Napoleon Dynamite meets Qing Dynasty China, but make it wholesome and animated.
Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat is an Chinese and Canadian-American animated television series based on a 1994 novel by Amy Tan which aired on PBS Kids. Set c. 1840, during the Qing Dynasty, the young Sagwa and her siblings have fun in her their day-to-day lives while learning and teaching valuable life lessons. This single DVD contains two full-length programs: Cat Nights, Flights, and Delights including the episodes "Firefly Nights," "Fu-Fu's Full Moon Flight" and "Shei-Hu's Secret" Feline Frenzy including the episodes "Explorer's Club," "Treasure Hunters," and "Sick Day"
Writing
Amy Tan's unexpected pivot to children's cat content.
Production
Canadian-Chinese co-production; surprisingly authentic Qing aesthetics.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The show introduced Mandarin words to millions of American kids; 'Sagwa' itself means 'silly melon'—affectionate teasing in Chinese families.
Amy Tan only wrote the source novel; she had zero involvement in the PBS series, which explains why it's significantly less emotionally devastating than her usual work.
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