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Zatch Bell!

(Rated TV-Y7-FV, Children, cartoons, & animation, Starring Debi Derryberry, Steven Jay Blum, Leslie Carrara, Where to watch: Cartoon Network, DVD, Online)
  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 6, age appropriate for kids over 11; suggested age 9.
  • Is it any good?

    2.0
  • Common Sense says

    Demons + kids = violent and scary for youngsters.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 9–11

The good stuff

  • Messages:

    Characters must work together as a team, which some find difficult.
 

What to watch out for

  • Violence:

    Frequent, strong cartoon violence. Spells, weapons, and blows that cause characters to fall down in pain.
  • Sex:

    Flirtations, blushing, awkwardness between female and male characters.
  • Language:

    No swearing, per se, but some strong antagonistic language: "You are finished." "Done with you." "Elimination by whatever is necessary."
  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.
  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Not an issue.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Zatch Bell!

Parents need to know that each and every episode of this anime series includes fight scenes involving weapons, physical contact, and life-threatening spells between demons and their human accomplices. As with most adaptations of Japanese manga series, many of the battles include wham-bam flashes of light. Demons and humans often fall down in pain. Some characters also experience inner turmoil over figuring out their own roles and deciding whether they can trust others.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about the challenges the two main characters face when it comes to working together. They don't always like or understand each other, but they still have to work together as a team. What strategies can kids use when paired with others? How does communication help in these situations? Families can discuss the appeal of anime in general. Is the violence necessary for the story? How could anime series be less violent and still interesting? Since it's clearly dubbed in English, this series provides an opportunity to discuss Japan's history and culture.

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Our Members Say

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  • What did you think about Zatch Bell!?
  •  I think this show is

    for ages

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See all 8 member reviews

Most Recent Reviews

  1. I rate this title on for age 6 and give it 4.0

    Kool

    Zatch bell is awsome and its fine for anyone 6 and up

  2. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 5.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence

    • My highlights are:
    • Positive messages

    Appropriate for 10+

    I LOVE this show! The only concern is the violence but big deal because it was only TV-Y7 on Cartoon Network.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it 4.0
    My concerns are:
    • Excessive violence
    • Inappropriate sexual content
    • Negative message

    • My highlights are:
    • Good role models

    Iffy, even for 10 year olds.

    Some episodes will really make you cry. I cried when Kalulu and Danny died. And Rops. My sister wanted to see that episode with him! :( I also cried in the episode about Sherry. How terrible for that to happen to Koko! Another bad thing is there was a song called "Groping Breasts" and the lyrics were "Breasts, breasts, and boobies!" (NOTE: In the dub, it was changed to "hey, hey, let's dance all day")

  4. Kid Reviewer Age 11
    Lives in Pennsylvania
    I rate this title on for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Not that bad for youngsters!

    I think this show isn't that bad. The only concern is the fantasy violence, but it's fantasy and even my 3-yr-old sister isn't frightened by it. And I love it! It doesn't have much crude humor. SpongeBob SquarePants has a lot more crude humor than this! It's also a great show that kinda teaches friendship. So I think this is appropriate for all ages.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title iffy for age 2 and give it 5.0

    Awesome show....

    This show has lots of violence but it it is a good show that teaches about friendship. Commonsense wasn't exactly accurate about the tobacco thing though, because in one episode someone put a cigarette in their mouth. I love this show a lot!

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