‘Yoko’s Vacation’: The affectionate imaginary friend returns for the little ones

In 2015, he joined the regional channel ETB “Yoko”, a captivating animated series whose protagonist was a magical being who gave the fiction its namea sort of invisible friend who seems to play with Mai, Oto and Vik, the children who also become the protagonists. His success crossed over to national television with his broadcast on Clan, as well as English dubbing as a didactic exercise for learning this language. There is no doubt that, in terms of educational material, ‘Yoko’ has become a wonderful audio-visual companion for children.

Therefore its film version, ‘Yoko and His Friends’, was nominated for the Goya Award for Best Animated Film. In fact, his sequel ‘Yoko’s Vacation’ which is now in theaterswas one of eight candidates for nomination in this category at the 37th edition of the most important Spanish film industry awards, in a particularly fruitful year for animation, which made history by obtaining five nominations in its category, along with the rest of the Goya sections, thus managing to remove the shadow of the fateful 2020, when only ‘La hen Turuleca’ opted for the prize.

The sequel has the challenge of expanding a format that follows the series and the first film, seemed to have reached the end of its cycle. However, Juanjo Elordi; an eminence in terms of animation in the Spanish industry, nominated for a Goya for ‘Anjé, the legend of the Pyrenees’, ‘The Baluni in the adventure of the end of the world’ and the aforementioned ‘Yoko and her friends’; as well as the creator of ‘Gartxot’, has managed to create a storyline that keeps its spirit of entertaining preschoolers with the addition of having a moral that makes the film a didactic exercise.

A fun adventure for preschoolers

Because of this, use the summer holidays as a metaphor for the opportunity to open borders, meet new friends and have adventures in other places; without this meaning losing friends or stopping talking to relatives. That message of how important it is to make new bonds and strengthen existing ones is the most important thing about the ribbon, along with an invitation for children to keep imagining it and having fun. Secondly, a positive aspect is that its animation style, essential and designed for preschoolersit allows a low-budget production to shine, as it already did with the first installment.

While not among the five nominees for the Goyas (2022 was magnificent for Spanish animation), ‘Yoko’s vacation’ is that commitment to cinema education, with values and make the first experience on the big screen for the little ones pure entertainment.

Note: 6

The best: Its didactic message is that it seeks to be an educational and entertaining experience for the preschool audience.

Worse: Audiences over the age of five will have a hard time enjoying this film.