Look, this is a hard pass for family viewing, full stop. The 17+ rating isn't a suggestion—it's a requirement.

That said, for older teens and adults who are into mythology, anime, and darker storytelling, Onyx Equinox offers something genuinely different. Mesoamerican cultures get shockingly little representation in Western animation, and when they do, it's usually sanitized (looking at you, The Road to El Dorado). This show appears to lean into the authentic brutality of Aztec mythology, which means human sacrifice, blood, and intense violence.

The educational value is real if you can handle the mature content. The IMDb 7.0 suggests it's competently made, and the premise of a reluctant hero learning to care about humanity has potential. But this is niche—Crunchyroll exclusive, limited buzz, and definitely not something that's going to have broad appeal.

If you've got a 17-year-old who's into Attack on Titan or Castlevania and wants to explore different mythologies, this could be interesting. For everyone else? Skip it. There are plenty of other ways to learn about Aztec culture that won't give you nightmares.