Sayak Basu
Netflix is always pursuing a variety of content for their ever-growing repertoire and thus have got their fingers in many-a-pie. From documentaries to television shows to adult animated series to feature films to animated shows for children- there is not one sector where they are falling short. Keeping true to their tradition of expansion, Netflix released the children’s animated series ‘Hilda‘ in 2018 to loud critical acclaim. The series tells the story of a little girl, the eponymous Hilda, who dwells in a small cabin in the woods along with her mother. Hilda has a pet deerfox called Twig who accompanies her and her friends David and Frida on numerous adventures after Hilda and her mother shift to the bustling city called Trolberg. Interestingly enough, Trolberg is surrounded by high walls to keep trolls outside. In this realm, the trolls are rather annoying creatures who sometimes come alive when night falls.
‘Hilda’ is a series that has been meticulously crafted. The characters, the animation, and the writing are all superlative. The stories created around Hilda and her friends are full of mystery which is potent enough to get you hooked to the show. A lot of imagination and creativity has gone behind creating the universe in which we find this story about this little girl. If you have enjoyed watching ‘Hilda’, here are some other shows you might want to check out. You can watch many of these shows like ‘Hilda’ on Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.
7. The Hollow (2018-)
One of the coolest Netflix original animated shows you will ever come across, ‘The Hollow’ is the story of a trio- Adam, Kai, and Mira, who are three teenage friends. The show starts with them waking up in a room with no memory whatsoever regarding who they are or how they got here in the first place. As they venture out they find themselves in a deep forest and even come across a character they start calling “Weird Guy”. Soon the trio realize that they are gifted with superpowers and they have to use these powers to get out of certain situations that arise within the forest. It is only after numerous such stages that Adam concludes they must be a part of a virtual reality game. The series is brilliantly written, with the three leading characters not only being stock characters, but ones written with great nuance and originality. Their complex relationships go far beyond the scope of a children’s animated series.
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6. Legend Of Korra (2012-2014)
‘Legend Of Korra’ is actually the sequel to the animated series ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’. The series centers around the eponymous character who is a girl with superpowers which she obtains from the elements of fire, water, earth, and air. Korra’s job is to protect the Republic City from any evildoer who might cause the city harm in any manner. The series not only deals with a fantasy story about a superpowered girl, but is layered with political and social commentaries which make it much more than a simple kids’ show. However, it must be mentioned here that the show is thoroughly entertaining, and even if kids do not manage to get the subtextual references, it will not be a hindrance to them from enjoying the story.
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5. The Dragon Prince (2018-)
Created by Aaron Ehasz, ‘The Dragon Prince‘ is a series set in a mythical land called Xadia. This land sees a co-existence between humans and other magical creatures like dragons and elves. While these magical creatures draw their powers from the natural elements The Sun, the Moon, the Stars, the Earth, the Sky, and the Ocean, humans, on the other hand, have no such power. Thus, humans start using dark magic for which they need the life essence of dragons and other magical creatures. This creates a conflict between the two sets of the population in Xadia which carries on for around 1200 years before the prince of the humans decides to return a precious item of the dragon king which the humans had stolen. The story of ‘The Dragon Prince’ is really engaging and will get you hooked to the show in no time at all. Besides being an entertaining tale, there is a clear social commentary present within the narrative, where the conflict between humans and the magical creatures can be seen as racial tensions we continue to see around the world. Not only children, but audiences of all ages will have a lot of takeaways from this series.
4. Carmen Sandiego (2019-)
A story about a modern-day female Robin Hood, ‘Carmen Sandiego‘ follows the adventures of the eponymous character who is a young, globe-trotting crime fighter. Carmen’s sworn enemy is the international criminal organization called the VI.L.E. (Villains’ International League of Evil). Carmen plans to use VI.LE.’s funds and give them to the needy. In her quest for justice, Carmen has with her the hacker called Player, and two assistants who work for her- Zack and Ivy. Because she operates outside the boundaries of the law, Carmen is also considered a villain by the authorities, which makes her job even more difficult. This show has been described as ‘edutainment’ for kids, as here not only can they have a great time watching the show, but can also learn a lot of important things in the process. Brilliantly crafted and written, this is an anime series you should not miss.
3. Gravity Falls (2012-2016)
An amazing Disney production, ‘Gravity Falls‘ is a series created by Alex Hirsch and follows the adventures of the twins Dipper and Mabel Pines. The story begins during their summer vacation when the duo are sent to their uncle’s house to live with him for some time. Their uncle lives in this town called Gravity Falls which is full of mysteries and nothing is what it actually seems to be. One fine day, Dipper comes across a journal in the forest which clears some doubts he and Mabel had about the town. Eventually, they make some friends and go on adventures to find out the things they managed to read about in the journal. A heart-warming tale about fun and adventure, ‘Gravity Falls’ is a show which kids are bound to like. There are elements of fun and joy in the show coupled with brilliant storytelling which will no doubt manage to attract kids towards it.
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2. Over The Garden Wall (2014)
A 10-episode Cartoon Network miniseries, ‘Over The Garden Wall’ is a show created by Patrick McHale. The series tells the story of two half-brothers who get lost in a forest called the Unknown. They need to get out of this forest by any means necessary. The only help that they get is from this elderly character called Woodsman and this bird called Beatrice. The bird is of the opinion that if she manages to locate this woman called Adelaide in the forest, she can break the curse and send the boys home. The best thing about the show is its characters. The two brothers Wirt and Greg are well-written characters each of whom has got their own quirks. The series has folk and fairytale elements in it as well. It has been so loved by audiences all over the world that some have called it one of the greatest Cartoon Network shows of all time.
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1. Disenchantment (2018-)
One of the best animated shows you will come across on Netflix, ‘Disenchantment‘ is a series created by Matt Groening, who is famous for creating such iconic shows like ‘The Simpsons‘ and ‘Futurama’. The story of ‘Disenchantment’ is set in a medieval kingdom which is basically in ruins. This kingdom is called Dreamland, and our central character is Bean, who is the princess of this kingdom. For company, Bean has a personal devil who is called Luci, and an elf who goes by the name Elfo. In their daily adventures, this trio keeps meeting magical creatures and having strange encounters with them. Interestingly enough, Bean is not one of the coy princesses whom you encounter in most fairy tales. She is a fiesty individual who loves her booze. The show is extremely witty, reverential, and its humor is quite off the charts, something which you will not encounter in many animated shows. The concept is great, the characters are fascinating, and overall, it is a thoroughly entertaining watch!
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