History WesternAnimation / NiHaoKaiLan

[[caption-width-right:350:Chinese-American ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer''.[[note]]From left to right: [[FlatCharacter Lulu]], [[{{Jerkass}} Rintoo]] and [[OnlySaneWoman Kai-Lan]] (on top), [[DeadpanSnarker Tolee]] and [[BrattyHalfPint Hoho]] (on bottom).[[/note]]]]

''Ni Hao Kai-lan'' (2007-2011) is a preschool EdutainmentShow that aired on {{Creator/Nickelodeon}}, adapted from a 2004 series of Nick Jr. interstitials called ''Downward Doghouse''. The show's primary function is to teach children Mandarin Chinese. According to the show's website, it also "teaches children how to identify and cope with their feelings."

It basically comes off as a cute, albeit somewhat trippy kid's show.

While perhaps never formally canceled, the show ceased production in 2010. The program currently only airs in the evenings on the Nick Jr. sub-network, having apparently never quite caught the fire that ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'' did. It got a LicensedGame that was a crossover with ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'' called ''Dora and Kai-Lan's Pet Shelter Fun'' wherein you helped Dora, Kai-Lan, Diego and Yeye take care of pets at a pet shelter.

* AnAesop: Every episode has morals. In particular, though, the series is a rare preschool show that tells kids that ''it's okay'' to feel negative emotions, and not everything has to be happy and upbeat all the time. It also teaches children how to deal with negative feelings in a constructive manner, predating shows like ''WesternAnimation/DanielTigersNeighborhood'', ''WesternAnimation/EsmeAndRoy'', and the older-skewing ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' and ''WesternAnimation/InfinityTrain''.

[[caption-width-right:350:Chinese-American ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer''.[[note]]From left to right: [[FlatCharacter Lulu]], [[{{Jerkass}} Rintoo]] and [[OnlySaneWoman Kai-Lan]] (on top), [[DeadpanSnarker Tolee]] and [[BrattyHalfPint Hoho]](on bottom).[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:Chinese-American ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer''.[[note]]From left to right: [[FlatCharacter Lulu]],[[{{Jerkass}} Rintoo]] and [[OnlySaneWoman Kai-Lan]] (on top),[[DeadpanSnarker Tolee]] and [[BrattyHalfPint Hoho]](on bottom).[[/note]]]]

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In "Princess Kai-Lan", there are two Kingdoms fighting, the Bears in the Foxes which feels like a big reference to [[Theatre/RomeoAndJuliet]].

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In "Princess Kai-Lan", there are two Kingdoms fighting, the Bears in the Foxes which feels like a big reference to The Hatfields and The [=McCoys=].

* AdultsAreUseless: It's always Kai-Lan and her friends being the ones helping other friends instead of the adults around them.
{{Subverted}} in "Kai-Lan's Playhouse" where Yeye disciplines Hoho for hitting Rintoo.

* AesopAmnesia: Some of the morals are repeated for different episodes.

* AdultsAreUseless: It's always Kai-Lan and her friends being the ones helping other friends instead of the adults around them. {{Subverted}} in "Kai-Lan's Playhouse" where Yeye disciplines Hoho for hitting Rintoo.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: In "Princess Kai-Lan", there are two Kingdoms fighting, the Bears in the Foxes which feels like a big reference to The Hatfields and The McCoys.

* TakeAThirdOption: How Kai-Lan resolves the Fox King and Bear Queen's feud in "Princess Kai-Lan". The foxes are bothered by the bears' singing, while the foxs' dancing disrupts the bears; Kai-Lan decides they compromise and sing and dance together once a day. This in turn leads to their kingdoms becoming the Kingdom of Friends and Kai-Lan becomes their princess and ruler.

* PandaingToTheAudience: Tolee (a koala) is obsessed with panda-themed accessories.

* AdultsAreUseless: It's always Kai-Lan and her friends being the ones helping other friends instead of the adults around them. {{Subverted}} in Kai-Lan's Playhouse where Yeye disciplines Hoho for hitting Rintoo.

* AdultsAreUseless: It's always Kai-Lan and her friends are the ones helping other friends instead of the adults around them. {{Subverted}} in Kai-Lan's Playhouse where Yeye disciplines Hoho for hitting Rintoo.

* OffModel: The animation in the first episode, "Dragon Boat Festival", is noticeably less stable than in later episodes.

* Hoho, a three-year-old monkey who likes to play around.

* OnceAnEpisode:

* OutOfCharacterMoment: Normally Tolee is polite and understanding, but in one episode, when Rintoo accidentally ripped Tolee's painting, Tolee refused to forgive him. Adds bonus points that he wouldn't forgive even though Rintoo fixed it.

* SoreLoser: In "The Dragonboat Festival", Rintoo loses the boat race and gets extremely upset and angry about it, and kicks the boat onto the roof.

While perhaps never formally canceled, the show ceased production in 2010. The program currently only airs in the evenings on the Nick Jr. sub-network, having apparently never quite caught the fire that ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer'' did.

* PlayerElimination: This is the central problem of "The Hula Duck Dance Party" from ''WesternAnimation/NiHaoKaiLan''. The characters play musical chairs, but Tolee is upset because he keeps finding himself "out" because of losing the game, which means he doesn't get to play with his friends. They find a way to change the game so that everybody gets to keep playing.

* IveHeardOfThatWhatIsIt: In "Kai-lan's Sleepover," Kai-lan declares that the group is going to play "Flashlight Funny Faces." Rintoo says that the loves "Flashlight Funny Faces", then asks Kai-lan how to play it. Later in the same episode, Tolee suggests a game of "Pass the Panda" with his stuffed toy Pandy. Rintoo says that he loves it, then asks what it is.

[[caption-width-right:350:Chinese-American ''WesternAnimation/DoraTheExplorer''.[[note]]From left to right: [[FlatCharacter Lulu]],
[[{{Jerkass}} Rintoo]]and [[OnlySaneWoman Kai-Lan]] (on top),[[BewaretheNiceOnes Tolee]] and [[BrattyHalfPint Hoho]](on bottom).[[/note]]]]