Lotus Lagoon * Wonderful 2D Animation, Captivating Voice Acting, Culturally Significant Symbols, And Tidbits Of Wisdom
A musical adventure series following brave Lian and her spunky red panda companion Buddy on a lush, remote island. Guided by Long, a wise dragon mentor, they observe and experiment to solve problems, with original songs woven into each episode.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Sofia T. comments, “I appreciate and sincerely enjoyed the show Lotus Lagoon. The show not only has clean and captivating voice acting, culturally significant symbols, but also a feel-good lesson. That, plus it truly held my attention.” Julie O. adds, “Lotus Lagoon is a 2D animated series and the attention to detail and vibrant colors really stand out and make this series unique. The beautiful colors and the small details truly bring the story to life. One of my favorite things is how it teaches about the animals Lian and Buddy encounter as well as providing tidbits of wisdom that can be applied to different situations.” Ashish S. wraps it up with, “Lotus Lagoon is an incredible short film that I thoroughly enjoyed due to its animation, characters, writing, and music.” See their full reviews below.
Lotus Lagoon
By Sofia T., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15
I appreciate and sincerely enjoyed the show Lotus Lagoon. The show not only has clean and captivating voice acting, culturally significant symbols, but also a feel-good lesson. That, plus it truly held my attention.
On a remote, lush island, a brave girl named Lian (Laura St. John) and her lively red panda, Buddy (Jennifer Mae Santos), solve problems through observation and experimentation. Guided by a wise dragon, Long (Craig Ross), their vibrant adventures are brought to life with original music in every episode.
I have great admiration for the voice acting of almost every character in Lotus Lagoon. Each voice is so distinct, which adds to the overall quality of the show. This can be shown through Craig Ross, the voice of Long, who adapts a speech pattern of drawn out words along with a British accent. This conveys his years of knowledge without an outright explanation or statement. Additionally Lotus Lagoon holds many references to Asian culture, which emphasizes the importance of cultural relativism. Towards the beginning of the episode Here we go Summertime, Lian refers to her dad as Baba. This term is often used in Chinese culture. This opens new doors to learn more about Chinese culture in an educational and respectful manner. Lastly, the Lotus Lagoon contains crucial life-lessons that encourage positive practices. In the episode Here we go Summertime, Lian and Buddy find a salamander named Pudge who is stuck under a rock. When they finally lift up the rock Pudge is too scared to come out. Buddy initially doesn’t want to assist as Pudge is very slimy. However, once he does help, he realizes the impact he has on Pudge and smiles knowing he did the right thing.
The show’s message is to always do the kind thing, even when it is hard.
Lotus Lagoon gets 5 out of 5 stars from me and I recommend it for ages 5 to 8. This is a pilot for a TV series and does not have a release date at this time.
Lotus Lagoon: Here We Go Summertime
By Julie O. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 13
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I love the new series Lotus Lagoon! I was immediately drawn to the beautiful animation and fun music in this action packed adventure.
The storyline follows Lian (Laura St. John) who lives on a tropical island in the staff village of a resort hotel where her Baba (Bobby Gaglini) works. It is her first day of summer vacation and she is anxious to go on adventures with her friend Buddy (Jennifer Santos) who is a red panda that loves to get into mischief. While trying to avoid the hotel owner, Mrs. Baboza (Jennifer Santos) the two set out on an adventure where they help a new friend and learn some helpful wisdom from Long (Craig Ross) the dragon.
Lotus Lagoon is a 2D animated series and the attention to detail and vibrant colors really stand out and make this series unique. The beautiful colors and the small details truly bring the story to life.
One of my favorite things is how it teaches about the animals Lian and Buddy encounter as well as providing tidbits of wisdom that can be applied to different situations. The show is fast paced, has fun music, and a great group of characters. Mrs. Baboza is hilarious as the vain hotel owner and Buddy provides a lot of laughs when he is causing mischief. My favorite part of Lotus Lagoon is when the dragon, Long, teaches Lian and Buddy about salamanders.
The show’s message is that you should always help someone in need, and you never know when you might need them to help you. The show also focuses on the value of friendship, having fun, and treating everyone with respect.
I give Lotus Lagoon 4 out of 5 stars and recommend this series for ages 5 to 8. This is a pilot intended for TV or streaming and does not have a release date yet.
Lotus Lagoon
By Ashish S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 17
Lotus Lagoon is an incredible short film that I thoroughly enjoyed due to its animation, characters, writing, and music. I really enjoyed how the feel of the cartoon was reminiscent of the types of shows that I used to watch when I was younger, while still keeping the characters and the concept of the film fresh and original.
The storyline follows a girl named Lian and her panda companion Buddy as they go on adventures throughout an island. The duo finds a salamander named Pudge who is trapped under multiple rocks, and they must get their wise dragon mentor, Long, to assist them in rescuing him.
What really stands out to me about this film are the visual elements. All of the sets have an extremely vibrant and colorful nature to them, especially the backgrounds and nature scenes where the characters interact. Another really well done element is the writing. The story flows in a way that is both engaging for its intended audience as well as interesting for older viewers. The film throws in plenty of visual gags and jokes that even I found hilarious, like Long forcing Lian and Buddy to dance, or Buddy complaining about Pudge. At only 11 minutes long, the characters are quite well-developed. One can really become emotionally attached to them, even in such a short amount of time. My favorite part is the dynamic between Lian and Buddy. Their friendship is so fun to see play out on screen, and they are an extremely entertaining duo to anchor the program. Another great thing about this film is the background song during the play montage, as it is surprisingly catchy and helps to set the mood of the movie.
The film’s message revolves around friendship, helping others, and problem solving. Lian and Buddy need to put all of these skills to use to help Pudge escape the rocks. They learn about the importance of helping those in need, as well as how to pivot when they hit a roadblock.
I give Lotus Lagoon 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 5 to 12, plus adults. This short film is a pilot for a series and does not have a release date yet
