Parents' Guide to

Ever After High

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Product placement, iffy body images in creative series.

TV Netflix , Online Kids' Animation 2014
Ever After High Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 9+

Based on 6 parent reviews

Ithamar R.
Ithamar R. Adult
November 20, 2016
age 6+

Very positive show

This show really surprise me. Principally because of people who judge this show without even watch. I was warned that the show was about shallow girls who dont think about boys and there was nothing about it. I was warned that it was some sex overtones and body images and also there are no such a thing. The last one was consumerism that is only present in the advertisements, not in the show. The Show got me in the clever jokes related to fairy tales, but I was surprised by the theme. In the school of fairy tail everybody learn how to fit future stereotypes and Raven Queen, the daughter of the evil witch queen is not a bad girl and she dont want to be arrested like her mother. Is amazing the pressure she suffers from students and adults to be bad and maintain the status quo. The school is even divided in Royals and Rebels. There are a colorful cast of characters with small conflicts that make the universe deep. Is a very good show with a positive message against prejudice. Is dark and mature enough to make small children feel that they are respected.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
Paul C.
Paul C. Parent of 6 and 12-year-old
August 25, 2023
age 12+

An awful, lazy show.

Of all the kid's TV shows over I have seen Ever After High contains so many negative elements that is barely worth a single star. The storylines feel like they are pulled randomly out of a hat, the characters, such as they are, are pretty much uniformly shallow and similarly randomly generated from show to show. The animation is appallingly cheap and lazy, all of the characters are virtually indistinguishable from each other and, worst of all, the gender stereotypes are so thickly laid on that I feels it must be a joke, or pastiche that is going over my head. The girls are utterly vapid and preening. They wear high heels and cutesy outfits ALL the time, which is hilarious in times when they "dress up for a party" and appear, scuttling In on identical 9 inch heels dressed pretty much identically. If you have a girl under 12, do not allow her to watch this garbage. AI will be designing and writing stuff like this soon, when it does, you won't be able to tell the difference such is quality of this lowest common denominator, written for the market nonsense.
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What's the Story?

EVER AFTER HIGH is an animated series set in a boarding school attended by the sons and daughters of fairy tale celebrities. At the heart of the story is Raven Queen (voiced by Erin Fitzgerald), the daughter of the Evil Queen of Snow White fame, who's struggling with what her teachers say is her destiny: to follow in the footsteps of her nefarious mother or risk ceasing to exist. But Raven has no desire to be evil, which aligns her with the school's "Rebels," who believe in free will over fate. It also puts her at odds with classmate Apple White (Jonquil Goode), leader of the "Royals" clan, who feels that Raven's questioning her destiny seriously threatens the course of her own since their stories intertwine. With ideology driving a wedge between the Ever After High students, there's much doubt as to whether anyone will find a happily-ever-after.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6 ):
Kids say (24 ):

Much like Monster High, Ever After High is a joint Mattel endeavor of fashion dolls and a Web series. The marketing scheme is brilliant, of course, since those who watch the show inevitably will develop favorites among the characters and want the accompanying toys. There's nothing new here, as plenty of TV shows double as commercials for action figures and accessories, but the commercial angle is a factor to consider. You'll also want to scrutinize the subliminal messages about body image sent by the dolls themselves, who are impossibly thin, elaborately outfitted, and who (in the case of the girls anyway) defy the very laws of anatomical structure in their teetering high heels. The presentation is less like high school and more like a never-ending fashion show, but it is fun, and the creative interplay among the teens is especially entertaining if you know your fairy tales.

That said, there's something likable about how many of the characters address the show's burning question: Is destiny something you have to accept, or can you change yours by the choices you make? It's an issue that causes much strife among the teens and casts some of them as petulant and self-absorbed, but Raven's actions show kids the value in standing up to peer (and sometimes adult) pressure and doing what you know in your heart is right, even if it's not easy. It's also a good reminder that people usually are more than what their appearances suggest.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the relationship between TV and movie characters and products such as toys, games, and accessories. Kids: If you like a character, are you more inclined to want items that have his or her image on them? Do you find yourself drawn to certain toys in the store because of what you see on TV?

  • Is Raven a good role model? Following her heart sometimes puts her at odds with adults. Is that OK in this case? Who do you think is right? Why do many of her peers feel differently from how she does?

  • Kids: Do you ever feel pressured to look or act a certain way because of your friends? Can peer pressure ever be a good thing? When it's a negative influence, how can you best cope with it?

TV Details

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