Available on Peacock, Hulu
and Family Channel (Canada)
Spoiler Alert
Although Abominable and the Invisible City started off very weakly, the build up to what Yi, Jin, and Peng must protect takes on similar vibes as Lilo and Stitch TV series. But instead of finding each experiment their forever home, what this trio must do is to keep the magical creatures safe from others like Burnish. But at the end of the film, this villain turned over a new leaf; his role is to provide help when requested.
This television series is a decent continuation but I didn’t find enough to say it’s good because every episode ended with Yi soothing some savage beast with her violin playing. The joy didn’t come until the mid-way point, where it got serious about looking at what can sometimes go on in a modern Chinese family. This one has a touch more drama, and it’s comparable to what has been explored cinematically in Turning Red and Everything, Everywhere All At Once.
In episode five, “Jin’s New Look,” this boy frets over his future, like most Chinese kids should do. He’s decided to become a doctor, and little does he know that he’ll have to help a patient sooner than later, when a mysterious armadillo-like creature finally reveals itself to be pregnant. I think out of the episodes I’ve seen from the first half, this is the best.
The next episode, “A Cabbage Kinda Day,” is just as comparable. It concerns Li attempting to take more responsibility than she can for one day. She promised grandma to get the best cabbages for the dumpling shop, but other things got in the way. It makes for the usual sitcom material to laugh at, but at least she learns a lesson by the episode’s end.
However, things get more hairy by the mid-season finale. All the creatures she’s previously saved are being kidnapped, and it’s up to this trio to find out where they went. The two part mid-season finale suggests there’s more, and I can’t wait to see what’ll happen next. Abominable and the Invisible City are not all that hidden now. They’ll eventually expose themselves to the populace, and just how the people will react will have to be resolved.
I suspect they’ll adjust and we’ll get a continuation much like the How to Train Your Dragon television series and movies. Although they fought against them at first, it took a kid to bring everyone around. Much like the Netflix series, they learned how to adapt before we got a second movie where the story sees them dealing with a new threat. As for whether this series will follow the same story mold, that remains to be seen. I really hope there’s something new for them to face instead of following the same beat. I can imagine having to move half the supernatural citizenry somewhere else, and it could be a quest to find Shangri-La. This lost world is said to be found somewhere in the Kunlun Mountains (昆仑山), depending on who you ask.
When this series resumes, we’ll find out. But I get a sense it’ll stay on location, and will concern everyone in Shanghai having to get used to the fact it’s haunted! Thankfully, that’ll be a good thing.
The delayed premiere on Family Channel for a weekly series run should wrap up by January, just in time for Chinese New Year 2023. Although I got a chance to see the ten episodes in full, it won’t stop me from watching it again just to enjoy the fun all over again.
Official Hulu Trailer for Abominable and the Invisible City
