Baymax! An Absolutely Delightful Little Show

Baymax! Is Not Complex And Does Not Need To Be

Baymax! is formulaic, predictable, and utterly charming. It brings a smile with every single episode and feels like something special.

And this is because of the combination of the main character and the series’ approach to each side character’s medical/biological situation.

This Is One Of The Best-Written Robots Ever Done

Let’s start with the lovely robot Baymax. He was a highlight of Big Hero Six—that’s why he got his own show—but even in these short episodes, they pull out all the stops to make him likable. Baymax causes some chaos and makes mistakes, but his goal is so humanitarian, so selfless, that you can’t find him anything but endearing. He’s also fascinating as a medical robot. Every function he displays, every contingency he’s programmed for, and every act of cleverness and guile shows he really is a machine made to help people.

And this brings us to what sold me on the show: how it treats medicine. The plot (in the first three episodes) is always a character experiencing some body issue or concern but is trying to ignore it or “flee” from it. The first one turns a sprained ankle into a story of small businesses, economic concerns, and the love of one’s work and customers. Baymax! humanizes medicine and healing and gains so much emotional depth for it.

Baymax! Puts So Much Humanity Into The Stories

But that’s not even the full scope of what this show accomplishes within that framework. Baymax! also normalizes biology and bodily functions in a radically positive way. Periods, aging, pain, stress: Baymax (the robot and the show) doesn’t care about society’s hang-ups or taught embarrassment. As far as I, a twenty-something male, can even judge such things, the show feels respectful and seeks to destigmatize and uplift.  

The most impressive thing about Baymax! is how each episode does all this in only a few minutes. We get strong character writing, subtle wit, and cohesive narrative arcs that put full-length movies to shame. It’s a fantastic little show I would recommend to almost anyone.

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