Parents' Guide to

H2O: Just Add Water

TV Nickelodeon Drama 2008
H2O: Just Add Water Poster Image

Common Sense Media Review

Emily Ashby By Emily Ashby , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 7+

Aussie mermaids send positive messages to tweens.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 7+?

Any Positive Content?

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age 9+

Based on 32 parent reviews

kidosophically speaking
kidosophically speaking Adult
June 9, 2015
age 12+

Way too much making out for intended target audience

This is a show about teen girls who turn into mermaids. Awesome, right? My daughters (age 8 and 6) begged to watch the pilot episode. It seemed "grown up" for its target audience. Watch a few more episodes and I imagine you will not want your young daughters watching this. Why did the producers/writers feel the need to include so many long make-out scenes? Tune into Episode 7 for a taste of what this show is really like (making out in a hot tub with a boy.) The target audience is young girls. Teen girls are watching other stuff. They're not watching shows about girls who turn into mermaids with mermaid powers. It's disappointing that so many of these shows miss the mark entirely. They did make a cartoon version of this show called Mako Island ( I believe) it seems a little more suited to an elementary school-aged audience.
Avery S.
Avery S. Parent of 12 and 14-year-old
October 25, 2024
age 10+

Teen Friendship

Some teen kissing and talking about crushes but otherwise a fun cool friendship show.
See all 32 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In H2O, three teens' lives are changed forever after their boat strays to a mystical island off the Australian coast and magical forces transform them into mermaids with unique powers to control water. Back on land as normal teenagers, Emma (Claire Holt), Rikki (Cariba Heine), and Cleo (Phoebe Tonkin) wrestle with mixed emotions about their newfound abilities but slowly discover that their uniqueness definitely has some hidden benefits -- even if it can't save them from the bullies and social snobs of the world. The complete series is available on DVD along with at least five hours of bonus material.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (32 ):
Kids say (106 ):

H2O's cast isn't likely to earn many acting awards (there's a fair amount of hokiness in most of the performances), and the premise is so far-fetched that it's sure to have teens rolling their eyes, but this fantasy drama is a fun escape for tweens. Girls especially will relate to the characters' struggles with learning to accept their own individuality (though their fishy circumstances are a bit extreme...) and overcoming social pressures. They may also be inspired by the trio's strong bonds of friendship and the selfless way the girls use their powers to help others.

Meanwhile, parents can smile over the fact that they don't have to endure overzealous Aussie acting to monitor what their kids are seeing, since there's virtually nothing worrisome here for the tween set. In fact, there are even subtle positive messages about self-esteem and respect for differences sprinkled throughout the plot. The only sticking point lies in the girls' refusal to trust their parents with their secret -- and the adults' apparent oblivion to their kids' life-altering changes.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the media portrays teens, particularly girls. Do the girls on this show have both positive and negative traits? What are they? Do you think they're realistic characters? How do the teen girls in this series compare to the ones you know? In what ways are certain personality traits exaggerated for effect?

TV Details

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