I'm two episodes in now on Hazbin Hotel, a series on Amazon Prime which a former student recommended to me. Which was a surprise because I'm used to my students not knowing anything about American series. But when I watched the first episode of this one, I said to her, "Hey, you should watch Invader Zim! This is like Invader Zim!" But she'd also seen Invader Zim! It goes to show, you never know for sure what the kids are really into. And I don't blame them, they have to watch out for adults who might emotionally blackmail them or just give them a hard time for any ideological misalignment.
Hazbin Hotel was an independently made pilot that Amazon picked up for series, similar to The Amazing Digital Circus, that Australian series I talked about a while ago, which was also recommended to me by a student. And like it, I can easily imagine it being something on Adult Swim twenty or so years ago, except the animation and vocal stylings are more like mainstream Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon. You know, like Invader Zim, lots of shouting and extreme inflections with a hyper-stylised yet somewhat austere art design reminiscent of Tim Burton. I think back to when I was a kid and how I received it when, saying I was into Dragonlance, adults said I should read Lord of the Rings. It's true, Lord of the Rings is loads better but Dragonlance was my thing. Kids are looking for their own things to establish their own sense of self. Mental independence is crucial and, in Japan, I think it's even more precious given the cultural imperative to conform.
But since Hazbin Hotel is about Satan's daughter, trying to be a heroine in Hell with an oppressive God and Heaven, I can't help wishing I could share John Milton with everyone. But just thinking of all the obstacles to that end is beyond daunting. Maybe at some point I can do a history of Satanic heroes powerpoint or something.
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