Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts on Netflix has done the unthinkable as Radford Sechrist web comic turns animated series has immediately jumped into our top 10 animated series of all time. Just like that our love for Kipo and the characters from this show have made a huge imprint on us. A show we knew nothing about jumped up and grabbed us and made us pay attention to a great story, yet leaves us wanting more as a second season is still being discussed. Why it is being discussed we have no idea as it should be a given. The show has already put itself in the hall of fame of animation with a single season as Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts dominates with a story that while being simple has twists and turns every episode. There is a huge “oh wow” moment as well in Season 1 so it hits there. The animation is extremely well done and compliments the characters while not trying to do to much and distract. The world is beautiful and the characters, well full of character. The music and voice acting talent, what to even say as it is near perfect, it may actually be a perfect cast. This will be a spoiler free discussion but we will jump into a little more depth on why this is a MUST watch show that all ages will enjoy. We will talk a bit more about the animation and world building, the characters, the music, and the voice acting.
We must talk about not only the animation but the backgrounds as well as the world building. Radford Sechrist has created a world that seems vaguely familiar, but at the same time different. The animation and background art really give us a feel that this world is a full breathing environment, not just a small pocket where the story takes place. The color choices and attention to detail drew us in immediately from episode one and called to use to learn more about this post apocalyptic setting.
The music for Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts is more than an after thought it has been chosen and written to merge with the story and enhance it as Kier Lehman and Daniel Rojas developed this original music. To add to this music they have original performances by Fukuhara, Brown, Stevens and GZA who voice the characters. Look, for us, having an original GZA song is a HUGE thing for us.
While the music and animation work are both extremely well done, it truly is about the characters in this story. The simplistic story of Kipo getting back with her people comes alive based on the characters she befriends and encounters along the way. These characters, with the animal properties and human abilities which are mega sized are different enough that it makes this world unique. Mega-bunnies, Newton Wolves (see trailer), all feel alive and real, but the bees are just the perfect amount of fantasy. So what do they do with this well done characters? They pair them up with some of the best voice acting we have heard. You can see the talent below, but let me tell you they knock it out of the park.
Take a deep breath, pick up the remote (or phone) and prepare yourself for something special with Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts on Netflix and keep your fingers crossed for a Season 2. There is so much more to say, but keeping this spoiler free will make you much happier if this is what drives you to watch this show.
The Newton Wolves hunt by the moon and have a strong hunger for attaining scientific knowledge. Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, coming to Netflix January 14!
After spending her entire life living in an underground burrow, a young girl named Kipo (Karen Fukuhara) is thrust into an adventure on the surface of a whimsical post-apocalyptic Earth. She joins a ragtag group of survivors as they embark on a journey through a vibrant wonderland where everything trying to kill them is downright adorable. The series is created and executive produced by Radford Sechrist (How to Train Your Dragon 2) and executive produced and developed for television by Bill Wolkoff (The Man Who Fell To Earth).
We discussed how happy we were with the music and the voice talents, so take a look below to learn a little more about each of the characters and their work.
The cast features Karen Fukuhara (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) as the enthusiastic and curious “Kipo;” Sydney Mikayla (General Hospital) as “Wolf,” a weapon-wielding survivor who knows the ins and outs of the surface; Coy Stewart (The Blacklist) as the happy-go-lucky “Benson;” Deon Cole (black-ish) as “Dave,” a talking insect who has the jarring ability to suddenly age a full life cycle without warning; and Dee Bradley Baker (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as the adorable mutant pig “Mandu”.
The series includes the voice talents of Sterling K. Brown (Frozen 2) as Kipo’s father “Lio Oak;” Dan Stevens (Legion) as the power-hungry “Scarlemagne;” Lea DeLaria (Orange is the New Black) as Timbercat “Molly Yarnchopper;” Joan Jett as rocker snake “Camille;” and John Hodgman and GZA (Wu Tang Clan) as the cosmically-curious wolves “Billions and Billions.”
Enjoy the amazing original music developed by renowned music supervisor Kier Lehman (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Insecure) and composer Daniel Rojas (Downsizing). Distant Cousins, Lushlife, Beth Yen, and Dope Saint Jude are just a few of the artists whose tracks appear in the first season, as well as original performances by Fukuhara, Brown, Stevens and GZA. Playlist is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts has elicited a feeling that rarely comes these days, the need to just watch one more episode as you just don’t want to stop the story. It is just like the book you don’t want to put down, you go Kipo.