Netflix’s beautiful animated show Hilda is the perfect binge-watch

Netflix’s HildaThe scene opens with beautiful mountain scenery and tranquil forests. Hilda and Twig are exploring their first adventure. They sketch a rock-troll, who has been frozen in statue until sunset. She plays the game close to her chest, as she does with all of her adventures. As the sun lowers, instead of heading back, she adds a few more sketch-lines — the troll chases her all the way home.

HildaThe show has the wonderful feel of a fairy tale wrapped in the comforting blanket of folktales. It is also a criminally underrated show that debuted on Netflix in 2018. Adapted from Luke Pearson’s acclaimed Hilda comics, the animated series follows the young blue-haired girl as she gets into all sorts of trouble in the show’s Scandinavian-folklore inspired world. Trolberg, however, is anything but a normal town. There are all sorts of wild creatures and monsters that live in town, and around its perimeters — from the plant-looking Vittra who live in complex tunnels under town, to the Wood Man who lives in the lush, surrounding forests.

Hilda, Frida, and David, her Sparrow Scout buddies, go on tons more adventures while helping the wildlife. It’s loads of fun to watch, but it also has some valuable lessons about the importance of nature, and being mindful when thinking about interacting with wild animals. Hilda has returned to filmmaking after two seasons that ended at the end 2020. Hilda the Mountain KingOn December 30, the movie will come out. You are the ideal time to get caught up.

Image courtesy of Netflix

This show gives nature a more accessible feel

HildaMother and daughter live in a log cabin deep in the woods. Hilda is a keen observer and sketcher and loves to chat with them. After their home was destroyed under the feet of a giant in episode 2, the couple move to Trolberg. Hilda is initially depressed about moving to a city; she’s fiercely protective of her forest life. She’s probably right, in a literal sense. But throughout the season, she comes to realize Trolberg is teeming with natural life of a different kind — only they’ve adapted to the city’s environments, just as she is being forced to.

After seeing so many, Planet Earth-style documentaries on Netflix, it’s easy to think of nature as somehow detached from metropolitan or suburban life — or any kind of living that isn’t rural or remote. I often fall into this fallacy of thinking, where “nature” is this static idea of a packed ecosystem that’s closer to being “pristine” or is more “untouched” by humans. “Nature,” by this definition, exists far away from cities with their unceasing pollution — in both material and sound — and their busy streets.

But that’s far from reality. The birds fly above, congregating on the shorelines or on telephone wires. Smaller creatures such as squirrels and gophers and rabbits find shelter in parks and yards. Coyotes and mountain lions are common in Southern California. Insects proliferate below our feet, rats and mice squeeze into places we’d rather not see them. All of this isn’t to say animals aren’t endangered by metropolitan life. But they also have adapted around us — and to not see them means you’re not looking.

Watching HildaThis reminded me. Thought Hilda’s many wild creatures are those of myth, they exist in droves across the city. Some are literal elves, tiny and invisible to the human eye — unless you sign an extremely long contract that allows you to be able to see them. Some plants are funny or anthropomorphic, such as Vittra. Others can be majestic, like Woffs which fly like dogs and have fluffy wings. A few are quite strange, like the case with the rat-king who lives in sewers. Others are scary and frightening, like the trolls living in city limits. They’re protected from the outside world by the walls. But they are all deserving of care, in Hilda’s eyes, even when it’s as dangerous as turning off the city’s “anti-troll” bells that causes the troll population pain.

In each episode, Hilda uncovers some new corner of Trolberg’s bustling scene of fantastical creatures, making it clearer and clearer just how the city has become its own unique ecosystem where these creatures continue to make their home.

Image courtesy of Netflix

Young hero allowed to make errors

Hilda can be difficult to watch, as the titular character often over-involves herself in all sorts of dangerous scenarios — putting her overworked single mom into a panicked state — clinging to a self-image of expertise as a forest dweller, compared to her city-slicker friends. This is what makes this show so valuable. Her blunders are those of a child, and however stressful they can sometimes be, it’s enjoyable to see Hilda grow into her profound confidence having made those mistakes. It’s refreshing to watch a show about a young girl who has no shortage of confidence, and whose missteps never browbeat her into meekness.

Hilda comes to the rescue of many creatures. In the pilot, after learning about the existence of tiny elves whose houses she’s been smashing underfoot, she becomes determined to fix the damage she’s caused. But the show also doesn’t flinch away from the serious consequences of jumping in before thinking. In the same beautifully cyclical episode, she also makes a discovery about a skyscraper-sized being in the forest, and helps it find what it’s looking for. Ending the two-episode series, the giant crashes her home. Her mom then urges them to go to Trolberg. It’s all a fine balance.

This approach is also true of Hilda’s relationship with her friends. She often inserts herself in someone else’s business only to make their life more difficult. It is a habit of hers to act quickly, without thinking through things and not understanding the details, metaphorically. literally. When Hilda creates a Tide Mouse, a luck-imbued, enchanted mouse that helps its target succeed at a specific task, at the expense of their mortal soul, Hilda doesn’t read the entire spell in the witch’s spellbook — nor did she ask her friend if he wanted the help. The resulting creature ends up enhancing David’s singing voice, all while munching away at his soul.

Image courtesy of Netflix

Every episode teaches you how to take responsibility for your actions. It’s an excellent antidote to more standard children’s television that falls into a kind of “chosen one syndrome.” So much of children’s media perpetuates this idea that, if motivated by the right set of morals, everything will be okay as a result of purely good intentions. It is Hilda, things don’t always work out. Frida is forced to leave the Sparrow Scouts after failing to tidy her bedroom. Sometimes, they can’t stand each other.

This show is a must-see for both adults and kids. Hilda’s pluck despite, or perhaps because of, her many imperfections make her a great protagonist for younger kids who are navigating the boundaries between themselves, their friends, and the natural world. Hilda is a bold adventurer and makes mistakes, which may make it especially appealing to young girls. Rest of us: HildaThis is the return to that innocent state of curiosity and confidence, as well as a gateway into the natural world which exists in spite of all our circumstances. But be forewarned — the second season ends on a massive cliffhanger, as Hilda has gotten herself into a dangerous situation that might not resolve well. We’ll have to wait until the movie is released on Dec. 30 to figure out how things shake out.