With their growing popularity, many online streaming services have started creating original content. DreamWorks has taken advantage of the this expanding platform and made a multi-year distribution deal making original content for Netflix. For the most part these shows have been met with gleaming reviews from critics and viewers. One DreamWorks show that stood out is Trollhunters created by Guillermo del Toro.
Trollhunters follows 15 year old Jim Lake Jr. who has been chosen as the next Trollhunter, a magical warrior tasked with fighting the evil trolls (Gumm-Gumms) and protecting the underground civilization of Heartstone Trollmarket . A Trollhunter is chosen by a mystical amulet that gives the user armor and a giant sword. Jim is the first human to ever be given the mantle of Trollhunter, much to the dismay of the whole troll community. With his friends Toby and Claire and his troll mentors Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!!!, Jim must stop the Gumm-Gumm leader Gunmar from returning and destroying the world.
The reason I love this show so much is because it’s the same hero story we’ve seen, but at the same time it’s not. The main difference between Trollhunters and other hero stories is the mood. Heroes nowadays are made to be anti-heroes, heroes that are morally grey and are usually characterized by being very violent. Anti-heroes are awesome, but it’s nice to see a hero who is a genuinely good guy. Jim is hardworking and caring person especially when it comes to family. His personality reminds me of Peter Parker, aka Spiderman, a good guy who values education, friendship, and family. I feel like in television, for dramas and superhero shows specifically, there seems to be this inclination towards dark storylines with death and violence and other bad stuff. With so many shows with this dark mood it’s refreshing to watch something like Trollhunters that has some sad moments, but ultimately keeps an atmosphere of fun.
Trollhunters is also very strong with characters and relationships. Jim’s growth as a hero and his relationship with his mother are two examples of this. Throughout the series Jim is trying to step up to his new role as Trollhunter, but struggles because of a lack of support from the other trolls. He also tries to keep his troll hunting exploits a secret from his mother and as a result their close relationship is broken. It is uncommon to see such attention to character in an animated kids show. Usually characters change a little, but are ultimately the same throughout. Like the Teen Titans, they had moments where they grew and became more mature heroes however, at the end of the day their characterization and personalities were pretty unwavering. Trollhunters takes that extra step to make compelling characters that feel real even though they are animated.
I think Trollhunters is a great example of how an animated series can be enjoyed by people of all ages and have a great story and characters. Its fun mood makes it a delight to watch and doesn’t make me feel depressed or make me question my existence. I feel it’s important for people to watch a show that is uplifting especially in these troubling times. If you haven’t seen Trollhunters I highly recommend you watch it.
Haven’t seen Trollhunters, but it sounds interesting! There have been a lot of anti-hero protagonists lately, I’ll try to check out this show if I have time.
Trollhunters seems to be an interesting show! I think it has a lot of themes that are very relevant to today’s society (I haven’t watched it, but that’s what I have inferred from your post). I might need to get a Netflix account now. 🙂
I agree that the film industry tends to jump on band wagons and there’s has definitely been a trend of ” dark and deep” storylines. It was even expressed by our guest speaker Rita Street. Although I like this kind of stories, I agree it is nice to see a show that is a change of pace. I would like to watch Trollhunters, especially to see Jim’s interpersonal relationships which usually takes a back burner in action shows with male protagonists.
Great post! I finished watching Trollhunters not son long ago, and I agree with most of what you say here. To me, one of the most appealing aspects of this show is Jim’s relationship with his mother. Not only because he has to keep the secret from her, but also because he starts shaping his actions based on the impulse to protect her after she starts dating the bad guy. As you said, this kind of conflict is something we don’t see that often in tv shows. I also love the aspect that the show isn’t really episodic, and it is more of a series. This show has been incredibly successful, so hopefully, the people who make shows for kids will follow this show’s steps.
I remembered you mentioning this show to me while we were recording our podcast. I’ll definitely have to check it out. I wonder how I have never heard of it before now. But, as Rafael mentioned, the show is actually a successful one. Since it’s a Netflix original, I would assume there would be some press or reviews that may direct and attract other viewers its way such as the 5-star rating system on the site or a billboard out in the streets. Is there only one season available or are more in the works? From your description of the show, I hope Guillermo del Toro continues with it.
I also have not seen Trollhunters, but I’ll have to check it out now because of this review, thank you!
I loved watching Trollhunters. It was an absolutely awesome show. I remember watching Kung Fu Panda 3 for the first time not too long ago, and then I found myself watching it again and again. I wasn’t really sure why I kept watching it, it just made me happy. At the time I was stressed out with midterms and other stuff, so I guess the ultimately uplifting movie was what kept me motivated and positive. Much like this show. Trollhunters is a movie that makes you smile a lot, because of the wide range of happy, clever, awesome, and challenging moments that it contains. I started and finished this show within a couple of days with my little brother, and I definitely agree that it is meant for all ages. Loved the post.
It’s great to see that streaming services such as Netflix are getting more and more popular and are getting their own exclusive animated shows. Even though I haven’t seen Trollhunters it seems like a great show. I’m never disappointed by a classic hero story where the hero is generally a good person. Classic hero stories always have the ability to brighten one’s mood on a bad day. Also, I didn’t know that the show was created by created by Guillermo del Toro. I’ll definitely be checking the show out soon.
Haven’t checked out this show yet, but you sold me on it pretty well, I’ll definitely check it out now! I too get pretty sick of recurring themes/narratives/characters in entertainment so it’ll be cool to see how this show blends the familiar with the unfamiliar, like you said