The first season of Hazbin Hotel premiered on Amazon Prime Video this January, along with the promise of a forthcoming second season. The series withstood and flourished throughout a fantastic journey from a humble YouTube webtoon primarily crowdsourced via Partreon, to being picked up by A24 and Prime Video to reach great heights. Hazbin Hotel is an adult animated musical comedy set in hell starring the princess of hell herself, Charlie Morningstar. Charlie is a sweet but naive young woman who sees the best in people. Thanks to this perspective dominating the show, the series never gets too dark for too long. Charlie helps lighten the mood and give the viewer a sense of hope, despite impossible odds. Depending on who you are and your comfort level with certain subjects, the humor in Hazbin Hotel can come off as edgy and inappropriate, however there is a wonderful thread of hope and resilience that is woven throughout each and every episode. Although some of the jokes (especially cheap sex jokes) didn't land for me, they didn't stop my curiosity to experience the wonderful and original art, the compelling character backstories, and, of course, the incredible musical numbers of Hazbin Hotel.
What is Hazbin Hotel about?
In the series version of hell, wayward souls occupy the city without any motivation for self-improvement, leading to violence, cynicism, and hedonism. There is also a classist sect of overlords whom have established their power by rising through the ranks of various industries, such as radio or tv, adult entertainment, arms trade, etc. In many instances, these overlords are able to offer some of their power or security for the souls of lesser beings who have nearly have become desperate for some reason or another. Due to this, many of the lead characters in Hazbin Hotel have some sort of debt to pay or past to hide from.
Charlie Morningstar, the princess of hell, is determined to rehabilitate sinners at her Hazbin Hotel in order to earn them a spot in heaven. The details of how this will happen are unclear, but Charlie and her group of friends work towards this goal despite an annual 'extermination' that heaven performs upon hell in order to quell over-population and the possibility of an uprising. Charlie works together with Vaggie, her girlfriend and manager, a pornographic film actor Angel Dust, the 'radio demon' Alastor, and others who join the hotel. In addition to the main characters in the hotel, characters from the Bible such as Lucifer, Adam, and other angels and demons make appearances throughout the show.
Image by Prime Video
Bursting with Originality
The series comes from Vivienne Medrano, also known by her alias VivziePop, a talented animator, writer, director, producer, and voice actor with a sizable fanbase. Her YouTube channel which was started in 2012, now has over 9 million subscribers and has served as a platform to share her original creations including Hazbin Hotel, Helluvaboss, and ZooPhobia. VivziePop followed her dreams and was able to find an audience that loves her creativity and determined spirit. Before Hazbin Hotel was picked up by a major production studio, VivziePop was quoted to say that she “had no idea it would grow into something so big… The fandom rivals very legitimate shows that have multiple seasons and it's really crazy to me because we only have a 30-minute pilot” [source]. There is also an official merch store offering collectable trading cards, pins, and keychains that constantly sells out, displaying the fan support and dedication. This special kind of intimate and personable indie come-up led to A24 production studio picking up the show for at least 2 seasons, leading to a successful premier on Amazon Prime Video.
With inspirations from darker animations such as Batman: The Animated Series, Invader Zim, and Tim Burton features, VivziePop's aesthetic falls somewhere between late-night cartoons and American animated sitcoms. I can't help but think of kid-friendly animated shows like Bob's Burgers or Disney XD shows like Gravity Falls or Star vs. the Forces of Evil when I think about Hazbin Hotel. With the latter, especially, Charlie seems to me like Star from Star vs. the Forces of Evil, always remaining optimistic that she can save those around her, while supporting her friends no matter what. It's cliché, but witnessing such a well-to-do soul who was born in a tough situation trying her best to right wrongs is inspiring, and really leaves room for the emotional songs to pack a punch right to the heart.
Absolutely Incredible Songs
Let's face it, without endearing characters, a compelling world, and a well laid-out plot, musical pieces just don't hit the same. Even if the minute-to-minute events of Hazbin Hotel didn't keep me engaged and entertained (which it does 90% of the time), I always found it worth paying attention to what is going on for the songs. When a melody starts fading in, and the mood keeps emotional or intense, I can always bet that a wonderful song will pull all the pieces together: incredible art and animation, vulnerable lyrics, intricate composition ripe with multiple singers and even some impressive key changes. This is when Hazbin Hotel really sings.
With about 2 songs per episode, there is virtually a guarantee that every episode will be a memorable one. If the show leaves anything to be desired for you, I can ensure you that the songs will fill any gaps and make it all worth while.
Hazbin Hotel is available now on Amazon Prime Video.