Television Review: Di-Gata Defenders
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that, as anime goes, this show is
relatively tame for school-aged kids (it doesn't have any of
the dark psychological drama or sexuality that mark
adult-targeted series), as long as you're OK with the frequent
dueling and other forms of violence. Expect to see explosive,
mystical fights as the Defenders throw their dice-like stones
in the air. Characters get hurt, are threatened and kidnapped,
and get fearful and angry; dialogue touches on death,
destruction, and annihilation. There are also very mild
flirtations between the four main male and female teen
characters -- two boys and two girls -- who all bring their own
unique skills and challenges to their team and work well
together.
Families can talk about the personalities of the four teens and
why they work well as a team. What does each bring to the
group? Also, supporting character Adam may prompt a good
discussion with kids about teens who don't fit in. Adam doesn't
fully mesh with either the Defenders or with the thieves. Does
that make him relatable? Why? Why do you think he has trouble
fitting in? Families can also discuss the popularity of anime.
What's appealing about this style of show and animation? What
sets it apart from other cartoons?
DI-GATA DEFENDERS revolves around four likeable teens -- Seth (voiced by Noah Cappe), Melosa (Martha MacIssac), Erik (Dan Petronijevic), and Kara (Stephanie Beard) -- who have to carry on their parents' mission to save the RaDos realm from the evil Nazmul (Lawrence Bayne) and his minions. The show's appeal lies in these characters and their abilities to throw Di-Gata stones -- which look like explosive dice filled with mystical energy. The unfolding storyline has a relatively easy-to-follow plot (for anime), so missing an episode or two isn't that big a deal.
The four Defenders work together, laugh together, sometimes make mistakes, and are always intensely loyal to each other. They function well as a team, but each also has his or her own individual challenges to face -- some of which affect battle outcomes. They're still learning about trusting outsiders and what they're fully capable of doing themselves. Their vulnerability makes them even more relatable for younger anime fans.
With an abundance of anime on the small screen today, there's a wide range of violence and darkness levels out there. Di-Gata Defenders fits the bill for school-aged kids who are interested in the genre but aren't nearly ready for darkness of Paranoia Agent or the sexual undertones of Samurai Champloo. (That said, there are still fight scenes in every episode, and characters are kidnapped, poisoned, and threatened.)
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