Few animated shows can exhibit such an interesting premise and unique art style as well as Genndy Tartakovsky’s latest animated show, Primal. Primal follows a caveman and a dinosaur, bonding over the mutual language of grief and tragedy. They are the only hope of survival each has in a world on the brink of extinction.
What Primal does so well, is to balance a beautiful world with a contrast of intense violence. The lack of dialogue also makes for a brilliant story, in which audiences must follow the visuals. With master storytelling, and each episode captivating, many might wonder what animated series are like Primal.
8 Castlevania
This animated series is inspired by the popular video game series of the same name. Castlevania has been a long-standing video game franchise and now exists in a fleshed-out 4 season animated show. The series itself follows the last surviving member of the disgraced Belmont clan, Trevor Belmont, and his quest to save Eastern Europe from its extinction at the hands of Dracula.
The animation for the show is beautiful and exists in a dark medieval fantasy world. The cast is as memorable as the beautiful visuals, and its story contains many surprises for fans of video games and those completely unaware of it.
7 Love, Death + Robots
Unlike most animated series, Love, Death + Robots is a collection of animated short stories rather than a linear tale of one character. The show spans several genres, with a different creative mind behind each short. Creativity and expression are abundant in the depictions of sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and comedy, as well as the unique animation for each episode.
The anthology series is a great watch for its different tales. The stellar animation can be CGI that exists in uncanny valley territory or that of an old-house animation. Each story is its own and can feature the genius behind some of the best films and shows out there.
6 Invincible
Mark Grayson is a seventeen-year-old going through the same routine as most guys his age. Except, unlike others, his father is the most powerful superhero on the planet, and perhaps the galaxy: Omni-Man. This character is much like Superman, but as Mark Grayson discovers and develops his superpowers, he discovers that Omni-Man may not be as heroic as his legacy may seem.
Fans of Primal would love Invincible because of its depiction of animated violence, and its dramatic rendition of certain scenes. Invincible originated as a comic series and is set to be adapted into an Amazon Prime Video animated series to the pleasure of fans old and new.
5 Arcane
Arcane follows the story of two sisters, fighting on rival sides of a war between the magic technologies and clashing convictions of the utopian Piltover and the oppressed underground of Zaun. The characters in Arcane explore the origins of some of the most iconic names in the video game series League of Legends. With a gritty story and an innovative animation style, Arcane cements itself as a great recent animated series.
There’s a lot of promise in Arcane, and audiences don’t need to be fans of the League of Legends game to enjoy the origins of these iconic characters. There’s drama aplenty, as well as a shocking war and motive that makes audiences understand all characters.
4 Harley Quinn
DC Comics is no stranger to making fun of itself, and the animated series Harley Quinn takes the plethora of characters from DC Comics and makes the jokes they’ve always wanted to tell. Harley Quinn follows the titular character, Harley Quinn, in her new single life as she sets out to become the criminal queenpin of Gotham City. With a colorful and fun cast, Harley realizes that maybe she doesn’t want to be the only queen ruling Gotham City.
The humor and violence in this animated show would be adored by fans of Primal. Both shows are unashamed to be themselves and follow their style and enjoyment. Harley Quinn does a lot right for an adult animated black comedy.
3 Star Wars: Clone Wars
Not to be confused with the CGI animated series, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, this series, Star Wars: Clone Wars was created by Primal’s creator, Genndy Tartakovsky, and closely followed the creator’s vision. Whereas Star Wars: The Clone Wars is a canon show for the Star Wars franchise, Star Wars: Clone Wars is non-canon, but a genius entry into the universe.
The animation is smooth, and the choreography of the animated fights is nothing short of iconic. Each Star Wars character shines in a centered episode. Whether it’s General Grievous or Mace Windu. The show holds back on the dialogue to focus on the visuals, and it’s a treat.
2 Rick And Morty
For a long time, Rick and Morty have been a staple of the adult animated comedy world. The show follows Rick Sanchez, an alcoholic sociopath, and nihilistic scientist who exists as the smartest man in the Multiverse. Rick and his grandson Morty travel across the universes on absurd and intergalactic adventures.
There are a lot of laughs to be had in Rick and Morty, as well as some great action scenes, unexpected from a black comedy sci-fi series. The show isn’t all laughs, and there can be some serious themes represented in the show.
1 Samurai Jack
Another visionary and iconic series from Genndy Tartakovsky, Samurai Jack began as a fun animated series that followed a young samurai and his battle against the evil shape-shifting wizard Aku. After the near defeat, Aku sends Jack into a dystopian future, where Aku is the law. Throughout the series, Jack must find a way back, back to the past, to undo Aku’s destruction, and defeat him once and for all.
Samurai Jack returned in 2017 as an adult animated series, with one final season to depict itself as gritty, action-packed, and much to say without saying anything at all. Samurai Jack is probably the closest show to Primal as it gets, with amazing action sequences and animated thrills.