Parents' Guide to

The Emperor's New School

By Pam Gelman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Lackluster cartoon based on the animated movie.

TV Disney Channel Kids' Animation 2006
The Emperor's New School Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

See all
age 8+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Partygurl442
Partygurl442 Adult
July 11, 2021
age 14+

Revisiting This Show, How Did This Even Air?

I decided to watch the show after years of not seeing it on Disney+, and I discovered this show was RIDDLED with messages of ignoring consent and Kuzco being an overall jerk and creep. He constantly sexualized Malina when she told him to stop, pressured her into getting dates with him on several occasions, had a turkey with a romance potion for 'just in case' (There was a LOT of date rape drug connotations there!) and got extremely possessive over her when she was seeing other boys that weren't him and had the idea of turning her house into a parody of a Pottery Barn to get him to MARRY HER. He was an overall jerk to most of the people in school, being low-key kinda racist and ableist. Would have been better if he slowly learned the importance of consent and being kind and ACTUALLY KEPT TO HIS MORALS INSTEAD OF UNDOING HIS PROCESS THE NEXT EPISODE, the show would have been better. Kronk and Yzma carried this show, and given how they had less screentime, that says something.

This title has:

Too much sex
clarence
clarence Adult
August 5, 2015
age 4+
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE EMPEROR'S NEW SCHOOL is a feeble attempt to ride on the coattails of the popular animated film The Emperor's New Groove. This cartoon focuses on Kuzco, a pompous would-be emperor teen who has been forced out of the palace and lives with his peasant buddy Pacha and family. He cannot become emperor without earning his high school diploma, so he does what he does best, which is lie and cheat his way out of every obstacle between him and the diploma. Narrated by Kuzco, The Emperor's New School follows his silly escapades around school and the Incan community.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (10):

Though the cartoon is targeted at young elementary-aged kids, even these viewers are savvy enough to ask, "Why would anyone want to help him?" The show is free of violence but its lackluster animation and annoying characters are not worth even a half hour of down-time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Kuzco faces challenges with friends and administrators at school and what changes he could make to be more likable. Could his terrible attitude and actions be a way to cover up his normal adolescent feelings of insecurity? Would kids want to be friends with someone like Kuzco given how he treats others?

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.

Related Topics

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

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