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For every serious anime about war and death, there’s a lighthearted, playful one. Games, friendship, and kindness are the order of the day here. Even those that occasionally tackle serious topics do so with a gentle touch, neither condescending to kids nor overwhelming them. The best anime for kids do what any good cartoon should, telling stories that engage the heart as much as the mind. Here are those anime.
10 Doraemon
Doraemon is more than a show, it’s a franchise, with more than 40 movies to its credit in addition to multiple television series. That’s good news for kids because it means there’s always more content to love. And it’s hard not to love this tale of a robotic, time-traveling cat and the gadgets he stores in his fourth-dimensional pouch.
The franchise’s staying power has more than proved itself in the decades since it first arrived on the scene. With fun adventures and a great lead character to propel the action, Doraemon isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
9 Little Witch Academia
Kids and magical schools have been a recipe for success for a long time, and Little Witch Academia proves that pointy hats and broomsticks aren’t going anywhere.
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Luna Nova Magical Academy is the school where young girls train to be witches, and Atsuko Kagari enrolls despite her non-magical background. Though she struggles at first to keep up with the other witches, everything changes when she discovers a magical relic left behind by another witch.Little Witch Academia is a coming-of-age story that happens to feature a great deal of sorcery. Fun characters and an interesting world seal the deal.
8 Cardcaptor Sakura
The magical girl genre is a natural fit for kids anime. These typically bright and colorful series are all about friendship, bravery, and the empowerment of girls. Cardcaptor Sakura is no exception. After 10-year-old Sakura accidentally releases the magical Clow Cards into the world, it’s her job to get them back before they wreck the world.
The cast is lovable instead of ruthless, the character designs are pretty, and the action is fun. Compared to thematically heavy magical girl series like Puella Magi Madoka Magica or Magical Girl Site, Cardcaptor Sakura is light and sweet, a great way to introduce kids to a whole new world of animation.
7 Chi’s New Address
Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint what kids like about a show. Sometimes there’s a cat with big eyes and a bigger smile, and there’s no question about what kids like. Chi’s New Address is a slice-of-life anime bent on overloading viewers with its cuteness.
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It succeeds. Even by the standards of cartoon animals, Chi is adorable, and every adventure the little cat gets up to is somehow cuter and more endearing than the last.Chi’s New Address is a show sure to leave viewers feeling warm and cozy, and with over 100 episodes in the original series in addition to spin-off series like Chi’s Sweet Adventure, the cuteness won’t run out any time soon.
6 Pretty Cure
There is plenty of magical girl anime competing for kids’ attention, from Cardcaptor Sakura to classics like Sailor Moon. One that deserves particular consideration is Pretty Cure. Wholesome is a word that gets thrown around a lot in discussions of the series, and that’s for good reason.
When it comes to anime, not many beat Pretty Cure and its stylish cast of girl warriors when it comes to heartwarming adventure. Sporty Nagisa and geeky friend Honoka are 7th graders uniting to save the universe from evil. Action, heart, elaborate transformations–everything a fan could ask of a magical girl series is here.
5 Silver Spoon
The creator of Full Metal Alchemist may seem like an unlikely person to turn to for the next great children’s anime, given the intense fight sequences and mature themes on display in that series. With Silver Spoon, however, one gets a series that ticks all the desired boxes.
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Yuugo attends Ooezo Agricultural High School, the perfect setting to showcase farm life for kids that might’ve never seen this side of it. Between the adorable animals and the good-natured students that care for them, Silver Spoon offers a vision of a less stressful, happier life. Cows, chickens, and horses for the win.
4 My Hero Academia
Commercially successful and critically acclaimed, My Hero Academia is what happens when the elephant in the room gets big enough to squish the entire house. Unique character designs, a fast plot, stellar animation and music, and a thoroughly developed setting all help distinguish the series from its would-be rivals.
Though its action will be too intense for especially young kids, its themes of friendship, bravery, selflessness, and hard work are important at every age. At every level, My Hero Academiais one of the best anime of all time. It just happens to be one of the best for kids too.
3 Hamtaro
The hamsters in Hamtaro are the definition of dewy-eyed adorableness. One look at them explains how the series ran for almost 300 episodes. Unfortunately, the English dub was never completed, so those that want to see the series in its entirety will have to live with subtitles.
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Fortunately, subtitles are a small price to pay for a kids anime this good. Given that the series once aired on Toonami for US audiences, many will already be familiar with the series, but now is as good a time as any to introduce a new generation of kids to Hamtaro, Bijou, Pashmina, Sandy, and the rest of the gang.
2 Bananya
Banana cat hybrids. One doesn’t really need anything more than those three words to explain why Bananya is a work of genius and one of the best kids anime in existence. The three-minute runtime of each episode makes it easily digestible, which can be great for younger kids or anyone during a busy day.
The narration, animation, and charming characters combine to make the series feel like a children’s book come to life. Bananya hits all the marks, and it somehow does it with fruit felines, which is an accomplishment in itself.
1 Pokemon
Ever since Ash Ketchum first made it his mission to catch ’em all in 1997, kids around the world have clamored to live the life of a Pokemon trainer. Collectible card games, video games, toys, and backpacks sprang into existence to support the franchise, but in many ways, the heart of it will always be the Pokemon anime.
Watching Ash, Misty, and Brock travel around with their cutest, fiercest friends in toe, battling the nefarious Team Rocket and growing together, will always be a delight. Best of all, Pokemon introduced the world to Pikachu, one of the most shockingly cute characters around.
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title: “Best Anime For Kids” ShowToc: true date: “2023-01-24” author: “Jessica Kutchera”
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A lot of parents or older siblings may be looking for shows they can watch with the younger people in the house. It can be easy to point to shows like Pokemon or Digimon, but fans likely want something a little more interesting and unique to share with younger audiences to get them interested in anime.
Updated April 23, 2022 by Mark Sammut: It is never too early to get someone into anime. The medium produces a lot of shows that cater to a younger demographic, with most of the popular shonen series serving as gateway anime for a lot of people. Still, if a parent is searching for something to watch alongside their children, they might find the sheer quantity of shows available to be overwhelming. Consequently, this article has been expanded to include a few more of the best anime for kids. Each show’s streaming information has also been added.
12 Little Witch Academia
Little Witch Academia originally began as a movie but gained so much popularity it was adapted into an episodic series. The show follows Atsuko and her adventures in learning witchcraft at the Luna Nova Magical Academy. It features a colorful cast of characters that make the show incredibly endearing to all the watch it.
It’s also easy to watch for anyone with a Netflix account making it an easy show for potential viewers to see if it follows the three episode rule.
11 Bananya
Not all children have a long attention span, so something cute, quirky, and funny might be the perfect fit for them. Enter Bananya: a series with three-minute episodes featuring the adventures of incredibly adorable feline-fruit hybrids! The series isn’t just an obscure one either — even famous clothing brand Gucci has made some fan gear for the show.
10 Silver Spoon
It’s hard to look at Silver Spoon and realize it was created by the very same woman who brought Full Metal Alchemist to life but it’s absolutely true. This show can be a great way to introduce young anime fans to Hiromu Arakawa with a story that isn’t as intense or violent.
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Silver Spoon follows Yuugo Hachiken’s adventures at Ooezo Agricultural High School, a place he enrolled in to escape the stress of his everyday life. It can be a great opportunity to learn some realities of farm life for younger viewers while enjoying a lighter story.
9 Chi’s New Address
With over 100 episodes, Chi’s New Address is the perfect choice for anyone that wants a longer series to sink their teeth into. It’s impossible to watch the adventures of this adorable cat and not have a massive smile. This slice of life anime is light enough for kids while still be funny for the adults in the room.
Plus, there’s also Chi’s Sweet Adventure for fans that want even more fantastic feline adventures.
8 My Hero Academia
With the current popularity of superhero stories thanks to MCU movies, it’s incredibly easy to get younger viewers into My Hero Academia. It has a story with universal appeal and its theme of helping those in need sends a perfect message to any kids in the audience.
Just a fair warning that some of the battles can get pretty intense so make sure that whatever kids are watching can handle a bit of blood and animated violence.
7 Doraemon
Whether it’s the original from the ’70s or the remake released in 2005, Doraemon is an anime classic. It has spawned over forty movies showing it has the kind of staying power to keep audiences hooked on the adventures of this little cat-like robot.
Whatever gadgets from the future he pulls from his four-dimensional pocket are sure to start marvelous zany antics and adventures. The Doraemon shows are difficult to find online, but there are two great movies available on Netflix.
6 Hamtaro
Watching these little hamsters on big adventures can keep kids and children at heart entertained for hours. The series has over 290 episodes as well, some of which aired on Toonami in the states, making it a great show to get into for the long haul.
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Unfortunately, this series never had its English dub fully completed so fans may eventually have to switch to reading subtitles. At this point, it may be worth looking into a similar hamster anime called Pui Pui Molcar which is considered one of the best children’s animes of all time by critics but never saw an English release.
5 Mysterious Joker
Lasting for four seasons, Mysterious Joker got a lot of mileage out of its straightforward premise: Joker is a master thief who can steal anything. In order to prove this point, the protagonist goes on globe-trotting escapades to nick all sorts of glorious treasures, all the while enjoying the finer parts of life such as gaming.
Mysterious Joker is an entertaining episodic anime about a child protagonist who frequently gets the better of everyone around him. More importantly, Joker acts like a kid when he isn’t performing heists, and these sections tend to be quite funny.
4 Moomin (1990)
Starting out in novels, Tove Joansson’s Moomins have been starring in TV shows and movies since the late ’50s. One of the best adaptations of the books, 1990’s Moomin does a splendid job of capturing the blend of wander and normalcy synonymous with this franchise. The show revolves around mythical creatures known as Moomin that live within Moominvalley alongside humans, focusing on their daily adventures that are typically lighthearted and relatable.
Moomin simply oozes magic out of every scene, even if the episodic storylines are mostly mundane. The characters are lovable, the animation dated but charming, and the lessons are timeless.
3 Pretty Cure (Series)
Pretty Cure isn’t just one of the longest-running magical girl series of all time – it also has some of the most breathtaking visuals viewers will ever see in an anime fit for younger audiences. With countless spin-offs, sequels, and movies, it’s incredibly easy to jump into the series.
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Several Pretty Cure shows and movies have been released over the years, so there is plenty of content to jump into. The original series is available on Crunchyroll, and it is generally regarded as one of the best in the franchise.
2 Sherlock Hound
Imagine Hayao Miyazaki working with the same animation studio that brought to life shows like Animaniacs and Tiny Toon Adventures. This is exactly what happened with Sherlock Hound. These light-hearted tales are loosely based on the famous stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with all the characters as anthropomorphic animals.
One of the best things about this classic anime is that the English dub is free to watch on YouTube thanks to its original producer TMS. This makes this classic incredibly accessible for anyone that wants to watch it.
1 Rilakkuma And Kaoru
Rilakkuma and Kaoru was originally an ONA — an anime directly released to the internet. These days, it has a home on Netflix making it easy for potential fans to check out. It’s also short and sweet, with each episode running for only eleven minutes apiece.
The show follows Kaoru’s life living with her roommate, a giant stuffed bear named Rilakkuma. What makes the show unique isn’t just its unusual visuals and unique sound design. It’s also willing to tackle more adult themes, like mental hygiene or money problems, in a way younger audiences can still identify with. It can be a little weird at times but is absolutely worth giving a watch.
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