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Animation can do anything and go anywhere, regardless of the boundaries of space and time. These recent Peabody honorees take viewers across the world and explain real-life history. They also defy reality, introducing the possibilities of dinosaurs and superheroes on New York’s Lower East Side and hedgehog/elephant friendships at magical summer camps. Take a break from the news cycle and explore these possibilities to learn something new.
‘Blue Eye Samurai’
An animated action series meant for adults, Blue Eye Samurai tells the story of a half-white, half-Japanese female warrior, Mizu (Maya Erskine), on a mission of vengeance during the 17th-century Edo period. She’s seeking the four white men who were in Japan at the time of her birth, when borders were closed, and plans to kill all of them in retaliation for the pain of growing up mixed-race and without a father in an insular and discriminatory country. Raised by her mother to disguise herself as a boy to stay undetected, she continues the ruse into adulthood on her epic quest for revenge, accompanied by her soba maker sidekick Ringo (Masi Oka), cocky samurai Taigen (Darren Barnet), and Taigen’s fiancée Princess Akemi (Brenda Song). “It’s an Edo-period tale of revenge—Kill Bill meets Yentl,” said Amber Noizumi, who co-created the series with husband Michael Green.
Where to Watch: Netflix
‘Eternal Spring’
If you’ve been to New York City in the past 20 years, you’ve likely encountered groups of protesters raising awareness about Falun Gong, a spiritual group banned in China. This animation/documentary hybrid delves into the aftermath of the group’s March 2002 act of defiance in China, hacking a state TV channel to get their message out. After brutal police raids in Changchun City in response, Falun Gong practitioner Daxiong, a comic book illustrator for Justice League and Star Wars, flees to North America, fearful even though he had nothing to do with the hacking itself and resentful that the action made a bad situation worse. Eternal Spring follows his journey as he tries to make sense of the events 20 years later, interviewing people involved in the hijacking and re-creating events via 3D animation inspired by his art, resulting in a one-of-a-kind experience. Though the film doesn’t grapple with some of the group’s far-right activism and accusations of abuse at its Upstate New York headquarters, it does show the personal and far-reaching effects of violent government suppression of religion.
Where to Watch: EternalSpringFilm.com
Marvel’s ‘Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur’
Actor Laurence Fishburne was so taken with this Marvel comic book that he produced this series for Disney. In it, 13-year-old genius Lunella Lafayette (Diamond White) stumbles on a portal on the Lower East Side of New York, where she lives with her parents and grandparents. When a red Tyrannosaurus Rex steps out of it, they become a superhero pair: Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur (Fred Tatasciore). Throughout the two seasons, Lunella navigates her double life, learns that her family history connects with her superheroism, and encounters such characters as geneticist Bill Foster (voiced by Fishburne), science teacher-turned-supervillain Aftershock (Alison Brie), Mane (Jennifer Hudson), and Rat King (Daveed Diggs).
Where to Watch: Disney+
‘Summer Camp Island’
As relaxing as it sounds, and even more magical, this Cartoon Network series charts the summertime adventures of anthropomorphic animal best friends Oscar, an elephant, and Hedgehog, a hedgehog. At the camp, they encounter popular witches, horses that can turn into unicorns, talking sharks, and Post-Its that are portals to other worlds. The 11-year-olds are united in their antagonism of camp counselor Susie and help each other navigate the preteen dramas of camp. Oscar struggles with his awkwardness, Hedgehog with her unrequited crush. And both must contend with their emerging powers: Oscar can also turn into a glow worm, while Hedgehog turns into a werewolf with every full moon. If this doesn’t convince you, nothing will.
Where to Watch: Max