I liked Ni Hao, Kai-Lan when I was little, but I lost interest in it when I got older, mainly because I believed the false claim a lot of people made about it being a rip-off of Dora the Explorer. I went on this page in October 2023 to do a negative review, but then I saw a review that said NHKL was a good show for autistic kids. I liked the sound of that, with me being on the spectrum myself, and I thought, "Maybe it's not as bad as I remember. I shall revisit it at some point. Doing a review on it can wait." I watched a few episodes on Paramount+ recently, and I now like it again! It is much better than Dora, and it fixes most of my problems with the latter!
I read in another review that the voice of Dora sued the creator of Kai-Lan for ripping off Dora, which led to the cancellation of Kai-Lan. I believe that canceling the show for that reason is ridiculous because it's fake news. While it's easy to understand why some people might think it's true, there are clear differences between the two shows. Both shows include fourth-wall-breaking moments and aim to teach foreign languages. Plus, their title characters are both bilingual little girls with friend groups that consist mostly of animals, but they have nothing else in common. Kai-Lan focuses on teaching Chinese instead of Spanish, and the animal characters in Kai-Lan are nothing like Dora's animal friends.
Even though Kai-Lan sometimes asks the audience dumb questions, similar to Dora, she handles her fourth-wall-breaking more tastefully. Thankfully, the former is aware of her surroundings and doesn't scream constantly. She always asks the audience how they think her friends are feeling and what they (her friends) should do to work out their problems, and a lot of the time she responds, "I think so too!". I don't think those questions are that dumb because they're opinion-based, and some of Kai-Lan's opinions are agreeable. For example, in the episode where Hoho hits Rintoo, she thinks that Hoho should use his words to say how he feels instead of hitting, and I strongly agree.
Her catchphrase, "You make my heart feel super happy!" is incredibly sweet and heartwarming! I can't imagine how anyone could go wrong with a catchphrase like that. Making other's hearts happy can easily make me (and probably you) happy too! I don't know what else to say about it.
I agree with the other review that this show is great for autistic individuals. Why? It teaches how to handle emotions, which can sometimes be challenging for those on the spectrum, including myself. Kai-Lan always says that whenever you feel too angry, all you have to do is calm down. In the particular episode I mentioned earlier, when Hoho hits Rintoo, Kai-Lan's grandpa, Yeye (which I think is Chinese for grandpa), gives Hoho a time-out for his actions. He gently explains to Hoho that hitting hurts, and tells him that he can leave time-out when Yeye returns to the playhouse. Importantly, Yeye doesn't yell at Hoho or spank him-punishments like that contradict the message about not hitting others, which I find very admirable. Kudos to Yeye!
I am sensitive to loud noises, including yells and screams, and have had a strong dislike for harsh discipline all my life. I believe my autism is partly responsible for this. Loud noises can be ear-piercing, frightening, distracting, or plain annoying. Not only would spanking contradict the said episode's message, but it also hurts and is a violent way to punish children. Plus, violence doesn't solve anything. I vaguely remembered that episode before revisiting it, but I had forgotten about Yeye's gentleness. He calmly explains to the kids that they must improve their behavior whenever they misbehave or make mistakes. He doesn't expect their attitudes to change immediately and tries not to be too hard on them.
Since I was seven years old, I've always strived to be good and stay on my best behavior. However, I wish I had revisited the show sooner or hadn't lost my memory because I now have a better understanding of why parents and guardians sometimes give their kids time-outs when they misbehave. Numerous times, my parents, mostly my stepfather, have forced me to change my negative attitude immediately without helping me calm down or giving me a reason to be happy. Yeye and Kai-Lan recognize that it's okay to have negative feelings, and they understand that these feelings don't simply go away. They also acknowledge that there is a healthy way to work through them. There is no magical solution for feeling upset, and I don't believe anyone ever feels a certain way just for the sake of it. I've heard from many sources, including my parents, that it's okay to feel upset, and expecting someone's emotions to change immediately contradicts that idea.
I would likely still feel this way about these issues even if I didn't have autism, but I have various unique likes, dislikes, and fears that I probably wouldn't have if I weren't on the spectrum, which has been a huge factor as to why I felt the way I did during those memories. Thankfully, Yeye understands the kids' emotions and idiosyncracies and tries to help them understand why their behavior can sometimes be unexpected. These items emphasize that everyone's feelings are valid and understanding them takes time and patience.
I've heard complaints about the characters throwing temper tantrums and being angry so easily, and that's another one of the main reasons why I used to hate this. However, they always learn from their mistakes the hard way and find ways to resolve their conflicts, making these criticisms somewhat invalid. The show also promotes acceptance and diversity, which some non-autistic people may struggle with around autistic people.
Even though Tolee is timid and quiet, all the characters are different in their own ways and still include each other in their activities, ensuring no one is left out. That's every disabled or outcasted kid's dream (or is it?). Also, Tolee and Rintoo are polar opposites, yet they're the best of friends, showing that those who are different can still be good friends, which I've experienced in real life many times. I've heard theories about the former having autism, and I think it could be true. Why? He has various symptoms of the spectrum, such as having a special interest in pandas, taking longer to calm down than everyone else, experiencing angry outbursts when frustrated, owning a stuffed panda for comfort, crying easily at times, and having anxiety.
One of the main things I like about this, besides what I already mentioned, is the art style. It's bright and colorful, much like many other preschool shows. Kai-Lan's head is shaped similar to Mickey Mouse's head. The characters have incredibly cute, anime-like designs. Most of them have big heads, big eyes, and small bodies, somewhat resembling Funko Pops, which makes them as cute as they are. Hoho has a tendency to land on his friends' heads when he jumps because he jumps so high and is much smaller than the rest of the characters, which is adorable as heck.
I give this show a rating of 7/10 for several reasons. There are some significant (and minor) aspects that I don't like. 1) Kai-Lan occasionally talks down to the audience. 2) Sometimes, Rintoo has mean-spirited moments when he's angry; he tends to disregard the achievements of others, can be unkind to his friends, and often kicks and screams when he loses a race or a game. He acts before he thinks and can be rather rambunctious at times. 3) The characters sing about the lesson over and over again in some episodes. In some cases, the lesson is sung 2 to 4 times, which becomes repetitive. This is one of the few problems I have with Dora that isn't fixed here. 4) There are other Nick Jr and Noggin shows that I prefer over this one, such as Blue's Clues, Max and Ruby, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy, Little Bear, Franklin, The Backyardigans, and a few others, but there's nothing wrong with that.
If you don't like Dora, watch Ni Hao, Kai-Lan. Maybe you'd like this better!
