Hilda - Seasons 1 and 2 - TV Review

Animation isn't just for kids. There are plenty of examples of animated shows and movies that are for adults. But that shouldn't mean that adults shouldn't subject themselves to animations for younger audiences because animation is starting to become more nostalgic to people. Kids from the 90s and late 80s are remembering animations from back when they were young and are seeing them pop up. This is also pulling them into new animations that resonate with them because they've gotten comfortable with watching things that some might look down upon (which they shouldn't). This week I will be talking about an animated TV show that is clearly intended for younger audience, but that I've become entranced with because it made me, a full-functioning, job-working adult, feel like a kid again: Hilda.

Hilda is an animated show on Netflix based off the the award-winning British children's graphic novel series written and illustrated by Luke Pearson. It is the story of a young girl named Hilda who loves the woods, magical creatures, and going on adventures. One day though a unique magical creature accidentally and unknowingly crushes the her home that she and mother have lived in for years, along with plenty of her family for generations. With that she moves to the city of Trollberg and at first Hilda has a sense of doom about her, thinking there will be no more fun, magical adventures for her anymore. But before she knows it she and a few new friends of hers are pulled into many new situations with extraordinary creatures and magic.

If I have to summarize how I feel about this show it's that it makes me feel like I'm wrapped up in a warm blanket, with a hug of hot mango or cranberry juice, while there is a very cold, but gentle winter outside. I'm so comfy and relaxed and watching something that's clearly giving me warm, fuzzy feelings inside of me that I rarely experience. That is Hilda to me. I love everything about this show: The characters, the voice acting, the stories, the effects, and oh my god the art style! It's all like a children's book come to life and I have watched both seasons multiple times eagerly! The show just emanates a wonderful aura about it that makes me so damn at peace, yet excited.

So let's begin with the biggest thing the show has, the art style. It's breathtaking, it's very simple, but I can see that unlike most animated shows there are more frames in the animation. Most animated shows are around 60 FPS (Frames Per Second) and maybe Hilda is as well. But it seems as if the animators went 110% on their work because everything moves so smoothly, like a flowing water. It's stupendous! I've seen it done before in other non-anime media, but only for small snippets. Not Hilda though, it's like this for a majority of each episode. I really like that, it makes the whole show feel more lively and less static. This adds on to make all the characters extremely expressive, from bulging eyes to raised eyebrows and more. The backgrounds are also very well done. Despite how simple the art style looks there is a ton of detail put into the backgrounds. They're all full of life, with grass blowing, water just so beautiful looking, falling snow that looks so cold, birds and other animals moving about, and just so much other sort of life about.

Next off is the characters, but before we get into them let's talk about some of the voice acting. Hilda is voiced by Bella Ramsey, who some might know as Lyanna Mormont from Game of Thrones. She, despite being 12 years old when she was first in Game of Thrones, played a very serious character despite her youth, so seeing her act like an actual little girl was very impressive to hear. Other than her there aren't that many recognizable voice actors. Still, they all put in a lot of character for their roles, making them really stand out. Daisy Haggard plays Hilda's loving, also adventurous mother, Ameerah Falzon-Ojo plays one of Hilda new human friends, the bookish, rule-loving Frida, and Oliver Nelson, Hilda's other new human friend who is kid of a nervous, less adventurous boy who has a phobia of insects (I relate so much to that). Beyond our main characters we also have ones such as uncaring, annoying, relaxed, and ever-intruding Woodman voiced by Ako Mitchell, a character so awful you kind of love him, along with a mysterious librarian named Kaisa, voiced by Kaisa Hammarlund, who might be more than what they appear. It just shows even the small characters can become so memorable.

I really love Hilda's outgoing nature. It feels the right amount of empowering to women (especially younger girls) because it doesn't ever forced and it shows all sorts of kids with wide personalities. But it also continually leads her into trouble, which is also great. Even though it's a kids show we get some interesting character development and everyone has both positive and negative traits. I know it sounds like I'm surprised by a show having the basics for any group of characters, but some shows at the younger age that I see Hilda going for would avoid likely avoid those. Especially when it comes to female characters because so many people think women they need to give women special privileges in order to make them be able to do anything remotely dangerous. Plus these flaws make it feel more real with its characters actively seeking/ getting involved with adventures.

So the adventures throughout the show are very magical, but there was something about them that hit me differently than most shows: I really felt a sense of adventure, like the show really wanted me to go outside after a while and go for a hike. Sadly this is winter and it's not just cold out here, but the winds are so strong that I could be easily pushed off a cliff where I live. Anyways, back to Hilda, it just that right combination of events and character drive that makes you want to take a break from real life and go out into nature, something I don't really see in television at all. This is probably because it's set in a modern world and magic is not that overblown as in other media. In other similar shows the magic just rushed out all of a sudden in certain events and it comes utter chaos. In Hilda though it's just a part of life. Most people/ characters have regular lives and barely get involved in magic, but it's still ever present in a certain way.

The show isn't afraid to show imagery that is creepy and eerie. The very first episode has an early moment straight out of Poltergeist, with objects flying all over the room and breaking and all that. We also have stories about kids being cooked into soups, the Rat King, nightmare demons and more from Scandinavian folklore. And in these are some pretty nutty scenes that I bet would scare some young kids. But that's good though! It makes the whole show feel exciting despite being set in a real-world like setting with kids as the main focus. It's nothing that's ever on the bounds of horror, but I was very happy with what the show presented me. Additionally, there were several moments that made me very sad and even cry at a few points because there are a few moments in the series so far that really hit home on tugging at the heartstrings. I wish I could into a few, but I don't want to spoil the surprises.

Despite that though the humor throughout the show is great. It's cute and adorable, but with some good punch every now and then. For instance, Hilda and David meet a woman who runs a weather station, but the woman reveals that she is also capable of controlling the weather at times. To that David quietly tells Hilda that she's totally a mad scientist and I had a great laugh about that. David is kind of the comedy relief character of the show and he excels at getting some laughs. But everyone has a chance to provide at least a chuckle each episode. Again, the show makes me so comfortable that I'm so relaxed and easily made to laugh.

My other favorite thing, besides the art style, is the lessons that the show gives us. They're perfect the younger generations that watch it because they're very enlightening for them. We have lessons such as, "Remember to make friends, but you don't have to make friends with everyone," "Remember to keep an open mind to new ideas," and "It's okay not to be brave, just be you." They're very sweet messages that I found perfect for children. Not all kids though will get the messages immediately, which is okay, they have wonderful scenes of action and a fantastic art style. Adults though will clearly get what the show is telling them, along with some other themes that kids definitely wouldn't get understand. Plus there are plenty of moments both kids and adults can totally dig, including one of the coolest fights I've ever seen in animation. It kind of hit me out of nowhere, but wow did it blow me away!

Now before I wrap this up I want to say I've mostly been discussing the first season of the show. The second season is even better than the first season because it has all the first season has, but it now a has main focus to it: There's a new character that gets introduced who is kind of a attention-grabbing "hero" type who never realizes the consequences of their actions. These actions have dangerous effects on the town of Trollberg and the magical creatures about. It keeps the characters outgoing in their escapades, but adds a clear goal to the main characters: Stop this guy from being dumb and possibly ruining the Trollberg and the lives of magical creatures around it. It makes the whole second season center around consequences, something the show really needed to start talking about with how much Hilda gets into trouble (despite her good intentions).

Whether you're young or old, new or a long-time supporter of animation, Hilda will give you what you want and more. It's full of lively characters, fantastic animation, wonderful stories, and can be watched by people of all ages! As I've said before I've watched this show multiple times and I definitely wouldn't mind watching it once more (maybe with a friend that next time). Hilda fills me with so much joy for being alive and young and when the weather warms up once more in Spring I'm grabbing my walking staff to go on my own adventures. The power of youth my friends...

Tentative Score: 10/10

Definitive Score: 10/10

After season 2, I have to see what happens in season 3! Also, if I ever have a daughter I'm naming her Hilda. That's just a fact.