Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Card-game-based anime has too many fierce battles.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dinosaur King
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 10 parent reviews
Based on 16 kid reviews
Kids say that this show is a fun and educational experience, particularly for those fascinated by dinosaurs, offering great action with less emphasis on moral lessons and drama. While some viewers appreciate its unique charm and appeal for kids, others criticize its lack of depth and originality compared to similar shows, noting issues with animation quality and an unsatisfying ending.
- fun and educational
- action over drama
- lacks depth
- animation criticism
- unsatisfying ending
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Based on a Sega card game, the anime DINOSAUR KING follows the adventures of young Rex, Max, and Zoe, who stumble on some mysterious stones and cards that give them the power to summon dinosaurs from the past. They soon find themselves caught up in a violent battle with Dr. Z and his Alpha Gang, who want to use the dinosaurs to take over the world. With the right combination of cards and stones, a player can bring to life a flesh-and-bone animal. When a card is found, both teams race to the site and the dinosaurs they already control do battle for rights to the newfound one. The challenges also include additional cards that can help the players and their dinosaurs escape sticky situations. Certain cards, for example, can re-energize wounded dinosaurs or give them additional power.
Is It Any Good?
If all of this sounds a bit too familiar, you're not alone. Dinosaur King bears plenty of design and plot similarities to the ubiquitous Pokemon conglomerate, so parents who are averse to the connections between TV series and seemingly endless marketing machines may want to steer clear of this one. There's little of substance here anyway, with mostly weak adult characters, no strong positive messages to speak of, and high levels of unrealistically bloodless violence.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about animated violence. Kids: Do you often see violence in the cartoons that you watch? Does it seem real to you? Why or why not?
What sets animated violence apart from live-action violence? Do you think seeing fighting on TV can make the people who watch it more violent?
What do you know about how dinosaurs lived and died? Which dinosaurs are your favorites? Why? Would you like to study dinosaurs and other extinct species?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 8, 2007
- Cast : Darren Dunstan , Rachael Lillis , Veronica Taylor
- Network : CW
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Animals ( Dinosaurs ) , Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
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