She's a Bulldog. She's a Rhino. She Sings. Kids TV Just Got Weird—in a Good Way.
Apple TV+ just dropped the trailer for Lulu is a Rhinoceros—and let's be honest, no one saw this coming. A musical bulldog who identifies as a rhinoceros? Played by Auli'i Cravalho (Moana)? With original songs from a Golden Globe-nominated songwriter and animation vibes straight out of a Bluey fever dream? Twitter (sorry, X) isn't ready.
Yes, it's aimed at kids. Yes, it has talking animals. But don't dismiss this as another cute cash grab. Because Lulu isn't just adorable—she's radical.
This Bulldog's Got Bars—and Big Feelings
There's a wild sincerity at the core of Lulu is a Rhinoceros. It's about a dog who sees something different in the mirror—and refuses to back down. That's not just adorable. That's defiant. That's postmodern identity politics in a toddler-safe wrapper.
It's like Inside Out met BoJack Horseman—and got filtered through a Bluey color palette and a Broadway chorus line.
The trailer's most bonkers flex? Not the singing. Not even the rhino thing. It's the cast: Auli'i Cravalho leads with the kind of charm that makes Disney executives weep with jealousy. Add in Alex Newell (a Tony-winner with pipes that could level a city block) and Dulé Hill (The West Wing, Psych) and you're looking at a kids show stacked like an HBO pilot.
The pedigree isn't an accident. It's executive produced by industry power players, including Ben Silverman (The Office) and Jason & Allison Flom (the original book's creators). Oh—and directed by Angela Stempel, the artist behind the gloriously weird Heart Chakra. This isn't “babysit my child” content. It's “sneak an episode after bedtime” content.
Underneath the Fur—A Very 2025 Story
The real kicker? Lulu is a Rhinoceros isn't just feel-good fluff. It's a Trojan rhino for big ideas: self-acceptance, identity, nonconformity. In a world still arguing over bathroom bills and pronouns, here comes a bulldog bellowing: “I am brave, kind, and I love who I am!”
This isn't new ground for kids' media—remember Zootopia?—but Lulu does it with musical numbers and zero preachiness. It's the kind of identity story Gen Alpha was practically born craving.
The show's source material—a children's book by the Floms—already had cult status in progressive parenting circles. Turning it into a full-blown animated musical is a bold move. A risky one, even. But it could pay off.
As Allison Flom reportedly told a crowd in 2019, “Lulu's not confused. She knows exactly who she is. It's the world that needs to catch up.” Oof. That line hits harder than it should.
So… Watch It or Dodge It?
Genius or garbage? That depends on your tolerance for sincerity wrapped in sparkly bulldog fur. But for a trailer, Lulu is a Rhinoceros nails the landing: catchy, weird, wholesome, and way more relevant than expected.
And if you're wondering whether it's Apple's answer to Bluey—that Aussie juggernaut that turned parenting into a global sob-fest—here's your answer: Lulu's not trying to be Bluey. She's a rhinoceros. Deal with it.
