Animals.

...which I watched in its entirety yesterday. I came across the show quite by accident. I was flipping through channels when HBO's Animals caught my eye. I figured it was going to be another attempt at stealing South Park's thunder as kings of adult cartoons. I was wrong. Like South Park, the minimalist animation keeps the focus on the dialogue which is a social commentary on sibling rivalry, sexual identity, steroids, bullying, how the roots of traditions need to be tested, and just some situations that show how people - shown as animals - in different phases of life deal with situations in general. The show has an improvisational spirit, and everything said has a reaction that is hilarious, but not in a staged or forced way.

Each episode of the first season is named after the primary animal that is the focus - "Squirrels", "Rats", "Cats", "Dogs", etc. All of them are living in New York City. In parallel with these animals dealing with what is for the most part, every day life, there is an ugly tale of human life going on in which there is corruption in high places, adultery, and murder. The humans never speak in recognizable words. They just speak gibberish like the adults in Charlie Brown do - "wah wah wah blah blah" - or something similar. It is the animals who speak and often eloquently so. Only in the last episode does the ugly tale of human behavior that has been building in all of the episodes intersect with the stories of the animals, and then in the most ironic way possible.

I've never written a review before but felt I had to for this program due to how under the radar it is and how most people I'm assuming would just pass over it. I'm from the UK so the fact I've sent this is by pure coincidence but I never turned back. From the get go I knew this was going to be different and I could understand if you wanted to leave it after the first episode but please see its potential. If you follow through with this program it evolves in to something so unique and actually quite relevant in a way. Don't just dismiss this program as trying to be funny in a new way. It was picked up for a reason and the writers have obviously got a message in mind. Give it a go and be more open minded. I will definitely be putting this on my list of things you must see before your die but would recommend seeing asap as it's very relevent to the times we are living in now.

If you're a fan of South Park, Archer, Rick and Morty, or other irreverent adult cartoons, then you might like Animals.

Keep in mind that Animals is a dialogue-driven cartoon, and the animation kind of takes a backseat. The writing and improv drive this show to hilarious places. The animal characters are all voiced by funny actors, some of whom you'll quickly recognize. Some voices I remember are Aziz Anzari, Adam Scott, Chelsea Peretti, and Jason Manzoukas (the dude who plays Rafi in The League - such a funny actor). The real stars, however, are relative unknowns. Mike Luciano and Phil Materese are the main writers, directors, and voice actors. They have great chemistry playing different versions of Mike and Phil thru all the Animals episodes. It sort of reminds me of the great dynamic that Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland have in Rick and Morty.

I saw Animals advertised on HBOgo and decided to give it a try. The first two episodes (Rats, Pigeons) can drag here and there, but they're still really funny in their own right. The payoff comes at Episodes 3 (Cats) and 4 (Dogs). Those episodes are some of the funniest television I've seen in years. I don't want to spoil anything. I'll just say this show will make you see your dogs and cats in a different light. In a good way though. You might empathize with your dogs or cats a little more in a strange, acid-trippy, "I can now speak with animals" sorta way.

It's a bummer seeing the relatively low IMDb ratings of this show (as of 2/27/16). I only watched the first 4 episodes and am eagerly waiting to watch the rest once they're released. I never write reviews of shows, but this one compelled me to say something. Imaginative and well-written, well-directed shows like this aren't easy to find.

Animals is more of a slow burn. There is an over-arching story involving human characters intertwined in all the animals' episodes. In this world, the human characters don't speak. The animals don't shut up. The humans are despicable. The animals are complicated. It's fun.

I recommend this show if you enjoy some cheeky banter between animals. You'll never see a dogpark in the same way again.

Am a old dude. Just so you know.

I am so happy that ive found this show now. Cant understand why this has pased me by?

It is so great and funny. Very original.

Lovely voice work. Absolutely stunning.

This was a gem to find.

Sad that its over:(

I've never written a review on here before, but I was quite honestly surprised at the negative reviews on here and also on other sites.

This show has the very best mix of hysterical and quirky and I just love the way creators (Mike and Phil) and their alter-ego "animal" characters all interact, also with the guest cast members/comedians of the week. It really captures the light and shade of urban New York perfectly, and even manages to make it all look somewhat edgy, with a killer soundtrack to boot, (honestly, the music is awesomeness!!)

In essence, this show does perfectly what recent New York based show "Vinyl" was trying to do. Vinyl could really take notes from these guys, they are doing it right. I love it, it's a fantastic show. Watch and enjoy! You're welcome🙂