This one slows your pulse down on purpose. Asma doesn't lecture her grandkids, she just starts a story, and by the time the Arabian Peninsula folktale wraps, the modern problem that had them sulking in 2050 Riyadh has quietly dissolved. Anis, the robot cat, is the Doraemon-shaped hook that gets kids in the door, but the real machinery is the voice work and sound design, which carry the mood the art alone doesn't have the budget to sell. Yes, the animation is serviceable rather than gorgeous, and if you came for spectacle you'll be checking the runtime by episode two. Everyone else gets thirteen episodes of grandmother-voice comfort, where each kid is written as a distinct person instead of a lesson delivery system. It's the show you put on when the world has been loud all day and you want someone older to talk you down.

In the Riyadh of 2050, a grandmother named Asma spins stories that carry her beloved grandchildren back to legendary times. Helped by Anis, their robot cat, the children encounter retold folktales from across the Arabian Peninsula and come to see that the troubles of modern life pale beside the wisdom handed down through the generations. The 13-episode adventure ONA is a joint effort between Toei Animation and Saudi Arabia's Manga Productions, and it highlights the history, culture and customs of the region.