D'Myna Leagues

Name: D'Myna Leagues
Item: D'Myna Leagues
Rating: 2
Author: Emily Ashby

TV review by

Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media

Common Sense says

age 6+

(i)

'Toon has good messages but strikes out on engaging plot.

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A lot or a little?

The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.

Educational Value

The show intends to entertain rather than to educate.

Positive Messages

Every story has a prominent theme related to the characters' relationships and team dynamics, always emphasizing the importance of considering other people's feelings in your own actions. Selfishness and vanity have repercussions, but a supporting character's chronic greed usually does not. While the gender ratio isn't even, there are some girls on the baseball team. Winning isn't everything, and there's always something to be learned from coming up short on the field and in life.

Positive Role Models & Representations

Radcliffe is conniving and out to sabotage the Mynas, and he'll stop at nothing to accomplish that goal. Most of the team's core players have good qualities that benefit the group -- a positive attitude, kindness, strong leadership -- and they're open to the lessons they learn from the mistakes they make.

Violence & Scariness

Knocks, bumps, thumps, and crashes, but no lasting injuries. Most accidents are played for humor.

Sexy Stuff

Language

Name-calling such as "idiot" and "chump," plus "you suck" and "shut up."

Consumerism

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that D'Myna Leagues is an animated series about a misfit team of baseball-playing birds and the hometown that supports them. The stories are uninspired but mostly innocuous, showing the characters dealing with interpersonal issues such as selfishness, disagreements with teammates, and the like, always with prominent lessons about responsible behavior. They also must cope with the mean-spirited influence of the vindictive Commissioner Radcliffe (appropriately portrayed as a fat cat), who's driven by greed to disrupt any success they enjoy. There is some name-calling and gateway language ("idiot," "shut up," and "you suck," for instance), and some of the characters cheat to win. On the other hand, most unsavory behavior has repercussions for the main cast at least.

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What's the story?

D'MYNA LEAGUES centers on a hometown baseball team called the Mynaville Mynas through their tumultuous (and often hilarious) seasons. The avian players include team captain Rip Hickory (voiced by Jim Byrnes), who takes his baseball seriously; free spirit Ebbett (Matt Hill), who enjoys the fame; Nikki (Tabitha St. Germain), who's sweet and baseball-smart; and the mostly inept and accident-prone Mungo brothers. The show follows the Mynas as they try to clinch victories against rivals such as the Weasels while fending off Commissioner Radcliffe's (Gerard Plunkett) efforts to sabotage them on the field and off.

Is it any good?

This cartoon finds a niche in its baseball focus, but it really strikes out on maintaining a compelling plot. The stories are formulaic, and with the exception of some memorable guest characters, it's a lot of repetitive content from one episode to the next. Radcliffe is always out to interfere with the team's success, Rip Hickory is always lecturing about teamwork before individual pursuits, and the Mungo brothers are always getting themselves into trouble. The all-animal cast gives it a fun angle, but the plot really falls short.

On the bright side, the show's positive messages about selflessness, teamwork, and responsibility are the one repetition parents will appreciate. Granted, they're pretty solidly geared toward baseball and team dynamics, but with some help from you, kids can apply them to other areas of their lives. The bottom line? There are other shows out there with more substance for kids, but if this one strikes yours, at least there's something good to come of the mostly mediocre content.

Talk to your kids about ...

Families can talk about what it means to be part of a team. How do teammates help each other through rough times? What does it mean that no one wins or loses all by himself? Is it difficult to stay positive when your team isn't winning?
What motivates Radcliffe to sabotage the Mynas? Is he a bully? How do bullies influence those around them? Why do people fall for their tricks?
Does being teammates with a good friend complicate that friendship? Is it difficult to take criticism from someone close to you, or does that relationship make it easier to do so? Have you ever been jealous of a friend's success?