As part of the dark trio of shounen anime, Hell's Paradise is a violent work. But what is Hell's Paradise's age rating? Here's a guide for parents.
It is known that the Hell's Paradise manga features aestheticized body horror which can be a bit shocking. So, is it age-appropriate, and for whom?
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Is Hell's Paradise Appropriate for Kids?
Hell's Paradise is a very aesthetically pleasing anime and manga, but its focus on body horror means it isn't appropriate for young children.
Even without counting the supernatural horrors, Hell's Paradise is also a historical anime set in the Edo period.
As the first episode informs us, there was a wide range of punishments for convicts back then, many of them brutal.
Gabimaru's proposed fates include being boiled to death, decapitation, and being burned to death, to name a few.
The show's historical lesson mostly ends there, but what comes next is even more brutal.
Gabimaru and many other convicts get the option of traveling to an island filled with eldrich horrors to find the Elixir of Life for the shogun in exchange for a pardon.
Soon, we get to see just what happened to others who came back from the island -- and it's grotesque (if beautifully grotesque, according to Jigokuraku's many fans).
But before the convicts venture more deeply into this flowery hell, their numbers have to be reduced, so they're ordered to kill each other, making for one of the goriest anime scenes.
And all that happens before we even see the actual horrors that hide on the island.
Hell's Paradise is arguably more gory than other adventure anime.
Although the manga can be found on VIZ, a manga site largely aimed at teenage audiences, it is probably only appropriate for older teenagers and definitely not aimed at children.
What Is Hell's Paradise's Age Rating?
MyAnimeList rates Hell's Paradise: Jigokuraku as R-17+ due to its violence and profanity.
However, MAL doesn't use the R+ or 18+ rating that is reserved for works with mild nudity and/or mild sexual content.
This means that violence is the main concern, while Jigokuraku doesn't actively engage with sexual themes.
Ratings elsewhere will vary depending on how strict different countries are about works that might reach minors.
Most rating systems flag Hell's Paradise as only suitable for audiences that are at least 16 years old.
All countries that have rated the anime on IMDb so far give it a 16+ to 18+ verdict.
If you still have questions, let's break down the content of the horror anime a little bit more:
Is Hell's Paradise Age Appropriate?
Hell's Paradise is not appropriate for very young readers and viewers.
The fantasy and adventure elements of the show are very appealing to fans of these genres but despite the shounen categorization, Jigokuraku is more violent than the average kids' anime.
Due to that, it's good to be aware of the following if you're deciding whether the show is ok for a child to watch:
Violence
Violence is the main concern for those wondering whether Hell's Paradise is age-appropriate.
The main character, Gabimaru, is a notorious ninja, responsible for many deaths.
Many of the other main characters are also criminals, while the rest belong to a clan of executioners.
Therefore, brutal killings often happen on-screen, or else they're alluded to in detail.
Body Horror
Some of Hell's Paradise's horror has supernatural causes rather than the aforementioned brutality. Several characters merge with flower-like abominations.
The anime also features enormous monsters that are flower and insect hybrids. This makes for some pretty intense and scary scenes.
Sexual Content
Sex and nudity are occasionally shown in the Hell's Paradise manga. It remains to be seen if the anime will follow.
It should be noted that the nudity of the characters -- including female characters -- isn't ridiculed or used for fan service but it is there every now and then.
Drugs, Alcohol, and Smoking
Given that the characters spend most of the story surviving on a remote island, there are few chances for substance abuse in Hell's Paradise.
Profanity
There's a fair amount of swearing in the manga and anime, given that many characters are involved in violent situations and come from rough backgrounds, such as bandit groups.
Not as shocking as the violence, but there is some inappropriate language to be aware of.
From the above, it can be concluded that Jigokuraku is not age appropriate for very young audiences.
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Are There Sex Scenes in Hell's Paradise?
So far, the Hell's Paradise anime adaptation hasn't depicted sex scenes.
There has been an occasion in which a female convict attempts to seduce a male character.
This ends with the woman's death when she attempts to kill an Asaemon.
Yuzuriha, a female ninja also known as kunoichi, also attempts to seduce male characters.
This doesn't go too far, nor is it Yuzuriha's only personality trait.
But the fact that -- other than Sagiri -- the other adult female characters are scantily dressed and use seduction to get what they want, means that there's a troubling trope to be aware of here.
The anime does discuss gender when it shows the reluctance of Sagiri's male superiors to accept her as a samurai.
Another scene that implies nudity is the one in which Yamada Asaemon Tenza and Nurugai -- a 12-year-old girl -- wash off blood after fighting monsters.
Unfortunately, we can think of many anime that would sexualize such a scene. However, Hell's Paradise thankfully averts that.
Nurugai seems to have developed an innocent crush on Tenza, who is 17, and suggests that they get married.
Many anime would treat this horribly but Tenza is uncomfortable and makes it clear that this is impossible.
The anime avoids fan service during other bath scenes as well as during sex scenes among the antagonists.
The sexual content serves a purpose in the plot and is normally not portrayed in an exploitative way.
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