Common Sense Media Review
By Jenny Nixon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violence, swearing in biopic of 1980s Japanese wrestler.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Queen of Villains
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
QUEEN OF THE VILLAINS is a Japanese biopic series based on the real-life story of "Dump" Matsumoto, who rose from poverty to become one of the country's most notorious 1980s female wrestling superstars. She starts as a soft-spoken, larger-bodied little girl named Kaori, living with her little sister and hardworking mom. The family is periodically bullied by her drunken, violent father during his infrequent and unpredictable visits. An avid fan of women's pro wrestling, Kaori explores the profession for herself, training alongside other newbies and doing odd jobs for gym management. Success inside the ring eludes her until the fateful day she snaps after an especially upsetting run-in with her abusive dad. She bleaches her hair, paints on intense black eye makeup, and transforms herself into the blood-spilling, chain-wielding villain "Dump" Matsumoto, whose outlandish moves and shocking punk-rock demeanor make her a household name.
Is It Any Good?
This well-made series may help relieve the sting felt by fans of Netflix's unceremoniously canceled GLOW, another 1980s-era story set in the world of women's professional wrestling. The Queen of Villains' Dump Matsumoto, the Lioness Asuka, and The Crush Gals aren't just characters; they're real people whose matches can still be viewed in clips on YouTube.
Kaori is a downtrodden kid, easy to sympathize with at the beginning of the story—and while you root like heck for her to overcome her past and succeed in her chosen profession, the persona she takes on as "Dump" is at times so extreme she becomes borderline unlikable, and you wonder if she needed to take things so far. These complexities, though, are part of what makes the show so watchable. Recommended for fans of the underdog, so long as you have the stomach for seeing a bit of blood on the mat.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what drives Dump—initially portrayed as someone with a meek and sweet personality—to embrace her villainous "heel" persona as a wrestler. Were her motivations relatable? How did her career decisions affect the family she left behind?
Professional wrestling blends sports and theater, and even though the outcome of certain matches may be pre-determined, these staged fights are still intensely physical and can take a lot out of the participants. Does the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling affect how you view the athletes?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 19, 2024
- Cast : Yuriyan Retriever , Erika Karata , Ayame Gôriki
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 27, 2024
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