Dubai: The first season of a new Emirati 3D cartoon TV series, written and directed by the creator of Freej, is due to air on Sama Dubai during Ramadan.
Freej is a popular cartoon series about four old Emirati women in modern Dubai.
Mohammad Saeed Harib’s latest series is about two siblings, Mohammad and Meera, who discover an anthropomorphic mandoos — an embellished wooden box used to store personal valuables — that takes them on educational adventures.
The Mandoos cartoon series took two years to make.
“It is a huge step forward from Freej,” Harib said at the Al Jalila Cutural Centre for Children, where he unveiled the new show. “We learnt from all the experiences and mistakes we made with Freej, and took the 3D animation to a whole new level. “
Harib said the aesthetics of Mandoos are unique from Freej, featuring soft edges and a more rounded animation. The show was a collaborative effort between Dubai and Singapore.
“The aim of the show is to educate viewers about Emirati folklore, culture and traditions,” he told Gulf News, “I wanted children to be fascinated by a locally-made cartoon; for them to want to identify with the characters instead of magnetizing towards Mickey Mouse and Barbie.”
A team of professional artists and painters, mostly Emiratis, were involved in the production of Mandoos. Voice-overs were also done by Emirati actors, including Ruzicka Taresh and presenter Saud Al Kaabi. The two lead characters feature the voices of two six-year-old children, Manal Al Qaizi and Tamin al Hamli.
The first season of the show has a sea-based theme while the second and third seasons will have a desert and neighbourhood theme respectively. Each season will comprise 15 episodes, each 13 minutes long.
“Children will learn the types of pearls, winds, birds and the pearl-diving practices of Emirati tradition,” Harib said, “As the show progresses, both children and adults will learn about various old Emirati professions. We are also trying to bring to life a vocabulary that is almost extinct.”
The Mandoos team consulted reliable Emirati sources to extract accurate content in terms of vocabulary.
A tablet-based game and merchandise are scheduled to be released after the show debuts.
The Mandoos game, which will be available to download via the App Store and Google Play, will consist of 10 stages focusing on memory, intelligence and agility in a fictional context. After the completion of each level, the user will come to learn facts about Emirati tradition and history.
