For a series designed to keep young children still for 10 to 12-minute chunks, Dew Drop Diaries is refreshingly thoughtful—not to mention better-crafted than other things you could be showing kids of the same age bracket. Despite the relative simplicity of the show's animation (and certain elements that repeat in every episode), this is a dynamically directed series with a solid core group of voice actors who manage to be sweet without becoming irritating or patronizing. To be clear, this isn't an educational show made to lecture young viewers, but a fun, light family fantasy that makes the act of helping with everyday tasks seem like an adventure and an opportunity for creativity. Dew Drop Diaries never tries to force itself to be cool, which is exactly what makes it cool.
Synopsis
From finding lost items to cleaning up messes, three fairies in training love looking after kids in their care as they work toward earning their wings.
Storyline
Three young fairies watch over and secretly help several children in their day-to-day lives.
TLDR
Toy Story but without the crippling existential dread and theological introspection!
What stands out
The three "Dew Drops"—the main fairy characters—are given slightly different personalities and skills, but are ultimately united in their love for their kids. But where the show's writing becomes surprisingly clever is in how it portrays the children under the fairies' watch: they're also all completely different, with their own interests. But more importantly, even if they receive assistance from the Dew Drops, the kids are never portrayed as helpless. Though they don't always get what they want, they still manage their own feelings about the little inconveniences in their lives. It's a smart bit of writing that emphasizes how helping others might not always be a perfect fix, but even just the attempt to be kind matters a lot in the long run.
