When Jasmijn and I started watching The Owl House – only a few weeks ago at the time of writing this review – I mostly expected an animation series with a typical “some plot and a lot of filler episodes”-structure, quirky humour and some likeable characters. What I got was a unique fantasy/horror comedy setting with deep lore, many character-driven subplots and an impeccable pacing. And then I haven’t even mentioned the strong cast of characters!

The Owl House has a compelling main plot with plenty of mysteries and a main antagonist that suits the central themes of the story: the importance and beauty of wholly being yourself and the legitimacy of found families. Each character explores these themes in different yet interesting ways. Sure, I have a specific fondness for these kinds of stories, but I think the quality of the writing and humour make The Owl House especially accessible. Additionally, the cast represents so many different identities! Best of all, unlike in real life, never are these identities a part of the characters’ issues. Sure, they have struggles, personal goals and difficult people they have to deal with. However, things like their sexual preference or gender identity are never controversial. This kind of representation is still rare in media nowadays, but a treat to behold. And remember, this is Disney production. The creators had to fight for every crumb of LGBTQ+ representation. To name a few examples of the diversity that are canon and actually visible… We have a Latina bisexual female protagonist. A cool mentor character that suffers from a magical interpretation of a chronic illness. An older non-binary character using they/them pronouns. Asexual characters, lesbian characters, characters that have two dads, genderqueer characters etc. It’s an universal story.

I would also like to very much praise the art and animation of this series. Though I wasn’t immediately sold on the aesthetics of the Boiling Isles setting, I quickly came to appreciate how it fits the worldbuilding and main themes. Also, there were multiple action/fighting scenes that really had me excited because of the smooth animation!

Unfortunately, many wonderful series get cancelled too quickly. Series that have important stories to tell and the right loveable yet complex characters to tell them with. The Owl House is definitely one of these series. Luckily, the creators still got the chance to end things in a satisfactory way.

I can honestly say this show will forever be one of my comfort go-to’s. #Lumity