Review: The Life and Times of Juniper Lee
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Parents need to know that the series has its share of cartoon violence, but only the bad monsters get beat up. It's a fun and inoffensive show with some very positive features: a girl super-hero and a refreshing lack of racial stereotypes.
Families can discuss gender roles and stereotypes -- why aren't there more TV heroines like Juniper?
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that the series has its share of
cartoon violence, but only the bad monsters get beat up. It's a
fun and inoffensive show with some very positive features: a
girl super-hero and a refreshing lack of racial
stereotypes.
Families can discuss gender roles and stereotypes -- why aren't there more TV heroines like Juniper?
Common Sense Media Review
The creators of THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JUNIPER LEE have
clearly watched their
Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The setup is nearly
identical, featuring a young girl with mysterious powers and a
sharp tongue that enable her to fight the demons and monsters
that congregate in otherwise peaceful Orchid Bay City (which
bears a strong resemblance to San Francisco).
One twist: Juniper is the only one (with the exception of her younger brother) who can see the monsters, so she spends a lot of time apparently talking to herself and looking odd. But like Buffy, she has her helpers -- a younger brother who will take on any battle, and a Watcher-like character, complete with accent (but instead of a classy Englishman, this time we get a Scottish dog).
It's great to see a girl getting to be the hero, and doing it more or less on her own. Another big plus is the lack of racial stereotyping. Juniper is Asian and the boy she has a crush on is black.
The show's animation is rather flat, though there is an impressive array of monsters and demons, both good and bad. Overall, it's fun and entertaining, and certainly a good lead-in for the more mature pleasures of Buffy.
Fans might also enjoy Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century , W.I.T.C.H., and Jackie Chan Adventures .
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
