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Blood+

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 15, age appropriate for kids over 18; suggested age 15.

  • Is it any good?

    3.0
  • Common Sense says

    Powerful girl battles vampires in gory anime.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 15–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    The protagonist is an athletic, sweet young woman with super powers, which conveys the idea that women and girls can be strong and powerful. But the she's also sexualized to an extent, and romantic encounters happen to her rather than engaging her as an active participant. In one scene, a schoolgirl complains that "I just look at pizza and gain three pounds!"
  • Violence:

    Ultra-exaggerated, gory anime violence. Heads are chopped off and bodies impaled, and there's gunfire, sword-wielding, military scenes, and fields of dead bodies.
  • Sex:

    Schoolgirl skirts are super short and sometimes flip up to reveal underwear. Teen girl body parts get lots of attention. In one episode, an older man kisses the schoolgirl protagonist romantically.
  • Language:

    Pretty mild, mostly of the "hell" and "damn" variety.
  • Consumerism:

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

    Not an issue.

What Parents Need to Know

This review of Blood+ was written by Sierra Filucci

Parents need to know that this anime series is extremely violent and often scary. Vampire-like monsters hunt men, women, and children, killing them with their sharp teeth and extra-long claws; blood also spurts out of decapitated victims' throats. The young female protagonist masterfully wields a sword, slashing both beasts and men, and many tense moments are accentuated with spooky music. The protagonist and other young female characters are also sexualized; wear ultra-short skirts; and sometimes talk about not eating to avoid getting fat.

Families Can Talk About

Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
  • Families can talk about different styles of animation. What characterizes an "anime" series? If you're familiar with anime, what themes do you see repeated in different series? In general, how is animation different in kids' shows and more adult-oriented shows like this one? Why use animation to tell grown-up stories in the first place? How does animation affect the story being told?
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More on Blood+

What’s the Story?

The seemingly normal Saya (voiced by Kari Wahlgren) lives with a loving adoptive family, goes to school, competes in track and field events, and discusses politics with her friend. But a flashback to her previous life shows that she was once involved in a bloody massacre and wielded a sword against terrifying, vampire-like beasts called chiropterans. As her memory returns, young Saya faces her fate as savior of her family, friends, and countrymen.

Is It Any Good?

The story is compelling, mysterious, and complex. But be forewarned: Though it's animated, BLOOD+ isn't for kids. Violent scenes go beyond a simple dead body or stabbing -- be prepared for dramatic, slow-motion beheadings and gallons of red blood spurting out of amputated limbs. And it's not just the bad guys who wreak havoc; in a flashback scene, Saya slashes her way through a group of people, and it's unclear what her motive is and whether she's only killing bad guys.

Anime is known for its sexual portrayals of young female characters, and while this isn't an X-rated series, Saya and other underage female characters also wear exaggeratedly short schoolgirl skirts, which sometimes pop up to reveal a glimpse of underwear. The girls' sexualized nature extends to other parts of the series, too -- in one scene, an older male kisses Saya by surprise, and possibly against her will, but the kiss then turns romantic.

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Our Members Say

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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Massachusetts
    I rate this title pause for age 14 and give it 4.0

    Awesome Anime!

    This is one of my favorite animes. I don't really see why this anime is scary, but I guess some people just think different things are scary. I really like the main protagonist of the series. But, that's because I like the quiet/shy people in animes. Overall, I give it a 8.5 out of 10.

  2. Adult Reviewer
    Lives in South Carolina
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 5.0

    Awesome!

    This is probably my favorite anime on tv right now. It's obviously not meant for little kids because of the violence (which is pretty evident even from the first minute and a half of the first episode, which I loved), but I haven't really noticed any sexual themes or anything. There is one kiss in it so far, but it wasn't exactly a real one; Hagi was just giving Saya blood so she could fight. Anyway, I think this is a great show for older teens and up to watch, because it has a really great story and Saya presents a powerful, yet realistic, female character.

  3. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in Texas
    I rate this title on for age 0 and give it 4.0

    pretty good, for people like me

    this anime was very good, IF you like violence. this show is NOT for the faint hearted. But the story line and premise is very interesting.

  4. Teen Reviewer Age 15
    Lives in Michigan
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 5.0

    YAY! Vampires

    This is one of my favorite animes ever. I love the entire series and almost all the characters; Hagi especially.

  5. Teen Reviewer Age 14
    Lives in New York
    I rate this title pause for age 0 and give it 5.0

    good

    one of my saturday night shows

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