Review: Mira, Royal Detective “The Case of the Missing Library Book; A Double Dosa Mystery”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

“The Case of the Missing Library Book”

Mira (Leela Ladnier) brings the library to town with her bike-powered bookmobile. Everything is going according to plan until a popular title goes missing. Along with mischievious mongooses Mikku and Chikku, Mira sets off on cracking the case. She and her questionably helpful assistants dust for fingerprints and question everyone who stopped by the library earlier. Can they make sure The Magical Monsoon finds it’s way back to the stacks?

“A Double Dosa Mystery”

Sandeep has cooked a giant dosa, and is excitedly awaiting judges to proclaim it the largest dosa ever. Mikku and Chikku are more excited about eating it than its award-winning status. Despite Mira and Prince Neel’s (Kamran Lucas) best efforts, the dosa does go missing. Will this mystery-solving crew be able to locate the deliciously fried food so Sandeep can win his medal?

Our take:

I’m always a little bit hesitant about 3D animation for kids, but this show is one of the better ones. Not only does it avoid most of the weird uncanny valley pratfalls of creepily exaggerated proportions or overactive hair (looking at you, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir!) it manages to be fun, colorful, and not overly preachy.

Sure, there’s still a lesson learned by our characters at the end of each episode (tips for proper library borrowing etiquette and the importance of guarding record-breaking food from bandits were this week’s topics) but the thoughtful writing, upbeat soundtrack, and Bollywood dance breaks lend a uniquely interesting approach to this type of messaging.

Really, my only qualm with this show is the misrepresentation of mongooses as lovable critters. But even that I’m willing to overlook, since the furry menaces Chikku and Mikku are voiced by Utkarsh Ambudkar (aka UTK the INC) and Kal Penn (White Castle fans know him as Kumar) respectively.

But the rapper and former Obama staffer aren’t the only celebrities lending star power to this show. Though their characters unfortunately don’t appear in this episode, Jameela Jamil (Tahani from The Good Place) is the voice behind Auntie Pushpa, while Freida Pinto (of Slumdog Millionaire fame) brings to life Queen Shanti, the character responsible for Mira’s royal title.

Leela Ladnier, Kamran Lucas, Roshni Edwards, and the rest of the younger set that comprise this show’s voice cast all deliver impeccable performances, and undoubtedly have big things ahead of them. Interestingly, with the exception of mongoose squabbles, the lines are delivered calmly and pleasantly. While outlandishly comedic delivery may not bother most cartoon fans, it’s nice to switch it up. Even more impressively, this show manages to keep the screeching to a minimum without feeling dull or underwhelming.

While I think the writing could use punching up here and there (most of the comedy seems to come from Mikku and Chikku, unfortunately) this show was overall worth the watch, even if it did give me an intense craving for dosa.