Parents need to know that Zig & Sharko is a silent animated series from France with a lot of cartoon-style violence — explosions, crashes, extensive falls, etc. — that’s meant to be funny rather than fearful and never yields any consequences. The show centers on one character’s persistent attempts at catching and eating his mermaid neighbor, all of which are foiled by the friendly neighborhood shark. Despite the plotline, the would-be victim is never in any real danger, so there’s no sense of peril to the content. Kids will also notice the surprising relationship between the shark and the mermaid, which is a good reminder that what’s on the inside is more important than what’s on the outside when it comes to friendship. There are some gender issues that might concern parents, with the mermaid’s constant primping and the sea king’s flirting.
