By Andrew Wheeler ~ Guest Writer
I am sure that the majority of us in this day and age were brought up with Saturdays watching episodic cartoons, enjoying the silly antics of classic “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Scooby Doo”. For those with more relaxed parents, perhaps there was even a dash of something like “Family Guy” mixed in. Good or bad, these memories stuck with us and will always be looked back on fondly as a result. However, the cartoon age is changing.
Ever since the premiere of the hit Disney Channel animated series “Gravity Falls”, created by Alex Hirsch in 2012, there has been a massive shift to a more story-driven approach in animated television. Most were introduced with the aforementioned series, but other popular instances that took the success of “Gravity Falls” and took a similar path are “Steven Universe” and “Amphibia”, created by Rebecca Sugar and Matt Braly, respectively. This leads up to much more recently, when “The Owl House” premiered on Disney Channel in 2020.
“The Owl House” was created by Dana Terrace, who is known for her work in shows such as the ever-present “Gravity Falls” as well as the 2017 rebooted “DuckTales” series. She also just so happens to be Alex Hirsch’s romantic partner, and he came over to do many voices for characters in this new series as well.
Essentially, “The Owl House” will remind new viewers of something similar to Harry Potter, with all kinds of wizardry antics to back it up. In reality, this series has a world filled with depth waiting to be further explored. We follow Luz Noceda, as she leaves her home behind to pursue wizard apprenticeship under Eda the Owl Lady and her pet/friend King in the mysterious world known as the Boiling Isles. There is much more going on behind the scenes, and they find themselves in a bit of a tangled mess that could endanger both worlds.
It is unsurprising that the series features some remarkably dark backstories and lore paired up with many humorous moments to ease the tension a bit, usually coming from Alex Hirsch through his characters of King and the house demon, Hooty. These are staples found in “Gravity Falls” as well, though I would even argue this takes it a step further. For those seeking entertainment with good inclusion as well, there is much diversity to be found in the cast of characters as well (not to spoil anything but trust me on this). The series is currently on hiatus after concluding the premieres for the first half of its second season and is slated to end after a shortened third season consisting of three 44-minute specials expected to air in 2022. If you’re looking for a fun magical adventure with an interesting world, likable characters, and formidable opponents, you can’t do much better than this and there’s never been a better time to look into the show!
“The Owl House ” is streaming on Disney Channel and Disney+ now. To find out more visit https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8050756/
Key words: Popular Culture, The Owl House, Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney, Animation, TV, Television
