Death Note
Death Note is a dark psychological anime thriller in which a high-school student discovers a supernatural notebook that kills anyone whose name is written in it, and proceeds to murder thousands of criminals in pursuit of a crime-free utopia. This report covers the full 37-episode series, which carries sustained moral darkness, frequent on-screen death, intense psychological manipulation, and some violence and mild sexual content throughout.
Thoughtful teens roughly 15 and up who enjoy morally complex storytelling and can handle a story where the protagonist is an unambiguous killer.
Episodes to know about
Ryuk the shinigami makes his first full appearance; his grotesque, inhuman design is established here and persists for the entire series.
An early scene shows bikers attempting to assault a woman, who is rescued before anything happens; sets the tone for criminal threat content woven through the series.
A man is struck by a truck; the aftermath shows blood. The supernatural killings via heart attack also begin here and recur across the entire series.