A Good Anime for kids

[Drakmeire]

Me and my little sister never really got along well, it might have something to do with me being nine years older then her. Lately I have been trying to find a way to get her into anime after she showed interest when she saw my cosplays. I have been anime fan for about 3 years and it really helped me overcome a lot of my social anxiety, as well as find groups of people I could really get along with; since she has a hard time getting along with people I figured it would be perfect for her as well.
She is 11 and I would like a shorter series (something under 50 episodes) and not too complex.
I was thinking that shows like Azumanga Daioh and Lucky Star would work well and later move on to something like Princess Tutu, She already showed interest in Gurren Lagann but I'm not sure my mom would like her watching that.
so any suggestions would be appreciated... and if you say Elfen Lied, Bible Black or Higurashi I might have to punch you.
Shortened version: Sister is 11, Need anime that we can watch together.

 

[Drakmeire]

Ok so I guess I'll have to go with my original plan.
I thought all anime threads shot up quick.

 

[geK0]

how old is she exactly?
Soul Eater is pretty clean, bar a few scenes which are pg13 at most.

 

[Drakmeire]

how old is she exactly?
Soul Eater is pretty clean, bar a few scenes which are pg13 at most.

I said in the description, she's 11, I'll wait a few more years before I show her Soul Eater (my 2nd favorite series) and then show her Fullmetal alchemist.

 

[Toriver]

I'm probably blaspheming to many of the elitist anime fans here, but it might be time to get out at least two of the "Big 3": One Piece and Naruto (Bleach may be a bit too violent and fanservicey yet). Especially One Piece. They are very long and still running, but just show her perhaps one story arc from each and see how she likes them. Stuff like Fairy Tail might also be good. You definitely don't want to get into stuff with any mature themes for an 11-year-old kid, no matter how mature the kid may seem or how good the production quality of the anime is. Please, just remember that she's still a young kid when you're making your choices. Innocence is a good thing: I think far too many gamers have forgotten that lately. *sigh*

 

[Drakmeire]

I'm probably blaspheming to many of the elitist anime fans here, but it might be time to get out at least two of the "Big 3": One Piece and Naruto (Bleach may be a bit too violent and fanservicey yet). Especially One Piece. They are very long and still running, but just show her perhaps one story arc from each and see how she likes them. Stuff like Fairy Tail might also be good. You definitely don't want to get into stuff with any mature themes for an 11-year-old kid, no matter how mature the kid may seem or how good the production quality of the anime is. Please, just remember that she's still a young kid when you're making your choices. Innocence is a good thing: I think far too many gamers have forgotten that lately. *sigh*

That would be fine but I want something short because like Yahtzee said, you can only judge a story after it's ended. I still think Slice-of-life would be the best place to start. I haven't watched K-On yet but that seems it would be good for a family show.

 

[SckizoBoy]

OK...

I'd go for the following:

Azumanga Daioh (26) - six girls every day eccentric life in high school, along with two crazy teachers (one more so than the other)... not sure about Kimura-sensei though... (Hyakko (13) is basically the same thing, only more slapstick)
Aria (13 + 26 + 1 + 13) - three girls learning to be gondoliers on Mars, a lot of nothing happening but it's a cosy slice-of-life series that appreciates everyday things
Okami-san to Shichinin no Nakama-tachi (12) - a high-school 'bank' with a well executed twist on (largely) European folktales (a bit of violence, but bloodless and amusing at times)
Fuujin Monogatari (13) - (warning, a real acquired taste) a very different visual style, but laid back and an interesting take on a superpower
K-On! & !! (13 + 26) - already been mentioned
Most Hayao Miyazaki films - surely you've watched some of the Ghibli stuff?! (My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away, the Cat Returns (this one especially because it's almost outright comedy) etc. etc.)
Bamboo Blade (26) - high school kendo club, sports/slice-of-life/comedy pretty much sums this up
Taishou Yakyuu Musume (13) - good illustration of early C20th Japanese culture + baseball + underdog story (apologies, more high school girls... this isn't really reflecting well upon me, is it?!)
Natsume Yuujinchou (13 + 13 + 13?) - going into a third series, but it's a pleasant episodic take on Japanese fairytales/mythology
Jigoku Shoujo (26 + 26 + ??) - haven't seen the third series, but for something with a bit of horror, though it can be considered rather tame

Uh, that's all for now... I think...

 

[Ronan117]

Almost anything from Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli.
Stuff i watched as a kid:
Beyblades, Zoids, Metabots, pokemon, digimon etc... (on that, almost anything that was on cheese TV back in the day)

 

[Katana314]

If you can find the movie The Girl who Leapt through Time, it's pretty visually interesting. I just vaguely worry that it's a little too artsy and hard to follow.

I'm not so sure about Naruto and the other big ones; I'm pretty sure right in episode 1, someone has a throwing star the size of a TV thrown into their back, and survives, staggering. Depending on which version you're watching, it has quite a lot of blood.

I haven't watched them myself, but supposedly Azumanga Daioh or Lucky Star would work. They're meant to be pretty age-appropriate (even if a large part of their viewership is probably strange older men)

 

[Owlslayer]

I'd suggest Azumanga Daioh. Such an lovely anime. Nothing else comes to mind at the moment.

 

[ThriKreen]

I always recommend El Hazard for a first timer anime, it's first season is pretty self-contained and can stand alone. Lot of action and adventure, humour, decent story, and not a lot of horrible stuff - I guess the hot springs scene might be objectionable to parents for some nudity (yet why is violence always better for kids?).

I would recommend to not show her the slice of life series like Azumanga Daioh right away because it requires knowledge of Japanese culture to get the references and jokes.

 

[Ultra Man30]

Well you may want to try Heroman, it is a pretty good anime created by Stan Lee. It involves a kid who gets a robot whom he names "Heroman" and his quest to save his city from alien invaders.

 

[ddrfr33k]

Azumanga Daioh is hilarious, albeit head-scratching. She may not get all the humor in that series.

You may want to consider Trigun. It's got a dorky protagonist, some great action sequences, not too much violence, and it's got a good story to boot. You can watch it on hulu for free. They have the subbed version.