“Raising Dion” is a Netflix original TV series centered on a 7-year-old named Dion, played by Ja’siah Young, whose world flips upside down as he discovers he has supernatural abilities.
The story goes on showing how this new-found power affects him and his mother, Nicole Reese, played by the multi-faceted actress Alicia Wainwright.
The TV series is based on the 2015 short film and comic book series made by Dennis Liu. Also produced by and starring Micheal B. Jordan as Mark Warren, who brings star-power to the series as the deceased father to Dion and Husband to Alicia.
Dion’s abilities are showcased early on in the show, which is one of the best things about the series. Dion is everything you would expect in a child who finds out he has superpowers and more.
Young is an incredible actor, and I feel he is able to do so much with his character at such a young age. Over the course of the episodes, Young is able to showcase such depths of vulnerability, strength and fear, which to me already excels the series to great heights when a young actor is able to show such promise with their talent. That aside, he also plays his part very well when it is time for him to just be a kid, which makes for some of the best scenes.
While Dion is the central character, we also have Pat Rollins, played by the famous Jason Ritter, who adds great comedic tones to the show and serves as a potential new love interest for the mother. Pat also happens to be the old best friend of Mark, which adds more dramatic elements.
Drama aside, the TV series has so much to offer to viewers, even dealing with the complexities of racial topics at a young age. For example, Dion deals with a racist principle in one scene, and the mother then has to explain what the issue is to him, which made for such a real, raw, authentic scene like I have never seen done before.
Aside from those things, the series also has amazing messages told in great authentic ways, such as being true to yourself and knowing the right crowd to be around. These messages are being dealt with through a perspective I feel has not been done before. The whole premise of this show has not really been done before, and hopefully more projects like this get to be made because boy oh boy, this did not disappoint.
Filled with amazing music from Mary J Blige to Alicia Keys, this is a TV show soundtrack I feel we all have been waiting for. It also has mind-blowing special effects to match, such as when Dion uses his powers to teleport or to lift trees, so you can tell the cinematography was done right. With riveting storytelling and layers of rich characters to unravel, this series serves as a certified Netflix Binger, but don’t just take my word for it, go check it out and get lost in the world of “Raising Dion.”
Echo Grade: A+
