"Mom, this bunny cuts her artery to save her friend. Can I do this for my friends, too?" One boy reportedly asked his mother after watching a popular cartoon aired on CCTV's Children's Channel.

The Chinese cartoon series called Cat Rabbit Seven Chivalrous Biography has received much criticism from local parents, concerned that its violent and sexual content would mislead their offspring.

Some parents have complained that the bloody scenes in the cartoon are too vivid, claiming that their kids have asked whether they too could do the same things. Others have said that the high sexual content in the program may have a negative influence on children.

Presented as the cartoon-version of Chinese martial arts masterpiece Seven Swords, Cat Rabbit Seven Chivalrous Biography is the first martial arts themed cartoon. Premiered on CCTV last September, the viewership ratings of the series have exceeded even those of imported cartoon shows.

(CRI January 24, 2007)