Best Kids Anime

Highlights

• Not all popular anime shows are suitable for kids, but there are plenty of options for slightly older children to enjoy.
• Shows like Little Witch Academia, Bananya, and School Babysitters are great choices for kids, offering wholesome and entertaining content.
• My Hero Academia and Digimon Adventure are also recommended for younger viewers, as they have universal appeal and positive messages, but some episodes may contain intense battle scenes.

Anime

has gained massive popularity over the years. With amazing shows like

Naruto

,

One Piece

, and

Dragon Ball

out there, it’s hard to not see why. Still, not all of these staples of animation are the best choices to put on the television with kids in the room.

A lot of parents or older siblings may be looking for shows they can watch with the younger people in the house, but this is easier said than done. Most

anime for kids

do not cross over to Western nations, at least in relation to series crafted specifically for preschoolers. However, slightly older kids are spoiled for choice.

Updated October 20, 2023 by Mark Sammut:



Generally speaking, most anime are just about “fine enough” for kids, but that does not mean they all hit the mark with younger audience members. Conversely, anime designed solely for preschoolers are difficult to come by outside of Japan since there is not much incentive to localize these series. Thus, parents and children should search for the

best kids’ anime

that are also great shows by any other metric.

18


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.

17


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 the famous clothing brand

Gucci has made some fan gear for the show

.

16


School Babysitters

A tragedy-laden backstory aside,

School Babysitters

is the definition of wholesome and cute. The Kashima siblings are accepted into an academy at no additional cost, with the only requirement being that Ryuichi helps out at its daycare. Considering his brother, Kotaro, will be spending most of his days at this facility, it is not a bad deal for Ryuichi, and he also gets to meet a bunch of fellow students who leave their siblings at the daycare.

School Babysitters

is a slice of life comedy with a lot of heart. The show does an impressive job of fleshing out its rather large cast, granting both the teenagers and children time to shine. As long as they are not expecting action, most kids will probably not stop smiling as they watch these characters.

15


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.

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.

14


Chi’s New Address

With over 100 episodes,

Chi’s New Address

is the perfect choice for anyonesearching for 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 being funny for the adults in the room.

Plus, there’s also

Chi’s Sweet Adventure

for fans who want even more fantastic feline adventures.

13


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

. As its title suggests, the anime follows a group of students as they attend a school for heroes, although their lessons rarely take center stage.

MHA

explores a society that has become dependent on superpowered individuals to protect it, and the fragile peace born out of this relationship.

This series has 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.

12


How To Keep A Mummy

One day, Sora receives a peculiar gift from his well-traveled father: a baby mummy. Suddenly, the high school student finds himself playing papa to a mythical monster, a situation that naturally spawns almost

nothing

but adorable and hilarious moments. The cuteness does not stop with Mii-kun either, as Sora’s friends quickly adopt a couple of creatures of their own such as a dragon and an oni.

How to Keep a Mummy

is simply pleasant. The anime does not have a mean bone in its body, and it also teaches some good lessons about taking care of pets. Beyond that, the show is genuinely funny, to the point that even some parents might catch the giggles.

11


Haikyu!!

On paper, sports anime seem like they should all be great for children; in practice, most sports anime are fine for kids. Shows like

Slam Dunk

,

Hajime no Ippo

,

Blue Lock

, and

One Outs

are better left for slightly older viewers, especially when parents can turn to more suitable options such as

Inazuma Eleven

and

Captain Tsubasa

. Alternatively, kids can just start off with arguably the best sports anime ever:

Haikyu!!

Hinata loves volleyball, and he refuses to let his short stature get in the way. Joining a high school with a respected volleyball team, Hinata finally gets the opportunity to fully tap into his passion, and he develops an unexpected partnership with Kageyama, a talented but selfish player. As they strive to take their school to the top, both characters go on journeys that take them to new heights.

10


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.

9


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.

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.

8


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.

7


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 is dated but charming, and the lessons are timeless.

6


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.

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.

5


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.

4


Digimon

Alongside a myriad of other ’90s series,

Digimon Adventure

helped introduce a generation of kids to the magic of anime. A group of children find themselves teleported to a

digital world

rife with danger; thankfully, they each receive a digital monster as a partner, all of which can digivolve into stronger forms. Known as the DigiDestined, the kids go on a long and exciting journey to save two worlds.

Digimon Adventure

strikes a great middle-ground between

Pokemon

and


Dragon Ball Z


, telling a darker story than the former that should entertain older kids while not containing the latter’s violence or slow pacing. Even though the show is fairly old by this point,

Digimon

‘s opening season is nevertheless a fun watch thanks to its memorable villains, likable heroes, and engaging fights. The subsequent seasons are a mixed bag, although

Digimon Tamers

is great.

3


Pokemon

Pokemon

transcends anime. Even if someone has never owned a Nintendo system or watched a second of Japanese animation, they likely still know of Pikachu. The property is simply that massive. As far as

kids’ anime

are concerned,

Pokemon

is probably the most obvious recommendation since the show is not only tailored for younger viewers but also one of the most famous gateway series of all time. The thing is, the anime deserves this reputation.

The story chronicles Ash’s comprehensive journey to become a Pokemon Master, an endeavor that takes him to various regions that each have their own monsters, trainers, and aesthetics. While repetitive at times,

Pokemon

delivers a sense of adventure that very few anime can match, at least ones that are suitable for children.

2


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.

1


Spy x Family

Twilight is a special agent on a vital mission that could result in a violent war if he fails. In order to get close to a powerful figure, the spy must infiltrate an exclusive school. So, naturally, he creates a family in the span of a week and enrolls his adopted daughter, Anya, into the academy. As Loid Forger, Twilight pretends to be an “ordinary” guy to keep his identity hidden from his new wife and child; however, he is not the only one keeping secrets.

Spy x Family

is hilarious. While the premise has potential for drama and action, the anime dedicates most of its

energy

to comedy, and the punchlines rarely miss the mark. All three leads have their moments, but Anya is undoubtedly the main attraction as her shenanigans regularly produce monster laughs.

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