We are constantly flooded with questions as to whether or not certain anime is age appropriate for children of a particular age.  Given that every individual is different and each household maintains their own set of values, we can’t make that judgment for you.  As a guideline, we list next to each anime title is the US Television Rating code provided by the Licensing company, which are -

* TV-G  (Appropriate for all ages)
* TV-PG  (Parental guidance suggested)
* TV-14  (Recommended for people 14 or older)
* TV-MA  (Recommended for people 17 or older; May contain some strong language and violence)

There is also a weblink for each title to direct you to more information on a particular series or movie.  Click to learn more about the subject matter of the series.

We make a careful attempt to select titles that are suitable for the average anime audience.  The 14 & up titles may contain some four-letter words, [comparatively] brief amounts of bloodshed and fantasy violence (read: monster slashing).  None of the titles contain any gratuitous nudity or sexual content.

Anime is a product of Japan and created according to their cultural standards.  Animation there is a medium for programming for small children to teenagers to mature adult content.  Shows targeted at a particular group there may contain material that would be restricted here – speaking plainly, it’s simply a cultural difference.

Also, age cut-offs are suggestions and may vary between references.  Many North American distributors make recommendations using 13 years as a cut-off, while other retailers use 15 years.  Just as with the Parental Guidelines, this is a general suggestion.  There are very mature 12 year olds and very sensitive 16 year olds.  Where one kid might find a villain to be funny, another might be frightened – everyone is different.

You know your kids best, so it is up to you to make the final decision.  If you or your tween are sensitve to even a small amount of blood, it might be a good excuse to grab a snack, check out the games, or visit our vendors.  If, however, you took your kindergardener to The Dark Knight or 300, well they probably aren’t going to see too much new here…