Have Your Say: There Need To Be More Anime Series For Grown-ups

If you're a regular reader of the "Pretty Packaging" articles, or indeed this "Have Your Say" series, it won't come as a surprise that I'm a huge fan of Japanese animation. Indeed, ever since I saw Otomo Katsuhiro's Akira I've been interested, and when Oshii Mamoru's Ghost in the Shell broke my mind years later I was fully smitten.

Mind, when you do dive into the wonderful world of anime, you'll quickly be wading knee-deep through the trash. There is no shortage of cheap, weak animation and nonsensical (or endlessly regurgitated) stories. And this is before they've been cut, cropped or dubbed beyond recognition. You'll literally be looking for jewels in the mud. And even when you find them, expect to get occasionally burnt by an over-reliance on porn and gore, fan-service, and what I'll politely describe as "cultural differences".

There is yet another pitfall though, especially when checking out many of the anime television series: age.

I'm an anime fan.

I'm also 48 years old, married, two kids, a good job... no, not this one, but a management job at a large international firm, a job which allows me to own a home. My high-school days are far behind me, and that section of my life doesn't need to be revisited all that often. But so many series focus exclusively on teenagers, high-schoolers and students. Young love, growing up, graduating and finding your way in the world, these are very valid topics of course. But surely there is more than that? What about the life-altering choices I face nowadays? What about being a parent? Facing re-employment? Changing relationships?

While I do appreciate the occasional great anime about teenagers (take the goofy but fun Full Metal Panic seen in the screenshot above), I do wish there was more material available about people my age. Or, well, FOR people my age. I feel pretty gross and dirty whenever I'm supposed to identify with yet another schoolboy flustered-yet-delighted for half an episode because he accidentally saw a girl naked for the first time.

And surely, the "otaku" of decades past surely are now at a different stage of their lives as well? Surely there is a market for adults (and no, I'm not referring to the decidedly adolescent "hentai" genres)?

So I'll be the grumpy old guy and make it the topic for today. How do you feel about the statement: there need to be more anime series for grown-ups?

Chime in, in the comments below, and HAVE YOUR SAY!

(Also, please do provide examples of anime for grown-ups, the more the better!!)