Common Sense Media Review
By Lien Murakami
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Formulaic anime is violent but interesting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Soul Eater
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 19 parent reviews
Based on 102 kid reviews
Kids say this show is a fascinating blend of action and comedy, making it enjoyable for older tweens and teens, though many highlight that it contains some nudity and suggestive themes that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Most reviewers agree that while there's violence involved, it's generally not graphic, and the overall messages about teamwork and friendship are commendable, making it a noteworthy series for fans of the genre.
- fantasy concept
- suggestive themes
- strong characters
- positive messages
- age-appropriate
- action-packed
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
At the Death Weapon Meister Academy or DWMA, the headmaster is Grim Reaper himself and there are two different types of students, those who can literally transform into weapons and "meisters" who wield those weapons. The academy trains students to become meisters and death scythes (weapons that would be used by the Grim Reaper) who protect the world from witches, evil humans, and demons. One of each type of student is teamed up and challenged to complete the goal of defeating and consuming the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch; in that order. If the order is not followed, the teams forfeit the souls they have collected so far and must start over. The team of Maka Albarn (Laura Bailey) and her partner SOUL EATER(Micah Solusod) along with two other teams have made mistakes which have forced them to start their soul collections over again. The series follows Maka and Soul in particular in their task to make Soul into a death scythe.
Is It Any Good?
Soul Eater is a typical Shounen (made for boys) anime series and suffers somewhat from being overly formulaic. Despite a unique design and exposition there are your typical school girls with short skirts, the seductresses with large breasts, the monsters that must be fought in a certain order with various levels of difficulty in order for the characters to reach their goals. The humor in the series is typically juvenile with some slapstick and overly exaggerated emotions.
The series was produced by Square Enix which is more famous in the U.S. as a producer of role playing video games and in some ways the series is reminiscent of a video game where characters must level up by completing certain tasks and levels. Since it is a foregone conclusion that Maka and Soul will reach their goal, which happens fairly early, the evil kinshin (demons) that the students must defeat feel like dull exercises since we know that no matter what the danger, the characters will recover. This leaves only the characters themselves as well as their interactions to provide any interest in the series. Maka (Laura Bailey) and Soul (Micah Solusod) aren't particularly interesting, however, the cast of supporting characters, such as Death the Kid (Todd Haberkorn) with his OCD tendencies for symmetry and Blackstar (Brittany Karbowski) and his ego, make the series worth a look.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about achieving goals. How do the characters in the series achieve their goals? What lessons can you take from the series when it comes to achieving your own goals?
How do the depictions of girls and boys differ in this series? What are some of the messages about gender embedded in this series?
What does this series teach about teamwork? Is it necessary to get along with your teammates in order to work as a team?
TV Details
- Premiere date : February 17, 2013
- Cast : Laura Bailey , Micah Solusod
- Network : Adult Swim
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Friendship , School ( High School )
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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