Children have always been fascinated with fantasy. Fables, fairytales and nursery rhymes help broaden children's imaginative capability. And Harry Potter stories and movies are no different, say China's educators and psychologists.
Though this week's box office returns for Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince - 82.2 million yuan ($12.8 million) - should reflect that most people agree with the experts, many parents don't. The sixth Harry Potter movie has grossed 110 percent more than the fifth, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and drawn a whopping 2.7 million viewers.
Jin Min, a psychologist with Beijing Children and Women Psychology Consulting Center, says Harry Potter movies are as harmless as traditional Chinese fantasy stories such as Journey to the West.
"Journey to the West is full of monsters and evil creatures ... Children have the ability to tell right from wrong and know what they should do in real life."
Zhang Yang, a psychologist and kindergarten teacher at Little Oak Children's House, corroborates Jin, saying: "Parents shouldn't worry because children over 6 have the ability to differentiate between a movie and reality."
"Children are more mature than we think ... they know Potter stories are just fantasies."
Earlier Potter movies were rated PG-13, meaning some material might not be suited for children below 13 - such as violence, nudity, sensuality, language and adult activities - and parents had to decide whether they wanted them to watch it.
But the sixth Potter film was rated PG, which simply recommends parental guidance.
Nevertheless, Beijinger Luo Xuesu says she regrets accompanying her 9-year-old daughter to the movie in a Beijing cinema.
"My daughter is a big fan of Harry Potter. I read all the books to her when she was very young. But the movie surprised me," she says. "I had to tell her that good always defeats evil after watching the movie ... besides, it has a lot of dark scenes."
Lu Xuebai, the mother of a young boy, says Potter movies have lost their innocence. "I don't allow my son to watch this stuff (kissing and hugging scenes)," she says. "Emma Watson has become a corny cover girl for a fashion magazine. Daniel Radcliffe has even appeared naked in a drama. I don't think the series is for children any more."
Chinese censors agreed with such parents in 2007, and edited a 30-second scene from Order of the Phoenix because it was deemed too horrifying for children.
Yu Shanshan, a film critic with a newspaper, however, says Chinese children are overprotected.
"Kids are more mature than we think ... let's think about our childhood ... did we get scared easily?"
"Half-Blood Prince is the story of growing up. It has metaphors: Death Eaters and Voldemort are difficulties we face while growing up. Kids need to know these difficulties to overcome them."
(China Daily July 25, 2009)
