Common Sense Media Review
By Danae Stahlnecker , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 14+
Pop music is a battle in funny anime with swears, drinking.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a lot
Setting includes Tokyo party scene in Shibuya. Characters work as bartenders at a dance club. They frequently attend music festivals, clubs, and concerts where people are drinking in the background. Main characters only occasionally drink. In one scene, background characters pour tequila down someone's throat and encourage excessive drinking. He's briefly shown to be intoxicated.
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Language
some
Somewhat frequent mild profanity ("hell," "dang," "damn," "ass," "my god") and a single censored used of "motherf----r." Some characters swap insults in rap battles or as taunting before a performance.
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Violence & Scariness
a little
A character mentions their history with depression and attempted suicide. A brief flashback shows the character being stopped from harming themselves, with no graphic detail on screen. Kongming has occasional flashbacks to his time in war. He openly discuss the tragedy of war without excessive graphic detail.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
Female singers sometimes wear tight-fighting clothes that show some skin (cleavage, midriff). Brief close-up image of woman's cleavage in a low-cut top. Shower scene where nothing below shoulders is shown.
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Products & Purchases
very little
Aspiring musicians seek fame and money. Characters compete for likes on social media to win a contest. Some altered logos clearly shown (e.g., "Pinstigram").
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Positive Messages
some
Themes include friendship, perseverance, and making a more peaceful world. Music is a powerful tool for inspiring people and bringing them together. Success is the result of passion, hard work, clever strategy, and having the right connections.
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Positive Role Models
some
Kongming turns his back on war but uses his knowledge, strategizing skills, and social know-how to help people find success. He aims to make the world a peaceful place. Eiko is passionate and doesn't give up on her dreams even when she has doubts. She inspires other musicians to chase their love of music more than the benefits of fame.
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Diverse Representations
a little
Kongming is a military strategist from ancient China who is reborn in modern Japan. His knowledge and backstory reference real-world history. While war is shown to be bad, his strategies are portrayed as brilliant and effective even in the modern music industry. There is an even mix of male and female characters with important roles in the story. Although Kongming provides Eiko with a lot of strategy support, Eiko's own passion and skill propel her success. They work together as a balanced team and inspire each other equally.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Ya Boy Kongming! is a lighthearted comedy about the surprising overlap between ancient Chinese war strategy and the modern party music industry. There's little violence apart from Kongming (voiced by Joe Daniels in the English dub) remembering former battles, but these flashbacks aren't very gory. Characters briefly reference attempted suicide. Partying and drinking come up a lot since characters work and perform at bars, dance clubs, and music festivals. There's occasional excessive drinking, but it's brief and not central to the story. Language includes profanity (e.g., "hell," "damn," "ass") with stronger curses bleeped. Some female characters wear tight-fitting clothes with a focus on exposed skin (cleavage, midriff). The story emphasizes the unlikely but inspiring friendship between Kongming and Eiko (voiced by Juliet Simmons in the English dub). Characters learn about friendship, perseverance, being true to one's self, and the power of music.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Ya Boy Kongming!
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What's the Story?
YA BOY KONGMING! follows the second life of renown Chinese military strategist Zhuge Kongming (voiced by Joe Daniels) and his new friend, Eiko Tsukimi (voiced by Juliet Simmons). On his deathbed, Kongming wishes to be reborn into a peaceful life—only to end up in the party hub of modern Tokyo. A chance encounter leads him to Eiko, an aspiring singer whose voice moves Kongming to tears, and he vows to use his expertise to make Eiko's dreams come true.
Is It Any Good?
This out-of-the-box anime with a ridiculous premise is surprisingly compelling but is mostly good for a casual laugh. Ya Boy Kongming! knows that it is first and foremost a comedy, and it does a good job of mixing dry and situational humor. At the same time, when important topics (war, suicide, depression, self-doubt) do come up, the story treats them seriously without getting preachy or morose. The characters do experience complicated conflicts, but problems are solved before things get too deep. Overall, it's a fun show with likable characters, but don't expect much more than that.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about achieving your goals. What challenging things do the characters choose to do to achieve their dreams?
What do the characters each learn about themselves by collaborating with other musicians and professionals? How does playing music help each character express themselves?
How does the show's version of Kongming compare to the real-world person? What lessons can we learn from what the show both includes from history and what it leaves out?
TV Details
- Premiere date: March 30, 2022
- Cast: Juliet Simmons, Joe Daniels, David Matranga
- Network: Hulu
- Genre: Anime
- Topics: Music and Sing-Along
- Character Strengths: Perseverance
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: September 13, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
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Ya Boy Kongming!
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