Iwájú

Available on Disney+

This intriguing animated series is the result of a collaboration between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Kugali Media. The latter is a British-based company founded by African artists, who deviated from their original mission statement of ‘kicking Disney’s arse’ to co-create this charming tale about Tola (Simisola Gbadamosi) and Kole (Siji Soetan), two friends living on opposite sides of the wealth divide in a futuristic iteration of Lagos.

Although ostensibly a children’s show, Iwájú has enough of a social conscience to resonate with older and younger viewers alike. The wealth inequality that is sadly commonplace in countries such as Nigeria is shown cleverly not just through the respective arcs of Tola and Kole, but also the series’ antagonist Bode (Femi Branch) and Lagos’ contrasting mainland and island areas. Also of note is the show’s admirable use of the Yoruba language, which lends it its name of ‘the future’.    

While the pacing of Iwájú’s narrative isn’t exactly a break from convention, the effervescence of its overall vibe and the innovative nature of the creative partnership that brought it life distinguishes it as something of a brave new frontier for short-form storytelling.