Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this cartoon series features racially and socio-economically diverse characters who treat each other and their elders with respect. Themes of friendship, loyalty, and teamwork dominate each episode, and the students are, for the most part, patient and diligent in their learning. The show includes various facets of martial arts training -- including kicking, punching, and throwing Ninja-specific objects -- but most one-on-one exchanges have very little contact and few end in visible injury (and any injuries that are incurred don't last long).
Families can talk about adjusting to a new school. How do you make new friends? What can be frightening about a new place? Can changes like that also be exciting? Families also can discuss how Eizan and his friends solve problems that arise. What was difficult about the challenge they faced? What skills did they use to conquer it? When have you taken on a challenge? Who helped you?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Emily Ashby
Ten-year-old Eizan Kaburagi (voiced by Nathan Kress) is in his first year at SHURIKEN SCHOOL. He and his classmates study hard, play harder, and once in a while engage in scuffles with kids from their rival school, Katana.
What makes Shuriken School unique is that its students are aspiring Ninjas -- none more so than Eizan, who would do anything to avoid making rice balls for a living like his father. He and his best friends -- wealthy New York native Jimmy B. (Kimberly Brooks) and hard-working Okuni Dohan (Jessica Di Cicco), who hails from a nearby fishing village -- always find new adventures waiting at a school whose students specialize in vanishing, levitation, and employing disguises.
For example, when the building's halls are visited by a mysterious vanishing Ninja, Eizan, Jimmy, and Okuni join forces to discover the intruder's identity. And when the school welcomes exchange students from the American Cheerleading Academy, the Ninjitsu students have to cope with unwelcome new classes (like Tea Ceremony and Calligraphy) and the disruptions caused by three pretty visitors on campus.
Shuriken School's combination of action, adventure, and martial arts is sure to please the under-10 crowd. The characters are relatable, and kids will find that many aspects of the students' school issues reflect their own. And the show's vibrant animation style is engaging and lots of fun to watch.
Parents will like the positive messages about friendship, teamwork, and perseverance that play an integral role throughout the series. On the whole, the kids are smart, hardworking, and courteous to others. They rely on each other's individual talents and their own intuition to solve mysteries and wage Ninjitsu battles with Katana students.
Young fans may also enjoy The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron. For more unusual happenings at school, tweens can try Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone or any of its sequels. Good martial arts-themed picks for tweens and up include Jackie Chan Adventures, Final Fu and The Karate Kid.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentOccasional flirting between students. |
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ViolenceCartoon martial arts fight scenes don't inflict serious harm. |
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LanguageSome potty talk like "stupid" and "barf," but no curse words of any sort. |
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Message |
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Social BehaviorKids are respectful of adults and each other. The main character especially works hard and is eager to learn. The students are racially and socio-economically diverse. Most adults are hard-working, patient, and all-around good role models. |
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