The world of Japanese anime is broad and rich, featuring shows for any demographic out there. This industry has hard sci-fi shows for fans of Star Trek, for example, or hilarious comedy series for any viewer who wants a laugh. Plenty of anime series are fun for the whole family, such as My Hero Academia or Komi Can't Communicate.
Other anime series, though, are simply not suitable for younger viewers. Certain series have too much R-rated material for youngsters, such as graphic violence, strong language, use of drugs/alcohol, or even sexual content, so it's best to keep the kids away when watching those series. Other anime shows might be too complex for younger viewers to comprehend or enjoy.
Update on May 20th, 2023, by Louis Kemner: by now, anime fans are familiar with even more top-rated series that are excellent entertainment for adults, but not so much for kids. For every innocent anime like Doraemon or Pokemon, there's a violent, bloody, or dark anime that young viewers shouldn't tune in to. These anime series have older, more sophisticated, and emotionally mature viewers in mind, delivering complex and sometimes graphic storylines that feel pretty PG-13 or R-rated at times.
20 Berserk
It's true that the 1997 Berserk anime tones down the original Berserk manga's notoriously brutal content, but even so, it's not a good idea to let grade-school kids watch Berserk. This is a seinen dark fantasy anime following the Black Swordsman, Guts, and his perilous adventures across the Midland Kingdom.
Guts will experience many graphic and nightmarish events in this anime, from slashing people and Apostles apart to witnessing the violation of the innocent Casca at the hands of Griffith during the traumatic Eclipse event. Even at a PG-13 level, Berserk is too hardcore for young viewers.
19 Ghost In The Shell: Standalone Complex
The famed sci-fi anime series Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex is a real treat for sci-fi fans, but it might not be so ideal for kids to watch. This anime dives into deep, complex themes that might bewilder or bore younger viewers, and there's not much comedy for kids to enjoy, either.
Instead, Ghost in the Shell is all about the consequences of advanced technology and transhumanism, and there will be plenty of violence along the way. More than a few unsettling scenes depict realistic androids or cyborgs getting torn apart or malfunctioning.
18 Vinland Saga
Some seinen fans might consider Vinland Saga Berserk-lite, given its slightly more linear plot, less graphic violence, and lack of nightmarish monsters. Still, it's an excellent series that will appeal to older anime fans, not kids who want something cool to watch after school.
Vikings may be popular in media, but not all Viking stories are like How to Train Your Dragon. Instead, Vinland Saga is a dark, incredibly bloody story of revenge, and there are more than a few complex themes that will fascinate older viewers while boring or confusing younger ones. Kids aren't ready for this one.
17 Fairy Tail
Hiro Mashima's Fairy Tail is an odd case when it comes to parents deciding which anime their kids should watch. On the one hand, Fairy Tail seems similar to Naruto and My Hero Academia, which are both fine for kids. Still, there's no getting around Fairy Tail's ludicrously excessive fan service, often involving full nudity.
Older viewers might not mind, but parents might be bothered by how often the male and female characters alike in Fairy Tail end up in their underwear or totally nude. Likewise, the camera often takes care to zoom in on cleavage or characters' posteriors.
16 My Dress-Up Darling
The romantic seinen anime series My Dress-Up Darling features more tasteful and purposeful fan service than other anime, but cautious parents still won't want their kids tuning in to this charming rom-com series. It's the story of the wholesome dandere Wakana Gojo and his genki girlfriend Marin, who want to make cosplay together.
For the most part, My Dress-Up Darling is tame, but it also has some serious fan service where Marin is concerned. A scene later in the series is especially R-rated, with Wakana and Marin in a suggestive pose together while Marin shows a lot of skin. The scene also involves a noisy lovemaking session in the room next door.
15 Attack On Titan
Attack on Titan may be shonen like Naruto and MHA, but it's a whole different animal. The notorious Attack on Titan is a great watch, but it also has complex, graphic, and downright horrific scenes that are pretty R-rated throughout the show. Some scenes are nightmare fuel or border on torture porn.
Attack on Titan explores complex and sometimes sensitive real-life historical and political topics that may confuse or bore kids, and the series' brutal violence may be too much for them. Getting shot or stabbed is just the start; characters are often tortured, dismembered, eaten alive, or crushed into a pulp.
14 Elfen Lied
The short and infamous anime Elfen Lied is based on author Lynn Okamoto's lengthier manga series of the same name. It stars a horned girl named Lucy/Nyu, a Diclonius who always feels horribly alienated by human society. She soon found validation by killing anyone who displeased her, internalizing her suffering in the worst way possible.
Elfen Lied may have a charming, colorful female lead and some humorous moments, but make no mistake, this is an R-rated story, either in manga or anime form. Dismemberment and getting shot/stabbed are common in Elfen Lied, and the story explores dark, tragic themes that kids might not find so compelling.
13 Grand Blue Dreaming
The lighthearted seinen series Grand Blue Dreaming proves that seinen isn't always dark and gritty, but it's still not the ideal show for a young anime fan. To begin with, the main characters are college students, a demographic that a 10-year-old watching Saturday morning cartoons can't identify with at all.
What is more, Grand Blue Dreaming's manga and anime focus on beer-soaked, rowdy party antics that are more akin to American Pie than anything, and that's not what kids should be seeing. This anime's idea of a good time is showing brawny dudes getting blackout drunk while ripping off all their clothes and cheering each other on.
12 Tokyo Ghoul
Tokyo Ghoul starts off on a grim and violent note, and it only gets darker from there. In this seinen action story, the book-loving Ken Kaneki gets mauled by a ghoul named Rize, only to have her organs transplanted into him, meaning he is now a half-ghoul who hungers for human flesh. But he won't succumb to his newfound hunger.
Instead, Ken strives to reconcile humans and ghouls, and he will fight for the sake of peace. That's noble, but it won't stop Ken's adventure from being a bloody, graphic, and nightmarish affair that parents probably shouldn't let their kids see just yet. The same is true for Tokyo Ghoul:re, the sequel series.
11 BTOOOM!
The short anime BTOOOM! is one of many battle royale anime series out there, and like most battle royales, it's an intense and bloody affair. This anime's main characters are not relatable for young viewers on any level, and there are no cute characters or comedy relief scenes for young viewers to enjoy.
On top of that, BTOOOM! features some intense moments of peril and violence that might be too much for kids. It also features a scene of attempted sexual assault that's inappropriate for young viewers. It's not even handled particularly well, either, which might bother viewers of any age.
10 Chainsaw Man
Chainsaw Man is a brutal but fun subversion of shonen anime, including frequent character deaths, plenty of dark themes, and the fact that Denji and Power are total antiheroes who don't inspire anyone. Chainsaw Man is great for older fans who want to deconstruct shonen in thought-provoking ways, but kids might not like it.
Some of Chainsaw Man's deepest and most nuanced themes might be lost on younger viewers, and the blood and gore are excessive for kids, too. Chainsaw Man also features the use of tobacco and alcohol, plus some moderately sexual scenes, which isn't so great for young anime fans.
9 PSYCHO-PASS
PSYCHO-PASS is a grim cyberpunk anime that may appeal to fans of Ghost in the Shell and Blade Runner. This dystopian anime, true to its cyberpunk roots, is all about complex and worldly themes of authority, advanced technology, and what it truly means to be alive.
Seinen anime fans will love PSYCHO-PASS, though young anime fans should be left out. Most of this anime's heady themes and ideas would be lost on them, and several action scenes are too graphic and disturbing for young eyes.
8 Saga Of Tanya The Evil
Saga of Tanya the Evil is one of the darkest isekai anime series out there. Saga of Tanya the Evil features a ruthless businessman who got reborn as a young blonde girl named Tanya in a parallel universe, a protagonist few kids would actually like to watch.
Instead, older viewers may find Tanya's character intriguing as an ambitious but sinister antihero who fights purely for her own sake. This anime also has some stylish World War I action scenes with magic and steampunk tech, and it's a little too intense for kids to watch.
7 Platinum End
Death Note's creators made another hit with Bakuman, but the Platinum End franchise was a major stumble. Platinum End had some decent ideas, but the anime felt messy, awkward, and clumsy with its execution, including taking certain heavy topics too lightly or even treating them as a gag.
Platinum End's controversial material, combined with its heady topics of godhood and the meaning of life, will likely bore kids, and possibly older viewers, too. Any diehard fans of Death Note or battle royale anime might like Platinum End, but most anime fans, most of all children, are best off skipping the whole thing.
6 Tokyo Revengers
Thematically, Tokyo Revengers is actually kid-friendly since it has positive messages such as belief in oneself, the power of friendship, and standing up to bullies. However, some parents may be concerned that Tokyo Revengers' material glamorizes gang life or delinquent lifestyles.
Also, Tokyo Revengers is shockingly brutal, especially for shonen. The main characters get into many violent fistfights, with bruises, bleeding, and screams of pain everywhere. The action also lacks magic or fantasy, making the realistic combat all the more painful to watch for younger viewers.
5 Monster
Monster is a well-regarded seinen anime series based on author Naoki Urasawa's manga of the same name. Monster tells the tale of Dr. Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon working in West Germany in the mid to late 20th century. During his time there, he saves a boy named Johan Liebert at the cost of another older patient's life.
The young Johan and his twin sister flee the hospital and seemingly kill a few staff members, and nine years later, Dr. Tenma must face the consequences. He's the one who saved this human monster, and he might come to regret saving Johan's life.
4 Death Note
Death Note is a famous supernatural crime thriller anime that's fine for teenage anime fans and older, but children may find the emphasis on dialogue and psychological intrigue unengaging and struggle to follow it. They also might not be ready for the anime's many death scenes and moments of psychological distress.
Death Note tells the tale of the genius Light Yagami, who uses the Death Note to rid the world of criminals and create a new world order. Light thinks he's a savior, but while battling his nemesis L, Light will tragically become the very monster he swore to destroy, and not even realize it.
3 Kakegurui
Kakegrui may not have strong language, graphic violence, or use of drugs/alcohol, but it does glorify gambling, which might concern some parents. Also, Kakegurui focuses on complex gambling strategies and psychological warfare, which may confuse or bore younger viewers.
In Kakegurui, the wealthy students of Hyakkou Academy learn to bet it all in high-stakes games of chance, all to learn how to evaluate risks and read or even manipulate other people. Protagonist Yumeko Jabami is a gambler like no other, a hedonistic girl who gambles for the sheer thrill of it - not for wealth or fame.
2 Junji Ito Collection
Many manga and anime fans agree that Junji Ito's horror manga stories work better on paper than on the small screen. However, dedicated fans might still enjoy the Junji Ito Collection anime anthology. However, the viewer's young kids should sit it out.
The Junji Ito Collection anime features some of Mr. Ito's most gruesome, bizarre, eerie, and sometimes thought-provoking stories of monsters, dread, gore, and more. These aren't just slasher stories, though - these horror stories often double as sharp critiques of modern Japanese society in many ways.
1 Happy Sugar Life
Happy Sugar Life seems too innocent to be true, and it is because this is a horror anime, not a carefree slice-of-life anime. Happy Sugar Life stars the yandere protagonist Sato Matsuzaka, a troubled teenage girl who kidnaps a much younger girl as her new foster sister and lover.
Sato and little Shio want to live in their own happy little world, but Shio's older brother and other characters are suspicious and want to take Shio back at any cost. That means Sato will resort to anything, even violence, and psychological warfare, to protect the happy little castle she built for herself and the kidnapped Shio.