Can kids watch Naruto? Parents Guide and Age Rating of the anime explained

One of the fondest memories of many 20- and 30-year-old American anime fans is watching some of their favorite classic series on after-school television, such as the overall Naruto series. Both the original series and its post-time-skip continuation, Shippuden, were regularly broadcast on American television in the late 2000s and early 2010s, as well as now.

While American fans are no strangers to typical shonen anime and all the violence it comes with, Naruto created a unique stir amongst parents of young children during its early TV years. One of the biggest issues parents raised at the time, despite each series having ratings suitable for young children, was the series’ premise of children fighting in life-threatening situations.

Many concerned parents at the time also raised the fact that the series showed children fighting children as well as adults, possibly encouraging violence among kids. While years have passed since these issues were raised, many parents are still asking the question, "Can kids watch Naruto?" all these years later.

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Naruto’s TV rating and actual subject matter should quell all parental concerns

Can kids watch the series? Explained

Naruto and its continuation, Shippuden, come with aTV-PG rating, with the "PG" meaning "parental guidance." In other words, this means that parental guidance is suggested due to these programs being unsuitable for younger children, such as those represented in the lower tiers of the rating system.

Generally speaking, a TV-PG rating is viewed as appropriate for children aged 9 to 11 years old to watch without any form of parental supervision. This is accurate for the aforementioned lower tiers of the rating system, which only draws a line in the sand at 7 years old in the ages leading up to the TV-PG rating.

This is also a fair representation of the actual subject matter within the Naruto series. Despite the aforementioned critiques of children-on-children violence the series focuses on, there are very rarely any serious injuries to children on the show. In these rare cases where serious injury occurs, it is usually depicted in a fairly toned-down manner, as opposed to ramping up the gore and blood as seen in other anime series.

Likewise, the series does actually provide critical commentary on the practice of children fighting children via the storylines of various characters within the series. This commentary is even present from the very onset of the series, with the first major antagonists in the series touching on the subject, albeit in a brief and very implicit manner.

In other words, parents of kids or fans have no reason to worry about serious and over-the-top acts of violence, scenes of gore, or concerns of a similar nature. While the series does, unfortunately, feature some s*xually suggestive scenes, these are also relatively mild compared to what a few anime series offer their viewers.

In conclusion, the answer to the question "Can kids watch Naruto?" is a resounding yes, generally speaking. However, it is up to parents to investigate a series for themselves and confirm that its subject matter aligns with both societal morals and those of the individual household and family. However, the show can be regarded as suitable for kids to watch from a broader perspective.

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Be sure to keep up with all Naruto franchise news, as well as general anime, manga, film, and live-action news as 2023 progresses.