3Below: Tales of Arcadia

After their royal cruiser is downed on Earth, two teenage alien heirs must stay hidden while they try to repair their ship and keep their people safe. Aja and her brother Krel assume human disguises and live among ordinary neighborhoods, attending school and learning awkward social rules. Their loyal robot guardian Luug helps with logistics and comic relief as interstellar bounty hunters close in. The show mixes teenage awkwardness with high-stakes sci-fi, showing how the siblings balance royal duty, adolescent emotions, and the practical challenge of blending into a culture that doesn't suspect they're from another planet, and forge unexpected friendships.

Created by Guillermo del Toro for Netflix, 3Below premiered in 2018 as the middle chapter of his Tales of Arcadia trilogy. The animated family sci-fi features voices by Tatiana Maslany, Diego Luna, Frank Welker, Glenn Close and Cheryl Hines.

The series received notice within the animation world, earning nominations for voice performances, animation and production craft. Reviewers singled out Tatiana Maslany and Diego Luna for their vocal chemistry. While it didn't sweep mainstream prize shows, the series earned respect within animation circles for its ambition and technical polish, and industry showcases.

As part of del Toro's Tales of Arcadia the show helped introduce his blend of dark whimsy to younger viewers, spurring fan art, cosplay and lively online communities. Memorable designs and the mix of teen comedy with sci-fi made it a touchstone for family-oriented genre animation, and boosted genre visibility.

Audience response was generally favorable, reflected in a viewer score of 7.466 out of 10 from 134 votes. Critics praised the show's brisk pacing, humor, voice work and appealing visuals, noting themes of identity, assimilation, responsibility and found family beneath the action. Viewers highlighted the strong chemistry among the leads.