Review: ‘The Owl House’
A review on an animated series about queer butt-kicking witches
Scene from The Owl House
“The Owl House” is an animated fantasy television series created by Dana Terrace. With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes and an 88% average audience score, it’s clear that people have been loving this show ever since its release on Jan. 10, 2020.
The show begins with Luz Noceda, a 14-year old Dominican girl living in Connecticut. She does most normal kid stuff but she doesn’t really fit in school because she’s seen as a nerd. Her mom sends her to summer camp to make new friends and to connect with other people but somehow she follows an owl to an inderdimensional portal, leading her to a magical realm called the Boiling Isles
The story flows smoothly with an ever expanding plot full of mystery, humor, and discovery. A wide range of serious topics are addressed in this series from working through your mental health, consequences of lying to your loved ones to keep them happy, being who you are even if it isn’t what your parents want, to being okay with not fitting into a specific role.
One reason why this show is very special is the amount of LGBTQ+ representation it has. The main character is the first canon bisexual character in a Disney animated show and it also has characters with inclusive pronouns like “they/them”. It’s also the first Disney show with a canon same-sex couple as the lead and has the first ever non-binary character.
Another reason why this show is worth watching is the characters that you meet in the Boiling Isles: Eda, King, Amity, Gus, Willow, Lilith, Hooty, etc. The great world building of the Boiling Isles is also something to take note of, from its geography to the rules of its society, to the different kinds of magic and how they work.
“The Owl House” is more than just some whimsical adventure where everyone lives happily ever after. It isn’t rushed and thrown at your face, the story is creative and engaging that each episode leaves you wanting for more. Overall, this show has exceeded my expectations for being based around magic and fantasy and I highly recommend it especially if you liked shows like “Gravity Falls”, “Adventure Time”, “Steven Universe”, etc.
