The Owl House is another Disney cartoon where a girl goes into another dimension. The Owl House is about a girl named Luz who doesn’t fit in with reality but on her way to camp comes across a mysterious door that leads her to another dimension. She ends up becoming an apprentice to the witch Eda. This may seem similar to Amphibia but it is different enough to be its own thing. If I could describe this show it would be that this is gothic version of Little Witch Academia and Star vs the Forces of Evil mixed together with the writing and humor of Gravity Falls added to it.

The characters are really likable. Luz is funny, cute, and very relatable. You do feel for her since she doesn’t fit in with the real world but now she’s found a place where she can be herself. Eda is a great mentor character that isn’t ashamed about who she is and Wendie Malick gives so much life and charm to her. It also great to hear Alex Hirsh as King even if it does sound a lot like Bill Cipher. But my favorite character has to be Amity Blight played wonderfully by Mae Whitman (who ironically played my favorite Avatar character Katara). Even when she started out as a bully she was my favorite. I really like how much character development she’s given throughout the season. Every episode she’s in are my favorite episodes. I do wish she did more (or have a line) in the finale. FYI yes I do ship her and Luz.

This show has really interesting world building particularly with the covens. Each coven feels unique but the downside is that you’re only allowed to use that specific coven’s magic. This cleverly ties into the central theme of individuality. The show manages to blend overarching and standalone episodes very well. The writing, humor and atmosphere do seem similar to Gravity Falls which is not surprising since the creator Dana Terrace worked on that show.

The Owl House Season 1 managed to win me over and become one of the top tier Disney animated cartoons. I can’t decide whether I like Amphibia or this more, there both neck and neck. So far this is my favorite new cartoon of 2020 and I’m excited for season 2.

 

Hang on to them hats and glasses, ’cause this here’s the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!

Spoiler warning: Unlike Books 1 and 2 which focused on Tulip and her mirror version, Infinity Train Book 3 focuses on Grace, leader of the Apex who are basically a darker take on Peter Pan and the lost boys. I think it’s clever that each book introduces the main character of the proceeding book. This season is a lot darker and edgier than the previous seasons showing the dangers of cults and more graphic deaths. This book is also more unpredictable and I had no idea which direction it was going.

The cars in this season were weak compared to the previous seasons. Other than the color car the other cars like the forest car, jungle car, and snowy car feel very basic and not very memorable. Despite that however this season feels more focused on the characters this time. Grace’s redemption arc is well done and I like how she becomes a better person throughout the book while her friend Simon becomes far worse. Simon is one of those villains that makes you question whether you should feel sorry or hate him which I think makes for a compelling villain. His (surprisingly brutal) death is probably why this aired on HBO Max instead of Cartoon Network. Hazel is really cute and Isabella Abiera’s performance gives a lot of feels especially after Tuba’s death. It was also great to see Amelia again and I like how she’s the one to call out Grace and Simon’s beliefs.

Here’s how I would rank the seasons so far: Book 1>Book 3>Book 2. Book 2 had more memorable cars and environments while Book 3 was a stronger character study but Book 1 I think has the whole package. Still Book 3 is a great continuation of this ambitious and thrilling “therapy” train ride.