Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Thoughtful anime series has subtitles, quirky sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Knights of Sidonia
What's the Story?
On the massive ship Sidonia, created from the remains of an Earth destroyed 10 centuries ago, the KNIGHTS OF SIDONIA continue to fight for the survival of humankind. Giant monsters known as "Gauna" were responsible for the obliteration of the solar system, sending the Sidonia and other ships hurtling into space. With no other home to cling to, humankind then made something of a new start on Sidonia, pioneering new skills such as cloning, human photosynthesis, and asexual reproduction. As the story begins, young "underdweller" Nagate Tanikaze (Ryota Ohsaka), who has been living in the subterranean levels of Sidonia with only his grandfather, has made contact with the rest of the Sidonian population. All the time he's been underground, he's been using an outdated training module to sharpen his space-fighting skills. Now he's swiftly selected to be one of the elite Guardian pilots who defend Sidonia from the ever-attacking Gauna.
Is It Any Good?
For the uninitiated, Japanese anime can be a little hard to get into. Every character looks alike, females coo and giggle, male characters huff and grimace, and there's a tendency for the animation to freeze on a character's giant-eyed face as his or her hair swirls around the head, which is often meant to convey an emotion that may be a mystery to new viewers. In addition, since Knights of Sidonia is an example of "mecha" anime, which heavily favors visuals and sounds of industrial machinery, it may turn off those who aren't enthralled by huge spaceships squirting firepower. Knights of Sidonia, though, is better plotted than most anime, with interesting quirks such as a main character who's neither male nor female -- its body will transform into one gender or the other once it finds true love.
Alas, Netflix's decision to subtitle instead of dub for American viewers likely will shrink its audience in the States. Even adult Americans grumble about subtitles; it's too much to expect a child under age 12 to be able to read these quick-moving subtitles while simultaneously decoding dialogue loaded with subtext. This is an interesting whole-family watch -- but only for families with older kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the intended audience for Knights of Sidonia. Is it young people? Old people? Men or women, or both? People with particular types of interests or enthusiasms? How can you tell?
Compare Knights of Sidonia with an American animation about space battles such as Titan A.E. or The Clone Wars. How are they similar? How are they different?
Are you familiar with Japanese anime conceits, such as all the characters looking alike? Do you think being familiar with Japanese animation style helps viewers appreciate Knights of Sidonia?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 5, 2013
- Cast : Hisako Kanemoto , Aki Toyosaki , Ryota Ohsaka
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Action
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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