Animals.

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:(

...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.

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.

I think this show would be better received if it was on Adult Swim and not HBO. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you like some nice, simple humor that doesn't try so hard I'd recommend checking it out.

There seems to be a lack of love for the animation. It is definitely not the prettiest I've ever seen, but its different. It runs like a comic strip, and it works with the rest of the show because it is simple. Animals is the show that all of us have thought about at some point in our lives. "What would animals say if they could talk?" A lot of the jokes are about sex, but that makes sense in the animal world. What else are animals all about besides getting food and making babies?

My first experience with this show happened about a year ago. I was in the hospital recovering from a life-threatening medical emergency. Was loopy from medications and alternating between consciousness and Lala land.

Hospital TV had HBO, and an Animals marathon was playing. I didnt know if was a real show or a dream. But the dialogue had me tuned in on some level. So smart. Now it's one of my favorite shows.