Hilda
Episodes watched:
The whole first season and the first three episodes of the second season. For this review, I rewatched episodes 1-4 of the first season.
Where I watched it: Netflix
Even though I knew magic wasn’t real, I spent a fair amount of time as a kid daydreaming about finding Narnia, or discovering that I had latent magical powers, or fighting monsters with a giant sword. I was (and still pretty much am) obsessed with fantasy. Fantasy is probably the most prominent genre in children’s media (especially books), so I must not be alone. Because there’s so much fantasy on the market, though, a lot of fantasy ends up feeling like a cut-and-paste of what’s already popular. However, Hilda (first released in 2018, no news on the third season yet) feels fresh, and it’s a worthy entry into the canon of fantasy media for kids.
Hilda, which is based on a series of graphic novels by the same name, is about a girl who grows up in a magical wilderness with her mother. When Hilda and her mother move to the city, Hilda worries that her adventures are over, but soon learns that there’s more to her new home than first meets the eye.
As fantasy heroes go, Hilda is unusual. For the most part, she doesn’t solve problems with magical powers or by hacking things up with a sword. Hilda’s main strength is her empathy: she values everyone and everything, no matter how scary or disgusting a creature may be. When a creature is causing problems, she looks for compromises instead of responding with violence. There’s a scene where other children are acting cruel, Hilda is uncomfortable with it, and she stands up to them. Her empathy for others extends to a compassion for herself as she grows and learns. Hilda has flaws as a character (she’s still learning how to work with others and not to jump headfirst into situations) but it’s clear that her main power is being a peacemaker. This is a good message for kids (or anyone), and it also makes the plots unconventional (some plots are maybe a bit too unconventional, but it’s never mindless).
Respecting others is a really big theme throughout the whole story, and that works its way through the whole show. It’s easy to laugh at the jokes (even on a rewatch) because the humor is usually based on odd situations or personalities, not punching down. Unlike a lot of kids’ shows, a lot of the adults are competent, worth spending time around, and have good relationships with the kids (and if they don’t, it’s because of their behavior, not because adults are losers). The situations in the show bring up nuanced questions -- what do you do if you’re harming someone else without realizing it? Who do you make assumptions about, instead of viewing things from their perspective? The stories in Hilda can definitely be interpreted as allegories for problems on a big scale, but they’re also a good way to start conversations about loving others more in our everyday lives.
Aside from everything Hilda has to offer as a narrative, it’s a really nice world to spend a few hours in. A lot of the creatures in the show aren’t in your average fantasy story, or if they are, they’re depicted in a way that feels distinct from other stories. The art in the show has a very specific look to it (a limited color palette, intentionally rough linework, memorable character designs) that’s really pleasant. Synthy, dreamlike music brings the whole thing together.
Hilda is a quirky show, and its quirkiness might not be for everybody. For me, though, the fact that it’s so offbeat is what makes it work so well -- you never know what problem Hilda and her friends will encounter, or what they’ll have to do to fix it. It’s a sweet, funny, occasionally spooky show that’s definitely worth the watch.
Detailed content advisory for Hilda:
(Note: I haven’t seen past season 2 episode 3 yet, and may have forgotten some things that happen past the first four episodes)
Language:
No profanity.
A character says “cruddlesticks.” There might be other minced oaths later on, also of a comical nature.
A character says “idiot,” in the context of “you made me look like an idiot.” A character to another character for acting like a “brat.” Some other insults (eg, “you have the manners of a rock-chewing slug”).
Characters say “What the--?” a few times, but it’s never implied they’re going to swear afterward.
Violence:
A few scenes where the children are attacked with arrows, a shovel, etc. I think they’re completely uninjured from all of these, but if they ever do get injured, no injuries are shown. These scenes tend to be comical, the frightening scenes generally don’t involve physical harm.
In episode 3, children throw rocks at birds, it’s depicted as wrong. A bird is injured (no blood, etc. is shown).
A child threatens a bird, shakes its cage, and nearly accidentally harms it.
Sexual content:
In episode 3, a man answers the door wearing only underwear and a shirt. This is intended to be funny, not sexual.
Questionable content:
There are several monsters and plotlines that could be frightening (eg, there’s an episode where evil spirits intentionally give a character nightmares).
In season 1 episode 8 (spoiler ahead), Hilda practices what is explicitly witchcraft (specifically, what seems to be dark magic). This is portrayed as a bad idea that turns out to have big consequences.
However, at the end of season 2, episode 3 (another spoiler ahead) Hilda’s friend Frida is inducted as a witch-in-training. In this episode, witchcraft is depicted as a pursuit of the mind, and has less of a dark connotation (although there are hints of dark magic in this episode, too).
Some of the creatures are of a darker nature.
A couple of mildly crude moments (eg, we see troll slobber).
Score
Story: 15/25
Production: 25/25
Satisfaction: 25/25
Characters: 25/25
