City of Ghosts

The winsome charm of Elizabeth Ito’s City of Ghosts lies in its simple yet probing premise: to commune with haunting specters is not a scary prospect. Instead, it’s an opportunity to learn about local history. A chance to reconnect with one’s heritage. A welcome gesture to bond with those nearby. Centered on a “Ghost Club” led by Zelda, a young girl who doesn’t blink when encountering a fluffy ghost haunting a restaurant or a drumming one keeping a cafe owner up at night, this animated mockumentary series is more than just a love letter to Los Angeles. It is a textured mosaic that understands the sunny city contains as many stories as it does people and buildings. With character design that makes Zelda, her friends, their families and neighbors look like DIY Memoji figures, City of Ghosts prizes simplicity and authenticity above all. There’s a hand-crafted quality to its aesthetic that makes the show truly sing. Whether tackling the effects of gentrification or the history of the Tongva people, the Ghost Club makes every encounter with a friendly ghost worth watching. For building out a palimpsestuous Los Angeles that lives on in every neighborhood, where modern stories and old histories coexist psychically, emotionally, and, of course, (meta)physically, all while celebrating children’s ingenuity, City of Ghosts receives a Peabody.