The Powerpuff Girls
Sugar, spice, and mayhem add up to a frenetic and fun world.
Parents say
Based on 36 reviews
Kids say
Based on 109 reviews
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
The Powerpuff Girls
Did we miss something on diversity?
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 suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
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. It's a lot of fun but does focus on the girls' fighting powers -- even if they're 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. Tweens and teens will get more out of the show's goofy gags and tongue-in-cheek dialogue than will young kids, who might take the cartoonish violence at face value.
Community Reviews
The Episodes with Maryanne Smith are NOT school appropriate, family appropriate, nor kid appropriate
Report this review
Report this review
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?
Sure, they're cute, and the animation is nicely stylized, but this is still your standard superhero setup. Some might say that The Powerpuff Girls is meant to empower little girls -- to give them their own action heroes -- while others might see the frenetic fighting as over-the-top and not a great influence. Checking in with your younger 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. But tweens and teens will get a kick out of the bubbly, butt-kicking trio and their adventures.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the show's violence. Why do all 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?
TV Details
- Premiere date: November 18, 1998
- Cast: Cathy Cavadini, Elizabeth Daily, Tara Strong
- Network: Cartoon Network
- Genre: Kids' Animation
- Topics: Superheroes, Adventures, Friendship
- TV rating: TV-Y7
- Last updated: June 2, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
-
Bee and Puppycat
Creative, bizarre 'toon offers oddly endearing heroine.
-
The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
Buffy the Vampire Slayer for the tween set.
-
Adventure Time
Original, if nonsensical, hilarity; expect minor weapons.
For kids who love girl power
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.
See how we rate