I had heard about Kizazi Moto through Twitter with a call to action for people to watch it because the consensus was that Disney didn't really market this series and it was important for people to watch it to make sure Disney wouldn't cancel it or remove it from streaming. This is an important animation as each episode comes from a series of animators from countries all over Africa, and each imagine a wondrous vision of the future. It weds science fiction with bits of fantasy (featuring ancestors, magic, and gods) and was a visual wonder. Let's get to it!
The Premise:
This action-packed animated sci-fi anthology presents ten futuristic visions from Africa imagining brave new worlds of advanced technology, aliens, spirits, and monsters.
--IMDB
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Story: There are a total of ten episodes, averaging about 15 minutes each, with unique stories. I've pulled the episode summaries from Disney + directly and will give you my initial thoughts on each.
Episode 1 - Herderboy - a reckless teenager must protect a precious herd of cyborg cattle from a deadly spirit monster.
This was a fun opener to the show and filled with plenty of action when it came time to fight the monsters. A straightforward story.
Episode 2 - Mkhuzi: The Spirit Racer - a boy from Soweto challenges an alien overlord to an epic race to save his home from destruction.
This was a frenetic episode that gave me strong anime vibes, especially with the animation during the race.
Episode 3 - Moremi - a mysterious scientist crosses dimensions to rescue a spirit boy from the realm of the gods.
I had a little trouble following this one but it was an interesting story filled with gorgeous animation that kind of reminded me of stop-motion.
Episode 4 - Surf Sangoma - in Durban 2050, two best friends risk everything to illegally surf colossal deadly waves.
This one was one of my favorites. I liked the story very much and the animation was excellent. Lots of thrills with this one.
Episode 5 - First Totem Problems - Sheba is determined to get her digital totem, even if it means breaking into the afterlife.
I didn't really understand the full significance of the totem, but there were funny moments and an interesting view of the afterlife.
Episode 6 - Mukudzei - after defacing a sacred monument, an influencer is flung into utopian future Zimbabwe
I thought the animation was filled with gorgeous details and it had sweet moments about the ties to family and familial relationships.
Episode 7 - Hatima - Two nations, one on land and one under the sea, are locked in an endless battle
This is another one of my favorite stories. I think it was intriguing to have it be that the underwater people were created from humans by Hatima.
Episode 8 - Stardust - an outcast stable girl demands an elite destiny scroll from the all-knowing Oracle
The animation here was also gorgeous and I really liked the concept of using magic scrolls that reveal destiny, and how an empty scroll leads the girl to make her own.
Episode 9 - You Give Me Heart - an unknown artist wins a cosmic talent show and becomes the new God of Creativity
This is another one of my favorites and spoke to me personally about trying to be a creative person but having to cater to followers and how it feels like it can make or break you. There's a bit of a cautionary tale here but also, just a sweet story at its core. I really enjoyed this.
Episode 10 - Enkai - a girl just wants to spend time with her mother, who is busy at work trying to save the Earth
I really enjoyed this one, too. The animation utilizes beautiful colors and details, it's very three dimensional, and I like that one of the big messages is that it's time the Earth is saved by its own people.
Characters: There were so many in each short story that I couldn't really latch on to anyone specifically. But I will say the characters in each episode were enough to hold my attention and sympathize with. And many of the women in the stories were presented as strong, which I appreciated.
Animation: This series is filled with many different styles of animation, from CG to 2D, and each episode is a gem. Lots of brilliant color and expressive faces, great lights and sound--a smorgasbord of visual delights.
Voice Acting: I didn't recognize any of the actors and I'm a little embarrassed about that. I thought everyone was well-cast and the acting was spot-on. No complaints. I also thought it was interesting that many of the actors were bilingual--episodes featured English but also bits of other languages, like Afrikaans and Swahili, for example. It was nice to see actors sharing these parts of themselves in the characters.
Low Points of the Series: I don't really have any complaints except that I wish some of the episodes were longer! I wanted more!
High Points of the Series: I love anthology shows - this reminded me of a more youthful Love, Death + Robots - and this one is so important because it features an assemblage of African talent. Each episode, while stories varied, was a showcase in beautiful animation. The show is a visual feast.
Final thoughts: I was a bit bummed to learn via Twitter that this show hasn't received as much love as it should have...it's a creative series with much to offer, and lots of imagination. Family and friends are important, honoring your ancestors is important...there's a deep heart to most of these stories beyond the surface level "wow" of speculative fiction. I had a great time watching these, and I think you will, too. If you have Disney +, please show your support for the artists and give this show a look!
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