The month of October brings about thoughts of witches, goblins, and ghouls. These creatures would be terrifying, but if you’ve seen Hilda you might have a different perspective. This animated series cropped up in its entirety on September 21st as a Netflix binge-able, er- original. It has enough magic and whimsy to whisk any watcher off on a magical adventure.
Story
Based off of a graphic novel called Hildafolk by Luke Pearson, it follows the adventures of a young blue-haired girl named Hilda. Along with her white deerfox Twig, she’ll guide you through her world while discovering more of it herself! Fans of Adventure Time might notice some similarities in art style since Pearson since worked on the show, but Hilda definitely sets itself apart. It’s set in a fantasy world resembling late 20th century Scandinavia, featuring many folk tales and folklore from that region.
It starts with Hilda, her mom, and Twig living in a cottage on a plain surrounded by mountains and forests. Hilda grew up being home-schooled while her mom works from home. As a result of being raised in this environment, she handles her time around humans in the city of Trolberg with some confusion. Since the mundane seems fantastical to her, life lessons are made out to be far more interesting. Despite an abundant supply of metaphors approached in outlandish ways, the point never gets lost.
Hilda is headstrong, kind, and optimistic to a fault, but she’s also a kid. She handles emotions like fear, anger, sadness, and curiosity in the way a kid would. That being said, she’s not like kids in many other shows who have to be spoon-fed the situation or their own shortcomings. She jumps in with both feet, and admits (sometimes sheepishly) when it wasn’t a good idea. Her indomitable spirit and kind curiosity are what make her so charming as a lead.
Watching this show feels cozy.
Throughout the course of the series, you get a better idea of the world as Hilda understands it. At the same time, she’s learning from her mother who knows a lot more since she’s been alive longer, but not everything. It invites viewers to explore with Hilda, and ask more questions rather than accept the world as it is. It’s refreshing to see kids questioning the world and not slapping their hand for it in turn.
The art of this show has a softness to it that parallels the way it handles the more serious subject matter it contains. Lines aren’t hard-edged, and the colors always have a light and warmth to them. They mimic the way Hilda views the world, in that things aren’t cut and dry, and just because something seems bad doesn’t mean it is. Even when everything seems hopeless, dark, or cold in an episode, watching this show feels cozy.
Attention to detail reinforces the themes that every aspect of life, big and small, matters. What might seem insignificant in one episode is a key point much later on. This is part of what makes it so binge-able, as knowing which elements will be important only makes you want to watch more to know how and why.
The heavier topics it touches on are handled in a way that adults can recognize and appreciate them without feeling forced. Open communication, admitting fault, addressing bias, and spending time together are paramount in this show. Relationships grow and change, but they’ve created these characters with an emotional maturity we often underestimate kids of having. Or we give adults too much credit for when they’re still learning about the world themselves. That’s not to say that kids don’t still need to listen, or should be treated like adults, but they’ll learn more when treated with respect.
What Are You Waiting For?
Hilda consists of 13 episodes that each run about 24 minutes long. Within the first minute you’ll feel right at home. It’s a quick-paced adventure with charm and subtly that embodies the wonder of being a kid. Once you’re drawn into an adventure with Hilda, you’ll want to see it through to the end.
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