A children's show from 1989 that treats fascism, racism, and genocide as seriously as any drama would. Alfred watches his world burn and keeps helping anyway, and that choice costs him everything the show refuses to look away from. Nobody remembers this exists until they stumble on it decades later and realize a duck show about loss broke them harder than anything made for adults.

Alfred J. Kwak is a Dutch duck whose story begins on the day he hatches in the Netherlands. While still very young he loses his parents and siblings, and a mole takes him in and raises him. As he grows, Alfred sets out to lend a hand to animals of every kind, and his efforts take him to places around the globe. Aimed at children, the series pairs adventure and comedy with drama and fantasy, using Alfred's life to teach young viewers about the world. It also touches on real history, including the Second World War. The anime adapts a Dutch comic based on an idea by Herman van Veen.