Parents' Guide to

Paranoia Agent

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Dark humor + bloody visuals = not for young teens.

TV Cartoon Network Science Fiction 2005
Paranoia Agent Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 4 parent reviews

misterguy
misterguy Adult
November 30, 2022
age 18+

Literal child rape scenes

The spooky/mystery elements are fine, but I'm absolutely flabbergasted that the show is listed as having no sex scenes when one character is literally a serial child rapist, and one of his crimes is show, tying up parents and then rapist their child, cutting away at the last second. It needs extreme trigger warnings or something of the like. DO NOT SHOW TO CHILDREN

This title has:

Too much sex
shiro K.
shiro K. Adult
December 7, 2016
age 18+

Not a show for kids

this anime is definitely not for children at least under 18. there is alot of sexual content in many of the episodes, for instance in the first episode. in contrast to the sexuality to the anime, it is indeed very sadistic and disturbing with lots of psychological themes that'll disturb little children and even some teens. mature audiences however should be O.K watching this... HOWEVER, the violence to this anime is so much to the point where i cant even list the episodes. in fact every episode of this anime has moderate inappropriate language and gore-like themes. PLEASE don't show this anime to your children...its for the better.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Each episode of PARANOIA AGENT features colorful characters who are facing both internal and external challenges. A common thread throughout the many tales is a serial killer named Lil' Slugger (known as \"Shonen Bat\" in Japanese and voiced by Jamie Gallardo in the English dub); episodes frequently end with the murder of the main character featured in that particular story. Overall, the series is a very dark look at how humans suffer physically, emotionally, and psychologically from the reactions of others, as well as from their own thoughts.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (6):

Series creator Satoshi Kon has a huge following among adult anime fans, many of whom put Paranoia Agent high on their list of favorites. His adept use of visuals, dialogue, and plot to convey social commentary about people's everyday reactions to things like jobs, relationships, and internal battles often hits a nerve with grown-up viewers. But if your kid, tween, or young teen is an anime fan, this violent psychological drama isn't for them (it runs as part of Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim lineup for a reason). And since the storylines frequently move in and out of reality, even adult viewers may have a hard time distinguishing what's real and what's a dream, leaving the uninitiated with lots of unanswered questions.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the history of anime. How does it differ visually from traditional Western animation? What else distinguishes it as a genre? Also, what social commentary is the series making about people's reactions to everyday stress? Though it's very exaggerated on the show, how does this commentary relate to our everyday lives?

TV Details

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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 suggesting a diversity update.

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