In the enchanting world of Aerwiar, as carnivorous cows roam the forests, and colossal sea dragons glide through the skies two sentient species vie for dominance: humans and the serpent-like Fangs. Nine years prior to the events of Season 1 of The Wingfeather Saga, the villainous Fangs conquered and subjugated the human lands on the continent of Skree. Now, under their tyrannical rule, humans eke out a fearful existence in poverty and subjugation.

The Wingfeather Saga (Season 2)

The Wingfeather children—Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli—once believed they were ordinary kids. Little did they know, they carried a regal lineage: they were the Jewels of Anniera, heirs to a distant and fallen kingdom. Now, their lives are in peril as the evil Fangs seek to capture them. They must flee their familiar home, navigating treacherous Fingap Falls, twisting Strander Burrows, and the Fang-infested Dugtown. Their destination? The Ice Prairies, where the lizard-like Fangs cannot pursue. The fate of their family, and perhaps the entire realm, rests upon their young shoulders. As the second season unfolds, the world of Wingfeather expands, introducing new dangers, uncharted lands, and friendships forged in hope.

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The Wingfeather Saga (S2:E1&2)

With subtle improvements to the animation, the second season of The Wingfeather Saga remains one of the most beautifully rendered animated series of the last 20+ years, with only 2001’s Samurai Jack’s unique aesthetic as serious competition. Unlike Disney’s lazy and sometimes jarring attempt to do the same with the disappointing Wish, the TWS animators have seamlessly integrated the timeless elegance and fluid motion of classic 2D animation into the more immersive and textured environments of 3D CGI.

One of our early expressed concerns with season 1 was that the voice talent, specifically that of the children, had room to grow. That fear has been allayed as the child actors exhibit vastly more confident and nuanced performances, elevating the show’s overall quality.

Unfortunately, these initial episodes sometimes suffer from the same uneven pacing and tendency to say rather than do that hampered a handful of last season’s entries. The writers certainly manage to include some particularly heavy and narratively important events. Still, they are regrettably interspersed with what feels like time-filler side adventures that are wrapped up as quickly and conveniently as they were initiated. The result is a lack of urgency in some key moments that will temporarily take older viewers out of the action.

That said, the strong family dynamic, traditional gender roles, intriguing characters, and overarching adventure are interesting enough to keep children engrossed and parents sufficiently entertained. Furthermore, season 1 should have garnered enough goodwill to keep families coming back for when this series inevitably finds its footing once again.

INAPPROPRIATE ELEMENTS FOR CHILDREN

Consequences

• One of the great things about The Wingfeather Saga series is that it doesn’t shy away from consequences. The other side of this is that it makes for some intense moments that may be too much for the very young.
• Numerous villains are felled, some on screen and some off. However, all are serious and intense, though not graphic.
  • There is one scene in which one of the Wingfeathers celebrates as the youngest boy kills multiple attackers with his bow and arrows, and we even see some of them taking arrows to the heart and falling to their deaths.

WOKE ELEMENTS

Eurocentric Middle Age-Inspired Story

• Obviously, we are dealing with a completely fictional story set in a fantasy realm that is full of things that don’t exist in the real world. However, there is no denying that it is almost exclusively based on the Tolkien model of fantasy in which Eurocentric communities are isolated by geography and the incredible dangers and effort involved with adventurous treks across the land. As such, it makes very little sense for black characters to live in the same village in which the show starts. It’s not a huge deal but it is distracting to those audience members who appreciate continuity and verisimilitude (even in fantasy).
  • On a side note, every other human is drawn wearing something anachronistically relevant to the setting except for the male black character. For some reason, he’s dressed in slacks and a cardigan sweater, making it look like Mr. Rogers dressed him.