Jane and the Dragon

I discovered this show a few months ago and have been addicted to it ever since. I showed it to my husband, and even he was blown away. We've seen every single episode, and can't wait for more.

"Jane and the Dragon" showcases Weta's incredible animation techniques (also seen in such movies as "Lord of the Rings" and "The Chronicles of Narnia"), which in this case combine lifelike movements--created through sophisticated motion capture technology--with artistic effects that give the show a delightfully unique visual style.

The characters are engaging and diverse, and all of them display both strengths and weaknesses--particularly Jane herself. It is refreshing to see a strong and charismatic heroine that also has clear weak points, and messes up frequently and often spectacularly. Of course, she always learns something by the end of each episode.

The plots are engaging and novel, masterfully juxtaposing delightful comedy with surprisingly compelling drama. Kids can learn along with Jane, gaining insight into important topics such as courage, integrity, and diverse aspects of friendship. Although the plots are always didactic, the show manages not to be boring or tedious for adults to watch.

The only audience I would not recommend "Jane and the Dragon" for (aside from those who have a problem with dung jokes) is very young children, purely for the reason that the show can be somewhat slow-moving compared to other children's shows, having extended scenes of fairly serious dialogue and long, beautiful shots of the fantastically animated scenery. Toddlers may lose interest, and get little out of the often very insightful dialogue. Otherwise, I recommend "Jane" for all ages. It is a pure delight--definitely worth watching. Sit down with your kids and enjoy!

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.

I babysit on the weekends, and I really enjoy when Jane and the Dragon comes on. The animation is not feature film quality, but it's a television show, on Qubo or PBS or something, and when I first saw it i was actually impressed with the quality. the expressions and movements of the characters are spot on for a kids show, and actually subtle sometimes. The plots are those of a basic kids program- morals, doing the right thing, what to say to a friend who's upset, that sort of thing. I'm not sure what ages it's aimed for, but it manages to keep a three year old and and eighteen year old amused for half an hour and must be doing something right.

And the theme song isn't that annoying, as the previous commenter claimed. It just really, really gets stuck in your head.

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.

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.