For example, When the Wind Blows (1986) is one of my very favourite films, and while it's something that kids could see something in, it's largely aimed towards adults, especially when you take into account its dark and bleak subject matter. I know a lot of adult-orientated animation comes from Japan and other Asian countries, but there's not too many examples in the Western world. Still, there's excellent features like Arrugas (2011) which looks at the effects of Alzheimer's Disease in a nursing home. Mary and Max (2009) is another one, too – for sure, it's something children might enjoy, but it has a (predominately) thematic adult orientation. And, while I may not particularly be a large fan of the film, Les triplettes de Belleville (2003) is another good example.
All of these films, interestingly, are not American productions. In fact, there are not many American adult-oriented films, period. I wonder why this is the case?
Maybe instead of adult-orientated animated films as a general topic, you could focus upon a specific adult theme. For example, if you focused on the theme of war, you could use When the Wind Blows and Grave of the Fireflies. Just a suggestion. – Ryan Errington10 years ago