Parents' Guide to

My Gym Partner's a Monkey

By Larisa Wiseman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Cartoon for tweens is silly but means well.

TV Cartoon Network Kids' Animation 2005
My Gym Partner's a Monkey Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 8 parent reviews

bigchungues
bigchungues Parent of 2, 5, 8 and 10-year-old
March 28, 2022
age 8+

20 out of 10 stars

It looks breathtaking, the jokes are funny, the story is amazingly original and it's not just a big ad. But this anime is really good and big chungus says he likes dinosaurs. The reason I put too much consumerism because this review is sponsored by Raid Shadow Legends, Honey and Nord VPN. Test them out and they have 0 viruses, I promise.

This title has:

Too much consumerism
hgwqhge03
hgwqhge03 Adult
September 19, 2013
age 5+

Useless and annoying

it isn't funny and the characters are idiots It makes no sense and there are no jokes except for toilet humor and butt jokes, the monkey is obsessed with his butt and talks about it during 90% of the run time one episode even had so many butt jokes it got banned, seriously, OK i'm done, but before I go, this is BY FAR NOT the worst cartoon network show, but I still cannot believe that this show lasted for 4 seasons and even had a TV Movie

This title has:

Too much swearing
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

This lively cartoon follows 12-year-old Adam Lyon as he adjusts to his new school. Thanks to a clerical error (his last name was spelled \"Lion\"), Adam gets transferred to Charles Darwin Middle School, where all the students and staff are zoo animals. Schoolwork alone is challenging enough, but now Adam has to worry about fitting in with several other species -- and not becoming lunch for some of the larger ones! Luckily, he befriends a spider monkey named Jake who helps him navigate the vine-laden halls -- for better or worse.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (29):

It's difficult to tell what age group the show's producers were aiming at -- the animation style and slapstick by themselves would seem to appeal mainly to grade-schoolers, while the jokes and life lessons are definitely aimed at the tween set. The sly humor may even give some adults the occasional laugh-out-loud moment.

Overall, MY GYM PARTNER'S A MONKEY is commendable for its effort to include a subtle message in each episode (such as sticking up for your friends, learning responsibility, winning a game through teamwork). Younger viewers (ages 8-10) will probably find Jake's sometimes-annoying goofiness amusing, and will definitely find the story lines entertaining.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Adam makes the best of challenging situations because he uses his smarts and knows right from wrong. What kinds of things does he do to set a good example? Another topic of discussion could be Jake's behavior and how he causes trouble by goofing off. What sorts of things does Jake do that are irresponsible? Does he redeem himself in the end by doing something good?

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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