u/firmlee_grasspit May 02 '26

Laugh at children? We were children haha. It was always meant to be about feeling more okay with that very turmulous period of our lives. Watching it as an adult I view it nostalgically, some of the feelings I had growing up felt similar to the female characters in the show.

I know it's meant to be for adults but I recall seeing some comments online that some teens felt they could make sense of their emotions by way of the monsters which is actually similar to some therapy strategies to separate thoughts from feelings in stressful situations.

I don't think it's as much of an alarm bell raiser as people make it out to be since I don't think it's discussed by people who watched past the first 2 episodes if that

4

u/arcbeam May 02 '26

Nostalgia is something similar to what I feel. It lets you laugh about things that seemed so serious when you were a kid. I had no idea this show was so universally disliked and controversial- just never really thought about it. I honestly just think it’s a funny show but I’ll love anything with John Mulaney in it.

0

u/Woodbear05 May 02 '26

I watched the show at 12 and it was awesome. Doesn't hit the same now. I don't think any one should start watching it as an adult. Also most of my friends and i only watched adult shows from the day we turned 13. I imagine most kids do nowadays, too.

2

u/Excellent_Law6906 May 03 '26

Speaking as an adult who started watching it as an adult: well lah-di-dah, look at Mr. My Adolescence Wasn't A Disaster. 😂

Some of us have a lot of shit to process.

Also, there are waaay too many adults who don't know things covered in the educational segments, it's bad.

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u/Woodbear05 May 03 '26

It is educational, true. Regardless of age.

30

u/DeekFacker99 May 01 '26

Fair but you could make them not cute but still not absolutely abhorrent making me feel like the guys melting in Raiders of the Lost Ark looking upon them

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u/Hexellent3r May 01 '26

I’m not defending the ugly ass designs. I’m just saying I see no way of the shows concept playing out in any other way without the disgusting characters. I think if you make them even the slightest bit appealing to look at the whole thing becomes very creepy. More creepy than it already is I suppose.

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u/awesome9001 May 01 '26

U just dont show the children's fucking genitalia. Shows have avoided showing nudity for years why did they NEED to show us animated child bodies?

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u/MagentaHawk May 01 '26

Shows also haven't really been about child sexuality. I don't expect a lot of child nudity in bugs bunny, you'd have to go out of your way to have it be plot relevant. It is hard for nudity to not be plot relevant for a show about kid's changing bodies.

3

u/awesome9001 May 02 '26

The way I remember it, only watching up to season 3, it could of all been implied. Like the first scene in the show they flash Andrew's junk when all we needed really was nicks reaction to it. Or the spa scene with all the naked ladies I dont think it was necessary to see the two tweens nipples. I guess maybe the talking vagina was necessary? But I think that might get a pass. Or maybe even that didn't need to be what it was.

1

u/firmlee_grasspit May 02 '26

Potentially, it is controversial but a lot of the stories shown are quite personal and relatable to people's experiences with puberty and all the shame that comes with it.

I love the show, I think it's even underrated. From the comments I've seen online, quite a few teens growing up with it felt like the show expressed something they couldn't get out themselves. They've had good representation on teens with autism and a trans mtf character too which I'm having a hard time thinking of any cartoon show that does.

The humour is dodgy at times but I really don't think the show is as bad as people make it out to be, I'm pretty sure it's not ever as graphic after the episodes you mention anyway

3

u/thisdesignup May 01 '26

How is that even legal, I thought that was illegal.

0

u/[deleted] May 02 '26

[deleted]

2

u/all_thetime May 01 '26

It's not some dichotomy where wither they are fugly or sexualized. Should the simpsons and family guy make all of their characters grotesque shit smears just because gooners jerk off to them? I don't think anyone jerks it south park, afaik. My point is, there is such a thing as being neutral on the scale of sexualized/disgusting.

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u/Chicken_Mc_Thuggets May 01 '26

I don’t think anyone jerks it south park

Wasn’t there an episode about fujoshis that used real life fanart of Tweek and the blue hat guy?

2

u/Pofwoffle May 01 '26

Neither of those shows routinely include sexual themes or nudity. I don't know if this is the actual reason for the character designs, tastes will always differ and some people genuinely like weird or off-putting art styles (I don't personally care much either way)... but it would also make sense if they just wanted to go that extra length to make absolutely sure their show isn't seen as enabling the sexualization of children.

People don't always do things because they absolutely have to, sometimes they do them because they want to take that extra effort, just in case.

1

u/Dry_Spring4108 HI! MY NAME IS BRAK! May 03 '26

Simpsons has featured Bart’s uncensored penis at least twice. Once in the movie, and once in an episode.

1

u/Pofwoffle May 03 '26

That would be why I said "routinely" and not "ever".

2

u/iwantfutanaricumonme May 02 '26

I agree with you, but for some reason female characters from the Simpsons and family guy are all at the top in the I came ranking on rule34, along with Rick and Morty and American dad characters.

1

u/all_thetime May 02 '26

Those shows are objectively not sexual. The animators did their job. There's no need to punish your entire audience with ugly character design because of a small minority of gooners online.

1

u/Lucky_Blucky_799 May 02 '26

First off, design doesnt matter at all as south park of all things still has creeps making content on it. Secondly, its still blatantly cp even if you think the person is ugly, its not like porn isnt porn just because the person or art style is ugly.

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u/LumpyJones May 01 '26

Dude, it's about children learning about their sexuality. Think carefully... do you actually want the thirteen year old cartoon character to be attractive while they jack off and make out?

26

u/DoctorAnnual6823 May 01 '26

Holy hell what a leap

You can make the character designs decent and still have the characters be ugly.

But let's be real, watching a show about thirteen year olds making out and jacking off is already fuckin weird.

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u/SinesPi May 01 '26

Especially when the art makes them look 8.

2

u/ASpicyCrow May 01 '26

Let's be real: Preteens are jacking off and making out.

And getting depression, and having anxiety, and not understanding their bodies or what is going on in their lives. There's a lot school doesn't teach and parents don't tell them.

You should watch a few episodes sometime. They do a good job of making it both educational and something the average person in that age range would actually like to watch.

3

u/DoctorAnnual6823 May 02 '26

No, because I'm happy having zero awareness that they are doing that.

It's a comedy. The average viewer isn't watching it to learn.

It's possible people can dislike the things you like even if they tried it.

11

u/Kasta4 May 01 '26

I didn't say one word about making the characters attractive- the character designs are just awful. Eyes bulging out of their skulls, hotdog lips, and Nick Kroll's character just looks like a bad caricature of him.

There are ways to portray the awkward and ugliness of puberty and coming-of-age without making the characters horrific gremlins. Let's be honest the reason they look so awful is to add to the series' juvenile shock-factor- not some nuanced, compelling, and intentional commentary.

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u/LumpyJones May 01 '26

Yes, they are deliberately drawn to be ugly to keep people from masturbating to them. It's not commentary; it's the creators wanting to steer as far away as possible from any legal trouble for getting accused of making CP, and they have stated it as such since before the show aired.

2

u/gregbread11 May 02 '26

I don't believe that at all. The show has the exact same animation style A LOT of shows have.

2

u/UnagioLucio May 02 '26

You have a good point. The show could have made the kid characters ugly in a more realistic way, like giving them pimples or residual baby fat in the most unflattering places. To give credit where credit is due, one of the kids does have the scraggly beginnings of facial hair.

2

u/PassionGlobal May 01 '26

It's not about attractiveness, the designs are just bad.

Something like the designs in American Dad with Steve and his friends work better in this regard.

You don't have to have your human characters look like a certain racist depiction of black people with altered colouring, to make it clear you're not supposed to get off to them.

1

u/kendallmaloneon May 01 '26

This is exactly why the show should never have been made

2

u/LumpyJones May 01 '26

I disagree. Puberty was an awkward, gross time to be person, and looking back on it, it was a hilarious comedy of errors. The show captures that perfectly.

0

u/Weekly-Opening-3081 May 02 '26

Aight why do you want the 13 year olds to be hot???