Ah, Disney+. Home of Star Wars, Marvel, countless shows for young children, and of course, the beloved animated classics that made the Mouse the entertainment giant it is today in the first place. But the diversity of Disney+’s titles – as well as the quality of its franchise flagship shows – might just surprise you. Read on to find out our three favorite Disney+ shows this September, as well as what makes them the gems they are.
Andor
This is a Star Wars show for people who don’t like Star Wars. Starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, this series follows its titular protagonist through the grim early days of the Rebellion. You’ll see his transformation from a young, scrappy street thief to the stone-faced operative we saw in Rogue One, and you’ll see the Rebellion’s transformation from a loose network of resistance movements, political activists, and even terrorists to the noble fighting force we see in the original Star Wars trilogy.
And when we say terrorists, we mean terrorists. Star Wars is an idealistic franchise, to be sure, but Andor doesn’t shy away from the most gruesome implications of its setting. Gone are the laser swords and flashy space magic, and in its place is a shockingly realistic and nuanced look at the horrors of war – as well as the sort of evil that must be in place to justify those horrors to begin with. Andor is Star Wars at its best.
The Owl House
You’ve probably heard of this heartwarming animated show before, but it bears repeating: The Owl House is a gem.
When fourteen-year-old schoolgirl Luz Noceda (Sarah-Nicole Robles) discovers a portal to the Demon Realm, she does what any sane human being would do: steps into it. On the other side, she finds the Boiling Isles, a magical archipelago made from the dead body of a giant, and its residents, the witch (and owner of the titular house) Eda Clawthorne (Wendie Malick), and her familiar King (Alex Hirsch), the self-proclaimed King of Demons.
Luz moves in with Eda, and, despite being merely a normal human, begins studying to be a witch at the Hexside Academy. Thus begins an adventure filled with fun, friendship, magic, and romance.
It’s a sad fact that Western animation suffers from a stigma. It’s most often seen as childlike, something for kids, just a cartoon, etc. And while The Owl House doesn’t completely smash that stereotype – it’s still intended for children, after all – it offers a very nuanced and surprisingly mature story about growing up, finding yourself, and being a good citizen of this blue planet we all share – or the Demon Realm we all share, as the case may be.
American Born Chinese
The perfectly ordinary Taiwanese-American high school student Jin Wang (Ben Wang) has his school life take an unexpected turn when Chinese exchange student Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu) shows up. The two boys wind up clashing over what it means to have Chinese heritage in America – but that’s the least of their troubles.
It turns out that Wei-Chen is actually the son of the Chinese monkey god Sun Wukong (Daniel Wu), and he has a prophecy – and, of course, Jin Wang is starring in that prophecy. Together, the two boys set off on a magical adventure to save Heaven once and for all. Delivering action laughs and heartfelt emotion in equal measure, American Born Chinese is a show you won’t want to miss.
Each of these TV shows is streaming now on Disney+.