Such is the life of an adventurer

After five years Hilda has finally concluded with the release of their third and final season. For those who’ve been living under a rock or are new to this site, Hilda isn’t just my favorite Netflix show or even one of my favorite animated series, it is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. It is a show that has meant so much to me and has become a huge inspiration for my personal work. Season 3 takes place a year after Hilda and the Mountain King and has a more focused overarching story compared to the first two seasons. This season’s overarching plot focuses on the mystery behind the fairies in Tofoten.

Before I get into the season, I want to praise something I haven’t in my previous reviews. That being the opening sequence which is also one of if not my favorite intro of any tv show. Everything from the show such as the tone, characters and world is perfectly established here and the theme song composed by Grime is beautiful. Each intro shows different details from that specific season which I think is a great touch. Seeing both Hilda and Johanna jump together showing how they are now on common ground was touching especially after their quarrel in the previous season. Everything I praised this show of in the previous seasons such as the likable characters, gorgeous animation, is all still here.

What stands out about season 3 is that unlike the first two seasons which adapted the graphic novels, everything in this season is all completely original. It’s a bit disappointing that we only got 8 episodes instead of 13 but that’s not really an issue. Every episode this season (except episode 4) progresses the season’s overarching plot. This season also feels the most personal to Hilda since we’re introduced to Hilda’s Dad Anders, her great Aunt Astrid played by Miriam Margolyes, and even her grandparents. I really like the relationship between Hilda and Astrid and the relationship between Johanna and Astrid. The relationship between Hilda and her Mum has also improved since last season. One of my favorite episodes involves them on a peaceful (sort of) roadtrip that’s very touching.

SPOILER WARNING: The final episode titled “The Fairy Isle” is up there with Gravity Falls “Take Back the Falls” one of the best series finales I have ever seen. It’s a long one (77 minutes) but I loved every minute of this emotional roller coaster. Hilda finds out that her grandparents are fairies which makes her and her mother part fairy. So many great and unexpected moments like the return of Victoria Van Gale, the deerfox army including Twig’s parents, and Johanna’s family’s heartbreaking backstory. Also, Johanna literally almost dies! Every great finale always has a great ending and Hilda has a pitch perfect one. Everything about it such as the music, the animation, seeing all the characters one last time, it feels like such a big emotional bittersweet goodbye. The end credits legit made me cry.

Hilda could’ve ended with the Mountain King but I’m grateful we got one last season. It’s really hard and sad to say goodbye to a show that you’ve loved but I’m very happy this show became a huge part of my life. Thank You Bella Ramsay for giving this lovable adventurer so much life, I can’t imagine anyone else playing her but you. Thank You Netflix for giving this show a home and letting the show end on its own accords. Thank You to everyone who worked on this show from the cast, writers, animators, and musicians for their hard work, and of course thank you Luke Pearson for creating this amazing piece of fiction. I am so grateful to all of you for bringing me and many other people on this amazing five-year adventure.  

It may be the end of Hilda on Netflix but not for this site, NO this show deserves something special. Which is why I’m announcing that early next year I will be posting a three-part ranking of every Hilda episode from worst (meh) to best. Really looking forward to doing this so stay tuned, until then thanks for the memories and goodbye Hilda.

PRESS START

I wouldn’t consider myself a huge Scott Pilgrim fan. I’ve never read the graphic novels and have only seen Scott Pilgrim vs. the World twice. When I heard that Netflix would be doing an anime adaption of Scott Pilgrim in the same art style as the comics it caught my interest. What I got was a more faithful adaption………..OR WAS IT?!

SPOILER WARNING: The first episode pretty much starts out like the comics/film from Scott meeting Ramona up to when Scott faces off Matthew Patel…….and DIES! At first, I was like (was this something from the comics that was cut from the film?!”) It wasn’t until Matthew Patel defeats Gideon Graves where I realized this show was going in a different direction. Then it turns out someone took Scott. So instead of Scott fighting 7 evil exes, the story is about Ramona trying to solve the mystery of who took him which turns out to be his future self that actually defeated the evil exes and got Ramona. Basically this is huge deconstruction of the original story. Much like another recent “video game themed” Netflix show Captain Laserhawk I had no idea what direction this show was going.

This show is amazing to look at thanks to the amazing animation done by Science Saru. The whole show is exactly what it would be if the comics were animated. The character designs are well done and fit the character’s personalities. The fight scenes are also wonderfully animated. My favorite fight was the one between Ramona Flowers and Roxie Richter. Something I really liked about the 2010 film was the acting. Everyone felt perfectly casted and the fact that every actor from the film reprised their roles was a really huge and impressive feat. I can’t really picture anyone else replacing them. What I also really liked was that pretty much every character was fleshed out more than their film counterpart especially the 7 evil EX’s. I liked seeing them interacting more with other characters and I liked seeing Ramona reconcile with her exes.

The way Scott Pilgrim Takes Off deviates from the original kind of reminds me of Final Fantasy 7 Remake which is ironic because this an anime with a bunch of video game references. Honestly, I would say I enjoyed this so much more than the original film. I might even say this is in my top 5 favorite anime of all time. I may not have been a Scott Pilgrim fan in the past but this show might just have officially made me one now. It’s unpredictable and fun while still having the same charm as Bryan Lee O’Malley’s original story.

GAME OVER

Throughout this year I haven’t been seeing much on Netflix. The only thing I’ve been looking forward to is Scott Pilgrim, and especially the final season of Hilda. Recently however I saw a trailer for Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix which had a specific “video game character” I knew in an unexpected role. Captain Lazerhawk takes place in an alternate futuristic 1992 version of America called Eden. It is sort of a video game crossover adaption that uses characters from Ubisoft’s library.

The anime-like animation is really great especially the art shifts to not just the style of an old 16-bit video game but also the style of old FMV games. The 80s-like music also very catchy and the characters were well written especially one that I’ll get to soon. What really stood out to me about this show was how subversive and unpredictable it was because characters I thought would be more prominent are unexpectedly killed off early. There was one specific death in episode 2 that shocked and kind of broke my heart. I admit that this season could’ve had a few more episodes which would’ve made their deaths more powerful.

HUGE SPOILERS: I now need to talk about the elephant in the room or the “limbless protagonist” in the room aka the reason I checked out this show…..RAYMAN. I’ve seen my brother play Rayman Origins and Legends so when I saw him in the trailer I was like “is he going to be a villain?!”. In this show he’s a reporter, talk show host, movie star, kids show character, he’s practically the voice of Eden. To my surprise Rayman’s role was much more unexpected and insane role than I thought. Having him be a villain would’ve been itself crazy, but what they did with Rayman feels like something out of a fever dream yet I thought it was done very well. Also, it’s really bizarre and funny to see him swearing, smoking crack, and shooting people. He’s honestly my favorite character of the whole show and I can’t wait to see what they do with him next.

Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix is up there with My Adventures with Superman as one of my favorite new cartoons of 2023. It is also up there with The Last of Us as one of the best video game show adaptions of 2023.  It’s violent, dark, subversive and a lot of fun. I’m really looking forward to see what Ubisoft does next.

This review contains spoilers for The Owl House so please watch the show before reading. Season 3 and the whole show has come to an end and while it was shortened thanks to Disney, I still think Dana and the people that worked on the show managed to pull it off. For this review I will discuss each episode in their own paragraphs.

Thanks to Them: I liked seeing Luz’s friends try to adjust to living in the real world much like how Luz learned to live in the Boiling Isles. It reminded me a lot of the first half of Amphibia season 3 which made me think this is what season 3 would’ve been if it was a full season. I also loved seeing Luz’s relationship with her mother develop. I was worried that the whole Luz helping Phillip and Hunter being a grim walker would lead to the always hated “Liar Revealed” cliche but fortunately it didn’t. Luz’s friends know that Phillip tricked her and that she couldn’t have known that Phillip would become Belos. Flapjack’s death legit shocked me and broke my heart. I honestly think this is my favorite episode of season 3 and I kind of wish we had a full season to see what situations these kids would get into.

For the Future: Unlike the first episode, this episode focuses more on the supporting cast characters. Willow’s arc about trying to be optimistic even though she’s not was very well done. I think Dana took a little from Steven Universe there. I love that unlike Bill Cipher, the Collector isn’t really a villain, he’s just a child with God like powers that doesn’t really know right and wrong. I also love the design of Luz’s palisman. This is the weakest of the three episodes which is fair since this act’s kind of like a breather before the finale.

Watching and Dreaming: This finale puts more focus on the main trio Luz, Eda, and King. I like that instead of just being this giant battle this episode just has the trio show the Collector some of the places and events that took place there and helping learn about people. This finale shares a lot of beats from the Amphibia finale such as the main character dying, meeting a very powerful character that helps resurrect her, getting an ultimate power outfit, and both end with a time skip. It is odd that we didn’t get to see more of Belos’s backstory and his brother Caleb but at this point Phillip was beyond redemption and there probably wasn’t a reason to make him sympathetic. Also Hooty doesn’t get a line which is weird. Still, this is up there with Sozin’s Comet, Take Back the Falls and The Hardest Thing as one of the best series finales I’ve ever seen. It managed to perfectly wrapped up everything and gave every character the proper ending they deserved.

Seriously go see this show if you haven’t. The Owl House is not just one of the best Disney cartoons or even the best animated shows of the 2020s, it is one of the best cartoons of all time. I will miss these characters and world.

“Thank For Watching”

The first episode of The Owl House season 3 has premiered so I’ve decided to give you my late thoughts on season 2. This review does contain spoilers so check out the 2nd season first. Season 2 begins right after the season finale of season 1. Because the portal was destroyed Luz needs to finds a way to get home. I honestly can’t think of a single bad episode from this season heck most of them would will up my top 10 favorite episodes list. What I also love is that each episode either progresses the story or shows the outcome of the previous episode. I don’t think there’s a single episode I would consider filler. Favorite episodes include Knock Knock Knocking on Hooty’s Door, Eclipse Lake, Follies at the Coven Day Parade, and the finale King’s Tide.

All the main and supporting characters get a lot of great character development and everyone gets at least one or two episodes to shine. I was surprised at King’s development especially in the finale. Season 2 really managed to make me despise Emperor Belos and Odalia Blight. I also liked the new characters introduced. Hunter is a nice addition; sure, his redemption did feel obvious but I think his arc was very well done. Eda’s childhood friend Raine Whispers was really likable who’s also the very first Disney non-binary character. The new villain the Collector was both adorable, hilarious and creepy and I’m really looking forward to see that they do with this character. Now I want to talk about Lumity who have pretty much become one of my favorite romantic relationships in fiction. My god these two are so adorable together.

Not only was season 2 of The Owl House just as good as the first season, it was even better. It is a shame that season 3 will just be only three-hour long episodes but I still can’t wait to see what happens next.

One month ago, Amphibia one of my favorite Disney cartoons aired its final episode. Since there’s so much to talk about the finale but I also want to talk about the rest of the season as well, for this review I’ve decided to split it two separate parts, the season in total and the final two episodes. Also SPOILER WARNING, so don’t read this unless you’ve seen the show.

I think having part 1 of season 3 take place on Earth was a clever change to the status quo. I find it funny that even in the regular world, the humans there are just as wacky and full of personality as the amphibians in Amphibia. I thought Anne’s parents were very likable, funny, and supportive. Having Matt Braly’s mother play Anne’s mother was also a sweet touch. Also, Domino might be the most accurate animated cat ever and considering I’m a cat person I absolutely love her. A lot of the episodes are the frogs adjusting to Earth until they find a way to return home and I think there a lot of fun. The 2nd half of season 3 starts with one of the best episodes Escape to Amphibia in which Anne and the Planters get home thanks to a bunch of characters they met. Most of the episodes here about Anne and Sasha creating an army to take down King Andrias and the Core.

The final episodes were emotional roller coasters and almost every character’s arc reached their climaxes in these episodes. The Penultimate episode “All In” is kind of the like the Battle of Minas Tirith from LOTR, not the last but it is the hugest battle in the show. The action scenes were awesome especially Anne going super sayan on Andrias and the fight between Sasha and Darcy. The final episode of The Hardest Thing has the Core use the moon as a final gambit to destroy everyone, kind of like Majora’s Mask but less than three days. All three girls going super sayan was wonderfully paid off.  The ending is one of the most bittersweet endings I’ve seen in an animated series with the girls leaving Amphibia forever but growing as better people. Anne’s speech at the end kind of sums up what we went through when the show ended how sometimes you have to let go but you’d be surprised what makes it way back to you.

Season 3 was Amphibia at its most funny, epic, and emotional and I love nearly every episode from it. Amphibia was a show that started good and got so much better throughout the show and I’m really happy that Matt Braly got to tell the story he really wanted to. Thank You Matt Braly, Brenda Wong, and to everyone who worked on this amazing show.  

I’ve said before that I don’t play video games but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect them. The most recent video game that I’ve been obsessed with is Cuphead. I love the old Fleischer inspired animation that really feels like it was made during the 40s. So, it makes sense for Cuphead to be adapted into a cartoon. The Cuphead Show was probably my most anticipated show on Netflix since Hilda. While the game has the feel of Fleischer this show sort of has the same feel as the 2013 Mickey Mouse shorts which developer of this show Dave Wasson also worked on.

Much like the video game, the animation here is incredible. The show uses a lot of old cartoon tricks to make it feel like it was made in the golden age of animation like live action set models. The film grain is such a great detail that gives the show such an old cartoon vibe to it. The characters have such great and hilarious facial expressions especially the Devil and King Dice. Honestly those two are my favorite characters. What helps are the great character designs and the voice talent and much like Hilda is spot on and I can’t think of better voice for any of the characters Luke Millington-Drake is both threatening and hilarious as the Devil and King Dice is perfectly voiced by Wayne Brady. I will admit one major problem so far is that some of the episode plots are a bit basic and ones I’ve seen in other cartoons but too be fair this show is based on old cartoons.

The Cuphead show is up there with Smiling Friends as one of the best new animated shows of 2022. Season 1 does end on a cliffhanger and more season are confirmed in the future so I will be very excited to see our favorite Cuphead, Mugman and devil return for season 2.

Before I start the review, I want to give my thoughts on season 2 as a whole. The whole road trip part helps build the world and adds a great change of pace. I really liked that Marcy played wonderfully by Kelly Hu isn’t just another Sasha. She’s very likable and I kind of relate to her. The idea of the three temples was really clever. Season 2 also made me realized how much I really like Anne. Brenda Song brings so much life into this role and her facial expressions are some of the bests in animation.    

Warning: this review contains huge SPOILERS. After being unexpectedly delayed and leaked the season 2 finale of Amphibia True Colors was finally premiered. Fun fact: this episode shares the same episode title from one of my favorite childhood shows Cyberchase. Just something funny to think about. I will be honest I kind of predicted what would happen. I knew Sasha and Grime would be defeated in the first half, King Andrias being the villain and Anne and her friends ending up on another world. While my predictions were on point that still didn’t stop this finale from being spectacular.

Marcy’s reason for stranding all three girls in Amphibia is understandable. King Andrias’s reveal may have been obvious but the crew really managed to make you hate this prick especially at the end. There are a lot of great moments such as the duel between Anne and Sasha, Polly getting her legs, Anne’s super saiyan form, but the scene that stood out to me and probably why this got delayed was Marcy getting stabbed. It’s not bloody but’s really gruesome and on camera, and we don’t even know if she’s going to be ok. It all ends with Anne and the Plantars stranded on earth. Such a great cliffhanger.

True Colors is the Disney equivalent of the season 2 finale of Nickelodeon’s Avatar the Last Airbender: The Crossroads of Destiny. This in my opinion is the best episode of Amphibia so far and I can’t wait to see what Matt Braly and the crew have in store for us in season 3. We may have returned to the real world but now it’s almost time leave again and return to the Boiling Isles.

Good news is we got a 4^th season of Infinity Train, the bad news is that it’s our last train ride. The review contains spoilers. Book 4 – Duet is about two best friends Min-Gi and Ryan. Ryan wants both of them to becomes musicians while Min-Gi wants to respect his parents’ wishes. This conflict gets them both on the Infinity Train. I always thought there should be a season where two people that know each other such as a kid and their parent, siblings, or a couple or in this case best friends both get on the train.

Min-Gi Park played by Johnny Young and Ryan Akagi both have a believable friendship. I like how their conflict isn’t just one sided both of them have moments where one of them is right but another time is wrong. The first episode cleverly uses split screen to show their lives. There dynamic (kind of) reminds me of my relationship with my brother (he’s more like Min-Gi and I’m more like Ryan). The character that I think stole the show was a floating service bell named Kez played by Minty Lewis who acts as Min-Gi and Ryan’s companion. She brings a lot of humor to the season but also a lot of threats due to her hurting a lot of the denizens.

The cars while I don’t think there were many as the previous seasons are still very creative such as a car that can change different eras, an old western town populated by bugs, and a giant kitchen home to a giant baby pig played by JK Simmons. This is probably the most standalone of the seasons and even the reveal of this season taking place before the first season doesn’t affect the story. I also kind of thought the ending was predictable but still a very heartwarming one to end on.

Book 4 Duet may not have had the most epic series finale to this epic show a good ending to a good final season to one of the best Cartoon Network shows ever. This may be my last review of Infinity Train but the ride isn’t over yet. My next post will be a ranking of the Infinity Train seasons in categories. Which was your favorite season of the show. Like and comment below.

Oh, a newlywed couple just moved to town. A regular husband and wife. Who left the big city to find a quiet life. WandaVision! She’s a magical gal in a small-town locale He’s a hubby who’s part machine. How will this duo fit in and fulfill all? By sharing a love like you’ve never seen. WandaVision!

Me reviewing a live action show? That’s new. Warning there are spoilers. WandaVision is the first miniseries from the MCU. The premise is about Wanda and Vision living a sitcom-like life after Avengers: Endgame. Each episode takes place in a different decade and the cliches and sitcoms referenced reflect the decade the episode takes place in. There are many references to sitcoms such as I Love Lucy, Full House, Malcom in the Middle, and Modern Family.

There’s a great sense of mystery in the first few episodes that makes you ask a lot of questions and gets you excited for the next episode. It’s kind of like watching Gravity Falls. It turns out to be an illusion created by Wanda as a way of coping with her grief and death of Vision. The reason for the sitcom is because Wanda used to watch these sitcoms with her family and it gave her happiness and comfort, at least until her parents died. It’s legit sad.  You know what Wanda doing isn’t right and it hurt everyone around but you understand where she’s coming from.

Both Wanda played by Elizabeth Olsen and Vision played by Paul Bettany are at their best here. Both work wonderfully off each other and the chemistry is really sweet. It makes it a lot sadder in the end when she has to let go of him. It was also nice to see characters from other Marvel movies such as Darcy (Thor 1-2), Jimmy Woo (Ant Man and the Wasp), and even Maria’s daughter (Captain Marvel). Kathryn Hahn was terrific as the main villain Agatha Hawkness, both being menacing and hilarious, sort of like a Disney villain.

It’s really great that the MCU is giving the spotlight to the minor heroes in the MCU. This show was just to start for many MCU shows to come such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. WandaVision showed that the MCU doesn’t only work in movie form and can shine on tv. WandaVision is a perfect swan song for the character of Vision while also being both mysterious, emotional and hilarious.