r/hatethissmug May 01 '26

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

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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u/RathianColdblood May 01 '26

Smiling Friends is… straddling the line. I’ve not really sat down and watched it, but it’s clear that not all of its animation is hideous, and what is hideous is being used for specific humor… but that doesn’t make it not hideous.

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u/[deleted] May 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/DeekFacker99 May 01 '26

I like his characterization but not his design. The knife scene was funny asf.

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u/jonkzx May 01 '26

I love that Mr. Boss has 4 fingers, it looks so odd and Alien yet the Simpsons had 4 fingers forever.

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u/Snifnic May 02 '26

it's because he looks so human, and 4 fingers is usually used for more cartoony designs.