Ryan Swano
The epic cartoon feature film, Iyanu: Age of Wonders is the prequel to the popular award-winning kids TV series Iyanu: Child of Wonder, and is now available for streaming Showmax, and it’s just in time for the school holidays.
Set 500 years before the rise of Iyanu, The Age of Wonders transports viewers to Yorubaland at the height of its magical civilisation. When Meje – the embodiment of the seven deadly sins – emerges, young warriors Dara and Ishe must stop the coming Age of Darkness. Their only hope lies with the Divine Ones, legendary beings who once walked the earth and upheld the balance between light and shadow.
Bringing this epic tale to life in English is an all-Nigerian voice cast, featuring Shaffy Bello (The Black Book) as Emi, The One Mother; Adesua Etomi-Wellington, African Movie Academy Award winner and Vogue US cover star, as Olori; and acclaimed actress Serah Johnson as Iyanu. The film is the creation of Nigerian director Roye Okupe, adapted from his graphic novel, following the success of Iyanu: Child of Wonder.
The series debuted to wide acclaim, becoming the Number 1 show on Cartoon Network, landing in Max’s top 10 kids’ and family titles, and ranking as the most-watched kids’ series on Showmax at launch. Most recently, Iyanu won the MIP Africa Inclusive Lens Award for Diversity in Kids Programming, beating out international favourites Iwájú and Supa Team 4.
For the Young of Age and the Young at Heart
In true form, the kid in me was enticed to watch the prequel movie of the series that I enjoyed.
Yes, of course, being an hour long movie, the story arc takes a bit onger to unfold, than it would when watching episodes of a series. However, even for someone like me who often has a hundred other things vying for my attention while trying to watch a movie, staying focussed wasnt tedious. I’m sure most children above 6-years-old, right up to those ‘kids’ with some decades on their clock will be riveted to their screens.
In a previous article about the Iyanu: Child of Wonder cartoon series I wrote that the fact that I love the Iyanu cartoon series cannot be the only reason our kids should see it.
As someone who regularly does community work involving kids from predominanty Coloured areas on the Cape Flats, but also from a diversity of other communities, I see this as an opportunity for All Of Our Kids from All Our Different Communities to Develop a Connection With All of Africa and All of Our African Peoples and Cultures.
WATCH: IYANU: The Age of Wonders EXTENDED Trailer
Excelllent Learning Opportunity
It is also an excellent opportunity to help children expand their vocabularies. You can turn it into a little game. Watch Iyanu with them and jot down all the “big words”. After the film, grab an actual dictionary, ask them to give the meanings of those words, and then look it up together to verfy the meaning. If you don’t have a dictionary, there is Google.
Parent Cheat Code: If you don’t also know the meaning, don’t let on. Just look it up with them.
Instead of only having cartoon heroes from America, Europe and Asia, our kids should also have cartoon heroes from where they are from; Africa.
Screenrant described the Iyanu: Child of Wonder series on Showmax as “The Last Airbender and Black Panther hybrid you didn’t know you needed.”
As a movie, Iyanu: Child of Wonder is equally awesome for the young of Age and the Young at Heart.
WATCH IYANU Age of Wonders on Showmax
Something Else for the Kids this School Holidays
A new Lord of The Rings prequel cartoon premiers on Movie Magic DStv Channel 104 on Saturday, 11 October at 12:45PM and on will be available for streaming on Showmax from Sunday, 12 October.
Set 183 years before the events of the original films, The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim follows the House of Helm Hammerhand, the legendary King of Rohan. A sudden attack by a vengeful lord forces Helm and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold that will later come to be known as Helm’s Deep.
