Common Sense Media Review
By Lien Murakami, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 8+
Cute action-packed magical girl anime with romance.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Cardcaptor Sakura is available in both subtitled, uncut (and more mature) versions, as well as dubbed, edited versions more appropriate for tweens. Parents might want to determine which version they have access to before giving the OK to younger kids (we recommend the dubbed version for kids 8 and older). Much of the romance as well as same-sex relationships and crushes are cut out of the American dub. The series does have a lot of action but it is completely bloodless and no more violent than your average Pokemon movie. As is common for anime, the skirts on the school uniforms for girls are extremely short, however, to its credit Sakura generally looks and behaves much like a mature 10-year-old girl would.
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Products & Purchases
some
Lots of Cardcaptor Sakura merchandise is available.
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Violence & Scariness
some
Lots of bloodless fantasy violence. The Clow Cards, before they are captured, manifest themselves as malevolent spirits that wreak havoc. However, Sakura and her rival cardcaptor, Li Shaoran almost always win and are rarely hurt. Toya receives the most injuries as Sakura has the habit of stepping on his foot or kicking his shin when he embarrasses or teases her.
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Language
very little
There is some teasing between siblings. Some name calling such as "monster" and "brute."
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
Multiple crushes, some which border on obsession. Same-sex crushes and relationships are removed in the American dub. Sakura and her female elementary school classmates wear extremely short uniform skirts. Other female outfits are sometimes form-fitting.
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Positive Messages
a little
The main characters work to keep the world safe and fight on the side of the "good guys." Themes of friendship, family, and doing the right thing run throughout.
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Positive Role Models
a little
Sakura is a kind, brave, and responsible girl who helps her family with chores when she's not out collecting Clow Cards.
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Educational Value
none
Intended to entertain, not educate.
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
See all
- Parents say (8)
- Kids say (23)
age 9+
Based on 8 parent reviews
Valerie T Adult
September 24, 2020
age 13+
Very cute, some adult themes
Japan has a way of cramming adult themes into kid's content in a way we wouldn't normally in the west. Most of the time the show is very cute, with some fun action in it. But you have to realize the fifth graders have a crush on a tenth grade boy who turns out to be dating another tenth grade boy, who spends the night with him a lot without anyone knowing they're dating. Little things like this might not be a big deal to a lot of people but it's a detail I feel like parents should know going in.
Ella.Shine Parent of 5-year-old
January 30, 2018
age 5+
Adorable and touching
The show is so cute and has wonderful positive messages of acceptance. Great for open-minded families raising their kids to accept people as they are. There are some LGBT+ characters, or at least suspected, and that's great! They're people too and have every right to be represented. There's very mild violence, but no more than any other kid show (looking at you Disney, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network).
See all 8 parent reviews
What's the Story?
Ten-year-old Sakura (voiced by Sakura Tange) is a fourth grader who lives with her widowed archeology professor father and teenaged brother. One day after school, Sakura accidentally unleashes a collection of magical "Clow Cards" from a locked book she finds in her father's office. Keroberos (Aya Hisakawa, called Cerberus in the English version), the guardian beast of the seal on the book appears and informs Sakura that she must have some magical powers within her or else she would not have been able to open the book. He also argues that since she loosed the magical Clow Cards, Sakura is now responsible for retrieving the lost cards to prevent an unspecified world-wide catastrophe. Each Clow Card has the ability to manifest as a malevolent spirit that could wreak havoc unless they are sealed away in a card where they can be used as needed. Keroberos gives Sakura a magical key and guides her in her task to collect and seal all of the Clow Cards.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (23):
CARDCAPTOR SAKURA (not to be confused with the American dub Cardcaptors) is a classic of the magical girl sub-genre of anime and shojo manga (manga written for girls). Part of the appeal of the show is the artwork (although, one has to question some of the outfits poor Sakura is forced to wear) and adorable characters. For example, Keroberos, whose true form is a huge winged lion, spends most of the series as a cute stuffed animal sidekick with a sweet tooth. Sakura herself is an incredibly likeable girl who is thoughtful, romantic, athletic, modest, and brave. She reluctantly takes on the role of cardcaptor and is initially fearful of the dangers but she almost always pushes through her fears to do what's needed.
Cardcaptor Sakura relies on a lot of anime and magical girl conventions, but it's unique in that it is generally well written and much of Sakura's situations are grounded in her reality. The solutions Sakura comes up with for defeating certain Clow Cards are things that any kid could think of given enough time. Finally, there is a lightness to the dialogue as the characters tease and joke with one another. The relationship between Sakura and her brother Toya is believable. The series, as a whole, has a nice balance of action, humor, good characters, and design and is well worth seeking out.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about crushes and obsessions. Sakura has a school girl crush on her teacher and her older brother's best friend. How are her crushes similar or different to those in real life where tweens obsess about singers or other popular figures?
Why are Sakura's skirts so short? Girls: How would wearing a skirt that short make you feel? What kind of attention would you get? What other anime conventions do you notice?
Sakura loves to roller blade. What are some of your favorite outdoor activities and sports? How can kids to find a balance between their indoor and outdoor lives?
TV Details
- Premiere date : June 23, 2001
- Cast : Aya Hisakawa, Motoko Kumai, Sakura Tange, Tomokazu Seki
- Networks : WB, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon
- Genre : Anime
- Topics : Magic and Fantasy, Sports and Martial Arts
- TV rating : NR
- Last updated : September 28, 2024
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Cardcaptor Sakura
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