Television series
InHumanoids
InHumanoids is a mid-80s toy-line action cartoon with genuine visual ambition. It centres on scientists battling grotesque alien monsters from Earth's core in kinetic, often darkly imaginative episodes. The show marries Saturday-morning accessibility with surprisingly sophisticated creature design and earnest sci-fi stakes. Perfect for anyone who loves practical-effects monster lore or nostalgic action that still holds up.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you like brisk, unpretentious action-adventure with a loyal crew, clear-cut heroes and monsters, and the bold, simple look of mid-eighties children's sci-fi.
Skip it if you need subtle character work or a slow-burn mystery, since this is built for quick, straightforward episodes with little room for nuance.
What it asks of you: Thirteen half-hour episodes, one short season, so it's a quick commitment that moves briskly and rewards plain attention rather than close study.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe1983
Peak 80s toy-line animation with colourful, endlessly inventive villain designs and the same Saturday-morning energy. The action is brisk and the absurdity is sincere—it never winks at the camera.
But Production values are deliberately cheap; animation shortcuts are everywhere. If you need fluid motion and high production gloss, you'll feel the budget constraints immediately.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles1990
Live-action creature effects and practical suits give the monsters genuine weight and presence. It captures that same late-80s energy where toy properties got treated as real action spectacles rather than kid-stuff.
But Tone wobbles between comedy and action; the jokes feel dated and land unevenly. If you prefer consistency, it can feel tonal.
The Transformers: The Movie1986
Released the same year, this animated feature has jaw-dropping creature animation and a willingness to kill major characters. It proves toy cartoons could be genuinely thrilling and visually ambitious.
But The plot is thin, the dialogue is clunky, and it exists mainly to sell new toys. If narrative coherence matters to you, accept it won't arrive.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from InHumanoids
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Ultraman1966
Both are fundamentally about humans versus creatures from below—but Ultraman treats the monsters as genuinely eerie where InHumanoids plays to toy-line requirements. Watching the ancestor shows what InHumanoids inherited and what it chose to soften.
The Japanese original that inspired everything InHumanoids aspires to: a hero facing genuinely unsettling rubber-suited monsters with real physical presence. Episodes are lean, urgent, and visually strange. Pure monster-fighting DNA.
But Shot on 60s TV budgets with subtitles; pacing is different from American cartoons. The suit acting takes adjustment. If you need constant action, Japanese tokusatsu will feel slow.
More like this (5)
Defenders of the Earth1986
Same year, same syndication model, but with a more ambitious sci-fi framing. Features King Features characters in space adventure territory. The variety of settings keeps it energetic.
But Juggling too many character franchises dilutes focus. It feels scattered compared to InHumanoids' clearer premise.
Mighty Max1993
Slightly later, but the same philosophy: toy-line cartoon with real production ambition and creature design that goes beyond the expected. Faster pacing, more confident animation.
But More pop-culture knowing than InHumanoids; sometimes trades earnestness for smirks. If you prefer straightforward sincerity, it'll feel off.
BraveStarr1987
Western-sci-fi hybrid toy cartoon with unexpectedly sophisticated mythology and moral complexity. The production design is ambitious and the storytelling reaches above its station.
But Pacing is uneven; some episodes drag. The western setting won't appeal to everyone, especially if you prefer straight science fiction.
Spiral Zone1987
Military action with genuine stakes—a virus-infected zone and hazmat-suited heroes. Darker tone than most toy cartoons of the era; it's willing to feel dangerous.
But Limited episode availability; largely forgotten. The production is very much of its moment. Nostalgia does heavy lifting here.
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland1989
Both feature scientists/explorers in subterranean worlds, but Little Nemo goes inward and poetic where InHumanoids goes outward and action-driven. Same setting, opposite impulses—a fascinating mirror.
Stop-motion and cel animation hybrid about descending into a surreal underground realm. Visually baroque, genuinely imaginative in ways most 80s kids' properties never attempted. Beautiful and strange.
But It's deliberately dreamlike; narrative coherence dissolves. Pacing is slow and contemplative. Kids raised on action will find it frustratingly passive and weird.
