Adult Swim’sCommon Side Effectsis one of the best animated shows of 2025, and now that the first season has come to a close, here are five other shows that fans ofCommon Side Effectsneed to watch. The incredibly weird animated conspiracy series comes from creators Joseph Bennett and Steve Hely, with the show’s Adult Swim and Max releases turning it into a massive hit.Common Side Effectsseason 1, episode 10 endedthe show’s first season, and while a second season is in development, there are still options for fans who already missCommon Side Effects.
Common Side Effectstells the story of Marshall Cuso, a fungal expert who finds a mushroom that has the power to cure anything - even death. However, this discoverymakes him a target for one of the world’s largest medical companies, Reutical, with them knowing that Marshall’s discovery could destroy their business model. Thus, Marshall gets in contact with a former high school peer and Reutical employee Frances Applewhite, with the duo attempting to decide what to do with the seemingly magical mushroom while avoiding Reutical and the authorities.
One of the most unique aspects ofCommon Side Effectsis its focus on medicine and the medical industry, with it mixing real-world medical practices with sci-fi storylines.Amazon Prime Video’sThe Second Best Hospital in the Galaxyis another one of the rare animated shows that tackles this, although in a unique way. The animated series focuses on a group of alien doctors in a space hospital, with thecast ofThe Second Best Hospital in the Galaxytaking on new intergalactic illnesses in each episode. While the series is more episodic and comedic, it is a great pick afterCommon Side Effects.
Common Side Effectshas been a hit for Adult Swim, and fans of the series and the programming block need to go back and watch one of Adult Swim’s best shows in recent years.The Shivering Truthis an stop-motion anthology comedy series that goes in some incredibly dark directions. Throughout its two seasons,The Shivering Truthcovers grim topics like death and morality, with similar themes being explored inCommon Side Effects.The Shivering Truthis one of Adult Swim’s most acclaimed shows in years, although many viewers missed out on watching it.
Common Side Effects Creators On What Makes Adult Swim’s New Conspiracy Thriller Unique [SCAD]
Common Side Effects is one of the most exciting shows coming out of Adult Swim in 2025, and the creators discuss the story with Screen Rant at SCAD.
Another incredible animated show that fans ofCommon Side Effectsneed to check out is 2022’sPantheon.The AMC+ series follows a teenage girl named Maddiewho discovers that her dead father has actually had his consciousness uploaded to the cloud, with him being just one of many people who has met this fate. Maddie must discover how this happened and deal with the fallout of this discovery, with the sci-fi and conspiracy aspects of the series makingPantheonfeel a lot likeCommon Side Effects.
When it comes to animated conspiracy shows, one of the most popular is Netflix’sInside Job. The series tells the story of Cognito, Inc, an American organization that secretly runs the world from the shadows.Inside Jobcenters comedic stories around real-life conspiracy theorieslike the hollow Earth, reptilian aliens, and the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, with it tackling many of the most popular ones. WhileCommon Side Effects' conspiracy thriller storyline is more focused,Inside Job’s broad conspiracy comedy makes it one of the best animated seriesof the 2020s.
For fans ofCommon Side Effects, the most obvious pick for what to watch next isScavengers Reign.Scavengers Reignwas released in 2023, with it being created byCommon Side Effectscreator Joseph Bennett and his co-creator, Charles Huettner. Despite receiving positive critical responses, Max canceledScavengers Reignafter the end of its first season, putting an early end to the series.
Common Side Effects Season 2 Renewed By Adult Swim Before Season 1 Finale Airs
The Adult Swim animated series Common Side Effects is renewed for season 2 shortly before the conclusion of season 1, which kicked off in February.
Scavengers Reignis a sci-fi series that tells the story of the survivors of a cargo ship that is crashed on a distant alien planet. While on the planet Vesta, the survivors must figure out how to live among the alien flora and fauna while also attempting to find their way back home. The show’s beautiful animation and unique sci-fi world are just some of what makesScavengers Reignso great, with it being a great pick for fans of Joseph Bennett’s newest series,Common Side Effects.
