“Iwájú” is a new Disney Animation sci-fi series that’s tremendously entertaining to watch, showing an interpretation of what Lagos, Nigeria, might look like one hundred years into the future.
Spoiler alert: There are flying cars.
The six-episode series, which premiered on Disney+ on Feb. 28 and is coming to the Disney Channel on April 22, is definitely worth spending a few hours binge-watching.
At first glance, you might think this is another typical Disney blockbuster. It’s loaded with endearing characters and a hopeful story about overcoming obstacles. But the series tackles surprisingly deeper subjects than most kid-centric animated fare, and that could be thanks to the African animation team behind the project.
What had me cackling the most about #Iwaju is that even in a futuristic Nigeria, NEPA still dey carry light 😭 stream now on Disney+ 10/10 highly recommendpic.twitter.com/OIpvVwkjjq
— Cy (@CyDieyi) February 28, 2024
For the first time in Disney’s 100-year history, Disney teamed up with an outside studio, Kugali Media, who are based in Africa and the U.K. Voiced by Nigerian actors and featuring a score by Nigerian composer Ré Olunuga, the collab reflects the vision of producer and director Olufikayo Ziki Adeola — and there’s nothing else like it on TV right now.
“Iwájú” means “the future” in the Yoruba language, and the series — which began as a comic book anthology — explores how technology impacts the lives of the citizens of Lagos. In “Iwájú,” we follow Tola (Simisola Gbadamosi), a 10-year-old girl from the island, and her best friend Kole (Siji Soetan), a self-taught tech wiz from the mainland. The two get involved with a 7-foot-tall crime boss, Bude (Femi Branch), who rules the mainland, and the show is stuffed to the gills with fascinating imagery of futuristic city life.
But we’re also reminded of a hard truth: societal divides and class segregation are stubborn and pernicious.
“‘Iwájú was born from my personal desire to tell a story about Lagos because one of the unique things I noticed is how the geography actually supports the societal divide in a way that is very stark,” Adeola, who grew up in Nigeria’s largest city, told IndieWire. “In Lagos, the wealthy people live on the island, and the working class and poor people live on the mainland, by and large. So you literally have a body of water separating rich and poor. And so I thought that was a really interesting foundation upon which to build a science-fiction story.”
“The theme of inequality was the first one that became really apparent to me, but I personally like aspirational stories because I think hope is really important to the human spirit,” he added.
The movie attempts to bring Lagos to life in an authentic way, including references to local snacks like puff-puffs and recreating the vibrancy of outdoor markets in painstaking detail.
Fans have already taken to social media to share how proud they are of the new Afro-centric show.
“I’m 5 mins into #Iwaju and I’m soo happy Disney made a show for the African kids man. I wish I had a Nigerian cartoon like this when I was kid,” a viewer wrote.
“Watching iwaju and I acc want to cry. The accents are legit naij accents. The set actually looks like Lagos. Even the animated hair looks like 4c hair. I’ve never felt seen like this on a mainstream platform. I’m just speechless,” shared another.
You can now stream all six episodes on Disney+.
