Tekken: Bloodline
Parents say
Based on 1 review
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Tekken: Bloodline
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Tekken: Bloodline is an anime series set in the Tekken gaming universe. There's lots of fantasy violence (especially brutal martial arts fights) which leads to bloody injuries and on occasion, death. Characters are shown shirtless or in cleavage revealing outfits during fights. Revenge is also a major theme. The series is aligned with the Tekken video game franchise.
What's the Story?
TEKKEN: BLOODLINE is an anime series based on the events of the Tekken 3 video game. Jin Kazama (Isshin Chiba, Kaiji Tang) lives with his mother Jun (Mamiko Noto, Vivian Lu) in Yakushima, where she is training him to be a martial artist who can maintain control over his anger and take the higher road. After she is killed by an ancient demon named Ogre (Bill Butts), Jin turns to his grandfather Heihachi Mishima (Taiten Kusunoki, S. Hiroshi Watanabe), a violent master fighter who hosts The King of Iron Fist tournament in hopes of luring Ogre into the ring. After years of training with him, Jin is prepared to compete in the tournament and face the demon in order to avenge his mother's death.
Is It Any Good?
This contemporary anime installment of the Tekken franchise features all the fighting action the story world is known for. But the plot is also about Jin, and how he grows up negotiating the values taught to him by his mother, and the zealousness taught to him by his brutal grandfather, in order to succeed in the ring. It's an interesting narrative, but not quite developed thanks to being overshadowed by the endless violent fighting scenes. Meanwhile, the limited number of episodes, and the length of each one, reduces the appearances of characters that are popular in the gaming world. As a result, Tekken: Bloodline doesn't offer anything particularly insightful to impress those unfamiliar with the franchise, but differs from the video games in ways that might leave Tekken players dissatisfied with the overall series.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the challenges that come from adapting an anime series or movie from a video game narrative. What kinds of things can you accomplish when telling a story on TV or film that you cannot do in a video game? What changes to the story have to be made?
What are the differences between the story told in Tekken: Bloodline vs. what is featured in the video games? Which one do you prefer?
TV Details
- Premiere date: August 18, 2022
- Cast: Kaiji Tang, Vivian Lu, S. Hiroshi Watanabe
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Action
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts
- Character Strengths: Perseverance
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: December 1, 2022
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