AN ADULTS GUIDE TO ANIMATION

Seoul Station – a thrilling tale of a zombie outbreak in South Korea - isn’t your typical animated fare - it features gut-munching zombies, brutal violence and white knuckle tension. Definitely not one for the kids, but why should kids have all the fun? Putting the Disneys, Pixars and Ghiblis of the world to one side for a moment, here are a selection of animated films that run the gamut from outrageous and erotic to surreal and irreverent; you should perhaps watch when the little ones are tucked in bed!

FRITZ THE CAT (1972)

Ralph Bakshi’s legendary countercultural comedy, based on Robert Crumb’s character, was the first cartoon to get an X-certificate in the US. And little wonder. The story of an amorous cat raising hell on his 1960s college campus, it features all manner of ‘adult themes’ - including explicit sex scenes. Audiences lapped it up, with the film making over $90 million dollars worldwide, on a budget of less than one million. Move over Top Cat.

HEAVY METAL (1981)

This adventure fantasy epic is based on the hugely popular American comic book of the same name, famous for its scantily clad warrior women on the cover, and cartoon strips that mix sci-fi and fantasy with erotica. The film had nine directors helming different segments (including drive-in B-movie king Jimmy T Murakami), and among its seven writers, Alien scripter Dan O’Bannon. It’s a wild ride, filled with buxom heroines, muscle-bound men, monkeys with ray guns, and a pounding rock soundtrack. The Little Mermaid it ain’t.

AKIRA (1988)

One of the greatest and most astounding animated films of all time happens to also be one aimed at adults. Katsuhito Otomo’s manga masterpiece, about a biker turned into a psychic psychopath, features mind-blowing visuals, including a motorbike chase the equal of any live action counterpart, and some unsettling imagery that means that Akira is off limits to the My Little Pony crowd.

COOL WORLD (1992)