Movies - TV
The Best Kids’ Animation Of 2022
By CAROLINE CAO
Wendell & Wild
"Wendell & Wild" is full of death, so it's definitely not for the younger kiddies. Director Henry Selick co-wrote the screenplay with Jordan Peele, resulting in a film that isn't just a collection of scary, dramatic gags but also a celebration of the marginalized people who fight the systemic racism gnawing at their communities.
ONI
Across four 45-minute episodes of "ONI: Thunder God's Tale," Onari learns about her heritage, encounters quite a few twists and turns, and discovers that the Oni may not be quite as monstrous as she's been led to believe. The CGI animation here looks like it's hand-crafted, as this Tonko House production originated as a fully-fledged stop-motion production.
The Owl House
A series cut short before its time, "The Owl House" celebrates people who function outside the box, whether they're a neurodivergent kid or a mentor trying her darndest to teach her pupil the best lessons. It's also highly regarded for centering a cute and unambiguous queer romance between Luz Noceda and her former rival, Amity Blight.
Bee and PuppyCat
In the confectionary-colored "Bee and PuppyCat," Bee bonds with the mysterious PuppyCat, a cosmic being, and they venture into a gateway space where they are assigned tasks, then funneled to other oddball locations to carry them out. The 2022 reboot contains episodes from an ill-fated 2019 continuation of the original, but the current version stands alone.
Dead End
Lifted from the pages of Hamish Steele's comics, "Dead End: Paranormal Park" follows the misadventures of Barney, Norma, and Barney's talking pug in a supernatural theme park that's centered around a movie star. By celebrating these misfit kids, the series breaks new ground when it comes to discussing queer struggles with nuance in a cartoon.