Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby, based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 6+
Potty humor and wacky characters kids will love.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Aaahh!!! Real Monsters is a '90s cartoon from the creators of Rugrats about a class of young monsters learning how to scare humans, but they're far funnier than they are scary, so none but the youngest kids should be affected by their antics. There are wacky predicaments, which kids will love, and a fair amount of potty humor (monsters in the toilets, removable body parts, that sort of thing), which they will really love. This is a very loud show, thanks to a lot of yelling between the characters, and its frantic pace isn't for every kid, but those who do watch will see some pleasant examples of friendship among the main characters.
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Violence & Scariness
very little
The monsters scare humans (and sometimes each other) in any number of ways: popping out of the toilet, jumping out from behind trees, or standing in for everyday objects like golf clubs only to get in the victim's face. Some of the monsters have special "scary" abilities; Oblina's allows her to take out her internal organs and showing them to those around her, for example.
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Positive Messages
a little
Each monster has unique characteristics; some are assets, but others hinder them in certain situations. As a result, no monster goes it alone, and working together is a big part of what gets them by. Gross-out humor is a frequent flier, and many of the monsters have some icky features like excessive body hair, gnarly teeth, or certain oversized body parts. Some predicaments require quick thinking to solve.
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Positive Role Models
very little
Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina are great friends who go to the mat for each other. Their teacher is grouchy and gruff, but ultimately he wants his students to succeed. Despite being monsters, the characters are more entertaining than they are scary.
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Educational Value
none
This show intends to entertain rather than to educate.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
Parent and Kid Reviews
See all
- Parents Say (3)
- Kids Say (3)
age 12+
Based on 3 parent reviews
adryx2019 Parent of 2, 4 and 10-year-old
April 25, 2019
age 10+
It is an unpleasant program
danny800 Adult
April 21, 2019
age 14+
AAAHH!!! Real Monsters was not for little kids
AAAHH!!! real monsters is a very amazing show but its not for kids because its very twisted monsters are said to eat other monsters the grunkle squashes a bug and eats it the monsters can look very disturbing when they scare people theres some meanspirited humor and in one episode theres a tv show that shows a guy holding a gun and knife and it has some adult jokes with that being said AAAHH!!! real monsters is not for kids and i dont reccomend it for anyone under the age of
See all 3 parent reviews
What's the Story?
Hidden below a city dump lies Monster Academy, a school for creatures training to scare humans. The story focuses on three monsters -- shy Ickis (Charles Adler), stinky Krumm (David Eccles), and resourceful Oblina (Christine Cavanaugh) -- following their progress in the art of spooking as they head to the surface to try new tactics on unsuspecting people. Their work is monitored by their grumpy teacher, The Gromble (Gregg Berger), who also keeps tabs on the Pool of Elders, the source of monsters' life force which ebbs and flows as the monsters' success at scaring people fluctuates.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (3):
AAAHH!!! REAL MONSTERS is a story about creatures who pop out of closets, emerge from toilets, and otherwise startle the people they target. On the surface, this concept can be frightening to kids, but the show's animation style coupled with the jovial characters makes sure that their fans won't be fearful for long.
Because it's told from the point of view of the young monsters, there's a lot of absurd and gross-out humor (one of the main characters uses his intense body odor as a weapon, for instance) designed to please kids, but adults will also appreciate the creative, off-beat content and menagerie of characters. Very young viewers may not make the distinction between reality and fantasy regarding the concept of monsters, but those who can will find this series a fun departure from real life.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether this show is scary. Are any of the characters particularly intimidating to you? If so, what makes them frightening? Is it their appearance or their mannerisms?
Kids: How are Ickis and his friends similar to you and your peers? What do they think of school? Their teacher? What can we learn from cartoon characters like them?
Families can talk about how diversity is portrayed in the show. How do the characters' differences make them a good team? Does each one get a chance to be the star at some point? What unique traits do you think are your best?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 29, 1994
- Cast : Charles Adler, Christine Cavanaugh, David Eccles
- Network : Nickelodeon
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Adventures, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- TV rating : TV-Y
- Last updated : October 27, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
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