Tower of God
Strong messages, violent competition in fantasy-anime
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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Tower of God
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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 Tower of God on HBO Max is the English release of the fantasy anime based on the original South Korean manhwa, or comic book series, written by SIU, Lee Jong Hu, and produced by Joseph Chou. A hard to describe series that follows a kindhearted boy protagonist and a colorful variety of other unlikely heroes. There is violence as together they fight against each other and also band together to fight off monsters and tackle fantastical obstacles in order to reach mythical goals and make it to the top of the Tower. While the greater narrative includes some pretty weighty issues and themes around saddness, class struggles, friendships, trust and betrayal, and even politics, not much is explained so viewers may be left with questions about the strange mythical creatures and the evolving conflicts that come up. Younger viewers that may be new to anime will enjoy this series if they learn to accept whatever happens at face value and just move on without questioning it. Action-packed, with some blood shed and gore, the series does deliver fantastic twists that will have anime fans coming back for more in season 2. Some light swearing, "damn-it" and "crap" are yelled out during moments of frustration.
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What's the Story?
TOWER OF GOD opens to the story of a young boy named Bam who is rescued from his dark and lonely cave by a girl named Rachel. Rachel takes care of him and teaches him many things but one day, Rachel leaves Bam to climb the Tower of God. This tower seems to summon the chosen, referred to as "Regulars", and grants them their deepest desires when they reach the top – reach the top and everything in the world can become yours. Not being able to resist her calling, Rachel abandons Bam to make it to the top of the Tower. Finding himself alone and shattered by her departure, Bam's only desire is to be reunited with Rachel. Thus begins the journey of Bam, an "Irregular" young boy who was not chosen by the Tower but was able to find the strength within himself. Since whatever one wishes is at the top of the Tower, Bam knows he must go there to find Rachel. Along the way he teams up with other unlikely heroes in a gamified competition that will have opponents learning to band together if they want to survive and make it to the top. However, in the end this is still just the fantastical story of the beginning and the end of Rachel, the girl who climbed the tower so she could see the stars, and Bam, the naive boy who needed nothing but her.
Is It Any Good?
The series is a surprisingly heartwarming addition to the anime genre, thanks to inspiring examples of friendship and loyalty that highlight the power of allies. Anime can be an acquired taste that may not strike a chord with everyone but anime fans of all ages will enjoy SIU's attempt at combining many different themes and styles into this series. Noticeably diverse and colorful characters emerge and viewers that can see past the violence and gore will enjoy the strikingly colorful visuals. It's a surprising tale of heartbreak that's oftentimes filled with fun feel-good moments that make you want more, including a finale twist that no one saw coming and is sure to significantly change the show going into its second season.
Season one consists of thirteen quick 23 to 25 minute episodes. The enjoyable music at the opening credits reels you in but it's the surprising twists that captivate and will have anime fans coming back for more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about coping with strong feelings of sadness or loss, like Bam does in Tower of God when Rachel leaves. Have you ever dealt with issues like these? How does confiding in someone you trust help? To whom do you turn when you need a sympathetic shoulder to lean on?
Major competitors react in different ways when placed in situations where they are required to push forward and for the first time are expected to team up with others in order to survive. What are the benefits of working with others when we encounter difficult situations? How can teamwork save the day when we find ourselves in situations that seem too big to tackle on our own?
Bam is not like everyone else. He's "irregular" because he doesn't fall in line with the rules of the Tower. His kindness and strong feelings of concern for others make him unique. What makes you unique? What unique character traits do you possess?
TV Details
- Premiere date: April 15, 2022
- Cast: Saori Hayami, Taichi Ichikawa, Hōchū Ōtsuka
- Network: HBO Max
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Book Characters, Friendship
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: October 13, 2022
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