The Powerpuff Girls (Cartoon Network)

common sense media says

Sugar, spice, and mayhem -- not for young kids.


parents & educators say
  • 28% say violence is an issue

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this cute, highly stylized series thrills the senses with its strange characters, funny situations, and lots of lowbrow humor. The message throughout is that violence is fun -- even if it's sugar-coated with giggles and hearts and high-pitched baby voices. Some of the evil characters are scary to look at, with sharp teeth and claws as well. The series swings from innocence to extreme violence in no time flat, so be on guard when it's playing.

Positive messages: Good vs. evil is the main theme here.
Positive role models: The girls are superheroes. They have superpowers that allow them to physically fight evil characters, but they are also nice and sweet.
Violence & scariness: Mass cartoon destruction and lots of hitting and attacking -- all in the name of saving the world before bedtime.
Sexy stuff: The mayor's assistant is very seductive, though her face is never shown.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: It's not as bad as it used to be, but for awhile PG merchandise was everywhere.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on The Powerpuff Girls

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about the show's violence. Why do all of the girls' problems need to be solved via mayhem and destruction? Is it the villains' fault, or could the girls resolve their conflicts in other ways? Do you think viewers are meant to take the violence seriously, or is it all "good cartoon fun"? Can the littlest viewers understand the distinction?

What's the story?

What's the story?

Blossom (voiced by Cathy Cavadini), Bubbles (Tara Strong), and Buttercup (Elizabeth Daily) were brought into the world quite by accident when klutzy Professor Utonium (Tom Kane) spilled a bottle of Chemical X into a formula that was intended to make "little girls." After the accident, sugar and spice and everything nice morphed into three fighting dynamos called THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, whose goal is to "save the world before bedtime."

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Sure, they're cute, and the animation is nicely stylized, but it provides a thin veil for the series' violent undertones. Some might say that The Powerpuff Girls is meant to empower little girls -- to give them their own action heroes. But back here on Earth, it seems like the show's goal is to turn them into fighting machines. Whether this type of empowerment is helpful or harmful is something to discuss. Checking in with your kids about how they feel after watching a scary or brutal episode might be a way to gauge whether this show is appropriate for them. Otherwise, consider saving it for an age when they can differentiate between play and unusually violent behavior.

TV themes & details

TV Details
TV Rating: TV-Y7
Network: Cartoon Network
Cast: Cathy Cavadini, Elizabeth Daily, Tara Strong
Genre: Kids' Animation
Where to watch: Cartoon Network

This review was written by Joly Herman
 
 

Review It

 

Review The Powerpuff Girls





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

7
Based on 18 parent & educator reviews:
  • 28% say violence is an issue

Most useful reviews by all members

 
Powerpuff Girls Kick Butt!
I think that the PP girls are strong role models for young girls (boys too). In a TV atmosphere where cartoon females are more often the damsels in distress than the heroes, it's nice to see girls saving the day for a change. There is some fanstatical cartoon violence, but it isn't bloody or scary. I think that it's a fun show for parents and kids alike.

arthur16morgana
teen, 16 years old
 
powerpuff girls
what do you expect them to do?? make friends with villians?? go up to them an give them a big hug an try to convince them to be good?? good luck with that. i use to be obsessed with show was i was a kid. i even had powerpuff girl themed birthday party and use to have the blossom plush toy. heck i even named my dog an cat after them(bubbles and blossom). but m not a violent person even though i watch it. you cant take it seriously. i mean its a cartoon, and kids are going to have to be exposed to violence sooner or later. you cant just shield them form it forever. violence exits in the real world. in most shows , especially the best ones, there is going to violence even if its just a little in it,

the Liberator
teen, 15 years old
 
WHAT?
i agree with Mrs kitty the mayor never said the F word that's ridiculous. I love this TV show I've been watching since i was only 2! and i never took any of the violence seriousl and plus..... how are the powerpuff girls supposed to ask Mo jo jo nicely to stop turning people into dogs i mean anyone would punch Mo jo jo in the face if your dad was turned into a dog so i to rest my case....also I've never seen any recognizable products in p p girls

tariq1919
kid, 12 years old
 
only once it hapend
well in one episode i heard the f word by a bad guy but it happend only once

 
ok
Although it's a great show. It's mainly geared around fighting crime. Sometimes I think there are cartoon 'guts' or 'blood' shown. It's not too bad though.

CNisgettingdumber
kid, 12 years old
 
CN has to put the show back on.
Awesome show! It is funny. I have been watching this show ever since I was 2. And I don't find it too girly. I mean girls who are superheroes, what girls do that? Boys can watch the show too. I am a dude, and I love this show.

SilverSnake
teen, 15 years old
 
Its okay
Oh for crying out loud people, they do not curse in this show, grow up! I watched this show sinse I was little, it aint my favorite, but I've seen enough to know weither they curse or not, geeze. They aren't that violent, the only thing I would worry about is Ms.Bellum's a little sedusive, and she flirts as a motive, and the villins are sometimes really scary.. Him kind of reminds me of the devil. Otherwise, not bad at all! Some people over exagerate. I understand some people hate the show, thats fine, just don't make up lies thats pathetic. (No offence guys) Oh, and the closest thing I saw with drugs was the Profeser smokes a pipe.

peanutbuttergurl6
teen, 17 years old
 
why is it cancled again?
if only they would bring this show back! l had the whole room set when i was 7. the violence was nothing and it's full of cartoon humor. besides who could forget the rowdy ruff boys?

Amanda Please
teen, 17 years old
 
Don't listen to Common Sense Media.
To everyone that thinks this show is violent and not at all appropriate for kids: I grew up on this show, literally. To this day, I still watch this show and the movie; I'm 17 years old. This show was/is amazing, and I thoroughly enjoy watching it--no matter how many times I've seen the episode already! Oh, and FYI, I'm a goody-two-shoes. I don't drink, ever, I don't do any sort of drugs, I follow the rules, I would NEVER even DREAM of hurting someone (physically or emotionally), and I get good grades. I have friends, I want to be a pharmacist or a teacher, I'm going to college soon... Hm...I think I turned out pretty well for someone who watched a "violent" and "full of mayhem" show.

jivka
kid, 11 years old
 
Dumb show
The powerpuff girls is a ridiculous show. i don't see why anybody would waste their time watching it.

 
Taking it waaay too seriosly.
Some parents are seriously digging too deep into this show. My daughters were watching it from age 5 and they don't go around beating up ANYONE. It's a fun show for kids, especially girls (boys may find it too "girly"). The violence is very over-exagerated. The only danger really is that your kid may get the idea that they can fly if they jump off high things, and this is a VERY small chance. Watch... and enjoy.

Samuel M.
kid, 11 years old
 
stop hating!!! this show is amazing!
A great show that I believe people don't have the right to criticize negatively. So what it's full of monstrous violence? That's what makes it extraordinary from other superhero cartoons back in the day! And so what if PG merch was starting to conquer? This is a sweet, spicy, and superb cartoon that your kids should watch if they already know their taste in monsters & villains.

Blue-Bunny
teen, 18 years old
 
Action-packed fun (ignore CSM)...
Hmm...Fanboy & Chum Chum three stars? What's next? The Problem Solverz five stars? If you're giving Powerpuff Girls a two, then you obviously know nothing about cartoons. I'm just so glad I wasn't raised by an overprotective, CommonSenseMedia parent who probably lets their 15-year-old watch only Barney all day. I agree that violence can be bad for children, but seriously, there is nothing wrong with PPG to the point where you can give it two stars. I mean, what the heck? Anyways, rant aside, this is a really great show! Yes, there is violence: kicking, punching, etc. But, it's not like I haven't seen it before in any other cartoon. And besides, what else are they gonna do if monsters are attacking the city: make friends with the him and tell him to stop? No, the same thing applies to reality. Do you think a bank robber is gonna stop robbing banks if we do nothing about it? Again, no. That's exactly why we have the police. Now, there is some material that might not be suitable for littler children, but hey, no big deal. If you think they're not ready for this type of show, then just wait a little while until you think they are. But to be honest, the only thing that ever scared me on this show was HIM, but other than that, everything else was alright. I used to watch this show when I was a toddler and I came out just fine. I don't go around kicking and punching random people and not to mention, I hate gory movies/games. Also, there are lessons learnt in each episode and the villains never succeed, so it's still a positive, happy show. Just ignore CSM and give this one a try. It's really, really good.

KinbJune
teen, 13 years old
 
Powerlove Girls
This is what you would call one of those good old classics from Cartoon Network's Golden Age from the 90s to the early 2000s. It was a good idea for a new show and rightly so, because this show was never given enough credit and should've still been airing today. Cartoon Network has really screwed up though, because they cancelled Sym-Bionic Titan, and now they have the Problem Solverz which in my opinion is an abomination. I HIGHLY suggest watching this show!

unassertive
teen, 17 years old
 
Choose the episodes your kids watch
It really depends on what episodes you're watching. one episode i just watched called,"Speed Demon," should be avoided. it was VERY disturbing. the girls flew so fast, that they went ahead into the future to an Armageddon-like Townsville in ruins because of the girls' neglect to it. if i had been watching it alone at night in the dark, i think -I- would have been scared. some episodes do have good messages, though. the truth is, if kids are picking up on the violence in this show, they are probably already aggressive or violent to begin with. i watched shows like this all the time when i was a child, but, as i am just naturally passive, i never imitated any of it. something to think about. and if your children are scared of the monsters, then you're probably sheltering them just a bit too much. i watched this show when i was 5 and 6, and none of that ever scared me and i never picked up on the (few) sexual innuendos.

 
old cartoons are legit, don't deny it
I agree with Obvious Troll, just because this show contains mild violence doesn't mean you try to find a suspect to blame. Sometime in their life, children have to learn about violence, fighting..etc. and trust me, it gets a lot worst...(has 14 year old brother) The influence of their behavior can be many other things, besides most people loved to grow up with cartoons like these to watch when they were young; everything relating with media currently is much worse anyways and has absolutely no purpose of watching at all.

rachaellola19
kid, 8 years old
 
bubbles
best show ever when i was 3 i loved to watch it with my sis she started waching it when 3 now she is 12 still loves it and now i am 9 still love it big fan i love bubbles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

rebma97
teen, 14 years old
 
More scary than violent
It's not as good as I thought it was, but it's not horrible. I don't think this show is that violent--it's fairly scarier than other kids' show with the fighting--but it's never bloody or anything. I have to disagree with what CSM said about bad role models; I think the girls are good because they're trying to save the world. Plus, we rarely see female heriones. To parents: I think iIt really depends on how sensetive your child is. When I was young I found it a little scary, but I was never scared of it. Written on 9/11/11

AnEpicKid
kid, 10 years old
 
The Powerpuff Girls ftw.
This is my favorite show. I buy toys of them from eBay and Amazon (i have the movie too) and this is a great show. Yes its violent, but WHO CARES?!?!? Plus, who even gives a crud if your a boy? People of all gender and people 9 and up can watch this, Common Sense did a horrible job reviewing this. One episode there is "Lucky Happy Captain Rabbit King Nuggets" (or whatever they are) and makes kids want to buy cereal (i want to buy the Powerpuff cereal from Kellogg's). They say mild language, but who even gives a crud about that? 9 year olds can watch this, i dont even give a crud about Common Sense's review.

M.yuki
adult
 
Powerpuff-mazing
Do not listen to that review,the powerpuff girls were GREAT i loved them age 9-12 and i was never violent. If your kids are violent or behaving badly you can't place blame on a semi violent cute cartoon. Just talk to them and why they feel the need to be violent,when i was a kid i knew,powerpuff girls are superheros nobody had to tell me i couldnt go around fighting bad guys. lol The show is cute,it does have some lessons,it's not THAT bad at all.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you see The Powerpuff Girls?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

About our rating system
ON: Content is 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