Oban Star-Racers - TV-Y7

Anime series for tweens is filled with thrills.

TV Rating: TV-Y7 Network: ABC Family, Toon Disney Cast: Chiara Zanni, Sam Vincent, Ron Halder Genre: Children, Cartoons, & Animation
Available on: DVDDownload

Common Sense Note

Parents need to know that this fun, engaging series occasionally deals with serious themes, such as the death of a parent, a teen's dysfunctional relationship with a parent, and taking dangerous risks for the sake of winning a competition. But the show also presents the main characters as three-dimensional and human (which makes them very approachable and sympathetic), and it focuses on the characters, their emotions, and their relationships almost as much as it does on the entertaining sci-fi action.

Families can talk about the heroine's motives and how she deals with the challenges and obstacles she faces. How does Molly react when she first encounters her dad? Why does she conceal her real identity from him and the team? What makes Molly so rebellious, and what motivates her to flirt with danger? Is she just concerned about helping save Earth, or is there something more she's trying to prove? How does her rebellious attitude affect her relationships? How does she deal with danger and obstacles during the races? Do you think she handles them well? Why or why not?

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Common Sense Review

Reviewed By: Larisa Wiseman

OBAN STAR-RACERS is an exciting anime series that follows the adventures of a team of star-racers from Earth as they compete in the interplanetary Race of Oban, a momentous event that occurs once every 10,000 years.

Central to the plot is rebellious teen Molly (voiced by Chiara Zanni), a pilot prodigy who inadvertently joins the Earth Team, which happens to be managed by her stern estranged father, Don Wei (Ron Halder). Not recognizing Molly because he'd left her in a boarding school for 10 years without visiting, Don hires her as the team's mechanic after she fixes a problem with their racing vehicle. But once they reach the planet Oban and the race begins, an injury to the team's pilot, Rick (Michael Dobson), opens up an opportunity for Molly to take the pilot's seat and, hopefully, lead the team to victory.

With young gunner Jordan (Sam Vincent) as her race partner, Molly faces many powerful opponents throughout the competition, with varying degrees of success. But the pressure doesn't stop there: The Crogs, an aggressive alien race, are threatening Earth, and the survival of humankind depends almost solely on the Earth Team's victory in the competition. Providing an interesting subplot -- and a distraction for Molly -- is gentle, enchanting alien warrior Prince Aika (Kirby Morrow), a strong contender in the race who develops an immediate bond with Molly.

Oban Star-Racers offers an attractive combination of engaging plotlines and thrilling sci-fi action -- and the pace, unlike in some anime series, is moderate enough that the story is easy to follow and viewers aren't blinded by rapid-fire action sequences. The characters are surprisingly appealing (even some of the very strange-looking aliens attending the race), and the combination of Japanese anime and Western sci-fi styling works well to draw in the viewer; it's almost like animated version of the Star Wars films.

Although, according to Disney, the target audience for Oban is ages 6-11, the series is better suited for ages 8 and up. An early episode deals with the delicate subject of a parent's death, and some of the violence, although mild and bloodless, may be slightly disturbing to younger viewers (space vehicle crashes resulting in injuries and deaths, for example).

That aside, as anime series go, this one is decidedly palatable (even for viewers who aren't huge anime fans), with a nice balance of thrilling action and characters you grow to care about. Kids will surely be rooting for the young heroine as she fights to win the big race -- and save the human race.

Fans of Oban: Star-Racers who particularly enjoy anime may also like Avatar: The Last Airbender, another anime featuring well-developed plots and characters. Older tweens who enjoy the sci-fi/action genre might like the Star Wars movies.

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Content		CS	adults	kids
Content
Sexual Content
Violence Fantasy violence: aliens attack humans, space vehicles crash in a ball of flames. Injury or death is implied but not shown.
Language
Message
	Social Behavior The main characters generally show respect for one another and work as a team. The series' heroine is a strong female who takes a leadership role and makes decisions that could affect the future of the human race.
	Commercialism
	Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco