Kirby: Right Back at Ya! - TV-Y7-FV
TV Rating: TV-Y7-FV
Network: Fox Cast: Makiko Omoto, Kerry Williams, Kayzie Rogers
Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: 
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Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this cartoon series is based on a popular Nintendo video game character. While he looks cuddly and pink, Kirby is a star warrior-in-training and gets into at least one skirmish per episode. There are scary voices and situations that show the main characters in peril. Young children may be upset by some of the booming, spooky sounds and alarming images of monsters -- preview this one first.
Families can talk about the franchising of products. Why do you think the producers of this TV show wanted to make a program about a popular video game character? Do you watch other shows with characters you've come to know through merchandise? What book character would make a good TV star?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Robin Galguera
KIRBY: RIGHT BACK AT YA! only makes sense to viewers who are already familiar with the original video game and its characters: Kirby (voiced by Makiko Ômoto), Tiff (Kerry Williams), Tuff (Kayzie Rogers), King Dedede (Ed Paul), and many others. Casual viewers are likely to be puzzled by the plot, as well as by the characters and their relationships to one another.
A quick overview for newbies: In each episode, Kirby and the "good guys" happen upon a problem. The bad guys (King Dedede and various sidekicks and monsters) put Kirby and his friends into danger, but in the end, Kirby saves the day with his special powers as a star warrior-in-training. It's a pretty simple formula and not all that interesting.
The show does sometimes make a stab at weaving in some educational content, but it doesn't really work. In one episode, for example, the storyline uses archeology as a way of learning about history. While, on the face of it, such information sounds interesting and potentially educational, in this case it's just a lame attempt to make a program that's really about anime characters who like to fight monsters (and each other) look smarter than it actually is.
Between the program itself and the commercials that interrupt it continually, Kirby feels like one continuous ad campaign peppered with animated violence and plots that make little sense. Kirby's pink ball body is a perfect metaphor for the entire show: pure, empty fluff.
Viewers looking for alternatives to Kirby might enjoy Cyberchase or Fetch.
Rate It!
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ViolenceCartoon violence between good guys and bad; explosions; characters put in perilous situations. |
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Social BehaviorCharacters act badly and are not held responsible for their actions. |
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CommercialismFeels like one long, continous commercial for the Nintendo video game from which the show was spun-off. |
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