The Owl House Review!

Alright! Today I'm reviewing the third act of Disney Channel's "keeping quality children's animation alive" trilogy that consists of Gravity Falls, Amphibia, and today's review, The Owl House. The Owl House follows fourteen-year-old Luz Noceda, an unpopular kid from Connecticut, as she accidentally falls into a mysterious world where magic exists. Now living with equally unpopular witch Eda Clawthorne and her roommate King in the titular Owl House, Luz has to find a way home while also avoiding school bully Amity Blight and the increasingly authoritarian regime of the Boiling Isles.

Like all Disney Channel series, the best part of The Owl House is the characters. While none of them represent the pinnacle of their vague archetype, each one is likable enough to work perfectly well as the show needs them to. Luz Noceda, for example, doesn't capture your heart by being the umpteenth cheerful teen female protagonist you've seen, but rather because she's actually a huge nerd and her friends-to-enemies rivalry with Amity is genuinely heartfelt and sweet. I also really liked King, who carried the heart of the show in his small but capable claws. However, the best character was by far and away Hooty, a hilarious owl-like demon that inhabits the house to act as the doorknocker and can stretch his neck to seemingly infinite lengths. There's only one Hooty.

However, nearly every other character in the line-up felt either generic or underdeveloped to me - Eda had too many shades of Grunkle Stan, Luz's friends Willow and Gus are left in the wayside once Amity joins the friend group, Hunter comes off as Wal-Mart Zuko, and most background characters are neither distinct enough nor funny enough to be memorable. While I absolutely adored Amity and Luz's relationship (It was so sweet!), once they start dating she somewhat devolves into "Luz's girlfriend." 

That being said, I do think The Owl House is the most beautiful of the "noodle arms" renaissance. It has a darker, more mythic atmosphere with medieval architecture than standard children's animation, and that deeply spooky vibe was appreciated. It's the perfect Halloween show, complete with skeletons, witches, and a soundtrack full of creepy synthesizers. It also has far darker plot beats and imagery than other shows of its ilk, although I found those beats somewhat lost on the deluge of characters and lore that was hard to keep track of. 

One of the most commendable things about The Owl House, though, was the progression of the characters. While it was mildly annoying that nearly every villain converted to the side of good over the span of an episode or two, the main focus here is that magic wasn't something they just picked up a talisman for and started casting - no, in a rather Divergent sort of way, the magic is categorized and separated (glyphs, thaumaturgy, abominations, curses), allowing every member of the friend group to bring a different energy and uses to their overall efficiency. 

The Owl House creates a very livable world and has enough likable characters and humor to be endearing. Unfortunately, in a lore so vast and expansive, some of that likability is overshadowed in the overall plot of the show, which was somewhat hard to keep track of after three seasons of lore-heavy mysticism and character twists. While I appreciate that such deep lore exists, I don't think that the show handled it gracefully, and several large setpieces and reveals came off as weightless as a result. 

While The Owl House does not represent the pinnacle of children's animation, I can definitely see why and where the passionate fanbase comes from. With a colorful autumn color scheme, an inviting fantasy world, zero-to-hero character arcs, and plenty of queer characters to ship, it's the perfect show for modern tween fandom. While I personally wouldn't put it over other post-2017 children's animation such as DuckTales, Amphibia, She-Ra, Kipo, and Hilda, it is still likable, and I think that for those in the target audience (gay middle schoolers), it will be immeasurably near and dear to their hearts, and their approval is the one that truly matters. 

Overall, I give The Owl House a 7/10. "A darker and more magical tale than its contemporaries, The Owl House is also very much 

I imagine that The Owl House could be to Gen-Alpha what Harry Potter was to the Millennials.