All kids out of the pool.

This is the opening theme song for the anime version of 'Death Note' that's airing on Adult Swim now.  

The full version of the song is here if you're into screaming and loud noises.  

I used to work in a video store right about the time anime was starting to get noticed and it always amazed me when parents would pick up something like Akira or Ninja Scroll with the intention of buying it for their kids, thinking it must be fine because it was a cartoon, even if the cover/back of the box did note the nudity and graphic violence contained therein.  Hell, my stepfather bought me Legend of the Overfiend when I was only 14.  (If you've never seen LotO, two words:  Tentacle rape.)  I wonder if that still goes on?  I mean something called 'Death Note' is bound to raise at least a couple of eyebrows, but even 'Naruto' and 'BLEACH' aren't really what you'd call tame and they seem to bring the youngin's running.  

My guess though is that for the most part (there'll always be exceptions), we've pretty much seen the last generation of kids who are going to get away with seeing naughty bits and exploding heads just because they happen to animated.  The people my age who are having children grew up with 'Batman: The Animated Series,' 'Ren & Stimpy,' 'Beavis & Butthead' and 'Aeon Flux.'  We've learned that animation isn't just for the 12 and under crowd anymore; it can be just as powerful a storytelling medium as regular film or television, and it can also be filled with nipples, fart jokes and shit blowing up.

But don't worry, youth of tomorrow.  You'll still have the internet to fulfill your desire for all the illicit forbidden things you're not supposed to know about yet.  Just think, in another twenty years you'll be able to tell your own kids how people used to think '2 Girls 1 Cup' was shocking.  Progress is awesome like that.  Sort of.