Stitch & Ai

Stitch & Ai
A promotional poster for Stitch & Ai featuring the show's main characters. From left to right: Dahu, Jiejie, Jumba, Pleakley, Ai, and Stitch.
Chinese 安玲与史迪奇
Mandarin Ān líng yǔ shǐ dí qí
Literally An Ling and Stitch
Genre
Based on Lilo & Stitch characters
by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Written by Marc Handler[1]
Directed by Tony Craig[2]
Marc Handler[3] (voices)[1]
Voices of
Composer(s)
Country of origin China
Original language(s) English (original production)[9]
Mandarin Chinese (dubbed; first released version[9]
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 13
Production
Executive producer(s)
  • Wang Gang
  • Pei Duo
  • Tian Tian
  • Tony Craig
  • Marc Handler[1]
Producer(s) Cao Jie
Wu Wensheng
Running time 22 minutes
Production company(s) Anhui Xinhua Media
Panimation Hwakai Media
Release
Original network
Picture format 1080i (HDTV)
Original release March 27 (2017-03-27)[10] – April 6, 2017 (2017-04-06)[11]
Chronology
Related shows

Stitch & Ai (Chinese: 安玲与史迪奇; pinyin: Ān líng yǔ shǐ dí qí; literally: "An Ling and Stitch") is a Chinese animated spin-off of Disney's Lilo & Stitch franchise. It is the franchise's third television series, after the Western animated Lilo & Stitch: The Series and the Japanese Stitch! anime series. The show features a Chinese girl named Wang Ai Ling in place of the original 2002–06 Western continuity's Lilo Pelekai and the anime's Yuna Kamihara, and is set in the Huangshan mountains of Anhui, China. The show, which was produced in English with the assistance of American animators, debuted in China on March 27, 2017[10] with a Mandarin Chinese dub, airing through April 6.[11] The original English language version aired throughout the month of February 2018 in Southeast Asia, airing from February 5[4] to February 27.

Plot

Stitch & Ai follows the events of Lilo & Stitch (and its subsequent film and television sequels up to and including Leroy & Stitch)[12] but before the events of the Stitch! anime. The series shows Stitch kidnapped by space criminals who want to use him to have their own destructive genetic experiment. However, he escapes to China's Huangshan mountains, where he befriends Ai, a spirited local girl who is at risk of being separated from her older sister Jiejie. Stitch becomes Ai's "dog", and the two help one another dealing with the other's problems; Ai helps Stitch deal with the space criminals, while he helps her stay in the mountains with her family. Jumba and Pleakley later show up initially trying to bring Stitch back to the United Galactic Federation, but Ai and Jiejie convince the two aliens to let Stitch stay with them. Although Jumba and Pleakley also stay to keep a watch on Stitch and to help out him and his new family, Jumba gets concerned that a hidden function that he secretly programmed in Stitch—a function that causes the experiment to grow into a giant beast when his destructive programming is triggered in a large city—could be unleashed if the space criminals figure out how to subconsciously manipulate Stitch into triggering it.

Continuity

The series has various flashbacks to key scenes in the franchise which appear in episodes 1, 2, and 13. The flashbacks consist of closely re-animated sequences, copying the originals to the best of their ability. Flashback scenes include:

In co-ordinance with this, there are occasional cameos from previous characters of the Lilo & Stitch franchise, including Captain Gantu, the Grand Councilwoman, Cobra Bubbles, and the Ice Cream Man.

Characters

  • Stitch (史迪奇; Shǐ dí qí) – An alien genetic experiment also known as Experiment 626. He was kidnapped by space criminals who want to use him so they can have their own evil genetic experiment, but he manages to escape back to Earth, ending up in China. He befriends a local girl named Ai, who takes him into her family. He is voiced in English by Ben Diskin,[4] who also voiced the character in the Stitch! anime.
  • Wang Ai Ling (王安玲; Wáng Ān líng) – A Chinese girl who lives in the Huangshan mountains. Her aunt wants to move her to the city, but she wants to stay in the mountains. Ai befriends Stitch, taking him in as her "dog", and helps him ward off the space criminals that want him. She serves as this series's counterpart to Lilo Pelekai. She is voiced in English by Erica Mendez.[4]
  • Wang Jiejie (王姐姐; Wáng Jiějiě) – A young Chinese woman who tries to take care of her younger sister Ai after their parents' death. She works at a tea shop for a man named Mr. Ding. She serves as this series's counterpart to Nani Pelekai. She is voiced in English by Laura Post.[4]
  • Dahu – Jiejie's boyfriend and Ai's drum instructor. He serves as this series's counterpart to David Kawena, with an element of Moses Puloki with regards to his teachings of a local tradition. He is voiced in English by Lucien Dodge.[4]
  • Jumba Jookiba – The Kweltikwan creator of Stitch. He is sent by the Grand Councilwoman to retrieve Stitch from the space criminals that captured him. However, after reuniting with Stitch in China and meeting his new family, Jumba decides to let Stitch to stay with Ai, sticking around himself to assist and watch over him. He is voiced in English by Jess Winfield, who previously served as screenwriter and executive producer for Lilo & Stitch: The Series and its films Stitch! The Movie and Leroy & Stitch, and voiced the same character in the Stitch! anime.[4]
  • Wendell "Wendy" Pleakley – A Plorgonarian former United Galactic Federation agent and Jumba's partner. He is also sent by the Grand Councilwoman to retrieve Stitch alongside Jumba. After Jumba decides to let Stitch stay with Ai, Pleakley also stays with Stitch's new family and tries to help out. He is voiced in English by Lucien Dodge.[4]
  • Wang Daiyu – Ai and Jiejie's aunt who believes that Ai should not be living in the "dirty" mountains and move to the city, despite her nieces' protests. She is voiced in English by Laura Post.[4]
  • Meiying (美英; Měiyīng) – Ai's rival who serves as this series's counterpart to Mertle Edmonds. She is voiced in English by Cherami Leigh and Xanthe Huynh.[4]
  • Mr. Ding – Jiejie's employer who runs a tea shop. He is voiced in English by Richard Epcar.[6][4]

Kyle Hebert, Bobby Thong, Sarah Anne Williams, Deborah Crane, Jacob Craner, and Steve Kramer provide additional voices.[4]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
(Mandarin Chinese dub)		English air date
(Southeast Asia)
1"Hello - Goodbye"Tony CraigMarc HandlerMarch 27, 2017 (2017-03-27)[10]February 5, 2018[13]
Stitch is held captive on a spaceship above Earth by a gang of space criminals who want to use him. However, a rival space gang attacks the ship wanting Stitch for themselves, accidentally freeing him in the process and allowing him to escape back to Earth. Upon re-entering Earth's atmosphere, Stitch lands in China's Huangshan mountains where he meets Ai, who has been told by her aunt Daiyu that she will be moving out of the mountains to live in a city. The two quickly bond as the girl shows the blue alien around the mountains, but they soon find themselves pursued by the criminal aliens.
2"Teacher's Pet"
Chinese title: "家是最重要的"[14]		Tony CraigMarc HandlerMarch 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)[15]February 6, 2018
To be provided
3"Gotcha!"
Chinese title: "外星访客"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 28, 2017 (2017-03-28)[16]February 7, 2018
To be provided
4"The Scroll"
Chinese title: "神奇的竹简"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 29, 2017 (2017-03-29)[17]February 8, 2018
Jumba and Pleakley come to Earth to get Stitch. However, Jumba is sidetracked by ancient scrolls that detail monsters, which peaks his evil genius curiosity. Jumba creats a Qui Ling ("chi ling") to save Stitch from the two factions.
5"Spirals"
Chinese title: "爱的力量"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 29, 2017 (2017-03-29)[18]February 12, 2018
Jumba creates a dragon, which disobeys him. He then realizes the dragon needs a mate or it will turn evil for 100 years. They succeed in this, but have to fight off one of the factions threatening the newborn dragon egg.
6"The Lock"
Chinese title: "同心锁"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 30, 2017 (2017-03-30)[19]February 13, 2018
Ai takes Stitch to a bridge where several locks are. Friends write their names on the locks and lock them on the bridge as a symbol of their unbreakable friendship. Unfortunately, Stitch does not agree with where to place the lock, resulting in them fighting over it and dropping the lock below the bridge.
7"Dragon Parade"
Chinese title: "舞龙庆典"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 30, 2017 (2017-03-30)[20]February 14, 2018
A dragon puppet for the festival is ruined by accident thanks to Stitch's mischief. Jumba substitutes the puppet with a genuine dragon.
8"Tell the World"
Chinese title: "告诉世界"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)[21]February 15, 2018
To be provided
9"The Phoenix"
Chinese title: "凤凰"[14]		Tony CraigTBAMarch 31, 2017 (2017-03-31)[22]February 20, 2018
To be provided
10"Dream On"
Chinese title: "梦境"[14]		Tony CraigTBAApril 5, 2017 (2017-04-05)[23]February 21, 2018
One of the factions sends an agent down to knock out and capture Stitch. His ray gun instead zaps Ai, bringing her imaginary friend to life.
11"Creatures"
Chinese title: "傩戏"[14]		Tony CraigTBAApril 5, 2017 (2017-04-05)[24]February 22, 2018
Stitch decides to be naughty and mass produce mythical creatures Jumba has been working on. The end result is ruining the nuo opera the town was planning to put on. Cobra Bubbles radios the Galactic Alliance, ready to apprehend Stitch. However, after witnessing Stitch remedy his mistake and lead the creatures into Jumba's pocket dimension, he calls off the attack.
12"Brothers"
Chinese title: "兄弟" [14]		Tony CraigTBAApril 6, 2017 (2017-04-06)[25]February 26, 2018
Pleakley finds an alien cube, which gives Ai and Stitch "brothers" named Ling and Scratch. They all get along until Scratch starts convincing Stitch to act bad.
13"Monstrosity"
Chinese title: "我有家了"[14]		Tony CraigTBAApril 6, 2017 (2017-04-06)[11]February 27, 2018
Ai learns that the "brothers" the cube created for her and Stitch are actually aliens in disguise that have activated the destructive programming in him. Stitch grows into a monster and attacks the city, but Ai is able to get through to the real Stitch. Stitch uses his new form to destroy the aliens' weapons, scaring them into fleeing as they now know they can't use the program to control him for their own means.

Production

Stitch & Ai is produced by Anhui Xinhua Media[26] and Panimation Hwakai Media[26][4] in association with Disney[4] with additional work by Showfun Animation, Shanghai Fire & Ice Media, and Shanghai Aoju Media.[4] The series began broadcast on CCTV-14 on March 27, 2017.[26] Unlike Stitch!, this series was produced in co-operation with American Disney animators to maintain a sense of visual continuity to the original American-produced films and TV series.[4] The series was produced as part of an effort by Disney to enter the Chinese animation market.[27] It was originally produced in English then dubbed into Mandarin Chinese. Tony Craig, an executive producer of Lilo & Stitch: The Series and one of the directors and producers of its films Stitch! The Movie and Leroy & Stitch, served as director for Stitch & Ai, joining during pre-production.[9][2] The show made its English premiere on Disney Channel Asia on February 5, 2018.[13][4] There are currently no plans for a Western release of the series as of February 13, 2018.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Handler, Marc. "Handler's Resume" (PDF). MarcHandler.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Croyle, Joshua. "Interview with Tony Craig: Director of Stitch & Ai!". JoshuaCroyle.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Takao" (June 24, 2017). "Disney's Stitch returns in new Chinese series Stitch & Ai". ToonBarn. Retrieved July 15, 2017. It was directed by Marc Handler, who previously handled localization work on BattleClaw, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Naruto, Battle B-Daman and a bunch of other series.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Takao" (February 13, 2018). "Stitch & Ai debuts in South East Asia". ToonBarn. Retrieved February 15, 2018.
  5. ↑ Epcar, Richard. "Richard Epcar – Voice Acting Resume" (PDF). RichardEpcar.com. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  6. 1 2 Epcar, Richard. "Richard Epcar – Characters Resume" (PDF). RichardEpcar.com. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  7. ↑ Tavera, Michael. "Tavera's Resume" (PDF). MichaelTavera.com. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Stephen James Taylor Scores 'Stitch and Ai' for Disney China" (Press release). Los Angeles, California: Soundtrack Music Associates. January 16, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 Bennett, Steve (March 29, 2017). "CONFESSIONS OF A COMIC BOOK GUY - TIME FOR TEENS". ICv2. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  10. 1 2 3 "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 1". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 27, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 13". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). April 6, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  12. ↑ Croyle, Joshua. "Discussions with Tony Craig: Executive Producer "Lilo & Stitch: The Series" and "Stitch & Ai!"". JoshuaCroyle.com. Archived from the original on January 14, 2018. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  13. 1 2 "Disney Channel Asia - Stitch & Ai Promo". YouTube. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "An Ling and Stitch official CCTV program page". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 2". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  16. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 3". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 28, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  17. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 4". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  18. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 5". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 29, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  19. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 6". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  20. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 7". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  21. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 8". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  22. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 9". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). March 31, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  23. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 10". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). April 5, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  24. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 11". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). April 5, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  25. ↑ "An Ling and Stitch - Episode 12". CCTV.com (in Simplified Chinese). April 6, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
  26. 1 2 3 "《安玲与史迪奇》27日起全球首播". Xinhua News Agency (in Simplified Chinese). March 27, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
  27. ↑ Mo Hong'e (September 11, 2018). "Disney shares its secrets with leading Chinese animators". Xinhua News Agency. Retrieved September 12, 2018 – via ecns.cn.
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