Hilda (Animated Series)

Based on the award-winning children’s graphic novel by Luke Pearson, Hilda is -possibly- Netflix’s best attempt at an animated series of their own; following the adventures of an intrepid blue-haired girl named Hilda (Bella Ramsey), who has lived all her life in the forest with her mother (Daisy Haggard) and her deerfox pet, befriending an assorted variety of magical creatures.

After an incident involving giants and hidden people, who turned out to be contract-loving invisible elves, Hilda and her single mother move to the city of Trolberg (alongside Alfur (Rasmus Hardiker)), where Hilda is pushed to make “normal” friends with people, eventually making acquaintances with Frida (Ameerah Falzon-Ojo) and David (Oliver Nelson). As her relationship with fantastic creatures and city-dwelling people continues, Hilda must learn -but also teach us humans- to balance all aspects of life while adjusting to change.

The series starts out with a bang as they introduce the elves living around Hilda’s forest cabin, but also introduce the story of giants, which is probably my favorite episode. It’s the most removed aspect of the story, as it only pushes Hilda’s story forward so they can move out, but it’s the most magical. From then on, Hilda settles for a more episodic format geared at children, as we witness the whimsical mischief -often just mere bad luck and timing- in our protagonist’s life.

The best aspect in the whole show, however, that which just hooks you to it is its visual design and animation. The soft character design, the linework and soft color palette add to the vibe of the series, enhancing the playful and otherworldly universe.

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