The series was produced in English before being dubbed in Mandarin for Chinese broadcast, as the show was produced with the assistance of American animators, including those who previously worked on Lilo & Stitch: The Series. The original English version began airing on Disney Channel Asia on February 5, 2018.[1] On December 1, 2018, it was given a digital release in Western countries on the DisneyNow website and app, with the exception of the ninth episode "The Phoenix", although it has been removed from the service as of June 2019.
Stitch & Ai follows the events of Lilo & Stitch (and its subsequent film and television sequels up to and including Leroy & Stitch).[2] This series sees Stitch separated from Lilo after being captured by a gang of aliens who had hoped to utilize Jumba's research and use Stitch in their space war with another race of aliens. When Stitch escapes, he ends up re-entering Earth's atmosphere over China and lands in the Huangshan Mountains where he befriends a young girl named Wang Ai Ling and becomes part of her family. However, the Galactic Federation sends Jumba and Pleakley to keep a watch on Stitch and his Chinese family. They are concerned with a hidden function that Jumba secretly programmed in Stitch. This function, which causes Stitch to metamorphosis into a giant beast to fully carryout his destructive programming which can be triggered in a large city—which could be unleashed into the Galaxy if the warring factions figure out how to manipulate Stitch into activating his hidden programming.
Though Stitch & Ai is made in China, Panimation Hwakai Media gets a lot of help from Disney. The actual number of non-Chinese employees may be more, to fit the definition of "made in China" in China and enter the Chinese market better. An example is that in the Chinese version, directors are two Chinese people instead of Tony Craig.
Victor Cook
Victor Cook, one of the directors of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, came to China to help Panimation Hwakai Media in making Stitch & Ai episode 8. Drinking tea in China with Victor Cook draws some inspiration for this episode.[3]
In March 2013, Panimation Hwakai Media invited Greg Guler to come to China to finalize the characters' appearance design and make key scenes that help understand the story.[4]
In 2014, Aluir Amancio joined in the project of Stitch & Ai. His storyboard not only retains the style and tone of the classic animation, but also incorporates Chinese elements.[5]
Michael response the music of Stitch & Ai. He likes to use dizi, guzheng, erhu and drum for Stitch & Ai, which makes the music sound more like Chinese style.[8]
Trivia[]
Jumba creates new creatures, though they are all specific creatures from Chinese myth. In this series, Jumba creates two cliff dragons that mate and breed. This marks the first time that creatures of Jumba's creation produce offspring.
Unless viewers consider the English dub of Stitch! where we meet two children of Sprout, named Sproutlings.
This is the first Lilo & Stitch TV series where none of the first 625 experiments appear, and the first one in which neither Gantu nor Dr. Hämsterviel are main characters, though Gantu does have a speaking role in the series.
Various scenes from previous installments in the franchise appear in flashbacks, including:
Ben Diskin and Jess Winfield reprise their roles as Stitch and Jumba respectively from the English dub of the Stitch! anime. Much like the Stitch! anime, none of the original voice actors from the original American Lilo & Stitch continuity reprise their roles in this show.
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.
Plans for a potential season two was discussed by the production team, but Disney did not approve of a second season.[2]
As early as August 2015, Panimation Hwakai Media released two artworks but didn't mention more information. We can't even recognise it's related to Stitch.[9]
In May 2012, after more than two years of hard negotiations, the project of Stitch & Ai was finally settled by Panimation Hwakai Media. In early September that year, major staffs came to Huangshan Mountain for fieldwork. Many scenery and people they met during the fieldwork appear in the final cartoon.[10][11]
He Mele No Lilo • Heartbreak Hotel • Stuck on You • Suspicious Minds • (You're the) Devil in Disguise • Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride • Aloha ʻOe • Hound Dog • Burning Love • Can't Help Falling in Love • Rubberneckin' • I Need Your Love Tonight • A Little Less Conversation • Always • Aloha, E komo Mai • I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry • Jailhouse Rock • Don't Be Cruel
Locations
Hawaii • Honolulu • Kokaua Town • Lahui Beach • Lilo's House • Animal Shelter • Mrs. Hasagawa's Fruit Stand • Hula School • Mertle's House • Birds of Paradise Hotel • Kilauea Lighthouse • Rental Hut • Muscle Bay • Kiki's Coffee Hut • Macki Macaw's • Kauai Airport • Turo • Plorgonar • Prison Asteroid K-37 • Jumba's Lab • Lihue Airport • Izayoi Island • Okinawa New Town
Objects
Experiment Pods • Experiment Pod Container • Jumba's Computer • Plasma Blaster • Net Cannon • Galactic Cell Phone • Prison Capsule • Sample Extractor • Fusion Chamber • Projector • Uburnium • Time Machine • Protoplasmic Growth Ray • Plasmatic Englobulatron • Luggage • Scrump • Lilo's Experiment Book • Stitch's Spacesuit • Stitch's Necklace • Spiritual Stone
Vehicles/Spaceships
Jumba's Ship • Gantu's Ship • Police Cruisers • The Red One • Yellow Plantation Trucks • AHI Tanker Truck • Dr. Hämsterviel's Ship • Manta Shuttle • Hovercraft • X-Buggy • Federation Ship • B.R.B. 9000 • G.A.C.C. Ship
See Also
Tantalog language • Lilo & Stitch: "The 747 Sequence" • Pelekai ʻohana
