Parents' Guide to Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato

TV Netflix Anime 2019
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato TV poster: Collage of characters in action poses. Mumei center, with Komai large behind her.

Common Sense Media Review

By Danae Stahlnecker , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 15+

Swears and bloody combat wrap up sci-fi zombie anime.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 15+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato: Groups of passengers sit at the bank of a river. A large train waits on the tracks.
  • Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato: Soldiers defend the train as kabane approach the barricade.
  • Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato: A kabane reaches over to attack a group of 4 women.
  • Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato: Soldiers atop a lookout aim guns at an off-screen army.
  • Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato: Mumei embraces a bloodied Ikoma, holding him up from collapsing.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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age 14+

Based on 1 kid review

 

 

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What's the Story?

KABANERI OF THE IRON FORTRESS: THE BATTLE OF UNATO continues the story of Ikoma (voiced by Robbie Daymond), Mumei (voiced by Janice Kawaye), and their companions on the steam train fortress that carries them to Unato, a town overrun by kabane. There, they investigate and fight back against the growing hoards of undead who seem to be controlled by an unseen force.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say : Not yet rated
Kids say ( 1 ):

This steampunk zombie flick is fine enough as a standalone movie, but it works best when seen after the original anime. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato has just enough world-building and character development to make a basic zombie war story kind of interesting. Women in positions of power, themes of combating discrimination and hatred, and the interesting contrast between a steampunk setting and a sci-fi zombie problem will probable keep folks engaged. However, there's a lot of lore that's missing that makes the film (now streamed as a 3-part mini series) otherwise fall pretty flat.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about symbolism in sci-fi and fantasy settings. What are the fantastical elements in this setting? How might they be a symbol for something in the real world?

  • What challenges do Mumei and Ikoma face because they are half-human, half-kabane? How do they respond to people treating them like monsters? What can their experiences teach us about real world discrimination?

  • What were Kageyuki's motivations? What makes his actions justified? What makes him still in the wrong? How does his story connect to the show's themes?

TV Details

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Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato TV poster: Collage of characters in action poses. Mumei center, with Komai large behind her.

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