Is Naruto OK For Kids To Watch? Here's What Parents Should Know
Anime has really been exploding in popularity over the last decade. With the rise of megahit series like "Attack on Titan," "My Hero Academia," and "Demon Slayer," more people are getting into anime than ever. However, while that's great news for the industry, it can be a cause of concern for parents as anime series often feature adult content that they might not want their kids exposed to quite yet.
Of course, the popularity of newer anime has also opened the doors for fans to check out older series like "Fullmetal Alchemist" or "Naruto." The latter series ran for five years, beginning in 2002, and has a particularly kid-friendly aesthetic and plotline. As such, Naruto and his adventures might appear completely harmless for young kids to watch. Still, more diligent parents will want to double-check the show's content just to be sure before they let their youngsters sit back and enjoy the hundreds of episodes of "Naruto" and its sequel series.
Most parents seem to agree that Naruto is okay for kids to watch
According to Common Sense Media, "Naruto" is appropriate for children aged 9-11 to watch without supervision. Though one parent pointed out some mild sexual content with the titular character doing a dance for comedic value, that seems to be the only note that parents acknowledged, a far cry from some of today's more risque series.
Naturally, because "Naruto" is a shonen anime, the series is also filled with fight and battle sequences that might have parents concerned over the show's violent content. Concerning violence, most parents seemed to agree that the series wasn't too overt, with some even suggesting kids as young as four could watch it. Still, one parent did note a stabbing scene that they found somewhat alarming.
Street Directory also tends to agree with this assessment, pointing out that though the often goofy Naruto (Junko Takeuchi/Maile Flanagan) isn't always a great role model for kids to follow, his antics are generally non-threatening and not meant to be taken seriously.
With these assessments in mind, it looks like parents don't have too much to worry about if their kids are considering watching "Naruto." Still, with the somewhat dated animation of the series, some kids may reject it in favor of newer anime with better production values.