Comedy
Dead Boy Detectives
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
Ash Ketchum has one goal in life: to become the greatest Pokémon trainer in the world!
But in order to do that, he’ll have to train the Pokémon he catches; battle other trainers like himself to work his way up through the ranks; and, finally, battle the current Pokémon champion, Leon.
Joining him on his travels (besides his trusty sidekick Pikachu, an electric mouse Pokémon) are siblings Goh and Chloe Cerise, the children of a prestigious Pokémon professor.
Goh’s dream is to catch one of every kind of Pokémon, including the rare and legendary Mew. Chloe, much like the Eevee she’s partnered up with (a Pokémon with unstable DNA that grants it multiple forms of evolution into similar, but more powerful creatures), isn’t quite sure what her path is or where it’ll lead her.
But these friends, along with their Pokémon pals, support each other on their journeys through thick and thin.
Originally an arcade game based in Japan (where it was called Pocket Monsters), the Pokémon franchise covers books, video games, TV shows, movies and, of course, a trading card game.
Pokémon are technically monsters, but they’re often treated as pets—not entirely unlike what we see in How to Train Your Dragon. Most are cute and harmless. But left untrained, these creatures can become quite dangerous to humans.
The show is also predicated on trainers battling each other using their Pokémon. Considering these colorful critters have powers of electricity, fire and more, they can pack quite a punch. Of course, these battles are regulated, similar to how a martial arts or wrestling tournament might go down. And although Pokémon are occasionally wounded, they heal quickly and are typically up and running again by the next episode.
We also have some villains to deal with. Jessie and James of Team Rocket have made an obsession of kidnapping Pokémon from their rightful owners. Ash and Pikachu always manage to blast them away, but somehow, the members of Team Rocket always manage to pick themselves back up again, nurse their bruises and scrapes, and get right back to their nefarious ways.
Some female characters wear revealing clothes, and occasionally characters cross-dress to disguise themselves. There are also frequent references to the mythology of the Pokémon universe. It should also be noted that even though Pokémon have somewhat magic-like abilities, if anything, the world we find here is one that has a very scientific and modern feel to it.
Ash can be a bit headstrong and rash, though it’s usually for a good cause. When he sees someone doing wrong, he rushes in to stop them (even when his friends suggest waiting for help to arrive in the form of adult authority figures).
But even when Ash acts impetuously, it’s usually from his big, generous heart. He’s an earnest, innocent young hero, which feels refreshing in a world where gritty anti-heroes seem to be more and more common, even in kids’ shows. The series also emphasizes the value of teamwork (Ash and his friends often work together to solve problems and they also value the help of their Pokémon), kindness and doing the right thing.
Pokémon battle each other, and some are harmlessly blasted into the distance (along with their human trainers). Pokémon take a few tumbles, though none are seriously injured. Ash and Pikachu fall down a hole in the ground.
Team Rocket tries to kidnap dozens of Pokémon from a playground while their trainers are in school. Two children sneak out of class to protect a Pokémon that is being hunted by suspicious people. (They learn that while the people were trespassing on school property, their actions were not nefarious.) Some Pokémon run away from their owners.
A female character wears a midriff-baring top. A male Pokémon dresses like a human girl. Team Rocket calls Ash and his friends “twerps.”
Emily studied film and writing when she was in college. And when she isn’t being way too competitive while playing board games, she enjoys food, sleep, and geeking out with her husband indulging in their “nerdoms,” which is the collective fan cultures of everything they love, such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate and Lord of the Rings.
Dead Boy Detectives targets teens in style and story. But it comes with very adult, problematic content.
An elf mage contemplates on connection and regret as she watches her human friends grow old and pass away.
