Masters of the Multiverse
One of the highest privileges in life is to relive childhood with your own offspring. The experience of being a parent is by far the most intense and life changing transformation that any person might go through. Being accountable not only for your own, but also for another person's actions and life is a tremendous responsibility. As overwhelming as this might sound, there are definitely also some perks to the job: you get to watch Ninjago. As a kid I was seriously into Lego. Short disclaimer: I am -sadly- not affiliated with Lego in any way. The following statements regarding Lego are only my own opinion and not advice of any kind. It's perfectly ok if you're not the Lego type of person. A life without Lego is entirely ok, though meaningless ;-) Lego is just cool. My brothers and I used to throw together all the different sets and construct entirely new structures. At one point we rebuild robots from Transformers that could change into different machines - but I digress. My point is, that over the past decades Lego created something, that is the congenial template for kids' toys and the key to an unprecedented versatile business model that will ensure Lego an eternity in the heart of their customers: The Lego Multiverse. In this multiverse, heroes and characters from different universes can actually interact - Superman could duel the Hulk in a long awaited game of speed-chess, Darth Vader could choke Sauron to clarify who is the baddest boy in town and Harry Potter could finally learn Spinjitzu to be a more effective Auror.
The Story of Ninjago Is Not About Martial Arts
Warning: If you're not familiar with Ninjago yet you might feel the urge to catch up on it upon reading the next lines - it should really be a question of when instead of if you are going to dive into it in order to unleash your 'true potential'. The true beauty in the narrative behind Ninjago is that the setting, as original as it might be, could be replaced with any kind of setting. Instead of ninjas it could also be about soccer players, musicians, mountain climbers and so on. It would still work because it is the underlying story that resonates with the audience. The one and only true story of Ninjago is about the eternal journey of self improvement and the struggles that one encounters along the way. It is a story about friendship, trust and deep relationships. It is also a powerful story of constant change - the main characters change all the time. They evolve and develop throughout the series. At the same time the guiding principles and core values that are established in the very beginning of the series remain unchanged: work hard, unleash your true potential, never give up, respect others, be humble, always be willing to share, help whenever you're asked, and so on. I am always happy when my kids watch Ninjago, because I know they deeply enjoy the series and because I hope that they soak up the values and principles that are at the core of the story. As I don't get to watch the entire series (there's more than a dozen seasons), my kids are always happy to fill me in on the missing pieces and give me the big picture. This is also something I have realized: not long ago, I was very amused each time they told the stories: basically they gave a more or less exhaustive account of scenes in sequence, without paying attention to any underlying narrative. The way my kids tell stories gives insight into a steady process of change. The greatest and most mesmerizing aspect of listening to their stories is that I actually get a glimpse on how they perceive the world - I know exactly what is important to them and what is merely a minor matter. Not only can they recollect the gist of an episode in a few sentences, but lately they are also capable of giving an account of the overarching gist of a specific season. Details were of more importance when they started to tell the story the first time. These days actions, consequences and occasional punch lines have become the focus of their attention. It is in these stories, my kids' versions of the Ninjago epic, that I learn about new aspects that I have not realized or sometimes missed completely.
My tip: Watch Ninjago and eventually tell the story to someone you care about. You'll be surprised how much there is to learn from a kids' cartoon even by adults.
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