Kids anime like Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh! was the first kind of anime I watched and my gateway into becoming the major fan that I am today. Many of us share a similar story in that watching dubbed kids anime on TV when we were younger was what began our anime fandom. But as we’ve grown older and discovered more “adult” anime, the appeal of the kids anime we used to love has faded for most of us. For me however, I’m still very much a fan of kids anime…
Anime categorized as a family/kids series can range from the relatively light, merchandise-spawning adventure series with bloodless violence such as Bakugan and Beyblade, to the darker, more complex, and certainly more violent titles like Naruto and One Piece. Like regular anime, more kids anime is aimed at a male audience than female, but there are still enough anime for the little girls to go around, such as Jewel Pet and Precure. You can usually tell if an anime is considered a children/family series by the time slot it airs in Japan; most anime aimed at the mainstream Japanese audience airs during regular daytime hours, from early morning to the evening, while anime aimed at the older otaku audience typically airs during “dead time” in the middle of the night (anywhere from 11pm to 3am). Kids anime also tend to have simpler, more “cartoony” character designs than other anime and often the main protagonists are younger than high-school age.
And just to get this out of the way, Pokemon is one of the prime examples anime fans think of for a kids anime, but it’s not a good one. The reason is because, for roughly the past decade, due to Pokemon’s explosive international success, the anime creators have been making the series specifically with the international audience in mind rather than the Japanese audience like most other anime. As a result, many of the things seen in the old episodes of Pokemon from the late 90s, such Kojiro (James in the dub) cross-dressing, pokemon battles being more violent, and episodes featuring aspects of Japanese culture such as Children’s Day or summer festivals, have been absent from the anime for several years. They’ve even gone so far as to make all text in the series gibberish instead of Japanese writing so international distributors don’t have to edit it. While Pokemon definitely still has its similarities to other Japanese kids anime along the lines of Digimon and Bakugan, its unmatched success as an international franchise doesn’t make it the best example of one.
So, now that some background info is out of the way, let’s get back to the main point of the post – why do I still find kids anime appealing? Even though I’ve seen tons of other more mature anime aimed at my age group, why do I still tune in to episodes of Pokemon, Digimon, Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece? The answer is simply that, even though kids anime is aimed at kids, it’s really not for kids, especially considering what the American society I live in considers appropriate for kids cartoons.
Japanese society has much fewer limits about what’s inappropriate for kids to watch than American society. Showing characters getting stabbed with blood pouring out of them, the protagonists getting agonizing physical or mental torture from the villain, death, corruption, smoking, alcohol, foul language – it’s all very common in the mainstream shonen series categorized as family/kids entertainment in Japan. As anyone who’s seen subtitled episodes of Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece can attest, while they certainly have their slapstick comedic moments (like even regular anime do), there’s nothing sugar-coated in the violence and disturbing themes that these series portray. Similarly, anime for girls like Sailor Moon isn’t afraid to show blood and have a lesbian relationship, as is Cardcaptor Sakura with its ambiguous themes of yaoi and yuri. Even “boob jokes” are acceptable to a degree in kids anime – Folgore’s “Grope the Breast” song from the kids anime Konjiki no Gash Bell!! comes to mind as the most extreme example I can think of. Basically Japanese society believes in exposing kids to all the aspects of life, positive and negative, that they’ll eventually have to deal with while American society prefers to hide such things from kids until they’re older.
Putting this all together, I find the main reason kids anime is still appealing to me is because…it’s really not that much different from the regular otaku-aimed anime we know and love. Its genres are more limited and its episode lengths are often much longer, but that’s pretty much it. What’s the huge difference between Naruto and Code Geass or Darker Than Black for example? All three are not afraid to show violence, blood, and disturbing themes in all seriousness. And all three have complex fantasy settings, developed characters, intense action-packed scenes, and complicated plots and subplots. If you just skip the poor quality filler episodes in Naruto (which is easy to do) it just seems like a longer version of any regular action/fantasy anime to me. The extended length might even make it better in some ways as the characters, setting, and story can be fully fleshed out over many years of episodes.
And what about the much lighter kids anime that’s a lot more kid-friendly than the aforementioned titles, such as Digimon, Pokemon, and Chi’s Sweet Home for example? For something like Chi’s Sweet Home, I hardly see a difference between it and an otaku slice-of-life anime like K-ON other than where the moe cuteness and comedy comes from (a cute kitten in one, cute high school girls in another). Likewise, even a merchandise-centered kids anime like Digimon isn’t just a mindless distraction for kids. It deals with themes of death, family ties, and betrayal, and has a developed setting and characters (especially in its original three series). So again, I just don’t see a huge difference between Digimon and a regular adventure/sci-fi anime other than the former being a lighter and more kid-friendly version of one, which honestly is a relaxing break once in a while. It’s a nice change of pace to have characters that are a bit younger and stories that are simpler, but still takes itself seriously and is complex enough to hold my interest.
In conclusion, the reason I still love kids anime is because I consider most of them that aren’t shonen just less intense and more kid-friendly versions of whatever anime genre they’re from, providing a nice change from the otaku-pandering of other anime. As for shonen series, any given one can be just as violent and dark as your average otaku action series, just as a show like Pokemon and Digimon can be just as cute as a show about moe girls. Also, being a fan of anime and animation with interest in most genres, I like to see as many kinds of anime as I can derive enjoyment from. Kids anime is far from my favorite type of anime and only makes up a small percentage of the series I watch, but I always like to have a few to tune into to appease my inner child ^_^
Same here, instead of deep themes and plot devices, I just want simple story lines and characters I can root for, it’s all to appease that 12 year old who never grew up (not that I’m complaining :3) . Though it’s quite frustrating to explain why I still like “kids” anime still, and I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s not really “kids” anime, at least in the sense Americans have. Children’s anime would borderline the PG-13 mark in America in some cases (not that it means America is morally upright or anything of the like). But that’s exactly why I like it… :3
I agree, keeping an inner child is what keeps one young and always interested in life in my opinion =) And obviously to those of us used to American cartoons, even kids anime doesn’t seem close to the sugar-coated kids shows we’re used to.
Sometimes I laugh when I overhear people talking about how “graphic” and “violent” cartoons are these days (knowing they’re talking about American cartoons) and I want to chime in and say, “You haven’t seen anything…just check ***** out, it’s real hard core stuff, and it’s for kids :3 “
Ooh, good topic!
It might depend on the series in questions. I.E. I probably wouldn’t be into Marie & Gali. But I actually got into Heartcatch! Precure (I’m slightly ashamed) and now Princess Tutu.
Like you, I really wouldn’t say kids’ anime is my favorite demographic. But there are a lot of gems in there that manage to really make me happy. Most notably (and excluding shounen), CCS, Princess Tutu, and of course the original Pokemon.
Yeah, I’m not much interested in watching “extreme” family/kids anime like Sazae-san, Doraemon, or tournament/game anime like Beyblade. But stuff like shonen, magical girls, and battling monsters still appeal to me :3
I’ll have to give Princess Tutu a watch someday. I’ve heard good things about it since high school but never watched it.
My first anime was Sailor Moon. After I started to watch something with deeper story like Macross 7 and Gundam Wing, I stopped watching kids anime and even looked down upon them. Perhaps it was kind of self-denial thing, wanting to show off that I am more mature than other kids at the same age. However, after I entered my teen, for some reasons I started to pick up kids anime again, and now I must have at least one kids anime in my watching slot each season. I think it has something to do with wanting some sort of a hide-out from the complicated reality of becoming an adult and enter the real world. Another thing is that, for kids anime you don’t really have any expectation for it, so it’s possible to just enjoy whatever being delivered to you; even if it’s so bad that you cringe, you can still laugh for how lame the episode is. For me this is important because watching anime nowadays is seriously a test of patient; pretty picture for senseless plot, awesome setting for crappy story, good story for eye-sore visual–rarely you have any good anime that meet your expectation, leaving you frustrated all the time. That’s why watching kids anime is so refreshing…
Good points. Strangely, I don’t think I ever phased out of kids anime even when I discovered more mature anime. I guess I’ve always had that inner child in me and am just an all around fan of animation in general. While I tend to get frustrated with rather than laugh at kids anime when it gets too lame (like certain seasons of Digimon for instance), like you, I like to “relax” with it and get away from complex and “dark” anime once in a while.
You are never too old for anything.
Now excuse me while I go build a blanket fortress.
LOL, I think there are some things on a moral level that kids can get away with but adults shouldn’t because they know better, but when it comes to fun, harmless hobbies like anime you’re definitely never too old ^__^
Cute comic, by the way.
I’m not good with kids anime even when i was a kid. I hate kids anime that has young girls targeted as it’s audience. I remember watching some Sailor Moon and it made me rage. Having said that, I did watch Pokemon but quickly grew out of it. And that’s that.
I guess you like your anime more mature then? Nothing wrong with that. But you like Bleach, don’t you? While not targeted at very young kids, it’s a Shonen Jump series like One Piece and Naruto that’s targeted at young, adolescent boys. I’ve noticed that shonen is about as far into kids anime most fans will go. Stuff like Digimon and Precure is considered too childish to them.
I first watched Bleach when I was 24 and it was the budding romance between Rukia and Ichigo that made me a fan. But yeah you’re right. I can tolerate shounen ^_^
I remember loving Dragonball Z and Space Jam.
About a year ago, I watched some DBZ and decided that it was the stupidest piece of shit ever. What was I thinking liking such a shitty show?
A few months ago, I watched the CLASSIC film that is Space Jam, and decided that it too was a huge piece of TRASH. WHAT THE FUCK MY CHILDHOOD IS DESTROYED!!!!!
But yeah, I could watch a kids anime no prob.
I know the feeling. I got tired with all the stupidity of kids/shonen anime and not only can’t find anything worth watching past few seasons, but also came to think that what I enjoyed as a kid was a real shit (DBZ to name the biggest disappointment).
I probably would have gotten into the DBZ craze too if I had cable TV back then. So, having seen only a tiny big of the series years ago, I can’t comment on whether I agree it turned bad or not.
I used to love Space Jam too. Haven’t watched it since I was a kid so I don’t know what I’d think of it now. But if you’re an ex-Space Jam fan, I think you’ll find this video very amusing =)
I’m still good with anime targeted primarily at children, providing that those anime have some kind of level of sophistication. But that’s what I like about a lot of anime in the first place – I mean, looking at something like Cardcaptor Sakura, clearly it’s a children-orientated title, but there’s quite a bit of complexity there, especially when it comes to the characters and their relationships with each other. It’s a kids title, but adults could watch it without feeling like their intelligence is being insulted.
It’s funny that I’m reading this post now actually, because just last night a friend came round who had managed to get a hold of the whole series of Samurai Pizza Cats. The nostalgia was awesome for a start, but oh, the innuendo you completely miss out on when you’re a child…
Great point about CCS. Though CCS has the advantage as far as adult appeal because it’s CLAMP and they love inserting lots of romance innuendo and ambiguous homosexual relationships into all their work XD But that aside, yes, I never felt my intelligence was insulted when watching CCS and the developed characters and complex magical elements definitely made it feel like an “everyone” show rather than just a “kids” show.
Oh boy, I used to Samurai Pizza Cats too. The dub was on TV when I was in elementary school and I watched it all the time. I should watch it again sometime on YoutTube or something and see if I can catch this inneundo you’re talking about ;)
I have to agree with other posters that you are never really too old for anything. As long as you enjoy it, then you are not old for it. As you mentioned, as long as it has some depth to it, there is no problem.
But yeah, anime for kids is on a different level than cartoon for kids in out western world. I cannot stand the new cartoons that are targeted at kids these days. It does not seem to teach anything at all, and just relies on antics to try to appeal to the audience. Old cartoons used to have some message, and meaning to it, which is now lost. Anime still retains some of that, most of it values friendship and loyalty above many things. Action/reaction, etc. It’s probably cultural I guess, but they try to retain some balance.
Anyway, I can still enjoy kids anime. Sakura is a great example, I recently rewatched it, and enjoyed it very much. I recently watched Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, and it was also nice, and had some good messages in there. I’m watching Hunter x Hunter and I find it quite fun (it also has some good messages). So as long as you enjoy it, there is no real age limit for anime :)
Definitely agree with you about how crappy Western kids cartoons have become. I avoided talking about it in the post because it’s a long rant for another day XP But yeah, kids anime teaches values in a serious, narrative way with characters who seem like believable individuals rather than just cartoon characters. Western cartoons are just filled with crude comedy and static characters who maybe try and squeeze a lesson in amongst all the crazy slapsticks but it just gets lost that way.
But yeah, if you still find something to enjoy in kids shows as an adult, there’s nothing wrong with giving yourself that pleasure and watching it ;)
I do think there’s a difference. I also noticed it with the SJA spin-off from Doctor Who; it was telling the same sorts of stories, but because it was aimed purely at children, there was just — slightly less to it overall; just a little slower and simpler and not so free-ranging, and it did make a difference. (Still more mature than Torchwood, but that’s another story.)
So there are two things which I’d call “kids anime”* which I love: CCS and Erin, but even though they’re great, I can see how they could be even better (from my point of view) if they were aimed more at people like me, they could move more quickly and confidently with more freedom. They just happen to be so good anyway that the limitations aren’t much of a problem.
* Although defining “kids anime” isn’t necessarily easy. Someone upthread mentioned Princess Tutu. It would never occur to me that it was aimed at children. I wonder what Nadia’s intended audience demographics were. I’d call it “family”, bits for the kids, bits for the adults.
I understand what you mean by kids anime having limits purely because of its target audience. From my experience with the shonen trio however, I really don’t see much of any limitations. In Naruto for example, whole episodes could be spent on character backstories, delving into their deepest ideals and dark motives, and violence, hate, etc., never feels like it’s “lightened” just because the show is for kids. The only thing I could think of that’s kid-ish is random goofy moments of humor, but even otaku-aimed anime have plenty of that.
However, your point definitely holds true for non-shonen shows like Pokemon and CCS (as a long-time Pokemon fan, I’m forever frustrated that the franchise’s universe is overflowing with potentially great, mature stories if only it wasn’t limited by having to be internationally children-friendly). But for me, as long as the show isn’t afraid to at least seem like it’s trying to appeal to anyone rather than just kids, it won’t bother me if it doesn’t explicitly show violence or delve too deep into mature themes. Like K-ON and similar shows, I just take it as light entertainment =)
kids anime for me is a great way to escape all the adult anime i watch. Sometimes you just really need to sit down and watch something that is mindless fun that will make you forget about your worries.
Definitely, that’s the reason I’ll watch shows like Chi’s Sweet Home and Working!!. Some people think that the only anime worth watching are the complex, intellectual ones that stimulate your mind in some way. But I think anime can be just as good as a way to relax and soothe your soul as it is to be thought-provoking and artistically sophisticated.
I think the main reason why kids’ anime no longer appeals to me (and hasn’t for a long time) is mostly the dialogue – it’s usually too simple and often boring, even if the overarching themes of the anime itself are similar to a more ‘adult’ anime. Also, animation is a pretty important part of the experience and it’s often a little too… kiddy for my tastes. Still, I watch Naruto Shippuuden from time to time (mostly for the awesome characters and the battles) so I guess I can’t talk, lol.
Kids’ anime aside though, I do worry that at some point in my life I’ll be ‘too old’ to watch anime at all. If I’m 40, will I still be watching anime? What about when I’m retired and have loads of free time on my hands? Perhaps when I reach those ages it won’t be such a weird concept to have a middle-aged woman who watches mostly ‘cartoons’ in her spare time, but for now I wonder what will happen. It would be pretty sad if I totally lost interest in anime one day.
I was going to mention Naruto when you were saying that kids anime doesn’t have interesting dialogue, but then you said that’s the one you are watching ;) Yeah, Naruto/Shippuuden is definitely one of the most “mature” kids anime I’ve seen. I can also recommend Cardcaptor Sakura and Kemono no Souja Erin if you haven’t watched those. While I wouldn’t say the dialogue is thought-provoking, they’re both great, universally-appealing series respected by fans who aren’t necessarily into kids anime. And as for kids anime that has stellar animation, have you seen any of Studio Ghibli’s movies?
Your second paragraph reminds me of a post I wrote a while back about whether I’ll be watching anime in my golden years or not. I’d love to spend the last years of my life in a relaxed retirement rewatching all my favorite anime series XD
I wouldn’t really classify Ghibli movies as ‘kids’ anime’ though, even if they often have child protagonists. Perhaps some of the simpler ones like Totoro could be, but I know that I wouldn’t really fully understand Princess Mononoke or Howl’s Moving Castle if I was 8 years old or whatever. Perhaps our views on what kids’ anime is is quite different. ;)
I’m not sure but I think Ghibli might have some of its movies targeted at younger kids (Totoro, Ponyo) and some for older kids and families (Mononoke, Howl). I’ve seen how mainstreamed Ghibli movies are in Japan, and just about every Japanese person, young and old, has heard of their more popular movies. I can’t say for sure, but from my experiences they seem like Japan’s version of Disney/Pixar – they can’t be too adult but they’re made with an audience of “everybody” in mind rather than just “kids.” Mononoke is indeed pretty dark and violent compared to all their others so maybe that one is the rare exception and was made to appeal strictly to an older audience.
There is no such thing as being too old for Anime, especially made for the shouen and shoujo demographics. There are quite a few shows that I lost interest, most notably the Pokemon Anime as I don’t find it interesting anymore. Of course when we look back, it will feel nostalgic.
As for me, the stuff I watch is considered PG-13 or largely in the Seinen demographic. Of course, my tastes have changed drastically after I stopped watching Pokemon in 2008.
I’m a fan of seinen as well, as many otaku-aimed shows are based on seinen manga/light novels. I can understand losing interest in the Pokemon anime but I’m glad you continue to enjoy the games ^^
Really nice seeing someone who isn’t snobby or narrow minded to where they can watch anime for younger audiences. It’s a bit annoying to see people slam a series because it was clearly made to be for kids. Seen it all too much on sites that have reviews.
Yes, I also find it kind of stupid to put down a show when it clearly wasn’t made with you as the target audience. Having reasons for why you don’t like it or it doesn’t match your taste is fine, but slamming it just because it was obviously made with kids in mind is unnecessary. I think it’s even worse to do this with kids anime when anyone who watches those shows can tell you the difference between a kids anime and a non-kids anime is minimal compared to the difference between an American kids show and an American adult show.
Hmmmmm…. I don’t think you can ever be too old to enjoy something. Disney movies are still really good yet the theme of good over coming evil is simple yet, very entertaining and satisfying. I still laugh at courage the cowardly dog too. So while I don’t think you can get too old for something, I really never liked kid orientated anime, since I found the story usually less intricate. I usually got my fulfillment of simple enjoyment from my western cartoons and such. For my anime I like a really deep theme and engaging story. Or horror since I think it is a very interesting human condition to be explored, or a good mystery since it keeps me guessing. But I do REALLY enjoy Naruto and the original Yu-gi-oh and pokemon. So while I understand why someone might like a show that targets primarily a “childrens” demographic I usually don’t enjoy it as much in regards to my anime. But if I’m not careful the next thing I know I’m watching Yo gabba gabba with my nephew lol! It doesn’t always have to be grand in scope to be enjoyable. People that play the “that’s for kids card” are just self pretentious bast*ds haha!
Good thoughts. I also still love Disney movies to this day and can watch them again and again no matter how old I get ^_^
I’m not very familiar with Western cartoons, but unfortunately the ones I’ve seen on Cartoon Network and such are just too obnoxious and slapstick for my taste. And having worked at a childcare center for two years, I’ve seen that these cartoons make kids act crazy and think violence is hilarious rather than teach them worthwhile values. If I want an intricate anime series that’s still more simple and light than regular anime, stuff like Digimon and One Piece are what I like =) You’re right that there’s nothing wrong with liking simple entertainment or any show even if you’re not the target audience.
What is a kid show anyway? I would only define it by being slow, overly simplified and very “nurturing”/”teaching”/”pedagogic” (I think you get what I mean, many western cartoons are like that today, instead of just trying to be fun).
Otherwise, I would label it as a family show. Something that might be aimed towards kids, but is still made to enjoy everyone. Like, every Pixar movie. Kids can watch them and enjoy them, but only when you grow older, you will see the deep and significant details you cannot grasp as a child.
As for this topic, I would say no, you are never too young. You are only restricted by the unwritten rules by society :)
That’s a good distinction between kids and family entertainment. Unfortunately a lot of family entertainment is still limited on what it can show due to kids being included in the target audience, but they can definitely go beyond the scope of strictly kids shows.
Well, I do believe that one is never too old to enjoy a kids anime. I do watch some One Piece episodes once in a while, and I also watch the Precure series. ^_^
I suspect that the reason why most grown-ups view these anime series childish is because they’re afraid of what people might think of them in today’s society. Think about it: mature adults watching a show that’s aimed at immature (implied) children. This huge mismatch just doesn’t seem right to most people, so society may reject it.
Good point, peer pressure is definitely a big contributor. Unless they have a specific passion for animation, people are more likely to just go with the flow of their age group and like what’s appropriate for that. I think it’s admirable for people like us to not give in to peer pressure and continue to like something because we truly like it =)
I don’t think I’ll ever stop craving these kind of series and stories. On one hand, it’s enough to make me worry that there’s something a little wrong with me. But at the same time, they often provide a kind of comfort that I don’t get from a lot of other things.
I’ve been rewatching Digimon Tamers lately and I’m amazed at how caught up I am in a show featuring characters (and aimed at viewers) who’re about one-third of my age. It’s a dangerous trap to fall into, but I guess I might as well enjoy it while I’m stuck in it.
I feel the same way. There’s something comforting and nostalgic in entertainment aimed at kids, as long as it doesn’t insult my intelligence or isn’t too childish of course =)
I love Digimon Tamers too. I recently rewatched Digimon Adventure and about half of Adventure 02 (both subtitled) but kind of stopped. If I ever find a batch torrent of Digimon Tamers I definitely want to rewatch it again someday (since I’ve only seen the dub and it was butchered).
I don’t think you can ever be too old to watch anime. There’s a definate difference between anime intended for younger versus older audience, but its what you make it. Another commented mentioned it was staying in touch with your inner child. I’m still in touch with mine, but I also work with kids in Prek-12th. I’m still content to watch kids cartoons or anime and it doesn’t bother me. Even if I were in my 40s, it wouldn’t bother me because it entertains me .
Great thoughts. In the end, if just come down to what you personally find entertaining and enjoyable. From my experience, being interested in things intended for kids certainly doesn’t mean the person in question is immature or anything like that. So there’s no harm in liking kids anime if you want to ;)
I will be watching the anime of my childhood for the rest of my life. Digimon has been one of my absolute favorite things since I was five or six and that isn’t going to change.
Part of it, I think, is nostalgia. And going back to a time when things at least SEEMED more innocent even if they weren’t always ACTUALLY more innocent.
And…heck, it’s just fun to sit there and reminisce about where I got my start in anime and laugh at the same things I was laughing at more than two thirds of my life ago!
Yes, nostalgia is a big factor for me too, as well as the soothing atmosphere that the show’s simplistic and innocent themes have compared to other anime. There are a few things I’ve grown out of since childhood but plenty I still love (Disney movies for instance). And I’ve never lost interest in Pokemon since I first got into it twelve years ago, and the rest of my anime obsession that followed is looking to be forever ongoing too ^_^
For me, its a little more difficult to watch kids anime. I didn’t watch a whole lot of anime as a kid, so I don’t have many nostalgic memories of anime outside of a small handful of series like Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, or Zatch Bell. I think I’ve grown too accustomed to sophisticated writing and deeper plots in the series I watch to enjoy more simple shows.
In a way, I wish I could go back and view some series through the eyes of a kid. Thinking back it was so much easier when I was a kid to look past formulaic stories and simply enjoy stuff because it was cool and flashy. For example, Gundam was awesome to watch simply because it had giant robots beating the snot out of each other, no deep plot required :)
i honestly cant call naruto, dragonball z, and one piece kids anime. pokemon and digimon sure, sailor moon definitely, but theres something about naruto, etc. that doesnt strike me as something childish.
I’ve watched them all
I agree with you completely. I grew up watching Cartoon Network and Boomerang but was always compelled to watch anime like Digimon or Bakugan (I didn’t know it was anime then though). Later I began watching more serious anime on adult swim (This is also when Istarted reading manga). Even though I recorded the anime I only watched it at night or when I was completely alone because my parents thoght it was for mature audiences. When I found out it was aimed for kids my age in Japan I was shocked. Now I find myself watching the Digimon series again and watching anime everyday. I am happy to say I’m a anime and manga fanatic!