Sexy, violent anime with some merit, mixed messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Fairy Tail is a violent anime series with sexy content that's not for younger kids. Not only is main character Lucy impossibly buxom, she's also savvy enough to use her physical attributes to get what she wants (attention, a better sale price on a store item, etc.) from men. She's also obsessed with popularity, envious of those who have it, and fascinated by what society tells her is "cool," which leaves her vulnerable to potentially dangerous situations. She does eventually prove that there's more to her than just a pretty face, thanks to a positive new friendship and the chance to sharpen her skills. A main character is known for taking off his clothes at whim, showing a bare torso and the side of his butt, but sensitive areas are obscured. Animation takes the edge off the excessive clashes, but violence is often a means to an end; you'll see a lot of it, even between friendly characters. On the upside, positive qualities like loyalty and perseverance are rewarded, while self-serving and arrogant characters stand out in a negative way.
Violence & Scariness
some
Most disagreements are solved by fighting, and the clashes are loud and violent. Wizards also use special qualities like the ability to breathe fire to fend off their foes. Explosions, extensive falls, and lots of impact never have realistic effects. Victors often celebrate that they've gotten the better of their opponents.
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Lucy's tight-fitting clothes show off her cleavage and disproportionately large breasts, and she sometimes flaunts them to influence men's behavior. Other female characters are similarly well-endowed, particularly Mirajane, who moonlights as a provocative bikini model for a popular magazine. Women go crazy over handsome guys, illustrated by heart-shaped eyes and a lot of swooning. A male character is fond of taking off his clothes, leaving him naked down to his lower abdomen. All sensitive areas are covered, but occasionally the side of his butt is visible.
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A recurring character is said to drink a lot and is often shown with one in hand or, in some cases, drinking directly from a keg. It affects her speech mostly.
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There's a duality to each character that makes their actions difficult to predict. Sometimes this is reflected in physical alter egos (Natsu takes on a dragon form, the grand master becomes a fearsome monster, etc.), but more often it's just present in shocking mood swings, as with Lucy. Most are prone to violence in heated matters, but some just resort to anger and yelling. On the positive side, Natsu is loyal to a fault, often facing danger to help a friend. The grand master always has wise words to share about self-reliance and following an ethical code of their own definition.
Positive Messages
none
Viewers see that cooperation can exist among people who are more different than alike, but discord often erupts as well, even between comrades. Many of the wizards are more powerful than they appear, reminding viewers that you can't always judge a person's worth by what's on the outside. Lucy starts out coveting a place in the Fairy Tail guild for the sake of prestige and popularity, but she comes to see there's more to membership than just hanging with the cool kids. Lucy employs her sexuality to entice others, and female characters get very moony over male characters.
The ratings actually makes me wonder if they actually watched the anime. Fairy tail may look like a mature show on the surface but the message behind it is very heartwarming. It has made me laugh and cry. The show has a special place in my heart. The lessons I learned from the show are
-Friendship and teamwork can defeat anyone, even people that are twice as strong as you
-it’s ok to accept defeat and there will always be someone stronger than you but never give up
-sometimes you have to sacrifice things for the greater good
-give people second chances
-there’s always 2 sides to the story
-you’re never truly alone
-even when times are tough, the people around you will always have your back
I could go on and on about things I’ve learned. The “expert review” says that the show doesn’t teach kids anything but I beg to differ. It doesn’t even provide any insight on the plot. Families need to let kids watch these shows but if you get addicted, it’s very hard to stop binging it. Of course it’s “violent”, it’s a show about fighting evil. What do you expect? It’s the same level of violence as any superhero movie and no one gets killed/has blood spilt. They even show mercy on the bad guys. Isn’t that a lesson you want to teach kids? The only alcohol and drug usage is drinking beer and there is only one guy smoking a pipe (his spells comes from his pipe). Some of these reviews are saying things that didn’t even happen in the show and if they did, it wasn’t even shown for 10 seconds. Fairy Tail is an anime that appeals to all ages above 10.
Sure it has some “fan service” but it is minimal and is easy to look past it. Whoever is in charge of rating the show needs to watch at least 10 episodes. It’s very clear that they only watched two. How do you judge a show that has more than 200 episodes by watching 2? Also, common sense needs to let users rate the show’s message and all that, not the one person that’s an employee
Suggestive content is very very mild. Don't listen to anyone who says otherwise.
First, I want to point out that this is a show made for kids (by that I mean the 10 and older audience), so anyone alleged sexual material is going to be pretty mild. It's mostly limited to things such as bikinis or outfits with lots of cleavage. A character does like to remove his clothes (Nothing sensitive shown), but it's played for comedic effect and in no way sexual. There are a few instance of implied, nonsexual nudity, but the most you'd see is bare shoulders and, again, it's 100% nonsexual. Some might say this show is "too inappropriate", but the truth is, it's milder than other anime like Rising of Shield Hero or My Hero Academia. Also it's just a really good anime.
What's the Story?
FAIRY TAIL is an anime series about a teen named Lucy (voiced by Cherami Leigh) who runs away with her new friend, Natsu (Todd Haberkorn), to join the well-known wizards guild, Fairy Tail. Natsu is a powerful wizard endowed with rare fire magic who's on a quest to find his foster parent, a dragon named Igneel who disappeared years ago. Lucy's powers are celestial, allowing her to summon spirits to help her in times of need. Together with Natsu's cat, Happy (Tia Ballard), the two face one adventure after another, battling evil wizards and attacks from new foes at every turn.
Fairy Tail appeals to anime fans, thanks to a plot that's layered with curious characters, legends, and a story that evolves at a believable pace rather than all at once. It's more complex than most, and the characters run the gamut of personality styles, which helps keep things interesting. Both Lucy and Natsu have positive qualities that make them decent protagonists as well.
But what the show has an excess of is content that's not suited to the kids who typically seek out anime series. Violence is the norm in this genre, but Fairy Tail's is even more prevalent than its peers'. Even more noticeable is the show's rather questionable portrayal of women, whose physical attributes (busty chests, thin frames, and accentuated curves) get more attention than their abilities do, and who often have less upstanding characteristics (apparent alcoholism and a bad case of popularity envy, to name a couple) than do their male counterparts. The bottom line? Its story is well developed and will keep viewers' interest, but the mature content is better suited to teens than to kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about social situations and fitting in. What does it feel like to be the newcomer to a group? Do your tweens have an easy time warming up to new people?
What does peer pressure feel like? To what extent does it change how you feel about yourself? Have you ever make adjustments to your appearance or your personality because of how you want others to see you?
What messages does this series send about body image, to girls in particular? What other shows have you seen with similar tones? Do you think the media perpetuates negative impressions about self-image and good health?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Emily Ashby
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based on child development research. How do we rate?
