Generally speaking, animated shows and movies are just not my jam anymore. That’s why, when a friend recommended Hazbin Hotel to me, I was wary to give it a chance. But when I saw that almost the entire voice cast was going to be present at Galaxycon, I decided to watch it.
Nothing like cramming it all in the week of! Not that it was that big of a time commitment. There were only eight, short episodes, so I was able to work through it in plenty of time. There was animation, yes, but what did come as a shock was the musical numbers. If there’s anything I try to avoid more than animation, it’s musicals. That had me doubting my commitment, but admittedly, the songs were generally pretty hilarious. I think what helped soften the show for me was how inappropriate it was while also poking fun at what people perceive heaven and hell to be.
Charlie Morningstar, the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith, is one of the most happy-go-lucky characters I’ve ever seen in anything. The only reason she’s in hell is because she is the princess of it. I don’t think she has a bad bone in her body. We meet Charlie just after angels from heaven have come down and “permanently” killed thousands of souls in hell to help with overpopulation. That’s right, the sinners outweigh the saints, so obviously space is going to be tight for all of us down there. Instead of waiting for the next culling, Charlie believes that souls can be rehabilitated and sent to heaven. She decides to open a hotel to help with this, though the team volunteering to help her aren’t the most upright people.
Her girlfriend, Vaggie, probably has the most faith in what Charlie is trying to do. Then there is porn star, Angel Dust, who just wants love, but he’s trying to help as best as he knows how. There’s Husk the bartender and Niffty the maid (and crazy), too. Then there is Alastor, a “radio demon” and overlord of hell. His always smiling face is disarming, but he does want to help guide Charlie. It seems he could also benefit from the hotel, though it’s not clear yet how. Then there is a snake demon, Sir Pentious, who is their first official hotel guest. Initially sent as a spy, he’s quickly found out but realizes he really would like to change for the better.
What’s funny to me is how awful and conniving most of the heavenly residents are. Specifically Adam. That guy sucks. He learns that angels can be killed by demons, so he rushes to get another extermination set up in half the time, set on killing every single demon in hell. Think of the douchiest person you know and that is Adam in a nutshell. Very frat bro vibes. There are some good ones in heaven, but they are so stuck in their old ways and traditions that they are almost of no help to Charlie and her vision. There are some epic battles, some corny musical numbers, but overall this series was a lot of fun.
Word on the street is that there are already four more seasons in the works, so I’m excited to see where the story goes next!