The Search for WondLa

I read the original book series, and I've enjoyed Tony DiTerlizzi's art and stories. It's been a bit since I've read them, but they stuck with me. It was an eco sci-fi that sometimes felt like a fantasy. The art was detailed and engaging, the creature designs familiar yet otherworldly.

I saw this series pop up and was reminded about the books. Going into it I was neutral. The art style looked nothing like the original, but that was fine as long as it looked good and the story translated well.

First episode was very rough, and the rest was fine.

Art style - it looks generic. Not bad, but very passable. I'm fine with making changes visually, but this looks like a generic colorful kids cartoon. The animation was a bit stiff. Completely throws out the detailed watercolor-like art style of the original.

Designs - Everything was simplified and made to more colorful and cuddly. Eva is supposed to be 16, but she looks and sounds like a woman in her late 20's. Yet she acts very bombastic and child-like, which just feels at odds. Muthr was turned from an interesting machine, to a smooth green emoji. And the creature designs were drastically simplified and made colorful.

Overall - They kiddified and simplified it. Eva is a bit annoying and does not feel anything like her character. She is like every generic protagonist. It all makes sense because this is the same studio that made "Luck", and that movie was very bland in every way. Without its source material, this would have nothing to stand on. The only good parts, are the world originally built by the books.

They removed a lot of the maturity and thoughtfulness from the books. This one feels like it's jingling colorful keys to maintain your attention, and if you see something engaging, then they slam the keys back in your face.

Put this on for some little kids, but don't expect much otherwise. This was not the studio to adapt WondLa.

After the contentious work that was Luck, Wondla is a much more appropriate debut for Skydance Studios. Based on a book series, Wondla focuses on a girl named Eva who was raised in a bunker by a robot (I am Mother flashbacks...) and has to navigate the world outside.

Visually it is truly beautiful, and the aliens and creatures all have unique designs. Even the sapient races have an oomph that makes them quite unique looking.

Plot wise it is quite intriguing, and I won't spoil it because I truly recommend you to check this work yourself.

Overall, as masterpiece both in visual, design and plot terms.

Wondla is a terrific kids show based on the hero's quest. Original characters and has enough to enthrall parents and kids alike.

Our hero goes on a journey to see whether there are any other humans alive. She meets interesting characters along the way, some who help and others who cause problems.

It is set in a future earth, after humans have wrecked the place, with evidence of pollution all around.

There are twists and turns, and heart warming moments as much as there is adventure and drama.

We can't wait for season two, and hope it is not too far away! The last episode finished on a cliffhanger so we are keen to find out what happens next!

While initially I wasn't sure about season 2, by the time the last episode ended I found myself even more in love with both seasons. The way 2.7 ended left me almost in tears, so emotionally drained and I mean in the best of ways. While I love the story, the characters, the acting, the animation is truly incredible and otherworldly. Watching the credits I'm amazed at the absolute army of incredibly talented folks responsible for the art and CG. The last 10 minutes of episode seven are off the charts, so beautiful. Thank you Apple for sponsoring this animation masterpiece.

And thank you to Jeanine Mason, DC Douglas, Teri Hatcher, Gary Anthony Williams, Brad Garrett, Allen Tudyk and the rest of the cast and crew for this wonderful show, and of course Tony DiTerlizzi. This story of optimism and hope is so very much needed in our world right now.

Truly there is no Them, only Us.

The audience for this series must definitely be not too young as the plot is very profound and deals with complicated feelings. The quality of the animation is stunning in every detail and the locations are visually rich and detailed to the point where they almost seem real. The characters are unusual and unique in their own right. The pace is quite good though, occasionally, I would have loved some more background information about the apparent extinction of humanity. This first seeason is great but the audience is left with so many unanswered questions. I hope season 2 will shed some light on the obscure plot yet maintaining the same level of high quality. In terms of sci fi animation, this is indeed a masterpiece !