Parents' Guide to

Kirby Buckets

By Emily Ashby, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Animation, live action, crude humor in entertaining show.

TV Disney XD Comedy 2014
Kirby Buckets Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Joseph9044
Joseph9044 Adult
May 7, 2020
age 5+

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Wolfgang Haberdashery.
Wolfgang Haberdashery. Adult
April 5, 2019
age 18+

A Really Mature Series

This series may be intended for younger audiences, but when you delve deeper into the meaning of the show it becomes apparent that it is made for a much older audience. Kirby's older sister, Dawn, represents a nihilistic view of the world, constantly making the situation worse for her brother. Principal Mitchell constantly goes out of his way to target Kirby in school, getting him in trouble. Dave the Ripper's goal in life is to make life tough for other kids, pointing out flaws or mistake any chance he gets. The constant alludes to consumerism, sex, and inappropriate language is just abhorrent. It should not be in a show targeted to kids. Kirby talking to his animated creations is supposed to represent his loneliness, and how besides his only 2 friends, he has no one else to talk to, so he only imagine them.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

KIRBY BUCKETS centers on a 13-year-old aspiring animator named Kirby Buckets (Jacob Bertrand) who jumps at the chance of a lifetime to compete in a character-design contest and meet his idol, cartoon creator Mac MacCallister (Michael Daniel Cassady). But catastrophes are par for the course for him and his best friends Eli (Cade Sutton) and Fish (Mekai Curtis), and he has to deal with the nagging of his older sister, Dawn (Olivia Stuck), who resents that he uses her for inspiration in some of his caricatures and will do anything to get him in trouble with their parents. Lucky for him, he has a following of his animated characters who show up from time to time to join in on the fun, which is always good for some laughs.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (7):

Kirby Buckets takes style inspiration from the likes of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, blending animation and live-action characters enhanced by modern technological effects. The result is a vibrant, fast-paced, thoroughly entertaining visual treat sure to appeal to its target audience of grade-school boys. Kirby's animated friends -- whom only he and the viewers can see -- are a motley crew of the curious and bizarre, but that's just because they reflect the imagination of this particular demographic.

The series spends decidedly less effort on the complexity of its content than it does on enticing viewers with its unique look, though. The characters and their experiences are fairly superficial, and their adventures are more like something out of a comic book than they are relatable to real life, so there aren't any standout life lessons to be found here. Of course, none of that will matter to your kids, who will be too busy enjoying the ride to care about whether they're learning anything from Kirby and his pals.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about this show's unique look. Do the animated characters add anything to the plot, or are they just there for show? Do they ever distract from the story? Why do we not see more shows and movies like this?

  • What do you make of Kirby's relationship with Dawn? Are sibling relationships more often cast in a positive or negative light on TV? How do your kids' experiences with siblings differ?

  • In what ways does Kirby draw inspiration for his characters from the people around him? What is the difference between laughing at someone and laughing with him? Does Kirby's artwork ever cross that line, or is it all in good fun?

TV Details

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 suggesting a diversity update.

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