Stitch & Ai
Stitch & Ai is a Chinese animated spin-off of Disney's Lilo & Stitch franchise that was produced in English with the assistance of American animators. It is the franchise's third television series, after the Western animated and the Japanese Stitch! anime series. The thirteen-episode series 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 Huangshan, Anhui.
The series first aired in China with a Mandarin Chinese dub from March 27 to April 6, 2017. The original English-language version first aired from February 5 to 27, 2018, in Southeast Asia on that region's Disney Channel. Twelve episodes of the series later received a free digital streaming release in the United States via DisneyNow on December 1, 2018, although it was later removed from the service in June 2019.
Plot
Stitch & Ai follows the events of Lilo & Stitch and its subsequent film and television sequels up to and including Leroy & Stitch. The series shows Stitch kidnapped by the Jaboodies, a faction of alien criminals who want to use him to have their own destructive genetic experiment. However, thanks to a rival faction called the Woolagongs trying to kidnap Stitch themselves by stealing him from the Jaboodies, Stitch escapes back to Earth, ending up on China's Huangshan mountains. There 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 previously-unrevealed metamorphosis function that he secretly programmed in Stitch—a function that, among other possible transformations, 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:- "Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride" from Lilo & Stitch
- "Jumba's Trial" from Lilo & Stitch
- "Stitch's Escape" from Lilo & Stitch
- "The Birth of Stitch" from
- "626 Simulation" from The Origin of Stitch
- "Jumba & Stitch" from The Origin of Stitch
Characters
- Stitch – 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, who also voiced the character in the Stitch! anime, and in Mandarin by Li Zhengxiang.
- Wang Ai Ling – 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, who tweeted that she is a fan of Stitch and getting to voice his companion in a series was "a dream come true" for her. In Mandarin, the character is voiced by Jiang Sunwei.
- Wang Jiejie – 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 and in Mandarin by Li Yan.
- Qian 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.
- 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. In Mandarin, the character is voiced by Cheng Yuzhu.
- 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 and in Mandarin by Hu Qian.
- 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 and in Mandarin by Yan Lixuan.
- Meiying – Ai's rival who serves as this series's counterpart to Mertle Edmonds. She is voiced in English by Cherami Leigh and Xanthe Huynh.
- Mr. Ding – Jiejie's employer who runs a tea shop. He is voiced in English by Richard Epcar.
Episodes
Production
Stitch & Ai is produced by Anhui Xinhua Media and Panimation Hwakai Media in association with Disney with additional work by Showfun Animation, Shanghai Fire & Ice Media, and Shanghai Aoju Media. The series began broadcast on CCTV-14 on March 27, 2017. 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. The series was produced as part of an effort by Disney to enter the Chinese animation market. It was originally produced in English then dubbed into Mandarin Chinese.Tony Craig, an executive producer of Lilo & Stitch: The Series who directed two episodes of the show, and directed and produced its respective pilot and finale films Stitch! The Movie and Leroy & Stitch, served as director for Stitch & Ai. Victor Cook, who was a director for both seasons of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, was initially signed onto the Chinese series and even visited China to assist making the eighth episode. At first, Cook contacted Craig to storyboard the first episode, but when Cook had to drop out due to other commitments, he had Craig take over directing. Craig joined during pre-production, and had to delay joining in full due to a prior employment issue, although Panimation waited for him. Craig oversaw the storyboards, animatics, animation, most of the designs, and all the editing sessions, but he was not involved with the dialogue recordings, which happened in Los Angeles while Craig lives in North Carolina.
The show made its English premiere on Disney Channel Asia on February 5, 2018. The series later became available in the United States for free streaming on DisneyNow on December 1, 2018. It was later removed from the service in June 2019.