Television series
Wakfu
Wakfu is a French animated fantasy series about a young boy discovering his magical heritage while journeying across a vibrant world with a ragtag group of companions. It's gorgeously drawn, genuinely funny, and treats its young protagonist's emotional journey with real weight. Made for kids but smart enough that adults get swept along.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you loved animated adventures with a playful, cartoon-bright surface and a cast of quirky, lovable misfits, and you don't mind a long road of episodes that keeps growing its world.
Skip it if you want a tight, self-contained story; this is a serialized kids' fantasy with a lot of slapstick energy, and its goofiness may wear thin if you come in expecting something more grounded.
What it asks of you: Around twenty minutes an episode across a long run of seventy-eight, so it rewards a steady habit more than a single sitting, and its pace is brisk and bouncy rather than contemplative.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Avatar: The Last Airbender2005
A coming-of-age fantasy with an ensemble cast, escalating stakes, and a world that expands brilliantly as the story deepens. Same blend of humour, heart, and spectacular action sequences.
But Three seasons feels long if you're not hooked by the midpoint. The first season finds its feet slowly.
She-Ra and the Princesses of Power2018
Gorgeous animation, a found-family narrative, and genuine emotional weight beneath the adventure. It explores identity and belonging in ways that resonate whether you're eight or eighty.
But The first season leans harder on humour than drama. Takes time to find its darker, more serious rhythm.
Amphibia2019
A girl stranded in a frog world discovers friendship, courage, and herself. Funny and warm with surprising character depth and a story that compounds beautifully across seasons.
But The early episodes feel lighter and more standalone. The serialised storytelling doesn't fully click until later.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Wakfu
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Carole & Tuesday2019
Both are French-influenced animated series about found families on journeys of self-discovery, using genre adventure as a vehicle for genuine character work and identity questions.
Two girls on Mars form a musical duo and pursue dreams in a jazz-infused sci-fi world. It's visually sumptuous, narratively ambitious, and discovers genuine emotional truth in its characters' struggle for meaning.
But The pacing is slow and meditative; nothing explosive happens. The second half's plot threads feel rushed and incomplete.
More like this (7)
The Owl House2020
A human girl in a demon realm finds magic, mentorship, and her identity. Vibrant animation, genuinely witty writing, and character arcs that earn their emotional payoff.
But Shorter seasons mean it feels slight at first. The world-building accelerates rather than starting dense.
Craig of the Creek2018
A warm, beautifully animated series about friendship and adventure in a creek-side world. It's gentle without being dull, funny without trying too hard, and utterly comforting.
But There's no overarching villain or high stakes. The appeal is entirely in the small moments and characters.
Infinity Train2019
A boy trapped on a surreal train encounters strange worlds and darker themes. Visually inventive, genuinely eerie, and surprisingly sophisticated about psychology and growth.
But It's darker and stranger than most children's animation. Some episodes veer into genuinely unsettling territory.
Hilda2018
A girl navigates a Norwegian-inspired world of creatures and magic with wit and courage. The animation is stunning, the mysteries genuinely compelling, and the tone perfectly balanced.
But The first season's monster-of-the-week format may feel repetitive before the larger plot emerges.
The Dragon Prince2018
An epic fantasy with three protagonists on different sides of a conflict learning to bridge divides. The animation is distinctive, the magic system elegant, and the moral complexity genuine.
But The frame rate is deliberately low, which takes adjustment. Some find it cheap-looking rather than stylish.
Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts2020
A girl in a post-apocalyptic world discovers mutant creatures and her own strength. Unexpectedly hopeful, beautifully drawn, and structurally ambitious across its seasons.
But The optimistic tone isn't for everyone. Viewers expecting grit may find it saccharine.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners2022
Both use gorgeous, distinctive animation to tell stories about young people discovering who they are within systems that want to define them. Both have found-family cores and genuine emotional intelligence underneath the adventure genre trappings, but Cyberpunk inverts Wakfu's optimism entirely.
An anime about a street kid and a rogue AI hacker in a neon dystopia. It's visually stunning, structurally tight, and devastatingly human despite its hard sci-fi shell.
But It's violent, tragic, and uncompromising. There's no happy ending waiting. Very much for older viewers, not kids.
