Image Credit: Netflix
Curating a quality children’s content catalog can be difficult. The children’s animation industry is one of the most prolific industries on the planet, churning out products through traditional broadcasters, streamers, and YouTube at such a rapid pace that it’s almost impossible to keep up. There’s a lot of competition for any children’s show to enter the market, but once in a while there’s one that makes it through. Whether it’s through deeply resonating themes, artfully executed animation, or well-thought-out comedy, some shows give you hope that there are people out there who are genuinely trying to make great things.
Since Netflix itself is home to kids’ content of varying quality, we’ve compiled a list of seven shows that vary in quality.
7.
last children on earth
Image Credit: Netflix
When it comes to children’s entertainment, trends reign supreme. If something with a particular look and tone becomes popular, 10 clones will emerge over the next month. This is what makes the presentation of The Last Kids on Earth unique. The characters have subtly exaggerated features and move almost like the old Warner cartoons. The lighting in the show is also highly sophisticated and brings out the wide range of colors that the show throws on the screen. Those colors come from the supernatural threats that orphan Nick Wolfhard and his team of middle schoolers face in the wake of the apocalypse. For such a heavy premise, the show delivers a lighthearted and witty tone.
6.
gentry chow vs underworld
Image Credit: Netflix
Gentry Chow is a quintessential high school superhero story that wouldn’t be out of place in ’60s Marvel Comics. The main character is imbued with mythological powers that stem from her native Chinese mythology and burdens her with a responsibility she can’t handle. As she goes through difficult moments in her friendships, romance, and family relationships, she has to deal with the looming threat of the King of the Underworld who wants to track her down.
The show does an excellent job of highlighting the things that make these stories fun. It’s absolutely true to the teenage experience, it works as a power fantasy, its humor is quite well-calibrated alongside the drama and it’s deeply specific to Chinese culture. Complementing this is Titmouse’s excellent animation, which features large-scale and inventive action set pieces.
5.
maya and three
Image Credit: Netflix
In a similar mode to Gentry Chow, Maya and the Three is another teen power fantasy that’s extremely specific to an underrepresented culture. Set in pre-colonial Mesoamerica, the Maya encounter vengeful gods who they must confront to protect their people. The scope of the miniseries is huge, and at the end of its nine episodes, it makes you feel like there’s a lot more on the table.
Maya and the Three’s most powerful weapon is creator Jorge Gutierrez whose character designs and sense of humor make Maya unlike anything else. His design philosophy on 2D projects like Book of Life translates surprisingly well to the CG style, these oddly proportioned bodies constantly drawing you in.
4.
Oni: Thunder God’s Tale
Image Credit: Netflix
Very few titles in the children’s field are based on Oni’s visual effects. Much of the animation relies on telegraphing the character’s emotions using large expressive facial features. Oni shoots with a minimalist approach, with characters having small button-shaped eyes and nothing else. Tonko House set the challenge to squeeze everything they had into these designs, and they achieved it with aplomb.
Despite its visual changes, Oni fits into a comfortable way of storytelling, essentially functioning as a Japanese fairy tale. The world is inhabited by various yōkai and gods from Japanese folklore, and Onari has yet to develop into his own distinct personality. It works well as a subtle mythology but is also a perfect metaphor for finding your way as you grow up.
3.
cuphead show
Image Credit: Netflix
The Cuphead show may not have the depth of some of the other shows on this list, but it’s an undeniable pleasure. Adapted from the game of the same name, which used 1950s animation aesthetics for a series of rock-hard platforming boss battles, The Cuphead Show is something of a Trojan Horse. No studio would commission a completely original IP looking like this, but using an established IP spoiled three seasons.
The show’s animation is so thoughtful that it still leaves enough roughness to be in line with the era it revisits. The colors are a bit dull, the resolution a bit dirty. That era of animation was defined by the magical feeling of watching a drawing move, and that primal wonder is the lifeblood of The Cuphead Show. It is full of energy and happiness in every frame.
2.
Hilda
Image Credit: Netflix
Adapted from the graphic novel by Luke Pearson, who also ran the show, Hilda is known for its cozy, beautiful and colorful art direction. As the show features Hilda and her crew taking on a mysterious creature of the week, the art direction keeps it grounded and low-risk, but in a way that makes Hilda endlessly watchable.
Great care is taken to make sure the animation doesn’t look static, whether it’s someone’s hair bouncing slightly as they walk or their eyes turning into all kinds of shapes. Hilda is also in the running to become the coolest thing on the streamer, you’ll leave the show wishing you could own almost every character.
1.
pokemon gatekeeper
Image Credit: Netflix
Few gaming properties have been adapted for TV and film as much as Pokemon, and while some are moderate in quality, Concierge is a showcase for what happens when the biggest media property on the planet throws money at some genuinely passionate creators. Just one frame of this stop-motion masterwork will immediately communicate its appeal. The characters, including Pokémon, are made from felt models, a fuzzy and adorable glow given to a franchise that embodies warm and fuzzy feelings.
Pokémon designs have been carefully crafted to look their best in the game’s pixel or CG art, and translating them to a new medium can be a disaster, just ask Detective Pikachu. But the team at Dwarf Studios avoided that uncanny valley effect and found a way to make the pocket monsters feel at home digitally. Concierge keeps its stories short and that decision pays off. Our POV character is Haru, who starts working at the Pokémon Hotel and deals with all kinds of issues for its lovely guests. An episode focusing on Pikachu with social anxiety is a highlight for the show and for Pokémon as a franchise.
These are our picks of the best children’s animated series on Netflix – which ones are yours? Let us know in the comments below.
