 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Korgoth of Barbaria
- Cartoon Network
- Genre: Comedy
Common Sense Media says
Mature, axe-wielding action with a comic edge.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this animated action series takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that resembles the Middle Ages both visually and behaviorally: Men barbarically and ruthlessly conquer their enemies, and women are subjugated. Each episode is chock full of bloody scenes involving limbs being chopped off (the characters rely on axes instead of guns). What's more, voluptuous, scantily clad women are shown being held captive and trying to tempt their tormentors. Bottom line? This is part of the Adult Swim line-up for good reason.
What's the story?
In KORGOTH OF BARBARIA, the titular, axe-wielding warrior realizes he'll do anything to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. Produced by Aaron Springer, the storyboard artist behind SpongeBob SquarePants, the series follows Korgoth (voiced by Diedrich Bader) as he tries to survive in the frozen north. Here, the cities have fallen, prehistoric beasts populate the wilderness, and thieves rule the dirty, barren towns. It is in this wild world that Korgoth will need all his guts and cunning to survive.
Is it any good?
Part of the Cartoon Network's late-night Adult Swim block, Korgoth of Barbaria, is billed as an animated fantasy-action-adventure-comedy modeled on Conan the Barbarian. It's definitely full of action -- Korgoth slays his enemies with brute force (he rips one foe's arm out of its socket, releasing rivers of blood, and hurls an axe at another). But it's irreverent, too; in one episode, when Korgoth and his band of men encounter a woman who's been taken against her will and tied to a tree, one of Korgoth's comrades asks her "What's your sign, baby?"
Despite some clever writing and well-executed animation, each episode comes with a super-sized serving of violence and a side order of misogynistic undertones. The bloodletting is particularly brutal and pervasive, and since there are no guns or out-of-this-world weapons in Korgoth's world, audiences might find the fight scenes more realistic than those in other animated series. The scenes in which women are held captive (in one episode, this happened twice) are also troublesome. Parents' best bet? Watch an episode or two before letting younger teens tune in, and keep Korgoth off the screen if young kids are watching.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the way women are portrayed in cartoons -- both those aimed at kids and the more-mature variety. Why do so many 'toons feature women with unrealistic body proportions? What does this say about how our society sees women? Is the way that women are portrayed in the media, including in magazine spreads and advertising, harmful to girls' self-image? Are there any animated shows that have more realistic female characters?
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April 9, 2008
AGE
Heavy Metal with the Tarantino touch
Remember Heavy Metal? Not the music, the movie - weird, otherworldy themes realized through animation circa 1981? Well, Korgoth is kind of like that, but with the knife-wielding, ear chopping action of Reservoir Dogs. A little violent, yes, but it's meant to be comical so give it a shot.
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AGE
Korgoth from a fans point of view.
It is not for kids, except maybe the ones who never grew up (like myself). If you enjoy pointless humour, humour aimed at violence, humour aimed at sex, etc., then you may enjoy it. To date, as far as I know, there is only the pilot. I love it and wish they would make more, but I would not allow anyone under 17 to watch it, and would not allow my own children under 17 to watch it without me there to guide and explain. And even then, they would have to be 16 at the minimum.
The full pilot can be found on youtube.
The artwork is gritty, as it is intended to be. The humour is as blunt as korgoths personality. Most of the humour comes from the side characters and the antagonist of the episode, but Korgoth himself provides some, albeit very little but still funny.
There is an exceeding amount of violence, as there would be in a post-apocalyptic world that has been reduced to an iron age or medieval age. There is a veritable lot of sexual enuendos, and it is highly sexist and demeaning toward women. There is some cursing, as most cartoons on Adult swim seem to have, but not bad enough to be censored (Which is better than I can say for some of the more mainstream prime time cartoons not aimed at children. To be honest, I am surprised at the few times The Simpsons has had to have words censored. The "shock&awe" of Korgoth is due more to its writing and plot thatn having to rely on cursing). There are scenes involving the imbibing of alcahol. Both in the tavern scene and in the scene where Korgoth meets a shady bad guy (the kind who has a lair and henchmen) named Gog Magog (which Korgoth hints at blatently as having met before or having prior aquaintance with).
All in all, not much worse than Heavy Metal: the movie, but with less actual nudity. And what nudity exists in the pilot is definitely not attractive.
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| TV rating: | TV-MA |
| Network: | Cartoon Network |
| Cast: | Corey Burton, Craig Raisner, Diedrich Bader |
| Genre: | Comedy |
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