Iwájú is a fresh look at a futuristic Lagos, Nigeria with the new animated series by Disney and Kugali Media. It features two young leads who are drawn into the plots of the man called Bode! Kugali Media The series has released with the documentary, Iwájú: A Day Ahead, both streaming on Disney+. The series is directed by Olufikayo Adeola with a story by Adeola, Hamid Ibrahim, and Toluwalakin Olowofoyku. The screenplay is by Adeola and Halima Hudson. “Iwájú” means “forward” or the future. A moonlit night falls on the Lagos streets. A young girl, Omotola Abike Martins, Tola for short (Simisola Gbadamosi), rides a hover scooter. Out of her backpack, a orange-headed agama lizard, Otin, crawls out. She waves to the people in the street. Tola passes an alley where the lights of a van suddenly turn on.
At the highway outside of the city, Tola happily rides her hover scooter listening to music., the series music is by Nigerian composer, Ré Olunuga. The van passes Tola and Otin eyes it suspiciously. A grenade-like device drops out and shorts her hover scooter! The van stops with the occupants walking out. Then, a car stops behind her, two more persons walk towards Tola. Otin’s tail clicks a button on Tola’s neck sending out a protective, pink bubble. This is not the best defense with the device that shorted out electonics. Otin crawls forward and looks at the threatening people. It zips at them and is too fast for them! Its prehensile tongue smacks into one man. Otin zaps two others over the bridge and into the river! I think the button should have sent out an immediate emergency signal, GPS locator, and blaring noise to throw off any attackers!
Ottin’s eyes glow red, he is an electronic device, detecting the threats, one has a blue electric club and another an electric bola and stick like a flail. Interestring future weapons. Ottin’s vision reads Ija Mode, “Ija” means “fight” in Yoruba. The two sides split the screen, very cool, Ottin starts to send out energy, growing! The two attackers pause shocked, but Ottin’s hulk form still has his tiny head! A malfunction! This is paused by the Tunde, (Dayo Okeniyi) Tola’s father. Okeniyi stars in the sci fi show, Dark Matter. The scene was playing out on a table in front of a holographic control screen. He sits back exhausted. He wonders what he missed in the programming and comes to the news page, The Daily Swipe. The report is on the latest kidnapping and the kidnappers are unknown.
The pilot announces that they are about to land at Lagos. The city itself has curved antelope horn structures and other spires that are beautiful. The other side has several blocky buildings. The sun is setting over Lagos and the Lagos Lagoon. Then, it is morning with the sun flooding the purple bedroom of Tola. Her watch flashes a birthday animation and Tola wakes up from sleeping over her cook book of Puff Puffs. The Puff Puffs are known as Beignets in French, but rolled up as fried dough balls. I want to see them at the parks! She wakes up with a laugh and throws off her pink blanket. A floating robot, Rashedeet, wishes her happy birthday. Tola jumps over to the mirror and sees a hologram of side buns. She swipes until finding a top bun with ringlets. She throws off her sleep cap and puts on her helmet, then it perfectly forms her hairstyle!, I want a hair helmet!
Rashedeet tries to pull an outfit from her closet, but becomes confused so Tola digs into her closet to find the perfect dress for her tenth birthday. Tola begins to mix the ingredients given by Rashedeet into a bowl to make the Puff Puffs! She takes a pic of the dessert with her watch and then a selfie with the robot making a smile emoji! Tola is notified about her father’s landing. Her house is angular with trees, gadens, and fountains. The driver in a grey suit, Godspower (Toyin Oshinaike) is startled by the new car’s gull wing door flipping open. Then, the seat belt lashing around him, and he gets confused by the new screen! The security guards watch as he sets off the car alarm. Tola runs up to ask Uncle G to go to the mainland. He is frustrated with the car so she flashes him an adorable smile. Godspower gives in winning a bet from one guard!
He pulls out of the electric gate and it pans back to see the layout of Lagos as Godspower makes his way from the island across one of the bridges to the mainland. We see the citizens at a park and one rowing a boat under a bridge which also carries the new car. Uncle G has to stop with the traffic. He starts the hover mode and the car starts to float above the bridge! Tola is excited to take in everything. A delivery drone takes food to a child at the market. A man drops down with a hover pack. I would like to live in this future more than any other and putting Lagos on my list of places to visit! Godspower is surprised Tola has never been to the mainland, Tola says her father says it is dangerous, and then gives the Lion King line, “I laugh in the face of danger.” Then, she is shocked by several drones hawking goods with the faces of merchants on screens, and hides from them!
She asks Uncle G if she can buy something and he tells her to be careful. Tola lowers the window and calls over a hawker drone who offers various meats. This includes lizard which Tola finds distasteful! The drone pulls away, Tola waves her money, and then several hawker drones start to crowd in front of her! She closes the window. At the airport, it is busy with passengers, and we see the looming form of Bode de Sousa (Femi Branch). He is imposing like the Kingpin, and wear a fez, he reminds me of the X-Men villain, Shadow King. Bode uses his glasses to casually scan the passengers along with their net worth. This works until he gets to Tunde with a scrambled face profile! His assistant, Happiness (Bisola Aiyola), is on the phone and he angrily tells her he is working. We get Tunde getting a call about another kidnapping. Tola calls out to her father and trips. Tola is a perfect voice of enthusiasm, pre-teen courage, and wanting to be grown up.
Bode gets a clear scan of her profile and smiles! Tunde is angry that she came to the airport, I understand his worry, but he needs to be kinder with every moment with his kid. They leave the airport and are surrounded by the needy, Tunde continues on, with Tola having a sad expression. Tunde is wealthy and has a healthy child, but ignores the help he could help. Bode walks out saying he can help the people and tosses a bill behind him. He smiles in the backseat looking at Tunde’s car ahead of them. Tunde is angry at Godspower leaving Tola alone. I think this is for Tola, but should be handled privately. Uncle G gives his employer some Agege bread. Tunde breaks a piece and gives one half to his daughter. Tola who likes it. He says it is ok and says the best is from Ajegunle where he grew up. Tola says she wants to go there, a place that is connected to her father, but he says she shouldn’t go. On his glasses, Tunde sees the reports of a kidnapping, and he tells Tola that is why he is worried about her.
They walk into their home, Tunde is on a call, and distractedly gets his shoes shined by a servant robot. Tola rushes to the kitchen to celebrate her birthday. Her father just walks past the kitchen. She takes the plate of Puff Puffs and shows it to Tunde on the stairs. He says he has to work, takes a Puff Puff, and then continues with his call. Rashedeet sets off a party popper, kinda funny, but the sad Tola walks out to the gardens. She is surprised by an agama lizard and steps on its tail severing it. Her friend, Kole Adesola (Siji Soetan) carries two bin bags. He calls her “madam” and doesn’t want to shake her hands because he is dirty from work. Still, Tola has their greeting, bumping him into the bin bags! Kole wishes her a happy birthday. He says her father must have a celebration for her, but she explains that he is busy with work. Also, eveything that happened at the aiport while Kole holds the heavy bags. He needs to work and Tola tells him that she has time to help him. Kole is a kid who puts in the hard work for his family. His friendship with Tola is really because there is no one else around.
Five Puff Puffs out of Five!
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