WondLa

Rediscovering the Magic of "The WondLa Trilogy" by Tony DiTerlizzi

The WondLa trilogy is a series of books written by Tony DiTerlizzi. Its roots stem from traditional children's literature with a space adventure vibe. The experience feels very nostalgic yet completely new. It's a bit difficult to explain, but the author's inspirations from writings like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland are apparent. The artwork is original and unique, fitting quite well with how the world of WondLa is described in the books. This is also because the author is the artist.

The books were adapted for television in the form of the Apple+ TV series simply named "WondLa." Unfortunately, the show is not able to capture the essence of the books. You'll always find a group of people who feel that the 'book was superior to the movie/show/adaptation' - however, this is not the issue with WondLa.

The show does not bother giving any time to building the sentiments of the book. The relationships experienced by Eva are dry and generic; they have no feeling of natural growth. It's more 'things are the way they are because they need to be.'

The world of WondLa feels more like generic quick shots with more time spent on important locations than on actual world-building. I'm not entirely sure if this is the fault of the art direction (more on that later) or the general direction of the show.

The art direction is generic and quite forgettable. It feels like something that would be used in a short story from back in the mid-2000s. The world, the characters, the environment are all affected by this, and it takes away from its unique, interesting, and original art style. Which makes me wonder, when you had the author and the artist as one person, why would you not take their input? Why would you drop something original and memorable in favor of something mediocre? Eva, this 12-year-old quirky adventurous girl with an air of curiosity, looks more like generic human number 9. Though whoever was in charge of the show did make sure that instead of a 12-year-old white girl, the character of Eva in the show looks more like a close to 30 brown woman.

The show should have been more Don Bluth or Jim Henson, but it feels like it was made by generic AI. I recommend passing on the show, but get the books. If you enjoy your experience, think about supporting the author by purchasing merchandise and/or the audiobooks.