New Fantasy and Animated Series On Netflix in September

Netflix has an extensive library containing an array of licensed movies and series alongside its ever-growing portfolio of original projects. Many titles, such as the thrilling South Korean Squid Game (Hwang Dong-hyuk, 2021-) or Netflix’s own Stranger Things (The Duffer Brothers, 2016-), have garnered worldwide popularity.

A highly appealing aspect of the platform is the personalised recommendation system that, thanks to the mystery of algorithms, analyses users' behaviour to suggest additional content that aligns with their particular interests. For the most part, the feature is efficacious. It reduces the time a person spends searching for new content to watch and raises satisfaction. However, the algorithm can also inhibit those in search of fresh experiences. As the suggestions are based on factors such as previously watched content, deleting Netflix history is a way to break out of that bubble. Yet the Netflix catalogue is never static; new content is added each month while some existing titles are suddenly and expectedly removed. While there are plenty of good shows to stream on Netflix, it makes subscribers question whether the platform is offering the highest quality content for the best price, especially with the launch of an ad-supported tied in early 2021.

Let’s look at some of the new series added to the streaming platform in September. This might help fans of fantasy and animation make a decision on their subscription.

Fig. 1 - Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (Hirohiko Araki, 2022).

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean (September 1)

Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (Hirohiko Araki, 2022) is a Japanese anime series adapted from the manga franchise of the same name and produced by David Production (Fig. 1). It tells the story of the Joestar family from the 19th century to the present day. Through many generations, various family members discover their inherited superpowers and the ability to manifest those powers in a visual form known as a Stand. The action-packed anime follows their struggles to fight the forces of evil.

Through 12 episodes, the first part of Stone Ocean establishes the plight of the current protagonist, Jolyne Cujoh, a young woman wrongfully convicted of a crime. She is resolved to break out of the prison and face her enemies. The second part continues Jojo's story and sets the scene for more adventures. Fans can look forward to the third instalment coming out sometime in 2023.

Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space (September 6)

In 2013, Natasha Allegri, a former character designer and storyboard revisionist on Adventure Time (Pendleton Ward, 2010-2018), developed a cartoon project under the name Bee and PuppyCat. It was produced by Frederator Studios and premiered on its YouTube channel Cartoon Hangover. Audiences were enthralled by the 10-minute cartoon, which amassed millions of views and became an indie phenomenon. Natasha and Frederator ran a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund a full series, with over 18 000 fans contributing $872 000. The first 10-episode series came out in 2018 and totals roughly an hour, and that version is still available on the YouTube channel.

The protagonist, Bee, is a 22-year-old girl who struggles to maintain a job and pay her rent. One day, an intergalactic space warrior PuppyCat lands on her head. It turns out that the warrior works for a temp agency. Together the duo travels through space, completing odd gigs.

Fig. 2 - Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space (Natasha Allegri, 2022).

Fig. 3 - The Imperfects (Dennis Heaton & Shelley Eriksen, 2022) .

The streaming giant picked up the series in 2020 and elated fans with news of a second season. Nearly a decade after the first episode, Netflix officially released Bee and PuppyCat: Lazy in Space (Natasha Allegri, 2022) (Fig. 2) both a reboot and sequel series to Bee and PuppyCat. Out of 16 episodes in the new series, the first three incorporate events from the original season as an extended recap, and the story continues from there. Fans are eager for more content, but the future is still a mystery as Netflix has yet to renew or cancel the series.

The Imperfects (September 8)

Superheroes have proved to be a potent and enduring genre in popular culture, with many movies and series gaining critical acclaim and commercial success. The momentum has somewhat slowed down lately. Audiences are starting to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of titles and characters following similar narratives. It is, however, refreshing when a less conventional path is explored, like the antihero trope or, as in this case, reluctant heroes wishing to find a cure. The Imperfects (Dennis Heaton & Shelley Eriksen, 2022) follows three young people who, having participated in a genetic experiment as teenagers, develop strange abilities (Fig. 3). Their struggles with highly disruptive powers are reminiscent of Rogue from the X-men film franchise. Tilda (Morgan Taylor Campbell), a punk rock singer, Abby (Rhianna Jagpal), a scientist, and Juan (Inaki Godoy), a comic book artist, combine efforts to track down the scientist responsible for their conditions and force him to make them human. This story is not about saving the world but about exacting revenge and returning to normal. The abilities of the protagonists are based on those of mythological creatures: a succubus, banshee, and chupacabra.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (September 13)

Serving as a spin-off to CD Projekt Red’s game Cyberpunk 2077 from 2020, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Rafał Jaki & Mike Pondsmith, 2022) is a 10-episode standalone series produced by Studio Trigger under the original game company’s supervision (Fig. 4).

The story is set in the futuristic Free City of Night City, a metropolis riddled with crime, corruption, and obsessive body enhancements. We follow David Martinez, a street kid trying to survive in the city by becoming a mercenary for hire, otherwise known as an edgerunner. The highly anticipated series received praise for its rich visuals, exhilarating pace and action, and the protagonist's compelling story.

Fig. 4 - Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Rafał Jaki & Mike Pondsmith, 2022).

Although the original game had a rough start, it has since mended many of its issues. Thanks to the anime's successful debut, the game is now experiencing a revival. Fans are inspired to revisit the streets of the Night City and even exact revenge upon a particular villain appearing in both the series and the game.

Fate: The Winx Saga (September 16)

The iconic Winx Club is an animated franchise created by Italian animator Iginio Straffi, who wished to introduce female heroes into the world of action cartoons, which was, in the early 2000s, largely dominated by male characters. Premiering in 2004, the series was initially broadcasted in Italy but has since extended its reach to other countries. Winx Club spanned eight series and inspired three movies, spin-offs, and, most recently, the live-action series Fate: The Winx Saga (Brian Young, 2021-).

The new series came out in January 2021. It was created by Brian Young, a writer and producer who had previously worked on the Vampire Diaries series. The Fate Saga is advertised as a darker and edgier version of the story, aimed at young adults. This month, Netflix released the second series, comprising seven episodes.

Fig. 5 - Fate: The Winx Saga (Brian Young, 2021-).

Winx is a coming-of-age fantasy story that follows a group of teenage fairies as they master their elemental powers, overcome monsters, and handle personal drama. The first season focuses heavily on Bloom, a headstrong fire fairy (Abigail Cowen) from Earth, who arrives in the Otherworld to study at the Alfea boarding school for fairies. She soon meets Stella (Hanna van der Westhuysen), a light fairy and the princess of Solaria, the resolute and athletic water fairy Aisha (Precious Mustapha), mind fairy Musa (Elisha Applebaum), and the insecure earth fairy Terra (Eliot Salt). Terra initially intended to replace the character of Flora from the animated original but has been rewritten as her cousin instead, and Flora (Paulina Chavez) makes an appearance in the second series. Another founding member of the Winx Club, a technology fairy Tecna, is still missing from the group.

September introduced a variety of fantasy series for fans to enjoy, from a magical world of elemental powers to a dystopian city overrun with cybernetic enhancements. Whether you are looking for a dark action story or are drawn to a peculiar duo wandering through space in search of temp jobs, there is something for everyone. If more than one of these series appeal to you, then your Netflix subscription is probably worth keeping. Keep an eye on the latest news about the ad-supported plan that is set to launch on 3 November and see for yourself!

**Article published: October 21, 2022**

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