Neon Genesis Evangelion

I am baffled by the people saying this show is 18+. This series is about the fear of growing up, the stress of being a teenager with responsibilities, and the loneliness experienced by all people at some point in their life. It is absolutely a must-watch for both teenagers and adults alike. Yes, it deals with heavy topics such as depression, the nature of humanity, and individuality, but it handles these topics masterfully and does a great job of showing what it's like to struggle with depression and wanting to run away from your responsibilities, something many teens deal with. This is a show that makes you think, whether you want to or not, about God, your purpose on Earth, and belonging to a community/family. In the end, the main message that Evangelion teaches to our teens is that every one of us is worthy of the love of others because we are capable of loving them. It teaches them to love themselves and that they can trust others and be open with them without worrying about being hurt. I would recommend this show to anyone capable of understanding complex themes and who is mature enough to handle violence and mild sexual content. 14 and up seems like a perfectly fine age to me, and I would maybe even say a mature 13-year-old would be OK watching it.

This series is straight heat, but there's a considerable amount of violence and gore. (All monster gore though, the human characters pretty much stay unharmed until the end). There's a number of times when sex is either referenced or insinuated to be occurring offscreen. One of the main characters is openly and alcoholic, and can often be seen ignoring trauma through sex and alcohol. There's absolutely no drugs nor swearing in the series, so there's a plus in regards to family friendliness. Overall, it's a pretty typical seinen anime, I think a lot of the questionable actions done by the characters are important to the series and its general message.