
Kodomomuke translates from Japanese as "intended for children" and predictably indicates anime and manganote aimed at a demographic of children younger than the typical 12-18 shonennote and shoujonote viewers. Kodomomuke works are generally aimed at the 3-to-10-year-old range and are usually more gender-neutral than shōnen and shoujo. This sort of media often makes the transition from Japanese to Western audiences with fewer changes, being more easily comparable to most of your typical G-rated children's cartoons than shōnen and shōjo anime are.
One indicator that a show is of kodomomuke fare is if it spawns a kiddie ride shortly after launch, although given that even shows like One Piece and Gundam have spawned rides, it's not even a reliable indicator.
None of this is meant to imply that you need to feel odd about liking anything on the list. Enjoy yourself! We won't judge you. Many, in fact, are considered all-time classics (multiple Studio Ghibli movies are classified as kodomo, for one).
It's important to note that most anime that don't air in late-night timeslotsnote are "kodomomuke".note However, because of cultural and societal differences (and because of how ambiguous some shows can be at times anyway), it may not come off this way.note This list only covers shows that could potentially air outside of Japan with little, if any edits or other changes.
Compare to Children's Comics. Also compare to Preschool Show, which several of these anime go under. Many of them, however, are more equivalent to shows aimed at elementary-schoolers (not unlike most of the western cartoons you probably watched on Saturday mornings as a kid); these older-skewing kodomomuke shows may cross over into shōnen or shoujo territory on occasion.
Examples:
- 21 Emon
- The Adventures of Peter Pan
- The Aikatsu! franchise
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (JP) (anime TV series from 1983)
- Andersen Monogatari
- Animal Yokocho
- Anime Oyako Gekijou ("Anime Parent and Child Theater"), along with its second season Persocom Travel Tanteidan ("PC Travel Detectives"). Both were dubbed in English as Superbook.
- Numerous works by Takashi Yanase fall into this, including animated adaptations.
- Yasashii Lion (The Kindly Lion/The Gentle Lion)
- Little Jumbo
- Bara no Hana to Joe (The Rose Flower and Joe)
- The Anpanman franchise
- Mighty Cat Masked Niyandar
- Asari-chan
- Ashita no Nadja
- Astro Boy (manga and anime)
- Baby Felix and Friends
- Bakugan
- Bakuto Sengen Daigunder
- Bannertail: The Adventures of Gray Squirrel
- B-Densetsu! ("B-Legend!") Battle B-Daman, and it's sequel series B-Daman Fire Spirits.
- Barbapapa (especially including Barbapapa Around the World)
- The Battle Spirits franchise, excluding the series of ON As beginning with Saga Brave
- Battle Spirits Shonen Toppa Bashin
- Battle Spirits Shonen Gekiha Dan and its sequel Battle Spirits Brave
- Battle Spirits Heroes
- Battle Spirits Sword Eyes
- Battle Spirits Saikyo Ginga Ultimate Zero
- Battle Spirits Burning Soul
- Battle Spirits Double Drive
- Beyblade
- Bakuten Shoot Beyblade
- Metal Fight Beyblade/Beyblade: Metal Masters
- Metal Fight Beyblade Zero-G/Beyblade: Shogun Steel
- Beyblade Burst
- Bumpety Boo (known as Hey! Bunbuu!'' in Japan)
- Bomberman B-Daman Bakugaiden
- Bomberman Jetters
- Bonobono
- Butt Detective
- Calimero
- Castle in the Sky
- Chibi Maruko-chan
- Chinpui
- Coji-Coji
- Croket (pronounced like "croquet")
- Cross Fight B-Daman (dubbed in English as B-Daman Crossfire)
- Cyborg Kuro-chan
- Daisuki! BuBu ChaCha
- Damekko Doubutsu
- Deko Boko Friends (along with anything else that aired as part of Okaasan to Isshonote )
- The Digimon franchisenote
- Dinosaur King
- Don Chuck Monogatari (aired in French in Canada as Le Petit Castor)
- Don Don Dommel to Ron ("Don Don Dommel and Ron"; dubbed in English as Wowsernote )
- The Doraemon franchise (a seriously Long Runner consisting of various manga and anime worksnote )
- Original Doraemon
- The Duel Masters franchise
- Fairy Idol Kanon
- Furusato Saisei Nippon no Mukashi Banashi (''Hometown Rebuilding: Folktales From Japan)note
- Manga Furusato Mukashi Banashi (loosely, "Animated Homeland Folktales")note
- Manga Nippon Mukashi Banashi (loosely, "Animated Japanese Folktales")note
- Futago no Monchhichi ("Monchhichi Twins", an anime series from 1980 based on the Monchhichi franchisenote )
- Fuusen Shoujo Temple-chan (Balloon Girl Temple-channote )
- Fushigi na Koala Blinky to Printy (Blinky and Printy, the Mysterious Koalas; AKA: The Noozles)
- Grimm's Fairy Tale Classics
- Hamtaro
- Hana No Ko Lun Lun
- Happy Happy Clover
- Hare Tokidoki Buta ("Fine and Partly Piggy"; AKA: Tokyo Pig)
- Hero Bank
- Himitsu no Akko-chan (all three series)
- Honey Honey
- Honeybee Hutch
- Hoshi no Ouji-sama: Petit Prince (dubbed in Englishnote as "The Adventures Of The Little Prince")
- The Inazuma Eleven seriesnote
- Jikuu Tantei Genshi-kun (AKA: Flint the Time Detective)
- Kagaku Kyuujo Tai Techno Boyager ("Scientific Rescue Team Techno Boyager"; AKA: Thunderbirds 2086)
- Kaiketsu Zorori
- Kamisama Minarai: Himitsu no Cocotama
- Kiki's Delivery Service (based on a children's novel)
- Kimba the White Lion (along with the other animated incarnations)
- Kira Kira Happy Hirake Cocotama
- Kirarin☆Revolution (Viz Media holds the license for this show under the name "Kilari"note )
- Kirby: Right Back at Ya! (adaptation of the Kirby franchise; known in Japan as Hoshi no Kirby/Kirby of the Stars, the same name used for the video games.note )
- Kiteretsu Daihyakka
- Klonoa
- Koala Boy Kokki (AKA: The Adventures of the Little Koala)
- Kyatto Ninden Teyandee (AKA: Samurai Pizza Cats)
- Kujira no Josephina
- Leave it to PET!
- The various manga adaptations of The Legend of Zelda franchise.
- Little Lulu
- Little Memole (released in English as "Wee Wendy" in the form of an edited compilation film)
- Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (also known as simply, "Little Nemo")
- Little Pollon
- Little Ghost Q-Taro
- Lu Over the Wall
- The Lupin VIII pilotnote likely would have been a Kodomomuke version of the Lupin III franchise, which is otherwise very much meant for older viewers.
- Mahou Tsukai Sally (Sally the Witch)
- Kupū~!! Mamegoma!
- The Magical DoReMi franchise
- Majokko Tickle (little known Go Nagai creation)
- Maple Town Monogatari (Maple Town Stories)note and its sequel series Shin Maple Town Monogatari: Palm Town Hen (New Maple Town Stories: Palm Town Saganote ).
- Maya the Bee (Includes both Mitsubachi Maya no Boukennote , and Shin [New] Mitsubachi Maya no Bouken.)
- Medabots: Nearly all of the franchise's manga spinoffs ran in the children's magazine Comic BomBom.
- Meiken Jolie (AKA: Belle and Sebastiannote )
- Midori No Makibao
- Mini Moni The Movie: Okashi na Daibōken!
- Miriya & Marie
- Mirumo de Pon! (licensed by Viz Media as Mirmo Zibang)
- Mazāgūsubideo tango-chō note (known as Mother Goose Songs & Rhymes in the west): A Japanese direct-to-video series that adapts numerous Nursery Rhymes, Lullabies, and children's songs with cute anthropomorphic animals. The series was made by Triangle Staff, with a total of 11 volumes released between 1988 and 1991. Only the first three were released outside Japan.
- Mojacko
- Mokku of the Oak Tree (AKA: Saban's Adventures of Pinocchio)
- Monster Farm (AKA: Monster Rancher)
- Mori no Youki na Kobitotachi Belfy and Lillibit (Merry Little People of the Forest Belfy and Lillibit; AKA: The Littl' Bits)
- Muka Muka Paradise
- The Mysterious Cities of Gold (original Japanese version is called Taiyou no Ko Esteban, or "Esteban: Child of the Sun")
- My Neighbor Totoro
- Nyanpire: The Animation
- Ninja Hattori
- Nintama Rantarou
- Nyanpire: The Animation
- Ojarumaru
- Okko's Inn (based on a children's novel)
- One Stormy Night: Secret Friends
- Ore wa Otoko Da! Kunio-kun
- Oyako Club
- Parappa The Rapper
- Pecola
- Perman
- Pikaia
- Piccolino no Bouken
- Pokémon:
- Pokémon: The Series, especially the later seasons, although the earlier movies are more family-oriented and the XY series has a few Shōnen spin-off specials.
- Pokémon Adventures
- Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl Adventure!
- Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Ginji's Rescue Team
- Pom Poko
- Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
- Popee the Performer
- Powerpuff Girls Z
- The Pretty Cure franchise
- Pretty Sammy (Specifically, the TV series that was released by Pioneernote as "Magical Project S" in North America)
- The Pretty Series
- Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
- Pretty Rhythm Dear My Future
- Pretty Rhythm: Rainbow Live
- Pretty Rhythm All-Star Selection (a partial clip show series)
- PriPara
- Kiratto Pri☆Chan
- Waccha PriMagi!
- Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream
- Rockman: Hoshi ni Negai o (AKA: Mega Man: Upon a Star, part of the Mega Man franchise; an educational OVA meant to teach viewers about Japan)
- MegaMan NT Warrior (2002)"note , based on the games known as Mega Man Battle Network
- Rokumon Tengai Moncolle Knights
- Shima Shima Tora no Shimajirō (Striped Island Tiger Shimajirō, mostly known in the West due to Memetic Mutation from a clip of a potty-training episode that went viral).
- Many, many anime of franchises owned by Sanrio.
- Dream Star Button Nose
- Hello Kitty
- Jewelpet (however, some seasons are explicitly intended for a slightly older audience)
- Onegai My Melody
- Ringing Bell (known as Chirin no Suzu in Japan) is a major subversion. See the article for details.
- SugarBunnies
- Usahana: Yumemiru Ballerina
- Mewkledreamy
- Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion
- Shizuku-chan
- Sonic the Hedgehog:
- Space Bug (CGI series; a Japan / South Korea co-production)note
- Spider Riders
- Splatoon, serialized in CoroCoro Comic
- Spoon Oba-san (anime adaptation of Mrs Pepperpot)
- Spellbound! Magical Princess Lil'Pri
- Stitch!
- Super Doll★Licca-chan
- Super Mario Bros.:
- Super Pig
- Suzy's Zoo: Daisuki! Witzy
- Sylvanian Families
- Tama & Friends
- Tamagotchi
- Yanase takashi meruhen gekijō (Takashi Yanase Theatre)
- Time Bokan
- Tomica Hyper Rescue Drive Head Kidou Kyuukyuu Keisatsu
- Tomica Kizuna Gattai Earth Granner
- Tondera House no Daibouken (Adventures of the Flying House)
- Transformers:
- The three Japanese created sequel series to the original G1 series (Transformers: ★Headmasters, Transformers: Super-God Masterforce, and Transformers Victory)
- Transformers: Car Robot (dubbed in English as Transformers: Robots in Disguisenote )
- The "Unicron trilogy" (Transformers: Armada, Transformers: Energon, and Transformers Galaxy Force)
- Tweeny Witches
- Twin Princess of Wonder Planetnote
- Vicky the Viking
- Ulysses 31
- Unico
- Unico: Black Cloud and White Feather
- The Fantastic Adventures of Unico
- Unico in the Island of Magic
- Saving our Fragile Earth: Unico Special Chapter
- Mr. Pinoko's Forest Adventures
- Unico: Awakening, an upcoming re-imagining of the original Unico series.
- Wan Wan Celeb Soreyuke! Tetsunoshin
- The Wizard of Oz
- The Wonderful Galaxy of Oz (AKA Space Oz no Bouken)
- The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- World Masterpiece Theater (Click for more details.)
- Yo-Kai Watch
- Yo-Kai Watch (anime series)
- Yo-Kai Watch (manga series)
- Yo-kai Watch Jam - Yo-kai Academy Y: Close Encounters of the N Kind
- Yo-kai Watch: Shadowside
- Yumeiro Pâtissičre
- Yume no Crayon Oukoku
- Zettai Zetsumei Dangerous Jii-san (lit. "Absolute Death: Dangerous Grandpa"note )
- The Zoids franchise (including Zoids: Chaotic Century and Zoids: New Century)
- Zo Zo Zombie (manga and Web Animation series)