15 Good Anime That Are Appropriate For Younger Children

Introducing your children to anime is the dream for anime fans that get to a certain age. It’s a good idea, but it can go horribly awry if you choose the wrong series. Some series, even if you watched them at a younger age, may have not been the most appropriate thing. As such, there is a delicate balance that must be maintained when picking out anime for younger viewers. The criteria what I have picked is thusly:

• Has an actual interesting plot or plot-like loop
• Is not ecchi, though some moments may exist, but they are not, you know, explicit.
• Is not about people getting dismembered. Some violence may be included for the older set.

The list is also sorted per appropriate ages.

Best Age Appropriate Anime

Anime for Kids Age 4 through 8

These are a like more on the simplistic side, but by no means anime meant for babies. It may lack certain cerebral plots of anime series for older fans, but it should be a good introduction.

Pokemon

A young boy named Ash has dreams of becoming a Pokemon Master. Starting off with his first Pokemon, Pikachu, he embarks on an adventure with his friends Brock and Misty that will take him all over the Kanto, Johto, and Orange Islands regions to battle other Pokemon trainers and earn gym badges. However, along with other honest Pokemon trainers, Ash will also cross paths with villains like Team Rocket that seek to steal his Pokemon for nefarious reasons.

Though the age for Pokemon’s peak popularity has waned, it will likely never not be popular. For many fans, this was their first anime before they knew what anime was. It features an episodic, not complicated story telling, and there are literally hundreds of Pokemon to introduce to the audiences, making it very hard to get stale.

Digimon

When a group of kids head to summer camp, things don’t turn out exactly as planned. In the middle of July it begins to snow and they receive these strange devices that end up transporting them to the digital world. Inside, the children each receive a digital monster as a companion, but not all monsters in the digital world are as nice as their new friends.

Digimon is a bit like Pokemon with a more defined plot. While there are lots of Digimon to introduce, you get main characters that bond with their sole partners better. Furthermore, since those partners Digivolve for battle, it is exciting to see the new forms they take.

Yugioh

After solving the mysterious Millennium Puzzle, high school student Yugi Motou suddenly finds himself aided by a mysterious alter ego. While trying to unravel the mystery of this other Yugi, Yugi and his friends find themselves battling powerful opponents in the competitive card game Duel Monster where the opponents seeks to steal the Millennium Puzzle. As the stakes mount, so do the questions about the Millennium Objects and this other Yugi.

Yugioh may be getting a bit more on the mature side, especially later in the original series. It is also one of those series that is a bit dark once you get older and realize it. However, as a series about a child’s card game, it is intense and fun with a number of odd competitors and odd monsters to catch the eye.

Yumeiro Patisserie

Ichigo Amano is clumsy and not good at anything, but one day she has a chance encounter with a master patissier. When he discovers her amazing palate, this famous pastry maker offers her a chance to attend the prestigious St. Marie Academy, a cooking school that specializes in desserts.

Chances are your young children aren’t interested in baking, but this anime could change that a bit. The bright, cute art style and glorious array of desserts is certain to keep their attention.

Samurai Pizza Cats

When corrupt prime minister Seymour Cheese decides to become emperor and take over Little Tokyo, there is only one group that can save it. In a little known pizza joint that serves great pizza by day, the meowvelous warrior of justice, the Samurai Pizza Cats, fight crime by night.

Not really much to say here, except SAMURAI PIZZA CATS! OH YEAH~!

It’s old now, yes, but still just as silly and colorful. It was never meant to appeal to anyone other than kids.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Sakura Kinomoto is your average ten-year-old girl until she stumbles upon a mysterious book containing a set of cards. When a magical wind blows, the cards are scattered throughout the world and the now awakened book tells Sakura she must collect the powerful cards whose powers pose a grave danger to the world.

While this likely won’t appeal to many young boys, magical girl anime like Cardcaptor Sakura exists for the young girls. Its bright, and pink, and sparkly all over. Furthermore, it actually tells a really interesting story to prove that children’s shows need not be all dribble.

Monster Hunter Stories: Ride On

In this world where monsters and men exist, there are those who hunt monsters. In a small corner of the world, there are also Riders, a group of people who bond with monsters and coexist with them. Ryuto is a young Rider who dreams of becoming the very best. Having just turned twelve, he heads out into the forest to tame his first monster which leads him on an adventure of a lifetime.

It was quite disappointing for fans of Monster Hunter when their only anime adaptation was this one. That aside, it is a great child’s anime. The Monster Hunter monsters are interesting, but not scary and it takes the audience on a fun adventure.

Polar Bear Cafe

Located near the local zoo, the charismatic polar bear Shirokuma decided to open his eponymous cafe. As a popular spot for humans and animals alike, it is a good place to relax after a hard day.

If your young child is obsessed with animals and doesn’t need a lot of action, this slice of life series is fantastic. It is mostly just jokes, some which may whoosh over their young heads, but it has a bright palate and fun animals-acting-like-people antics.

Studio Ghibli Movies

The movies of Studio Ghibli are often a safe bet for an early introduction to anime because they are very much the Disney movies of Japan. Good movies for younger children include:

• Kiki’s Delivery Service
• My Neighbor Totoro
• Ponyo
• The Cat Returns
• Howl’s Moving Castle
• Pom Poko
• The Secret World of Arrietty

Note that some Studio Ghibli movies are whimsical, but may have moments that are a little scary like Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, or When Marnie was There. Best to view them first and make your own decisions.

Anime for Kids Age 9 and Beyond

By this age, your kids are ready to get into the more serious stuff including action anime that may feature a little blood.

Naruto

Orphaned at a young age and ostracized by his village due to the nine-tailed fox demon that was sealed within him at birth, Naruto aims for the top. His dream is to eventually become the leader of his village, the Hokage. However, first he must actually become a ninja and gain strength enough to rise to this pinnacle.

For many fans, they grew up with Naruto. Not just watching the show, but crew up with the characters as well. It has left a soft spot in the heart. While this show has a little more violence, blood, and even loss than some others, it is one of those anime series that gets kids invested in the huge cast of characters.

Dragon Ball Z

Goku is living a peaceful life with his wife and son, however when a mysterious alien crashes to Earth and claims to be Goku’s brother, his peaceful life will come to an end. Learning he is one of the last members of the Saiyan race, alien thugs that conquer planets for another alien overlord, Goku and his friends must defend the Earth from a continuous onslaught of enemies.

DBZ is a staple for the growing anime fans. There’s just something about fighting a list of ever more powerful villains and training hard to beat them that just clicks. It’s great for the rascally fighters.

Little Witch Academia

Although Atsuko is an ordinary girl, she became enamored by witches and magic by a magic show she saw as a kid hosted by a witch named Shiny Chariot. Now she has aspires to be a witch, taking the first step by joining a renowned academy for witches call Luna Nova Academy. Although she faces hardship as a first generation witch and fan of Shiny Chariot, whom many consider a fraud, she and her two friends do their best each new day.

A bit like a more upbeat Harry Potter, Little Witch Academia focuses on the schooling of a group of female witches. There is adventure and intrigue, but mostly fun moments of magic wrapped up in addictingly fluid animation.

My Hero Academia

After the sudden appearance of super powers, or “quirks,” now 80 percent of humanity have these powers. With some Quirk users turning to crime, it gave rise to super heroes that help the police keep the peace. Since he was a child, Izuku Midoriya has idolized super heroes, especially the symbol of peace All Might, but he is devastated to learn that he won’t manifest a Quirk himself. Still, he studies super heroes and is determined to become one. After a chance encounter with All Might, he learns that there still may be a chance for him to get a Quirk after all.

Super heroes are something every kid is a bit obsessed with these days. If you are sick of your standard Marvel flair for the moment, My Hero Academia takes super heroes and gives them a new twist. It focuses on heroes in training, giving their struggles a little bit more of a relatability as well as has some of the most hyped action scenes in all anime.

Inuyasha

Kagome’s normal life came to an end one day when a demon dragged her down into a well at the shrine where she lived. When she next woke, Kagome finds herself 500 years in the past in Japan’s feudal area, a time in history fraught with both war and demons. It is there she learns that she is a reincarnation of a priestess tasked with guarding the Shikon Jewel. With the jewel returned to the world with her, Kagome must fight off the demons that want to gain its power, including Inuyasha, a half-demon that was once a lover of her past self right up until she sealed him to a tree.

While anime appropriate for children tends to be marketed towards specific genders, Inuyasha is really something both girls and boys can enjoy. It has a great mix between romantic moments and big action scenes with a few comedy moments sprinkled in between.

Snow White with the Red Hair

Shiraiyuki is an herbalist that lives a normal life in the country of Tanbarun. However, when her beautiful red hair is noticed by the Prince Raji, he tries to make her his concubine. She then decides to cut her hair and flees into the forest. It is there she is rescued by the second Prince of neighboring Zen Wistalia. In order to repay her life debt to him, she sets her hopes on becoming the court herbalist in the capital of Clarines.

If your child enjoys their fairy tale stories, Snow White with the Red Hair provides a nice positive twist to it. The female protagonist still falls in love with a prince, and it still tells a touching love story, but the protagonist has dreams of her own rather than being a wife.

If you are looking for anime series appropriate for children, then its likely you are an anime fan yourself. So our best advice is to pick a show you think they’d like, and watch a bit yourself first. Chances are, you’ll get a feel for anything inappropriate for them pretty quickly or with a bit of Google investigation.