Parents' Guide to Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans

Mobile Suit Gundam Iron blooded Orphans TV show poster: Child soldiers stand around a Mobile Suit Gundam, everyone appears to be staring off into space deep in thought.

Common Sense Media Review

By Jeremy Looney , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Lots of blood and action in dark sci-fi anime.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

Parent and Kid Reviews

age 12+

Based on 1 kid review

What's the Story?

MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM: IRON-BLOODED ORPHANS centers around a band of child soldiers who form a private military group called Tekkadan. The group led by Orga Itsuka (voiced by Johnny Yong Bosch) and Mikazuki Augus (Kyle McCarley) participate in an active revolution against the government of Earth to establish independence for Mars and its people.

Is It Any Good?

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

Fans of mecha (robot and machine-focused) anime may enjoy this darker installment to the hit franchise. Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans is a solid entry in the Gundam franchise. It mixes solid amounts of action and grit to deliver satisfying battle scenes. The art and animation are strong, and the fight choreography is very fluid. Plus, the mecha themselves have unique designs that are fun to examine.

Beyond the surface, the series' grittier plot and its exploration of the darker themes of war such as child soldiers and government corruption adds depth. That said, this anime tends to wallow in these themes and often borders on melodrama.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about activism. Protests and activism are themes in this series. Talk about what makes a movement successful. What are the factors of successful movements?

  • Sacrifice is another theme addressed in this series. Have you ever had to sacrifice something important? How did it feel?

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

Mobile Suit Gundam Iron blooded Orphans TV show poster: Child soldiers stand around a Mobile Suit Gundam, everyone appears to be staring off into space deep in thought.

What to Watch Next

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate