How to explain to my 10 year old niece that Puella Magi Madoka Magica is not a kids show?


My 10 year old niece loves watching cartoons, and she has a Netflix kids
account for her with all parental controls. But while I was browsing my
account, she took notice of the Madoka Magica cover and became quite curious
and interested.

Logically for her (and many people who see it for the first time) it shouldn't
be a problem because it's a colorful anime with magical girls with cute
designs.

How do I explain to her that this one is not like the others in a way that
makes sense?




Perhaps by letting them know that **in Japan, _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_ is a
[late night anime**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_night_anime), not a
[children's
anime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_anime_and_manga)?

Children's anime in Japan is an anime that caters to audience from baby up to
middle schooler. Examples are _Pretty Cure series_ (and most of magical girl
anime), _Doraemon_ , _Hello Kitty_ , and _Pokèmon_. The screening times are
either morning (weekend) or evening, where children are on their free time
(not school time).

Late night anime, on the other hand, tends to cater to audience from teenage
to young adult, usually with more serious & in-depth plot, and even violence
and sexual topic. Other examples are _Cowboy Bebop_ , _Rozen Maiden_ , and
_Attack on Titan_. The screening time may start as early as 10pm, up to 2am,
the time which children should have been sleeping.

* * *

For your 10-year-old niece case... I think I can agree with other answers: let
her watch it with parental guidance (though I wish their parents should have
known about this anime first), then let her judge the anime by herself.

* * *

P.S. _Sailor Moon series_ is also listed as children's anime, and I could
argue with myself that the series sometimes also has dark and adult-oriented
theme that can only be understood by older viewers, so...

Most of the info was taken from Japanese Wikipedia, not its English
counterpart, since it's more descriptive.




Perhaps by letting them know that **in Japan, _Puella Magi Madoka Magica_ is a
[late night anime**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_night_anime), not a
[children's
anime](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children%27s_anime_and_manga)?

Children's anime in Japan is an anime that caters to audience from baby up to
middle schooler. Examples are _Pretty Cure series_ (and most of magical girl
anime), _Doraemon_ , _Hello Kitty_ , and _Pokèmon_. The screening times are
either morning (weekend) or evening, where children are on their free time
(not school time).

Late night anime, on the other hand, tends to cater to audience from teenage
to young adult, usually with more serious & in-depth plot, and even violence
and sexual topic. Other examples are _Cowboy Bebop_ , _Rozen Maiden_ , and
_Attack on Titan_. The screening time may start as early as 10pm, up to 2am,
the time which children should have been sleeping.

* * *

For your 10-year-old niece case... I think I can agree with other answers: let
her watch it with parental guidance (though I wish their parents should have
known about this anime first), then let her judge the anime by herself.

* * *

P.S. _Sailor Moon series_ is also listed as children's anime, and I could
argue with myself that the series sometimes also has dark and adult-oriented
theme that can only be understood by older viewers, so...

Most of the info was taken from Japanese Wikipedia, not its English
counterpart, since it's more descriptive.

