Parents' Guide to Cannon Busters

TV Netflix Action 2019
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Common Sense Media Review

Melissa Camacho By Melissa Camacho , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Unique, edgy anime series has some mature content.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 13+

Based on 1 parent review

age 14+

Based on 2 kid reviews

What's the Story?

Based on an American fantasy comic book series by the same name, CANNON BUSTERS is an anime series about a wanted man and his partnership with an upbeat friendship droid. Philly the Kid is cursed with immortality, and has to cope with being chased and killed by bounty hunters over and over again. But his life takes a strange turn when he meets S.A.M., an extremely friendly robot looking for her best friend, who happens to be the missing prince of Botica. Along with maintenance droid Casey Turnbuckle, the outlaw sets out on a journey in his transforming Cadillac named Bessie to find him in hopes of helping S.A.M.'s besieged kingdom.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say ( 1 ):
Kids say ( 2 ):

This quirky series, which was created by The Boondocks' LeSean Thomas, offers a story world that combines elements of classic anime fantasy with black culture. Folks who enjoy the traditional anime experience will certainly find it here, including the hero's journey, the fight against evil, and the relationships between person and machine. But it also creates a unique viewing experience that allows for some interesting, well-developed characters that drive the show's dark humor and fast-paced action. Cannon Busters is edgy and fun, and if you're fans of the comic book series, or like Thomas' cutting-edge work, you will not be disappointed.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about adapting comic books to television series. What are some of the challenges? Does it give more opportunities to be more creative with the storytelling process?

  • The fact that Cannon Busters features black characters is significant for a variety of reasons. What are they? Is the race of key characters the only thing that males the series different from other anime shows?

TV Details

  • Premiere date : August 15, 2019
  • Network : Netflix
  • Genre : Action
  • TV rating : TV-MA
  • Last updated : August 28, 2025

Did we miss something on diversity?

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