Jane e il Drago

Caught this by accident while channel hopping and was blown away by its quality both in the animation and its humorous tone. The stories have a medieval setting based around a castle and Jane(her quest to train as a knight), the other kids in the castle and her best friend,who just happens to be a dragon. The dragon steals the show, as his mannerisms and sense of humour are just laugh-out-loud funny. The animation uses motion capture. I know that this is not the first time its been used in a cartoon(remake of Captain Scarlett)but nevertheless it adds quality and helps to lift this above the ordinary. The backgrounds appear to have been created to make them seem as if they were done in pencil;the subtle blend of this and the CGI work just gives this a fresh,different look.

I really think this series is one of the best CGI type programs I've seen in a long time. The details of the animators made every effort to make the characters real looking, right down to the fingernails, the way Jane's hair moves or Dragon's claws move with each individual toe. This series not only appeals to kids but adults as well, the crafted story lines and humor kids love and the lessons and role-model qualities the adults will love. The voices seem to be fit perfectly for the characters, the animation is up there with Dreamworks & Pixar (if not better). the scenery is so colorful and vibrant that it pops right off the screen. The team at Weta Studios should be proud of their work and even happier that they have made so many people happy! I've seen all 26 episodes many times and never get tired of the show, there is always something new you miss! Hopefully this will not be the end (even though they wrapped up production) another season is still possible!

I happened to watch this one morning while my 6 year old was watching Qubo and I absolutely fell in love with Jane and the Dragon. So far I have only seen two episodes and but I am hooked. The computer graphics are fantastic. The characters eyes are so life-like, that it appears they are really making eye to eye contact when talking to another character. The accents are authentic, the movements are realistic, the stories are sweet, genuine and simplistic. I never want it to end. I wish they would not only put it out on disc, but make a full length feature length movie. It's just a real treat. I am glad to know that there is a quality "cartoon" out there on network television, like it used to be when I was a child. No gimmicks or nonsense like Sponge Bob, but a throwback to the legitimate fairy tale. Long live Jane and the Dragon.

At first look I thought this was going to be awful - the look of the animation is pretty much as you'd see in a computer game. However, within 2 minutes my 3 year old daughter and I were hooked. Motion capture techniques really bring the animation alive - it's done by Weta, who did the Lord of the Rings CGI so you know it's going to be expressive, though of course it's not got the LOTR budget, hence the computer game look.

The script is full of dry humour - especially Dragon - which makes this entertaining for parents as well as kids. The stories have morals of sorts, but not in a Disney-like "hit 'em over the head with it" way. The characters are diverse and well observed - the king winds me up, but I think he's kind of supposed to.

Check it out on Milkshake on C5, weekend mornings at the moment. I don't know if it will come out on DVD in the UK in the near future, if at all. However, go to the ABC Australia shop (google "Jane and the Dragon DVD" to find it) and you can buy there for the equivalent of about £13.50 per DVD of three episodes incl. postage. There are two available at the time of writing.

Fabulous and highly recommended, though I have to admit my wife loathes it!

I'm not a big fan of CGI, but for me the real attraction in this show is the writing. The writers do not write down to their audience. The characters are well defined, and the stories well done and with good humor. There is also a hint of mysteries to unfold, with the dragon runes and Jane's sword. "Jane and the Dragon" is more mature than "Arthur" or "Clifford", closer maybe to "Wild Thornberrys" or "Avatar". Definitely not "Invader Zim" :-). But certainly above the average of most "cartoon" programming. The style and flavor may not be to everybody's taste, but it is worth your time investigating. I just wish the Qubo schedule made the show more accessible in my area.