If your kids are talking about cosplay and watching shows with names such as "Bleach,"

"Naruto" and "Peach Girl," you're not alone. Anime is one of the most popular forms of
television entertainment for children and the craze gets stronger every day. But as a parent, you
might be wondering if anime is appropriate for your kids to watch.

Well, the answer is quite simple: not all anime is for children.

However, anime is the Japanese equivalent of cartoons so if your kids are catching their favorite
anime shows on stations like Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, chances are they're probably
fine. That said, you should be aware that not all anime is meant for young eyes to see. Unlike
American cartoons, anime has a really wide following with fans ranging in ages from 6 to 96.
This has brought about the creation of many series and films for audiences of all ages, including
some releases marked for "mature audiences only." 

How To Tell Which Anime Is Okay for Kids 

If you're cringing at the idea of your kids watching anime right about now, take heart - not all
anime shows are full of nudity and violence. Quite the contrary, there's plenty of really good
anime out there that's appropriate, no matter what age your child might be.

To make sure that your kids are only seeing the stuff you want them to see, the best advice is to
watch a few episodes with them — most of the stuff you'll see during the daytime and early
evening hours has been edited with the younger ones in mind.

In addition, many of the American anime companies have edited the shows to make them more
appropriate for American audiences, omitting sexually explicit and graphically violent content.

Some good ones to try include "Case Closed," "Avatar: The Last Air Bender," "Pokemon," "Card
Captor Sakura," "Tenchi Muyo," "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and the films of Studio Ghibli like "Spirited
Away." In addition, "Naruto," "Full Metal Alchemist," "Dragonball Z" and "Yu-Yu-Hakusho"
are fine for the older kids, say 12 and up.

Luckily, anime shows have age ratings just like all of your movies and DVD's so it's easy to
figure out what kind of show you'll be watching. Keep in mind, however, that there are some
cultural differences between America and Japan that come through in anime shows — namely
sexual content and the occasional death of a "good guy."

Cultural Differences

Not all animes have happy endings. In fact, sometimes characters die and sometimes the bad guy
wins. Japanese culture doesn't shy away from death and this is often evident in anime shows.
However, this does help children understand the context of death and loss in a tangible, friendly
way. Just make sure the show your child is watching doesn't involve too much graphic violence
or have a rating that's too mature for his or her age.
Similarly, the Japanese view war and violence in a different way. In fact, one of the most popular
anime genres is action and adventure, many examples of which fall into the category of "battle
anime." This kind of anime features a considerable amount of fighting — usually with a martial
arts slant — and sometimes the characters can end up looking quite bloody and bruised. They
eventually recover, usually, but you may want to check the plot synopsis if your child is getting
into a long-running battle anime.

Also, unlike American culture where nudity and suggestive content automatically gets a mature
rating, the Japanese are more relaxed about this subject matter and you may see some nudity or
implied nudity in shows with a PG rating. You also might notice that many of the female
characters in the show tend to have somewhat exaggerated features and many skip around in
semi-sexy outfits. Again, much of this will depend upon the rating but just know that a girl in a
short sailor outfit doesn't mean the series is suggestive. Quite the contrary, "Sailor Moon" is
probably one of the best examples of a kid-friendly anime show and all the main characters wore
sailor suits. Why? It was their school uniform.

The Verdict

But what about morals, values and all that good stuff? Actually, the majority of anime shows out
there do tend to have an underlying "be good" message.

Not all anime is suited for children, but many of the ones — especially those created for kids —
teach valuable moral lessons. In fact, you'll find that many shows deal with universal issues such
as bullying, feeling isolated and the all-important believing in yourself.

The important thing to note is that anime, as opposed to American cartoons, give your child the
opportunity to see the world from a different culture's perspective. Many adults now who grew
up in the 1990s were raised on shows like "Pokemon" and "Yu-Gi-Oh!" which taught important
lessons about friendship and honesty, loyalty and trust as well as dealing with adversity in
positive ways. 

 Anime is Original

Anime is always considered "weird" by many people who personify the Japanese. It is
true that Japan's culture is said to be "different", but does that mean the content they
produce is bad? Actually, no the content is not bad; it is great.

Anime is defined as: "A style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed
at adults as well as children". The content produced in the style Anime has more creative
and original ideas, compared to most cartoons nowadays. Japan can be weird at times, but
that is what makes it original; and is not always the same style. Anime can have very
powerful story arch's, that both adults can children can enjoy together.
 Famous Anime movies, licensed by Disney, include: Spirited Away, Kiki's Delivery
Service, and Ponyo. Are they weird? They are and are not, but the story made from the
company delivers a more unique experience to the viewer. Even though Anime can be
said as "weird", it develops more original ideas, and produces a more "unique"
experience from characters to the environment.

Posted by: SnaxAttack

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 I like anime

Not all anime has the same plot lines. The anime geared towards boys on cartoon network
does, but the same can be said of any cartoons on children's TV channels.

There are plenty of good anime out there that isn't stereotypical: Cowboy Bebop, Samurai
Champloo, Azumanga Daioh, etc... I've personally outgrown all but Miyizaki's stuff, but
it was a big part of my childhood. It would be a shame to write something off completely
simply because you outgrew it.

Posted by: Sharku

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1
 0

 There's better out there

I've seen some anime at friends' houses and it's certainly not bad, there is much better
stuff out there though. When I was a kid I always preferred adults shows over kids shows.
Of course I did watch Spongebob and stuff like that, but I also watched Criminal Minds
an LOST when I was 8 or 9 and I loved it. Since then I've seen lots of TV shows and
compared to some of the shows I've seen like Breaking Bad, Dexter, LOST, Heroes,
Prison Break, and other shows, anime just isn't that good. I can see why some people
could like it, but I've just seen a lot more better and intriguing story lines from other
shows than anime can offer.

Posted by: rphk123

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 How do you reply yes or no to a noun?

No! Anime is retarded. It's some punk little kid who has issues, so they give them super
powers to fight adults and the system and save the world but still in the pre-pubesent
nature cannot figure out how to deal with a hot chic.

Anime clihches are so bad, if you wee given a script of an anime I could point to any
paragraph and you can repeat that for like 90 different amines.

Lets go over your boring plot line of an anime:

Little punk kid gets angry with the world, things are looking bad, he can't get girls, bigger
kids make fun of him, the kid is miserable.
 Now he stumbles across a super awesome power! Now he is cool and everyone starts to
respect him, he wins a few battles to learn his abilities, but then the super bad guy comes
and kicks his ass. Oh no back to training for him! Now he focuses his powers becomes
stronger and eventually fights the super bad guy again!

Oh the suspense!!! Now he is ALMOST killed by the big bad guy but the kid remembers
he is the only hope for the world, now he calls upon his inner strength and comes back
and wins the fight YAY!!!

I’m an extremely sensitive person. I mean so sensitive that cry when I read the newspaper. It’s awful. So
I struggle to understand why I started watching anime. You may wonder why anime is any different than
regular TV. Well, I’m here to tell you why. Get ready to get hooked.

“Anime” is defined as a style of Japanese film and television animation, typically aimed at adults as well
as children. But anime is so much more than a tasteless dictionary definition. Anime is an obsession, an
art, a lifestyle. And it’s addicting. Once one starts watching anime, it is impossible to stop: it becomes a
huge part of one’s lifestyle. Computer programmer Ken Innes sums it up perfectly: he accurately
describes anime as full of “expansive stories […] wonderful animation and multidimensional characters.”
It is true that anime’s aesthetic appeal is unrivaled. But so is anime’s plot. All animes have a certain
focus or “genre” that composes the main part of their storyline. But you will hardly ever find an action
anime without romance, or a dramatic anime without humor. Animes are amazing in the sense that they
are able to seamlessly blend several different topics and genres into one cohesive narrative. And that
isn’t all. Anime characters generally are more complex than characters in American TV shows or movies.
They have backgrounds, faults, and also triumphs. One finds themselves falling in love with anime’s
protagonists, and passionately despising the antagonists. That is why anime deaths are such a big deal. I
have read blogs of anime addicts who describe staying in bed for days following the death of a favorite
anime character. One may thing that’s a touch extreme, but you have to be a devoted anime fan to
understand. When watching an anime, you experience the same emotions as each character, and when
they or their friends die, you are crushed. It’s almost like the death of a real person: nothing else in the
world matters when they or an anime character dies. These three pillars of a visual story-- the picture,
the plot and the characters—make anime so interesting and addicting.

Anime is not only TV: it is a devotion that consumes one’s entire life, and in the best way possible. With
beautiful animation, complex plot, and dynamic characters, this Japanese art form is unrivaled by any of
its Western counterparts. I encourage everyone to watch at least one anime, and watch it change your
life.
Official definition of nerd: an unstylish, unattractive, or socially inept person; especially, one
slavishly devoted to intellectual or academic pursuits. The first things that show up when you
search up “nerd” are computers, and pictures of people with glasses and collared shirts. When
you add anime fans to the mix, you get introverts with a fanatic obsession with cartoons meant
for children. Honestly, what exactly makes an anime fan automatically classified as a nerd?

It’s wrong to stereotype people based on what they like and what they look like. Would you have
guessed and called these people “nerds” because they are fans of anime? Zac Efron, the
heartthrob Troy Bolton in the famed Disney movies High School Musical. He’s a fan of the
popular anime Bleach and the mystery/supernatural psychological thriller anime, Death Note.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is also a fan, and according to Latino Review, he is looking to produce
a live-action, Hollywood adaptation of the anime, Robotech.

In Japan, voice actors tend to be treated like celebrities. Now, many Hollywood stars also
graciously take on roles of dubbed anime characters, such as Bryan Cranston. He’s known as
Walter White in Breaking Bad. Bryan has voiced dozens of characters, and isn’t the only one.
Actress, Anne Hathaway who has portrayed Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, and Fantine in
Les Miserables has also voiced anime characters. Anime is a big part of the present Japanese
culture, and calling a form of culture and linking fans of such as “nerds” in that sense, is
detrimental to many fans’ self-confidence. People should get to be proud of what they like and
shouldn’t have to be afraid to be judged and called names.