Child-Friendly Anime Suitable For 11-Year-Olds

Anime, the Japanese word for animation, evokes cartoon series such as Digimon, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh, and others that have been popular with children for decades.

However, just because something is animated or in cartoon form doesn’t make it suitable for children.

Many parents question whether or not Anime is safe for kids, so I’ve compiled a primer on Anime, the good, the bad, and the dubious.

Follow along as I explain why Anime is indeed kid friendly.

What exactly is anime?

Anime is a type of Japanese animation that is created or influenced by animation. It’s the Japanese word for cartoon or animation, and it refers to all cartoons around the world.

Dramatic closeups and zooms, lavish lighting, and vibrant colors all contribute to the anime’s emotional atmosphere. Anime has captured audiences with its complex characters and engaging plotlines, in addition to its distinct visual style.

Is Anime family-friendly?

It’s a combination of both yes and no, and a bit complicated as well.

Let’s know why!

Violence

Anime itself hosts a wide range of genres and sub-topics that cater to each demographic and individual.

Many Anime is known for their over-the-top brutal fighting scenes that include blood, violence, and gore. However, there is plenty of Anime that features fighting scenes without much gore.

Almost all of us as children have been binge-watching shows such as Dragon Ball and Fist of The North Star. Now, these Anime weren’t kid-friendly in any way as they featured sexually explicit scenes, blood, death, etc, and yet we grew up loving and adoring these shows.

So, most Anime is child friendly in terms of the violence they expose to children as it isn’t a lot and won’t mentally traumatize or affect your child in any way. However, if you still are wary of violence no matter how kid-friendly it is, there are still a lot of Anime that would fit into your criteria.

Sexually Explicit Scenes

Anime is infamous for its forced sexuality. Even if it isn’t done blatantly, it could be discretely introduced through fan service in the plot and storyline.

It is pretty much impossible to escape 18+ content introduced into many mainstream Anime in one way or another.

However, not all Anime is sexualized, and we continue to struggle to comprehend the sheer volume of anime produced, which means that not every anime can be sexualized.

Anime is simply a form of art. However, parents should be aware that many Anime genres are sexualized and even pornographic. That is why it is critical to research each Anime show your child wishes to watch.

The Advantages of Anime for Children

Some parents ask me if it’s okay for their children to watch anime. I believe it is more than adequate, and there are some true advantages to watching anime.

  • They are exposed to a different culture.
  • It Has the Potential to Inspire Creativity
  • They may make new friends or strengthen old ones.
  • It addresses important issues.
  • They’ll Get Some Reading Practice

How to pick an Anime for children?

The fastest and most efficient way to research whether an Anime is kid friendly or not is via studying the Anime’s genre and demographic.

It is preferable to specify which are suitable for children. Anime like Berserk and Boku no Pico (which are not suitable for adult males of any age) are not suitable for children, as evidenced by their genres.

Many may be added, some may be omitted, and some may be confusing.

Shoujo and Shounen are thus child-friendly genres.

Shoujo – is primarily aimed at young females. It typically includes romantic feelings, everything pink and frilly, bunnies, and other fluff. In comparison, Josei is a genre aimed at young women, usually with more serious themes that can be depressing.

Shounen – primarily aimed at boys including fighting (superhero-style), large robots, and other adventures. There will be no excessive violence or nudity. In comparison, Seinen is a genre aimed at young men that are filled with nudity and violence.

So Berserk is Seinen, full of gore and terror. Pokemon is Shounen, which means it is full of harmless adventures.

Here is a table detailing the most popular demographics in Anime:

GenreSetting
ShōnenShōnen Manga is primarily marketed toward male teen readership. The themes in Shonen Manga include sub-genre like martial arts, mecha, science
fiction, sports, horror, or mythological creatures.
SeinenSeinen Manga is aimed to attract young adult men. Seinen Manga mostly focuses on action, politics, science fiction, fantasy, relationships, sports, or comedy. 
JoseiJosei Manga, also known as ladies’ comics, the most popular themes of Josei Mangas are typically drama, romance, or pornography. 
IsekaiIsekai is a fantasy-based genre where the mc is teleported to, reborn, or trapped in a fantasy or parallel unfamiliar universe. Some Isekai even have beings from other worlds visiting Earth. Isekai uses world-building to develop an unfamiliar and adventurous setting.
Popular Manga genres

So, if your children watch Animes with these two tags i.e Shonen and Shoujo, they may be relatively safe, provided the Anime doesn’t have any additional tags that are not welcome.

Other undesirable genres include:

  • Ecchi (erotica)
  • Yuri (gay girls who frequently wear revealing clothing. Shoujo Ai genre should have no graphical depictions, only romantic feelings between girls, so it may be acceptable depending on your political views)
  • Yaoi (gay men, however often with graphical material. Shounen Ai is the same as Shoujo Ai but with romantic feelings between boys)
  • Smut (a synonym for graphical sex)
  • Mature (can be anything not suited for children: violence, sex, anything)
  • Tragedy (it often includes some controversial topics like rape, suicide, drug abuse, etc)
  • Horror (Japanese horror is indeed disturbing)

The remaining genres are generally appropriate for children IF NOT accompanied by the tags listed above.

Typically, any internet resource that deals with Anime and Manga assign genres to each Anime.

If you’re watching them somewhere with no genres attached, you can find them by searching any anime database.

Anime and Manga are typically heavily tagged, and for good reason. The genre tags inform people about who they are and what they can expect.

A list of genres from Mangafox (genres apply to Anime in the same way).

What Anime can 11-year-olds and below watch?

As aforementioned, Anime that has the genre Shoujo, Shounen, Slice of Life, and Martial Arts should be relatively safe for all demographics including children under 11.

So I’d recommend doing ample research before introducing an Anime to your young one, however, I’ve researched a few Anime that should entertain your children without traumatizing them.

You should start with this list to get an idea of what is safe to watch for children.

Doraemon

Doraemon’s plot is simple, and each story is simple enough for children to understand.

Doraemon is one of the most popular Anime series among children, and it has been shown on TV all over the world for a long time.

Nobita, an elementary school student, is having a problem at school and with his friends. Doraemon, a robot from the 22nd century, then assists him in resolving the issues with futuristic gadgets.

You can watch one-shot episodes of Anime, while long series anime has thousands of episodes. Doraemon has recently been adapted for film as a 3D computer Anime.

Age range: 0-10

Sailor Moon

Sailor Moon is a must-see Anime for every girl.

Sailor Moon debuted in Japan in 1992. The latest season of the classic Anime series is currently airing.

Usagi Tsukino, a middle school girl who can transform into Sailor Moon, and the other Sailor Soldiers battle villains in search of the Legendary Silver Crystal.

The magical girl Anime has also inspired live-action series and musicals.

Ages 0-10 are recommended.

Ponyo

Ponyo is one of the best fantasy movies for children.

Ponyo, also known as Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, is a newer Studio Ghibli anime that was released in 2008.

Sosuke, a five-year-old boy, meets Ponyo, a goldfish character who wishes to become human like him.

Ponyo’s story is very simple, which is why he is so popular among children.

Ages 0-10 are recommended.

Pokémon

Pokémon is by far the most popular Japanese family-friendly anime

Pokemon is popular among both domestic and international fans. It is also well-known for its popular video games, the first of which was released in 1996.

Ash Ketchum, also known as Satoshi in Japan, embarks on a journey with his Pokémon such as Pikachu to become a Pokemon master.

Pokémon has a worldwide following that includes not only children but also adults.

Ages 0-10 are recommended.

Anpanman

It is safe to say that no child in Japan is unfamiliar with the classic Anime Anpanman.

The family Anime may be unfamiliar to outsiders, but it has been one of Japan’s most popular children’s shows since it first aired in 1979. Anpanman’s genre is similar to that of a superhero.

The main characters are bread, and Anpanman is inspired by Anpan (pastry filled with red bean paste). They fight to help people in need while fighting against opposing characters.

0-6 years old is recommended.

You can watch the video below to know more about kid-friendly Anime

Best Anime movies for kids

Can 11-year-olds watch Naruto?

Naruto teaches the lesson of courage and patience.

Absolutely! Naruto is without a doubt one of the most heartfelt Manga and Anime out there, at least in terms of its popularity.

This has a lot to do with the main character’s dark and depressing beginnings in the series. Naruto begins the series alone, with only his adoptive father as a friend.

Before delving deeper into this topic, we must first understand the context of the Anime Naruto.

The plot revolves around Uzumaki Naruto, a young man with the inner demon of a nine-tailed fox who once destroyed many villages until a powerful kage or village leader sealed his inner demon away with a powerful Jutsu or mystical ninja technique.

The demon is then imprisoned, and Naruto’s story begins with the life and adventures that Naruto must face.

Naruto does not appear to be harmful to children based on the outside appearance and storyline, nor does the overall storyline provide any hint of negativity.

However, there are subtle hints of sexuality in various Naruto episodes. In one instance, Naruto abruptly transforms from a man into a woman wearing a bikini to seduce his teacher.

In another episode, several characters exhibit female characteristics despite being presented as men by nature.

These are major red flags for parents, indicating that they are not suitable for children due to inappropriate content. I, on the other hand, believe that it is acceptable for children to be exposed to these types of influences.

Children today are exposed to sex, violence, and crime, whether through television or in public, though some may downplay such influences.

Whether you believe it or not, children learn quickly from adults. Instead of prohibiting negative influences, I believe parents should educate their children about right and wrong at a young age and lead by example, which is something that is lacking in many families and society as a whole.

Even if we have successfully screened out the popular Anime Naruto from our children to protect them, does this solve the root of the problem?

I dare to say no, and that we must examine ourselves in our educational communications with our children to discuss such events and things.

In this age of globalization, animations like Naruto will only grow in popularity, and we must learn how to deal with them rather than avoid the harsh realities of the world.

I believe that with proper education and support, we can continue to enjoy Anime in the same way that we have positively enjoyed various cartoons with our children.

Moral lessons

Additionally, Naruto has many topics and themes that are great for the social and moral development of your children.

Naruto as a show has taught people to never give up on their goals and never go back on their words. Some side characters have displayed themes such as hard work and perseverance being key to success and that there is no shortcut to achieving your goals.

It also teaches its viewers that life isn’t fair and perfect, that they’ll encounter issues and they’ll have to deal with such issues with courage. It does all this and much more along with entertaining and making you laugh. In short, it’s nothing less than a masterpiece.

Conclusion

  • Many Animes are kid-friendly.
  • The best way to gauge the appropriateness of an Anime is by viewing its genre and catered demographic.
  • Animes such as Naruto, Doraemon, and Sailor Moon are child-friendly.

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