Sereno - O Panda Zen

Apple TV+ isn't that strong of a service if I'm being honest, but wow do they have good animated originals. Central Park, Snoopy in Space, Doug Unplugs, Wolfwalkers, heck even the puppet show Helpsters isn't too bad. Stillwater takes the cake as possibly one of the best Apple TV+ originals.

The show has a panda called Stillwater, and he is very kind, gentle. yet fun-loving at the same time. He's basically Mister Rogers in panda form. He lives next door to three kids named Addy, Michael, and Karl, who deal with basic everyday kid problems.

Instead of getting angry or upset with the kids, Stillwater is calm and patient with them, and teaches them how to solve their problems using stories from Zen Buddhist and Taoist folklore. The stories are beautifully animated in 2D.

The rest of the show is animated in jawdropping, photo-realistic CGI, worthy of Pixar. I don't know how to describe the music, but it has a very mystical, magical feel to it. Special mention goes to the credits song The Never Ending Dream by Kishi Bashi, which I wish was the theme song.

The show is very calming, heartwarming, and adventurous, and one of the finest efforts of Scholastic. Please check it out, it's an experience you'll never forget.

I have to be honest. I have watched this show all on my own without any kids. Each episode is split into two stories. Each story features the (stunningly animated) kids and the wise teaching panda Stillwater. A kid runs into an issue, and Stillwater teaches a lesson using a tale featuring animal characters. Always a great life lesson for anyone. Absolutley love this show. Wow. Amazing.

I can't imagine how this dazzling and delightful show could possibly be improved upon, except to have many more episodes to revel in! Not only is it incredibly beautiful to look at, the gentle and loving episodes each share a life lesson but you never feel preached at. Three siblings, Addy age about 11, Michael age about 8, and Carl age about 4 live next door to a giant panda named Stillwater who has a stunning Japanese garden with koi in a stream, trees in bloom and bamboo shoots growing. He is one of the kids' best friend. We don't see any adults and the stories/lessons Stillwater shares are inhabited by anthropomorphic animals. The colors are bright and cheerful and stories so positive. Please don't miss it!

So many kids tv shows at the moment incorporate a good guy and a bad guy. Many incorporate weapons of one kind or another. There is a lot of emphasis on action and fighting or on 'mean' behaviours. Kids emulate all of this in class; name-calling, allocating the 'bad guy' role to someone (usually ending in tears), children hitting other children etc. This can make life difficult unnecessarily difficult for educators, and unnecessarily polarising for kids.

This show is a breath of fresh air! The character of Stillwater is wise and calm, always allowing the children to form their own conclusions-the stereotypical notion of 'tell them where to look but not what to see'. The children have age-appropriate dialogue and real-world dilemmas but learn through story-telling how to resolve their troubles. No bad guy, no good guy, no weapons, no fighting. Just a wholesome show that is so aesthetically beautiful that it will have wide appeal. I'd recommend to those as young as toddlers to those in early-middle primary school. In saying that, even my adult self really enjoyed it!

Worth a watch.

Amazing animation and great voice cast! As an adult I REALLY envy how they are living. I would do anything to live under those circumstances, that alone would make me much more zen :) By chance I was having a bad day at work and the main subject intertwined with my situation. Haha got me thinking and deal with it mentally as well :)