Eu (Heart emoji) Arlo

I finally got around to watching the Arlo movie just in time for this show. Both are way better than I expected.

Writing: the show isn't 100% original or groundbreaking, but not everything has to be some big masterpiece. Each of the episodes have unique self contained stories but they all tie into one bigger story. The characters get into wacky hi-jinx and have opportunities to be fleshed out. 1/2

Characters: This TV series provides more opportunities to flesh out Arlo's friends when the movie mainly focused on Arlo. For example, Alia is energetic, nerdy, but sometimes has trouble focusing. She's very obviously neurodivergent in a way that's shown to us and not told. Show, don't tell. 2/2

Music: Much like the movie the show was based on, it has some very catchy, well made songs. My favorite is the Focus song featuring Alia because it's a great representation of being neurodivergent and has interesting production values 2/2

Animation: Very expressive and colorful animation courtesy of Titmouse. It's not quite as good as the movie, but that's because TV budgets are lower than movie budgets and it still looks great anyways 2/2

Voice Acting: Retaining the voice cast from the movie, it has some very talented voice actors. Haley Tju as Alia has to be my favorite and so is Michael J. Woodward as Arlo 2/2

In conclusion 9/10.

A solid continuation of the bouyant and colourful TV Movie. I <3 Arlo is a bit of a rarity in the modern kid's show morass in that it's refreshingly quirky and quite alternative. The animation is pleasant and has a nice physicality to it - but certainly by the end of the long run of episodes you feel like the premise has been pulled a bit thin and that the writing team have struggled on occasion with the shorter storytelling. The contemporary pop songs are just as grating to me as they were in the film but like the show generally and the central alligator boy himself there is an earnest charm and heart on display here that is just impossible to fully dislike.

Following the classics-honouring classic of the film, I <3 Arlo has generally lower stakes. It is an episodic series until the last few episodes (won't spoil that) with the gang having lowkey adventures or welcoming new residents to their town. There is a continuation of the film's acceptance message, but it is admitely less of the focus this time around.

This is not bad per se, but it does make the series feel more like fanfic of the movie. I'm not saying it requires higher stakes, but it can feel a bit reduced if you experienced the movie first.

There's also shipping that doesn't really go anywhere, but oh well.

A recommendation.

I'm 8 episodes in and still not sure what the show is trying to achieve. Quirky. Disjointed. Confusing. I would recommend the show if you're high and want to watch something with good vibes.