TheLittleSongbird As said many times, have always had a lifelong love of animation, old and new. Disney, Studio Ghibli, Hanna Barbera, Tom and Jerry, Hanna Barbera, Looney Tunes and also the works of Tex Avery and Fleischer. With a broader knowledge of animation styles, directors, studios and how it was all done actually love it even more now.It's not just animation held in very high regard by me. Have also had an undying lifelong love of Hans Christian Andersen's classic stories, they're beautifully written and full of magic, emotion and memorable characters. His timeless appeal is more than justified and there is a reason why his name is so commonly associated with fairy tales, along with the darker stories of the Grimm Brothers. Would see any adaptation of his work, animation or live-action, and there have been numerous times where his work has lent well to animation.To me this Danish animated series 'The Fairytaler' is one of the best examples and should be more widely known. For good animation, characters that have lost none of what made them so great in the first place and wonderful storytelling that has its own spin yet treats the stories with respect. All the episodes are short and holds the attention of even the most hyper of youngsters, so engrossing they are and the minutes just fly by.In terms of animation, 'The Fairytaler' is simple but doesn't go overboard with this. It is still beautifully coloured and meticulously detailed with characters that are remarkably life-like and a lot of smoothness and crispness. The music is whimsical at times, haunting in others and poignant in others, matching with the images more than appropriately. The intro is magical and impossible to forget and loved how Andersen himself is written in.Andersen's stories are as the summary here promises, told with elegant style and entertaining wit, the energy never wavering while never being rushed. The dialogue is never too complicated and not too simple. Yet the spirit and essence of the stories are captured well, with no effort to dumb down the more emotional ones ('The Ugly Duckling' and 'The Little Mermaid' are really touching) or ones with darker elements. The storytelling charms, entertains and moves and nothing is juvenile. There are differences of course, namely the more gruesome details like with the mermaid's tongue.My personal favourites being 'The Ugly Duckling', a story that never fails to make me cry, and 'The Snow Queen', which is so enchanting and sometimes melancholic. Credit is due for making slight stories like 'The Emperor's New Clothes' entertaining without stretching it out too much and also for maintaining the ending of 'The Little Mermaid'. Nothing will traumatise younger viewers and adults should feel nostalgic, traditionalists will find a lot to admire still and making the stories accessible to present day viewers is handled with intelligence and no awkwardness at all. A lot of themes too are very resonant and hold relevance even today.Characters have everything that made them so great and memorable in the first place and credit is due also for not making them standard archetypes, the villainous characters not being evil with no redeeming qualities. Also really connected with many of the titular characters, especially the ugly duckling. The voice acting is dynamic and well suited for the characters. Any narration never falls into the trap of telling/explaining too much.Overall, magical and a must for fans of animation and Hans Christian Andersen. 10/10 Bethany Cox

kingportablex I think between the summers of 2005-2009 my best friends and family thought i was completely mad being this 12/15 year boy old watching children's cartoons on the ABC, well if you see hidden gems like these it is hard to not be mesmerised. It was a great introduction actually no, personal-realisation/eye-opener of the magic that the great writers within the literary canon has provided the generations. People have long been mesmerised by Andersen's tales even without reading his books or seeing this magical rendition of his work, some without even knowing it. This is a gem well worthy of any DVD collector's library, get the collectors edition i believe these ones will be off high value in the future. Utterly beautiful; Fantastic voice acting, fantastic yet simple animation to a truly great adaptation of Andersen's work. Any member of the family would enjoy this collection.

jenkinsr628 This series is fantastic and i love the animation because most animation that's not Disney looks like that old Pokermon style which i hate but these animators has made this series magical because it's animation looks like the pictures you find in well drawn story books but alive instead!I love The Snow Queen the best because it is probably the longest of the series and has a fantastically magical atmosphere while watching. Although the little tune Gerda sings is not very catchy apart from that it is great. In this version the Snow Queen is evil during the film but as we come to the end of the film we learn something that other versions do not reveal which is that the Snow Queen only took Kay and made him do the mirror puzzle because if he finishes it the Snow Queen will be freed from a spell she was put under and she'll return to her beautiful self as a fairy but does Kay finish it well i can't tell you you'll have to buy it yourself!!!

hottuna14 This series did the rounds on ABC Kids once about 2 months, before being relegated to a less popular Saturday Morning slot for repeats. Whilst it isn't as funny as other modern day adaptations such as 'Martin Morning' or 'Once Upon A Time', it should still prove popular for kids who love a good story and aren't too fussed about quality voice-work or believable plots. The animation and sound is simple yet effective, and the characters very clear-cut with good morals and values.Overall, a clear return to Hans Christian Andersens traditional fairy tales, with the only bells and whistles being in the surprisingly good intro before each episode. This short section is actually quite meaningful (I should know I studied it for English) and should offer some parents a bit of insight into how their kids view the world, sometimes on a much deeper level than the parents, and always on a more fun one. Certainly not groundbreaking stuff, but worth a watch if you get the chance.