Angels. Not Actual Children.

It's kinda funny how I still tend to point out errors in The Lion Guard despite the fact that I'm pretty much over the show. However, after watching Nostalgia Critic's video on the Grinch (2018) I thought I'd point out something the writers should've handled better considering the show is meant for kids, and it's something ironic:

The main characters act like angels. NOT actual kids. And yes. It's can be considered a story problem.

While kid characters can be heroes and strive hard to achieve what they want to achieve, it's important that we have keep in mind that kids are still kids regardless of their position in the show. This means that the kid characters should possess realistic childlike traits, both good and bad, since they're still in their stages of development. In addition, it should be noted that the paces of each kid's character development vary since different types of characters deal with situations differently. When the traits and pace of development come together, they are what make a kid character relatable.

While watching the Lion Guard, I hardly noticed any childlike traits in the five main characters despite the fact that they themselves are children. Sure Bunga was childlike, but even that didn't make make him stand out from the rest of the characters. This is because he as well as the other members of the Guard had the same generic adorable look, and that all five of them were always in line. Because of that, they hardly exhibit any flaws, abnormalities, or natural bad behavior that realistically come with a child, or differentiate children from one another, or signal that different children have different interests and experiences. In short, it's a little hard to like these guys or identify with them because they are Mary Sues.

Want to know what I mean? Here, I'm going to explain to you the personalities of some kids characters that are more relatable. Even if they are somewhat older, they possess realistic behavior compared to the guard. And as a result, viewers find these kid characters relatable.

First, I'll start of with the Ducktales kids. Huey, Dewey, and Louie possess the rambunctious side of being a kid. Huey tends to throw tantrums when things don't go according to his knowledge, Dewey likes being the cool one and is up for daring activities, and Louie is one who is tempted to do something out of malice (in a discrete manner). In the case of Webby, she is one to be energetic but what makes her better than Bunga is that her adorable appearance isn't forced, and shows when to be sad. In the cases of Lena and Violet, their flaws or abnormalities are noticeable when a psychological lens is applied. Lena tends to be anxious and tries too hard on being nice, which is a result from breaking free from Magica's control after so long (this is most likely a case of PTSD). Violet talks in a scientific or rational manner and while she smiles every now and then, she tends to be stoic most of the time, similar to a rational introvert.

Next, there is Hilda. Like Dewey and Webby, Hilda has a love for adventure and mystery and likes to learn about bizarre and unknown creatures. However, there are times where she gets carried away with these interests and ends up pulling a few reckless stunts as a result. Still, to be fair, she is new to being in an urban environment, so as of the moment, her rambunctious behavior is understandable due to her still not yet being fully aware of the norms of city life, which will take a while for her to get used to. In addition, the times Hilda does things that are a bit of a shock to her peers makes her relatable to viewers who moved from one country to another as a kid. Surely you did things that were considered reckless in your new environment because you weren't fully aware of the norms, right?

Third, there is Anne Boonchuy. She has the tendency to be self-centered and pushy. In relation, it is possible that some of this derived from her toxic friendship with Sasha and possibly Marcy. Examples of things are forcing Sprig and Polly to do things they don't want to do, such as entering a lake despite a sign saying "Do not swim" and being too feminine. However, she eventually learns to be aware of Sprig and Polly's feelings, especially when they turn out to be Anne's real friends.

Lastly there is Steven Universe. Back when he was a kid, despite being half-gem, he was everyone's favorite happy-go-lucky kid. However, he eventually encounters challenges that take more than one episode to conquer. That's the reality of it all. Even for kids, conquering challenges doesn't occur over night. It takes a while depending on each child's level of courage.

So there you have it. These kid characters, despite being a little older than the Lion Guard, are considered relatable because they aren't perfect angels. And in addition, they have challenges that take up more than one episode to conquer.


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