Iyanu: The Age of Wonders

Thank you Lion Forge Entertainment for providing us with a screener to review!

Iyanu: The Age of Wonders is based off of the graphic novel series Iyanu: Child of Wonder which takes place in a Yoruba (West African)-inspired world. The cartoon series recently completed its first season and is comprised of ten episodes; season two has been announced. The 104-minute movie Iyanu: The Age of Wonders tells about the history of Yorubaland and its chosen one, Iyanu.

Iyanu has lost her memories, and she is being told of the previous dark ages that happened five hundred years before her arrival. In the dark ages, the divine beings sealed away the seven deadly sins (Meje) inside of a volcano. The seal wasn't fully effective, and it didn't take long for the twelve human tribes to get corrupted and start fighting amongst themselves. 

The divine beings want to guide the human race and not rule over them. Three of these beings are The First Father, Joba; The One Mother, Emi; and their son, Deso. While Joba and Emi are advocates of free will, Deso has little faith in humanity. He would rather see them purged, with the exception of the divine beings' warrior helpers Ishe and Dara. Despite impossible odds, Ishe and his wife Dara welcome a baby girl Iyanu who will become humanity's savior. Ever since her birth, Deso's relationship with Ishe and Dara has become fractured.

Iyanu: The Age of Wonders has some cartoon violence; there are some character deaths. The religious system in this series borrows from Christianity and other religions, but is more polytheistic and the gods are limited and have a beginning. Some similarities between Deso and Lucifer can be made as well.

If you're new to the Iyanu series, Iyanu: The Age of Wonders is a decent place to start since it covers Iyanu's backstory. The atmosphere is heavy into African culture and feels like a combination of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Black Panther. The character's accents are thick and take a little getting used to. Fans of the Iyanu series will enjoy this film.