Top 5 Reasons to Watch Carmen Sandiego on Netflix
#4: The Slick Animation & Design
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The animation for this series was provided by DHX Media, which ironically now owns DIC Entertainment, the same production company that brought us “Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?” What really distinguishes this new series, however, is the design work from Chromosphere Animation. Visual Designer Kevin Dart has previously worked as an art director for “Steven Universe” and a visual development artist for “Big Hero 6.” His stylish signature can definitely be found in “Carmen Sandiego,” which cleverly looks like a postcard brought to life. While Carmen has always stood out in her iconic trench coat and hat, the backgrounds and color scheme give her an extra flare here, making The Lady in Red more eye-catching than ever before.
#3: It’s Equally Entertaining & Educational
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Like its predecessors, the reboot of “Carmen Sandiego” manages to simultaneously entertain and educate its audience. While there are no Lightning Rounds, almost every episode takes a minute or so to share a little trivia about the location Carmen is passing through. These fun facts don’t feel shoehorned in, however, as many of them relate to the story in some capacity. Carmen of course travels all over the world, from Indonesia, to Amsterdam, to Sydney. Each stop not only provides historical and geographic information, but also a sense of culture that makes us want to visit her destinations. At the same time, the showrunners balance matters out with action and adventure, making us forget that we’re expanding our minds while having fun.
#2: The Serialized Story
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While the series is mostly episodic, with a caper of the week, there’s also a serialized story that sees Carmen grow as a character. The first two episodes are dedicated to Carmen’s backstory, depicting her as orphan taken in by the organization V.I.L.E. This lays the groundwork for a lot of interesting character dynamics, particularly between Carmen and Professor Shadow-san, who’s seemingly out to get her. Another overarching subplot centers on A.C.M.E. detectives who are hot on Carmen’s heels, but always one step behind. This series is less about finding Carmen, though, and more about unraveling her mysterious past. With more twists and turns than one might anticipate, it’s always fun to see where “Carmen Sandiego” takes us next.
#1: The Titular Character
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In “Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?,” the titular character was brought up by A.C.M.E. and later turned to a life of crime. This series flips Carmen’s old origin story on its head, as she betrays V.I.L.E. upon learning of their wicked ways. Carmen thus emerges as a Robin Hood-like figure who only robs from the corrupt. It’s a unique approach to the character that sees her evolve from a villainess to a heroine we can look up to. Carmen remains as charismatic, cheeky, and compelling as ever, which has a lot to do with Gina Rodriguez’s charming voiceover performance. She brings out Carmen’s humanity like never before, encouraging us to follow her around the world.
