Parents' Guide to Charlotte

TV Netflix , Hulu , Crunchyroll Anime 2015
Charlotte TV poster: Yuu, Nao, Jōjirō, and Yusa stand in the student council office. They pose and look at the camera.

Common Sense Media Review

By Danae Stahlnecker , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Moderate violence, language in gripping drama about grief.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Charlotte: Yuu and Nao sit outside at night talking.
  • Charlotte: Nao shows someone off-screen a picture of a girl in her underwear. She looks stern. Yuu stands behind her with a dead-pan face.
  • Charlotte: Nao and Misa snarl at each other. They lean in over a table, trying to intimidate each other.
  • Charlotte: In a dark room, Yuu attacks someone. His eyes shine with malice.
  • Charlotte: Misa raises her hand to attack with magic. Her hand glows orange with fiery light.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 1 parent review

 

 

See all 1 parent review
age 13+

Based on 2 kid reviews

 

 

See all 2 kid reviews

What's the Story?

CHARLOTTE follows Yuu Otosaka (voiced by Ray Chase), a high school student with the power to briefly possess other people. When Yuu is recruited by the student council at a school for students like him, he starts to learn the truth behind his and his peers' special abilities.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 2 ):

This gripping alternate reality tackles deep themes in an accessible, age-appropriate way. Charlotte shows how violence, extortion, power, and grief affect people—especially teens. The show pairs super powers with puberty, emphasizing the struggles of growing up and finding one's place in the world. The characters are a bit cliché, but they are largely likable and relatable.

Charlotte isn't particularly original, and it doesn't go too deep into complex themes. Other shows probably "do it better" overall. But it's worth the watch, and it still gives families plenty to talk about.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • The student council sometimes uses violence to get what they need. How does this affect them later on? What other methods could they have used?

  • How do loss and grief affect characters? What do they need in order to move forward? How can you help someone who is grieving?

  • What character(s) do you relate to or admire? What can you learn from them?

TV Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by

Charlotte TV poster: Yuu, Nao, Jōjirō, and Yusa stand in the student council office. They pose and look at the camera.

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