TL;DR: The Quick Cheat Sheet
If you’re looking for a Friday night family watch and don’t want to accidentally traumatize anyone (or get bored to tears), here are the top picks:
- Ages 6+: My Neighbor Totoro or Ponyo. Wholesome, magical, and zero "bad guys."
- Ages 9+: Spy x Family. A spy, an assassin, and a telepathic kid pretend to be a family. It’s hilarious and surprisingly sweet.
- Ages 12+: Haikyu!!. High-stakes high school volleyball. It’s the ultimate "believe in yourself" show without the cheese.
- Ages 14+: Frieren: Beyond Journey's End. A beautiful, slow-burn story about an immortal elf learning what it means to be human.
Ask our chatbot for a custom anime recommendation based on your kid's favorite movies
If your only exposure to anime was a stray episode of Pokémon in 1998, the modern landscape might feel a little overwhelming. In Japan, "anime" just means animation. It’s a medium, not a genre. This means there is anime for toddlers, and there is anime for 45-year-old salarymen that would make a sailor blush.
The mistake most parents make is assuming that because it’s "a cartoon," it’s for kids. It’s not. But when you find the right ones, anime offers some of the most complex, beautiful, and emotionally resonant storytelling in modern media.
Recent data shows that roughly 60% of 13-to-17-year-olds identify as anime fans. It’s not just a niche hobby anymore; it’s the dominant culture. Kids love it because:
- The Stakes are Real: Unlike many Western cartoons where everything resets at the end of the episode, anime characters grow, fail, and sometimes even die.
- The Aesthetic: The "vibe" is everything. From the lo-fi beats of Cowboy Bebop to the lush landscapes of Studio Ghibli, it looks and feels "cool" in a way that Cocomelon never will.
- Community: Whether it’s sharing fan art on Discord or wearing a Naruto headband to school, anime is a massive social connector.
If you want to dip your toes in without any risk, start with the films of Hayao Miyazaki. They are essentially the Disney movies of Japan, but with more soul and fewer musical numbers.
My Neighbor Totoro (All Ages)
Two sisters move to the countryside and meet a giant, fuzzy forest spirit. There is no villain. No world-ending threat. Just the wonder of childhood. It is the ultimate "cozy" watch.
Kiki's Delivery Service (Ages 6+)
A young witch moves to a new town to start a delivery business. It’s a perfect metaphor for growing up and finding your independence.
Spirited Away (Ages 9+)
The most famous anime film ever. It can be a little creepy (there’s a "No-Face" monster that eats people, though they get better), but it’s a masterpiece of imagination.
These are the shows your kids are likely seeing on TikTok or hearing about at lunch.
Spy x Family (Ages 9+)
This is the "it" show for families right now. Loid (a spy) needs a fake family for a mission. He adopts Anya (a telepath) and marries Yor (an assassin). None of them know each other's secrets except for Anya, who reads their minds and finds the whole thing "waku waku" (exciting).
- The No-BS Take: It’s rated TV-14 in the US, mostly for "assassin violence" (which is very stylized and bloodless) and the fact that the mom, Yor, gets hilariously drunk on wine sometimes. For most 9 or 10-year-olds, it’s totally fine.
Haikyu!! (Ages 10+)
If you want a show that teaches teamwork, resilience, and dealing with failure, this is it. It’s about a "short" kid who wants to be a volleyball star.
- The Vibe: High energy, incredibly positive, and genuinely exciting even if you don’t care about sports.
Frieren: Beyond Journey's End (Ages 12+)
This show subverts the usual "hero's journey." It starts after the Demon King has been defeated. Frieren is an elf who lives for thousands of years, and she has to watch her human friends grow old and die.
- The Parent Note: It’s deeply philosophical. It deals with grief and the passage of time. It’s "slow" by design, so it’s great for the kid who likes The Wild Robot by Peter Brown or more thoughtful fantasy.
Anime has some specific "quirks" that can catch Western parents off guard. Here is what to look for:
- Fan Service: This is the anime term for "pointless sexualization." You’ll often see female characters in unnecessarily skimpy outfits or "camera angles" that feel a bit much. Even "safe" shows like Frieren have the occasional joke about a "see-through-clothes" potion.
- Emotional Weight: Japanese culture treats children as more emotionally resilient than we often do in the US. A "kids' movie" like Grave of the Fireflies is one of the most devastating war movies ever made. Do not watch that one for family movie night.
- The "Shonen" Trap: "Shonen" literally means "boy," and it’s the category for shows like Naruto, One Piece, and Demon Slayer. While they are marketed to middle-schoolers, they can get very violent. Demon Slayer in particular features some pretty intense decapitations.
Learn more about the difference between Shonen and Seinen anime
| Show/Movie | Best Age | Content Concerns |
|---|---|---|
| My Neighbor Totoro | 4+ | None. Pure magic. |
| Ponyo | 5+ | Mild "peril" (a big storm). |
| Little Witch Academia | 7+ | Mild fantasy violence. |
| Pokémon | 7+ | Cartoon fighting. |
| Spy x Family | 10+ | Stylized violence, comedic drinking. |
| Naruto | 11+ | Ninja violence, some blood, "pervy" jokes. |
| Haikyu!! | 10+ | Mild language, intense competition. |
| Your Name | 12+ | Emotional intensity, brief "body swap" humor. |
| Demon Slayer | 13+ | Significant blood and gore. |
If your kid is diving deep into anime, don't just "let them watch." Use it as a bridge.
- Sub vs. Dub: Ask them if they prefer the original Japanese audio with subtitles ("Sub") or the English voiceovers ("Dub"). It’s a heated debate in the community, and it’s a great way to talk about translation and cultural nuances.
- Cultural Context: Anime is a great window into Japanese culture—from the food (onigiri, ramen) to the social norms (bowing, school festivals). Use it as a starting point to learn about a different part of the world.
- The "Weirdness": If something feels "weird" or "problematic" (like the way a female character is drawn), don't just ban the show. Ask: "Why do you think the creators chose to draw her that way? Does it add to the story, or is it just distracting?"
Check out our guide on the best apps for watching anime
Anime isn't a monolith. You can't say "anime is good" or "anime is bad" any more than you can say "books are good." It’s all about the specific title.
If you’re just starting, stick to Studio Ghibli or Spy x Family. They offer the highest "quality-to-safety" ratio and are genuinely fun for adults to watch, too.
- Set up a profile on Crunchyroll: It’s the "Netflix of Anime." Make sure you set the parental controls, as it hosts everything from Bluey-style shows to R-rated horror.
- Watch a "One-Shot" Movie: Instead of committing to 500 episodes of One Piece, try a movie like The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
- Ask your kid for a "Recommendation": They love being the expert. Let them pick a show (that you've vetted on Screenwise first!) and watch the first two episodes together.