Anime for Young Children?

[Cabrini6000]

My six year old little sister has recently gotten obsessed with the anime "Fruits Basket". I know it probably wasn't the best thing to show her as a children's anime, but she watched it on her own on Netflix. Anyway, what I'm looking for is some more age-appropriate animes in the same vein. She also likes Pokemon, Digimon, Sailor Moon, Hamtaro, and Studio Ghibli movies. Is there anything else that she would like? I've considered Naruto and One Piece, but I'll probably wait a few years considering the violence level. No sex, no heavy violence, no scary moments, and no moments that are too heavy for young kids. Any suggestions?

[SeijiSensei]

Take a look at these threads to start, then come back if you need more help:

http://forums.animesuki.com/tags.php?tag=girls
http://forums.animesuki.com/tags.php?tag=children

My overall recommendation would be that pre-screening is a must.

[Ledgem]

You're in luck - there are quite a few that were designed for that age group.

Cardcaptor Sakura is a good one with a long length (96 episodes and three movies, if I remember correctly). I think it's the perfect choice.

Full Moon wo Sagashite is one that she would probably enjoy, although it has more of a romantic undertone; there's nothing inappropriate (although maybe Meroko's outfit might be...) but she might not really appreciate it at this stage.

Angelic Layer is another one that I'd imagine a young girl would enjoy. The main character is a middle school student, which probably indicates the target age group. There's some animated violence (the series is based around dolls fighting each other) but it's nothing too bad, in my opinion.

[mecharobot]

Yumeiro Patissiere is a nice one. Motivational, light fun, just a tiny bit of romance and it is also somewhat educational. And I'm not saying this because it is designed for little girls, but because I liked it myself. Although, I probably wouldn't have liked it back when I was still a kid, so it may not always be as obvious as it seems.

[Kirito]

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Air and Dog Days are really great shows and my personal favourites.

[Ledgem]

Originally Posted by Deikan

Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Air and Dog Days are really great shows and my personal favourites.

... for a six year old girl?

[Random32]

I would recommend strongly against Madoka and AIR TV. Both are fairly mature series.

I grew up on Doraemon, don't think there's an English version though. Probably subs exist.

I would suggest Detective Conan. A good like 600+ episodes and a few movies. Some violence and scary moments, but its definitely aimed at kids.

[Kotohono]

Originally Posted by Random32

I would recommend strongly against Madoka and AIR TV. Both are fairly mature series.

Agreed, if she were teenage at least would be fine, but at 6 to show them one of those series, no way .

I'll second Cardcaptor Sakura, I've finally been watching it personally, it's a great series. (Though it's 70 episodes + movies, not 90)

[Kimidori]

second Dog Days and suggest Princess Tutu, i think they suit children well

[Kirito]

Sorry forgive me, I thought that she was close to teen years.

Scratch Madoka and Air. How about 5 Centimetres per Second, Sora No Wo To, Spirited Away and K-ON!!. How about that...better?

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

How about Pretty Cure? Also, a title that’s rarely mentioned that I think will suit little girls would be Ashita no Nadja:

Spoiler for Nadja:

[Eragon]

Seconding K-ON! & Cardcaptor Sakura

[MisaoFan]

I will recommend Jewelpet and Pretty Rhythm : both are anime targeted at young girls and they will suit her tastes (no nudity, violence, scary or heavily depressing moments). Thirding Card Captor Sakura and seconding Nadja (I really like this anime when I was little) and PreCure !

[Haak]

I would actually recommend Shugo Chara.

[SeijiSensei]

Originally Posted by Ledgem

Angelic Layer is another one that I'd imagine a young girl would enjoy. The main character is a middle school student, which probably indicates the target age group. There's some animated violence (the series is based around dolls fighting each other) but it's nothing too bad, in my opinion.

Angelic Layer is a good example of a show where the maturity and life experiences of the child matter a lot. My concerns about shows for young children usually have more to do with the relationships and events portrayed rather than the usual issues of sexuality and violence. Misaki's mother is a strange and remote person whose unwillingness to be involved in her daughter's life remains a mystery until the very end. A child with an uncertain relationship to her own mother might have problems with this aspect of the show, even though many other children wouldn't care at all. There's also Dr. Icchan, whose pursuit of Misaki might seem lecherous or even frightening to a young child uncomfortable with strangers.

These are the reasons why I said earlier that pre-screening is pretty much mandatory. Exceptions might apply for shows like Precure and Jewelpet where the target audience is clearly young girls. For the types of shows people here generally watch, pre-screening is a must.

I'll leave you with another example, Kemono no Sou-ja Erin. This might be an excellent choice for your sister, but I would require you (and your parents) to watch through episode seven before deciding. Nijuu Mensou no Musume is another option, but again you need to watch at least through episode six. Make sure you include your parents in these decisions.

Oh, yes, there's also the issue of subtitles. You'll need to watch subtitled shows together so you can gauge whether your sister can keep up with reading. If you're getting a lot of requests to read the subs or explain what's going on, try another show or stick to dubs.

[Supah Em]

DORAEMON - you cant go wrong with that

[Cabrini6000]

Thank you so much everyone! Based on all the shows mentioned, I will probably show her Cardcaptor Sakura, and then when she completes that show, I will continue with the other shows mentioned.

Thanks for the help!

[kona~chan]

try Mahoujin Guru Guru, chibi maruko chan, Azuki-chan, Sugar A Little Snow Fairy, Akazukin Chacha
well some of these maybe hard to get though

[Sackett]

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Aria
K-On!
Cross Game (deals with death, but in an age appropriate way I think)
Whisper of the Heart

[sa547]

I don't know, but Mirumo de Pon and Doraemon should work fine, plus the first iteration of Pretty Cure. Also, anything from Hayao Miyazaki.

As always, review anything you want to show to your niece beforehand, including content ratings and guides for parents.