If the global success of Hello Kitty is any indication of the world’s odd obsession with adorable cats, then Unikitty will rule her humble servants like a despot. To that end, her series will follow her reign as ruler of a kingdom where she enforces positivity at all costs. As witnessed in The LEGO Movie, Unikitty is not against breaking bricks if people fail to be happy or joyful. This is why she is, as the Cartoon Network press release puts it, “a force to be reckoned with if anyone makes her little brother and best friend, Puppycorn, sad.” What makes Unikitty super memorable–and a bit weird–is that her character has two sides. There is the cheerful unicorn side and then there’s the pissed-off, vengeful cat side. One flows into the other. It’s a bid dark for a kid’s show, sure, but it will definitely make for pretty compelling TV. It will also make for political thinkpieces and comparisons that get old in a hurry. The show will be produced by the film’s original directors, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who also make the Jump Street movies, so it’s likely to be lighthearted but kind of insane. Will Unikitty be a benevolent ruler? Only time will tell, but it’s clear that she will be a strong ruler with an unshakeable ideology and a devotion to preserving civic norms. She will either make us all very, very happy or kill us with kindness.
