The Best Kids' Animation Of 2021

All aboard "Infinity Train," where human souls are spirited away to a mysterious train and must solve escape room-like puzzles and interact with the otherworldly denizens to find their way back home. Over the course of three seasons (or "books"), creator Owen Dennis dreamed up a foundation for rich stories about how both the human passengers and the train's permanent residents learn to grow up, either by playing by the train's cryptic rules or by defying them.

Book 4, which was released in 2021, focuses on two Asian Canadians, Min-Gi and Ryan, who embark on a trek of self-discovery decades before the events of Book 1. If they ever want to repair their fractured friendship, the reserved Min-Gi has to open up about his insecurities, and the reckless Ryan must learn how to lend a listening ear. Despite the challenge of meeting the high bar set by the tragic Book 3, Book 4 is still a compelling ride that offers closure to some of the passengers. Sadly, this might be the last stop for "Infinity Train"; despite plans for future seasons, the show was canceled.

Where to Watch: HBO Max

The grimier undercurrents of superhero society have been present since season 1 of "My Hero Academia," the ultra-popular adaptation of Kōhei Horikoshi's shonen manga, but it wasn't until 2021's season 5 that the show really clawed deeper into the darker implications of its worldbuilding. In doing so, "My Hero Academia" strayed far from the headspace of its optimistic main character, Deku, who is secretly carrying the legacy and superpowers of his mentor, All Might.

In a deconstruction of redemption arcs, the superhero Endeavor is on the path to atonement after causing long-lasting psychological damage to his son, Shoto Todoroki, and the rest of his family. It's an arc that's honest about the cognitive dissonance of living under the care of a loved one who has caused massive personal harm. Healing, though not impossible, is far from view. In the meantime, an extremist group known as the Meta Liberation Army threatens to upend the show's superpowered society, especially when the League of Villains becomes entangled in its cause.

Where to Watch: Funimation, Hulu

Have you ever watched artists make goofy shapes out of chewed up wads of gum? That's the vibe of Megan Nicole Dong's eccentric "Centaurworld." The series follows a loyal steed named Horse, voiced by Kimiko Glenn, who is split from her human, Rider, and is spirited away to the colorful Centuarworld. There, the grumpy warhorse links up with the eccentric whatever-taurs, most of whom have quirky superpowers, and learns to channel her own burgeoning abilities as she tries to reunite with Rider in the war-torn lands.

If you've seen "Adventure Time" or the more serious "Over the Garden Wall," you know the drill: Wide-eyed whimsy and wackiness is the prelude to much darker material. Even when "Centaurworld" tests your patience with garish designs and 180-degree turns from kookiness into darkness, the ways it toys with structure and tropes are always bold and creative. Over 18 episodes and a feature-length finale, "Centaurworld" owes its musicality to Dong and composer Toby Chu, as well as a cast with powerful singing voices.

Where to Watch: Netflix

Star Wars has deep roots in Japanese cinema. The Force is inspired by Buddhist philosophy, and the Jedi are famously modeled after the samurai. This becomes clearer than ever before in the "Star Wars: Visions" anthology, where Japan-based animation studios reimagined George Lucas' seminal creation through nine anime shorts that explore the Force and Kyber crystals. The shorts range from silly to serious, each with a unique art style and story, dispensing morals about nature, spirituality, broken and reunited families, the relationships between students and teachers, and fate.

By giving the creative reins to artists with distinct and singular voices, "Visions" rejects the constraints of canon in order to bring new dimensions to the Star Wars universe and the expansiveness of the Force. Perhaps most importantly, "Visions" also eschews the sequel trilogy's glorification of bloodlines, insisting that the Force flows strongly in everyone, including adopted children and even droids.

Where to Watch: Disney+

From the team that brought you the screwball classic "Wander Over Yonder," "Kid Cosmic" is a saga about a kid who discovers magical stones from space that give their owners superpowers. With eye-popping animation and diverse hues, Craig McCracken's crack at a serialized story about a rag-tag group of heroes shakes up the superheroes-in-training formula by giving its cast tradable MacGuffins that manifest powers unique ways when they're wielded by different members of the show's eccentric cast.

With a retro, comic-inspired visual style and pinball-quick physicality, season 1 of "Kid Cosmic" saw the Local Heroes deal with intergalactic threats in a barren desert. Season 2 transports the cast to space, where they must stop a malevolent, planet-destroying force by finding even more power stones. Now the de facto leader of the team, teenage waitress Jo must also confront her insecurities, her overconfidence, and her rocky relationship with her mother.

Where to Watch: Netflix

The kingdoms of Kumandra, a Southeast Asia-inspired fantasy land, have been fractured by war. In order to fix it, Raya, a wandering princess reeling after her kingdom faced disaster, must gather the shards of a magical gem. In so doing, she awakens the kind-hearted dragon Sisu, who teaches her about optimism and trust. At first, Raya thinks the key to saving her world is conquering the leaders of rival kingdoms, but she eventually realizes that actual salvation lies in linking up with the land's downtrodden.

Penned by "She Kills Monsters" playwright Qui Nguyen and "Crazy Rich Asians" screenwriter Adele Lim, "Raya and the Last Dragon" is an exuberant animated fantasy film. Boasting a vibrant ensemble that includes Kelly Marie Tran and plenty of sword-gnashing action, you'll find yourself lost in the world of "Raya and the Last Dragon" as much as you will in its message about harmony.

Where to Watch: Disney+

This enchanted Disney musical dives into the intergenerational trauma of a magical family in Colombia. As the only power-free member of the Madrigal clan, Mirabel pines for the approval of her abuela, who expects her family to keep up strong appearances. Then, their grand magical house begins cracking. It's up to Mirabel to solve the problem, which may be related to the one relative who no one in her family likes to talk about.

Accompanied by musical numbers from Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Encanto" examines a fractured family like no other animated Disney feature. What makes "Encanto" distinct is that it's an adventure film in which the heroine doesn't technically leave her domicile, instead having to repair her family's bonds by investigating their secrets in a contained space. Whenever "Encanto" meditates on family history, it submerges its viewers into an elegiac melancholy of grief and homesickness.

Where to Watch: Disney+

Pixar has been experimenting with different styles since "Soul." Just look at "Luca," which has bulbous human designs that echo Aardman's productions more than films like "Ratatouille" or "Brave." A coming-of-age tale set in Italy, the film follows two young sea monsters, Luca and Alberto, who disguise themselves as humans to have fun in the surface city of Portorosso, where they scarf down pasta, lust after an expensive scooter, and partake in a grueling relay race.

Operating as an allegory about prejudice and assimilation, the sun-soaked "Luca" is a slice-of-life film in the same vein as "Kiki's Delivery Service." Accompanied by an energetic soundtrack and scored sumptuously by Dan Romer, "Luca" will delight you with its playful sense of mischief, its childlike imagination, and the bittersweetness of growing up.

Where to Watch: Disney+

Released at the 2021 Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Alex Kronemer's "Lamya's Poem" is an ambitious feature about the transcendent nature of storytelling and spirituality. Forced to flee her war-torn home of Aleppo, Lamya and her mother become refugees. Along their perilous path, Lamya clings to a book of stories that may allow her to survive. Meanwhile, in her dreams, Lamya finds kinship with the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi, a boy who also lost his home. Finally, in the ancient past, Rumi's maturation propels him to compose the very words that may save Lamya's life. 

With an illustrious storybook visage, Lamya's perilous trek educates children on the price of war, the trauma of separation, the dangers of Islamophobia, and the importance of storytelling, while also celebrating the resilience of refugees.

Where to Watch: N/A

Strength isn't found in muscle mass or might, but in the heart. That is the message of "Ranking of Kings," a sumptuous storybook production by Wit Studio. Unfortunately, the deaf Prince Bojji has been shunted aside in favor of more tangible representations of strength. Leaving his kingdom after the passing of his kingly father, Bojji goes on a quest to become stronger — whatever that means in this merciless fairytale world. Meanwhile, Bojji's half-brother is crowned king, and resorts to desperate measures to maintain power.

Don't be fooled by the show's innocuous and warm designs. The original manga is made for a young adult demographic, and the anime follows suit. "Ranking of Kings" is an exuberant watch that builds its world through both scattered breadcrumbs and major revelations. It also plays with size dynamics, such as Bojji's stunted growth, in a way that serves a particular thematic purpose. Although it may lull you into complacency with its lighthearted interludes, "Ranking of Kings" is a thrilling cocktail of fairytale tropes, including a corruptive magic mirror, potions, hubristic parents who curse their children, and magical strangers who could either be friend or foe.

Where to Watch: Funimation

Once upon a time, to dream of stars was an act of resistance in Chimney Town, where smoke from stacked chimneys blocks out the sky. But the Inquisitors' laws can't snuff out the human spirit forever. A tailor named Bruno used to tell banned stories about the clear night sky. Then, he suddenly disappeared. His bereaved son, Lubicchi, becomes a chimney sweep, only to be surprised when Poupelle, a walking and talking figure constructed out of garbage, comes his way. In spite of his initial prejudices, Lubicchi befriends Poupelle, and they embark on a journey to find the forbidden stars together.

Breathing into life the pages of Akihiro Nishino's children's book, "Poupelle of Chimney Town" is awe-inspiring thanks to the work of both director Yusuke Hirota and the pop-up book aesthetics of Studio 4°C. Burnished in lanternesque lighting, the film is enthralling, with its warmhearted friendships, unique mythology, and aerial climax.

Where to Watch: Released in theaters on December 30, 2021

Based on a light novel written by Kana Akatsuki and illustrated by Akiko Takase, "Violet Evergarden" looks at communication as an emotional outlet. In the Germany-inspired steampunk world, war veteran Violet Evergarden is an Auto Memory Doll (i.e., a fancy name for a secretarial ghostwriter) who mourns the Major she served. In the anime series, Violet discovers a new purpose in ghostwriting letters that provide healing for bereaved clients. Outgrowing her past as a stoic and compliant child soldier, Violet matures over many years.

In the finale, Violet assists a boy on his hospital sickbed who is looking to express himself to his family. When she finds out that her beloved Major may have survived, she ventures to the island where he may be exiled. But to Violet, finding him is less important than reaffirming commitment to being a writer.

Though the practice of letter-writing may be rendered irrelevant by the arrival of radios and telephones, one constant remains: Any type of communication helps souls bridge their divisions and connect, with varying levels of resonance. Although the movie ties up a loose end from the series, the tear-jerking epilogue backpedals on further answers about Violet's fate, reminding us that the characters we bonded with still make an impact, even if they're gone from the world.

Where to Watch: Netflix

How does one escape the ceaseless currents of history and become more than a bystander? Surviving the bloodshed of the Genpei War, young Biwa grapples with daunting prophecies she cannot contain with her heterochromatic eyes. The strings of her biwa, the instrument that serves as her namesake, strum aggressively and sublimely throughout the "The Heike Story," foreboding a gruesome end to the Taira clan, which she's informally adopted into.

Produced by Science SARU, this 11-episode adaptation of an epic 13th-century tale takes us through the Taira clan's rise and fall. It requires staunch discipline to watch; this is a dense series, full of various characters' conflicting motives, important offscreen incidents, and intermingling family trees, as if the creative team crammed paragraphs of the source material into expository dialogue. Although there are battle scenes, many "action" scenes involve strategizing and analysis. And yet, not a second of "The Heike Story" is wasted, as political struggles rumble on with conversational banality.

As she witnesses the Taira's follies and military ambitions, Biwa goes from victim, to witness, to storyteller. When we flash forward and see her aged form rattle her biwa strings and while she sings her elegiac lyrics, we understand that preserving a story can be an incredibly potent course of action all on its own.

Where to Watch: Funimation