The UAE has one of the few Smurfs Village theme parks in the world. Children – and some nostalgic grown-ups – love the brightly coloured mushroom houses, the little blue creatures who live inside them, including Papa Smurf, Brainy, Clumsy and Smurfette and the "uplifting life lessons" they offer.
But what makes the Smurfs so successful in the UAE, across the region and worldwide? Or what makes any cartoon creation so universally popular that people across all generations love to watch it or read its comics? Is their neutrality and universal message what make cartoon characters, such as the Smurfs or Mickey Mouse, so successful? Or it is merely about how it's brilliantly marketed and distributed around the globe?
One thing is for sure: people who grow up watching a cartoon will always feel nostalgic about it. It is, after all, a piece of their childhood. Which cartoon is your favourite, and would you make sure to pass on that love to your children?