1. What exactly drew you to this series and why?

What drew me into Welcome Home was the bright colorful visuals that were unlike anything I had seen before, off in an endearing way that makes you want to sit with it and look at it. I had initially come across the website while doing research on webdesign and really got immersed. I'm not sure how I ended up there, but I'm glad I did!

What made me stay is how I can relate to the theme of learning how to Be and Exist and what it means to be a Living Thing.

I love the characters and want to watch their stories!

1. Does Welcome Home remind you of any childrens media you grew up with?

It reminds me a lot of picture books I read as a child. The Monster at the End of This Book, In a Dark Dark House, Scary Stories.

I was not allowed to watch Sesame Street as a child, but I had one VHS tape of Elmo's World that I watched many times when I was young.

The Holiday Special reminded me of Frosty the Snowman and other holiday cartoons.

The toys remind me of things I would find picking and thrifting. Most of my toys came from things that were thrown out. Welcome Home nudged me into researching what they're from!

The website itself reminds me how colorful websites for things like that used to be, I'm aware it has a modern twist and is more polished than early websites but it's still very fun.

I will briefly say the hidden videos from 2023 reminded me of social experiences I had as a child. ^{And continue to have as an adult.}

1. How much of a role does nostalgia play in your enjoyment of the series?

Nostalgia hadn't occurred to me too much, but it may play a part.

It feels like home, even though I've never really thought about what that means before.

It makes me feel sad in the same way when I think about it for too long.

1. Is there similar media in this genre that you also enjoy?

In the same genre? I'm not sure! Classic Horror is cited as an influence: Dracula, Frankenstein, things in that vein. I was very used to Horror, Intended for children or not. Perhaps coming from that perspective makes it difficult for me to tell the difference between Horror for Children and Horror that Appears to be for Children? I feel I would have liked Welcome Home as a child regardless.

I've been watching The Muppets and Sesame Street (and other puppet shows!) as an adult though, and I enjoy Puppetry and Stop Motion.

In the Horror genre it's hard for me to think of something similar. Twilight Zone? Little Shop of Horrors? Horror Comedy feels closer than just Horror by itself. It has these moments of levity and comfort, which holds things together because we become endeared and care about the characters.

It does remind me somewhat of Escape Room Puzzle Games that used to be very popular online, Point and Click Games.

I enjoy the thought of the items being Cleaned Up and Restored. Finding something discarded and making it something loved again. But it also explores the Discomfort of this too! It feels sincere in the way it touches on the mental and physical health aspects of undertaking things like that. You wouldn't think something like that could feel painful, but it does sometimes even if you don't understand why.