IYANU: CHILD OF WONDER- a commentary

In case you haven’t noticed, there has been a sudden boom in African epic and fantasy films of late. While we have always had them in Nollywood, their resurgence as historical adaptations and not just fictional tales is only a few years old. Recently, Teambooktu reviewed a few of these movies, with more reviews to come.

A couple of weeks ago, The Masked King premiered with much pomp and pageantry and is doing rather well in the cinemas. Hollywood has also made a few African historical adaptations, like The Woman King, with some level of success. Over the past four years, Netflix has invested $220m in Africa while Disney+ constantly seeks local content that resonates with the continent. Elsewhere, Idris Elba plans to build two studios: one in Zanzibar and another in Accra. He also intends to make a movie adaptation of Chinua Achebe’s classic novel ‘Things Fall Apart’ with David Oyelowo. All this suggests a growing interest in novel African stories and content. Lest we forget the animation space, UCP, a division of Universal Studios, is partnering with Nigeria-based Comic Republic to develop a series on their characters and stories. The African plains are green.

The Dearth of Young Black Female Leads

We have also noticed over the years a growing demand for films starring the least featured demographic: the young girl. Even more difficult to find are stories of young black heroines, either in print or on screen. Young African girls seldom find films with them as the lead. True, there have been films starring young white heroines as far back as the 1930s with Disney’s Snow White and Broadway musicals like Annie in the ’70s. But you would be hard-pressed to find a story with a black girl as the main character.

The Struggle

Perhaps the first was Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (2009). This princess from New Orleans broke the colour mould of Disney princesses and was the first animated film to receive an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Motion Picture. Although Disney announced a spin-off series in 2020, it was shelved last month without much of an explanation. However, last year, Disney+ aired Iwájú, a story about a young, daring Nigerian girl called Tola. She was the protagonist in a series about futuristic Lagos. It was a smash hit and Teambooktu reviewed it upon release. Iwájú was nominated for the Emmys, NAACP Image Awards, and, as it so happens, the Annie Awards too.

Probably what it had going for it over The Princess and the Frog was the authenticity of its origin. It was created and written by an African comic/animation studio, Kugali, with an African voice cast. There was less general criticism in the accent department, and for the first time, young African girls saw themselves on screen. They saw themselves fighting the bad guys, not just as sidekicks.

Then comes The Chosen One

Iwájú took us to an imaginary future of Yorubaland, specifically Lagos. Iyanu, a new series which also stars a young Yoruba girl takes us in the opposite direction. It narrates the imaginary past of Yorubaland (Elu). Dubbed Iyanu: Child of Wonder, the titular character is a teenage orphan with magical powers. Created by Roye Okupe under a YouNeek Studios/Dark Horse Comics collaboration, it is based on a graphic novel. Iyanu is a 2D animated series that has been compared to Avatar: The Last Airbender. It premiered on Cartoon Network in the US this April and on Max.

Iyanu: Child of Wonder is quite reminiscent of the Saturday morning cartoons we watched back in the ’80s. Dungeons & Dragons, She-Ra: Princess of Power, Masters of the Universe. Simple, fun, with serious villains and entertaining supporting characters that keep you engrossed every episode. She has two friends, Biyi and Toye, with contrasting personalities and skills/interests. Together, they both appeal to the adventurer and the nerd in us.

Iyanu (which means ‘Wonder’ in Yoruba) is said to be the Chosen One (our Neo) with untapped powers over the unnatural, natural, and supernatural. Trained by Olori – the last of the Ogoni priestesses and our ‘Morpheus’- Iyanu discovers she is unique. She is destined to bring about the Age of Wonders and save humanity, currently trapped within the walled city of Elu to protect itself against the cursed wildlife around it. Along with her friends, she escapes Elu in a quest of self-discovery. With her natural powers, she also cures a giant leopard called Ekun and gains a new animal companion and protector.

Star-studded Nollywood Voice Cast for Iyanu

It is fascinating to note the popular Nollywood actors who make up the series’ voice cast:-

• Serah Johnson (first African Society of Voice Arts Award winner for animation) as Iyanu
• Adesua Etomi-Wellington (The Wedding Party, Gangs of Lagos) as Olori
• Shaffy Bello (Chief Daddy, Tinsel) as Emi.
• Stella Damasus (seasoned actress with over two decades of experience) as Sewa.

Other popular actors include Blossom Chukwujekwu (Oloture), Ike Ononye, Okey Jude and Samuel Kugbiyi (as Biyi and Toye). With such a cast, all that’s required is a great script. Crown all this with a theme-song by popular Nigerian songstress, Yemi Alade, and what else do you need?

Unlocking Potentials

Even if you’re not a fan of cartoons, you must commend Iyanu for raising cultural awareness in an international audience. An opportunity to showcase Nigerian and African culture to the world with authentic Nigerian accents, food, art and culture. For example, one of Iyanu’s iconic transformations appears to be an allusion to a popular Ashanti fertility doll. There is a lot of African symbolism and motifs. Yes, Iyanu packs quite a punch if watched keenly for trivia and details.

The walled city of Elu also has an interesting design. It is inspired by the ancient city of Benin, whose outer and inner walls rivalled the Great Walls of China. As the only remains of these walls are mounds and moats, it’s refreshing to see them reflected in fiction. The 17th-century Portuguese explorers spoke highly of Benin City. They described its broad streets, large palace (larger than Lisbon at the time), and great urban planning. All these are reflected in Elu. Not many watching know how developed and organized the Benin Kingdom was. It was so developed that it had street lamps long before London did. Shows like these draw keen interest in old African empires and cultures and should be encouraged.

Spreading the Word & Sharing the World

We have featured articles in our Ninth Art (comics) section on books like Bayajidda and Moremi, which are targeted at the youth. These, like Iyanu, help grow knowledge and appreciation for our rich African history. We have also showcased upcoming animations like Passport of Mallam Ilia that celebrate classic African literature and Legends of Bulan (a dystopian African future). We are showing growth. The history of comics and animation is long and enlightening. All the while, Africa has watched, read, enjoyed, and learnt a lot from the West and Orients. We’ve also learnt a lot about their legends- both historical and urban.

Methinks it’s Africa’s turn to return the favour. Iyanu: Child of Wonder is doing just that.

Iyanu: Child of Wonder premiered on Cartoon Network on April 5 and Max (formerly HBO Max) on April 6. It will be available to Africa on Showmax from June 13.