Kubo and the Two Strings: Age Rating & Sequel Guide

Kubo and the Two Strings delivers visual wonder alongside moments intense enough to give younger viewers nightmares. Parents often find themselves asking whether it’s right for their child before pressing play.

Release Year: 2016 · Director: Travis Knight · Setting: Feudal Japan · Protagonist: Kubo, a young boy · Animation Style: Stop-motion

Is Kubo appropriate for children?

The MPAA rating for Kubo and the Two Strings reads PG for “thematic elements, scary images, action, and peril” (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial). That descriptor undersells the intensity. Multiple family review sites flag the film as genuinely frightening for younger audiences, with kids as old as seven reporting being scared by specific scenes.

Age rating details

Kids-in-Mind rates the film at 4/10 for violence and gore, 0/10 for sex and nudity, and 1/10 for language (Kids-in-Mind). Those numbers look mild on paper, but the visual execution of the violence—the giant skeleton, the underwater eyeball monsters, the building-sized bones—creates an visceral impact that numerical ratings cannot fully capture.

Rotten Tomatoes’ editorial team recommends children around age 8 or 9 and older, noting that “creepy imagery might frighten younger viewers” (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial). Under the Radar Magazine calls it a “Hard PG,” comparing its terror intensity to the Swamp of Sadness scene in The NeverEnding Story (Under the Radar Mag). Screenwise App suggests ages 11 and up for children who can appreciate the stop-motion craft alongside the story’s weightier themes of family and grief (Screenwise App).

Parent reviews

Real parent reviews offer a split picture. One YouTube reviewer—a parent identified as Diane Mizota—states that viewers “may want to consider leaving kids 9 and under at home” due to spooky characters and the scene where evil sisters take Kubo’s eye (Mom’s Movie Minute YouTube). Others report success with children as young as seven, provided they preview the film first or are already comfortable with darker fairy tales.

Content warnings

Movieguide flags several elements parents should know: the Moon King grandfather steals eyes, evil aunts pursue Kubo relentlessly, and the opening sequence shows a mother fleeing in a storm carrying an infant with one missing eye (Movieguide). The film also promotes Buddhist themes—praying to ancestors, souls shifting places—which some faith-based review sites criticize as conflicting with a Christian worldview (Movieguide).

On the positive side, Rotten Tomatoes notes themes of bravery, resourcefulness, compassion, forgiveness, and the importance of parents—values that make the frightening elements worth processing (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial). Kids-in-Mind also points to the film’s suitability for sparking family conversations about death, immortality, and memory (Kids-in-Mind). The violence is moderate animated sword fighting with no foul language, sexual content, or nudity (Movieguide).

The movie’s frightening and dark moments are enough to warrant caution for children.

— Movieguide Reviewer, Movieguide

What culture is Kubo and the Two Strings based on?

Kubo and the Two Strings draws deeply from Japanese folklore and the visual culture of Feudal Japan. The story’s setting, characters, and magical elements draw from Shinto and Buddhist traditions common in that era of Japanese history. Laika Studios consulted with Japanese cultural experts to ensure respectful and authentic representation.

Japanese folklore elements

The film’s core magic system—using a shamisen to animate origami that becomes real—stems from Japanese folklore about paper folding and spiritual beliefs. The Moon King as an antagonist references the Japanese concept of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the moon god. Kubo’s one-eyed appearance echoes stories of one-eyed demons (hitodama) and spirits in Japanese mythology.

Color Magazine describes the film as a “tribute to Japanese culture,” noting how thoroughly it integrates traditional art forms like kabuki theater, origami, and the musical traditions of shamisen playing (Movieguide). The visual design incorporates ukiyo-e woodblock print aesthetics, with landscapes and battle scenes that feel lifted from classical Japanese art.

Cultural inspirations

The story’s themes of ancestral worship—Kubo literally summons his dead father’s spirit through ritual—reflects the Japanese practice of honoring family members across generations. The Buddhist concept of souls shifting places and reincarnation appears in the film’s treatment of memory and identity.

Kids-in-Mind notes that discussions on death of parents and immortality make the film “suitable for sparking family conversations” (Kids-in-Mind). These heavy themes, combined with the beauty of the Japanese cultural presentation, make the film as emotionally complex as it is visually stunning.

I’d say kids around age 7 or 8 and older are OK here.

— Rotten Tomatoes Reviewer, Rotten Tomatoes Editorial

Is there going to be a Kubo 2?

As of the most recent sources reviewed, no sequel to Kubo and the Two Strings has been officially announced or confirmed (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial). Searches for “Kubo and the Two Strings 2” often lead to fan speculation or confusion with other Laika films, but no production timeline or storyline exists in verified reports.

Sequel rumors

Idea Wiki and similar fan sites occasionally host speculation about Kubo 2, but these remain community-generated content without confirmation from Laika Studios (Rotten Tomatoes Editorial). The film’s ending—spoiler-free—provides closure while leaving narrative threads that could theoretically support a sequel.

Studio updates

Laika Studios, known for Coraline, ParaNorman, and Missing Link, has not announced Kubo sequel plans. Their subsequent releases have focused on different stories. The studio’s production schedule and creative priorities suggest that any Kubo continuation would require significant studio resources and the right story—neither of which has materialized as of this writing.

Is Kubo a boy or a girl?

Kubo is a boy—a young, one-eyed boy who serves as the film’s protagonist. Wikipedia and multiple plot summaries confirm Kubo’s gender as male, with the character voiced by Art Parkinson (Kids-in-Mind). The character’s name and narrative role as a son on a quest to honor his father further establish his identity as male.

Character description

The film describes Kubo as an 11-year-old boy who lives with his mother in a cave, spending his days using a magical shamisen to perform stories in the village square while his mother sleeps during the day (Movieguide). Kubo appears with one eye—having lost the other as an infant when his mother fled from the Moon King’s minions.

It’s strange to describe a movie as a “Hard PG,” but Kubo definitely earns its parental guidance suggestion.

— Under the Radar Magazine Reviewer, Under the Radar Mag

Is Monkey actually Kubo’s mom?

Spoiler alert: Monkey is indeed revealed to be Kubo’s mother, transformed by magic into a small monkey who accompanies him on his quest. This revelation comes midway through the film and recontextualizes Monkey’s protective behavior and the earlier scenes showing Kubo’s mother caring for him.

Character relationships

The film opens with Kubo’s mother fleeing the Moon King’s assassins while cradling baby Kubo, who has already lost one eye. Magic protects them, and Kubo’s mother sacrifices her humanity to become Monkey, a small enchanted primate who guards her son throughout the story. The audience learns this truth alongside Kubo during the narrative’s emotional climax.

Plot spoilers

The relationship between Monkey and Kubo forms the film’s emotional core. Their journey together—Monkey as protective guardian, Kubo as oblivious son—delivers the story’s most touching moments. The revelation recontextualizes every protective instinct and sacrifice Monkey makes, transforming what seemed like a loyal companion into a mother’s love expressed through impossible circumstances.

Parents should prepare children for this emotional turn, as it shifts the entire dynamic of the film for first-time viewers.

Here are the essential production details that contextualize the film as a cinematic work.

The technical specs above show a tightly paced film that wastes no time establishing its world, its stakes, or its emotional weight.

Where to watch Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings is available for streaming on Netflix in regions where the platform offers it. Physical media (Blu-ray and DVD) is widely available through major retailers. The film may also appear on other streaming platforms depending on licensing agreements and regional availability.

For families preferring digital ownership, the film is available for purchase or rental through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu. These options provide permanent access without depending on subscription rotating catalogs.

Families should verify current availability in their region, as streaming catalogs rotate regularly.

The PG rating stems from scary folklore-inspired scenes in feudal Japan, where the film’s culture and stop-motion analysis provides parents added context on its appeal.

Frequently asked questions

For families considering Kubo and the Two Strings, the decision hinges on a single trade-off: the film’s extraordinary beauty and meaningful themes against its genuinely frightening imagery. Children who can handle darker fairy tales will find a story worth experiencing. Families with sensitive viewers should wait or watch together. The absence of a sequel means this viewing stands alone—worth doing right.