Common Sense Media Review
By Sierra Filucci
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Anime series about 5 year old isn't so innocent.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 28 kid reviews
Kids say the show is funny and enjoyable, but opinions vary widely on its appropriateness for younger audiences, with many reviewers suggesting it's best suited for older kids or teens due to its crude humor and occasional inappropriate content. While some viewers appreciate the comedic elements and find it nostalgic, others raise concerns about its potential influence on younger viewers, indicating that parental discretion is strongly advised.
- humor appeal
- age suitability
- inappropriate content
- parental discretion
- cultural differences
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
An anime series featured in Cartoon Network's adult-oriented Adult Swim programming block, SHIN CHAN follows the silly, mischievous, often-rude antics of 5-year-old Shin-chan (voiced by Laura Bailey) and his parents and neighbors. The humor is mostly adolescent- and adult-oriented, with a good dose of sexual innuendo and frequent profanity. For example, one segment begins with Shin-chan watching a TV show in which superhero Action Bastard save his young female sidekick, who has been attacked with an enema ray and squeezes her butt cheeks together until she's freed. Then, Shin-chan gets his mom to buy a particular brand of sausage so he can get enough Action Bastard stickers to win a prize. Jokes about putting a sausage in one's mouth culminate in Shin-chan baring his butt in a grocery store and doing an "ass dance" in order to collect stickers from customers.
Is It Any Good?
American producers wrote new scripts to accompany the Japanese show's original animation, using American voice actors and changing the dialogue to better suit an American audience. So jokes referring to popular culture figures like Bill O'Reilly and Jessica Simpson have replaced the original Japan-oriented humor. Jokes about boob jobs, penis size, crack whores, and more pepper this strange amalgam of anime and South Park. Teens won't learn anything new from the show, but their parents might want to preview the series anyway.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Shin-chan compares with Bart Simpson. What's the difference between the two mischievous boys? How is the humor in their shows both similar to and different from each other?
What's the appeal of these two characters? How might these shows be different with a girl character in the lead?
TV Details
- Premiere date : April 13, 1992
- Cast : Chuck Huber , Cynthia Cranz , Laura Bailey
- Network : Cartoon Network
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Last updated : November 30, 2025
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