Here’s Where The “Who’s That Wonderful Girl?” TikTok Trend Comes From

Recently, two very important questions have been circulating around the TikTok FYP: Who’s that wonderful girl? Could she be any cuter? The inquiries are posed in a catchy song, and if you’re lucky enough to see the clip that accompanies the audio, you’ll find an orange puppet with glasses singing about a green puppet in a pretty pink princess dress. The “wonderful girl” in question is Mona from the Canadian children’s TV series Nanalan’ and the kitschy puppet show has become TikTok’s latest obsession.

You may have also seen Mona struggle to form a complete sentence as she confesses to eating a batch of brownies, or Nana feeding the little green puppet a spoonful of soup — all of which are scenes from the show making their rounds on TikTok. Sure, these moments make for great meme fodder and all, but that doesn’t explain why the 24-year-old show is going viral all of a sudden.

To help make sense of the nonsensical children’s show, here’s a rundown on everything you need to know about TikTok’s obsession with Nanalan’, so you can laugh along with the strange characters the next time they make an appearance on your FYP.

What is Nanalan’?

According to Know Your Meme, Nanalan’ follows three-year-old Mona and her dog Russel as they explore the backyard of Mona’s grandmother, Nana. The name comes from “Nana Land” and is an apt title due to the series’ setting. In a typical episode, Mona’s adventures include everything from playing with a frog in the grass to hula dancing with her grandma.

The show was created by Jason Hopely and Jamie Shannon, aka the creative minds behind the infamously divisive Nickelodeon show Mr. Meaty, so that should tell you all you need to know about Nanalan’ and its surreal puppetry style.

The program originally aired from 1999 to 2003 in Canada as a series of three-minute shorts before running full-length 21-minute episodes for a season in 2004.

Because of her young age, Mona is unable to say much beyond a few mispronounced words and some broken sentences. This seems to be a key factor in the puppet show’s virality, as the character often defaults to making strange noises more than anything else. Plus, with the program’s colorful set design and low-budget aesthetic, Nanalan’ fits right in with the ongoing Y2K revival.

Who Is That Wonderful Girl?

One of the most viral moments from the show on TikTok is a clip of Nana singing, “Who’s that wonderful girl? Could she be any cuter?” to Mona as she proudly struts her stuff in a pink gown and sparkly crown ensemble that gives off major Glinda the Good Witch vibes.

The song has not only encouraged TikTok users to spotlight their adorable pets but has also generated a CapCut template that inserts Nana and Mona into your video via a green screen effect for even more meme usage. Not to mention, the related hashtag #wonderfulgirl has accrued nearly 24 million views as of Nov. 27, and the song even inspired some hilarious Halloween costumes from users like @autumnbnx and @twistedswisters.

It’s OK, Birdy

Another Nanalan’ clip going viral has captivated audiences not because of its weird dialogue or silly tune, but because it’s actually really sweet.

The scene shows Mona cradling a seemingly injured bird as she assures the animal that everything is going to be alright. “Hey birdy,” says Mona. “It’s OK, birdy. I’m gonna take care of you, birdy.”

It’s a tender moment on an otherwise chaotic show and is quite different in tone from the rest of the program. But because this is TikTok we’re talking about, the clip was bound to receive the meme treatment eventually — especially after the scene became a CapCut effect.

“POV: Trying to stop your sibling from crying after u beat them before your mom comes,” wrote @mylittle_cornerx. “My friend the morning after she gave me 5 shots ‘before we leave,’” posted @smulfie. This is why TikTok can’t have nice things.

The Most Relatable Children’s Show

Even if TikTok users didn’t grow up watching the program, they’re discovering just how relatable the children’s show is.

In a video posted by @teeny9540, Nana talks Mona through her emotions by asking her grandchild how she’s feeling. It’s a fine clip on its own, but it probably wouldn’t have received over 190K likes and nearly 500 comments if the creator hadn’t captioned the video, “When you’re on your period and your boyfriend is trying to comfort your mood swings.”

The hashtag #nanalan, which has amassed a whopping 106.6 million views, is filled with even more viral moments from the show, including another Nana original song about how “brave and strong” Mona is that sounds like it’s been ripped straight from the Frankenstein soundtrack.

Despite being a song about the “biggest, strongest monster in the world,” users are still finding ways to incorporate the audio into their everyday lives. “POV: My husband hyping me up to leave my depression pit and brush my hair,” wrote @hollierosebakes.

In an age where 20-somethings still feel like teenage girls, it’s no wonder why the infantilized program is resonating with fans so much. “This show speaks the language of my soul,” commented @jaxbv. “This character is playing me in real life,” wrote @onyx.buttercup. No one understands life better than a three-year-old, I guess.