Three years after dropping the pilot episode, “Hazbin Hotel” released the first four episodes of its first season on Jan. 19, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video. This new series features an assembly of chaos, antics and frighteningly good songs and motifs that will keep you glued to the screen. “Hazbin Hotel,” created by Vivienne Medrano, more commonly known as Vivziepop, follows the journey of Charlie Morningstar, the princess of hell. Charlie works toward a steadfast goal which is finding a way to redeem the sinners in hell, allowing them passage to heaven and hopes to do so through her Happy Hotel.
Charlie begins with her plan of Happy Hotel rehabilitation to prevent the overpopulation of hell and The Extermination, a culling event. Vaggie, one of the main protagonists and manager of the hotel, works to make a new commercial for the hotel, but a surprise news release sets some of their plans to ruin. Within a side plot, the Vees, a triad of major antagonists, get shaken up by the return of the Overlord Alastor, a demon with a penchant for chaos, who seems to only be helping Charlie with the hotel for his amusement.
The story moves fast with the first four episodes. At first, the pacing seems all over the place, which is to be expected with an eight-episode season. With each episode a measly 20 minutes long, there is only so much of a plot and story that can be explored within such a short time. If each episode had a few more minutes of screen time, there would be more time for scenes to have a transitional period that allowed the viewer to process the plot and have it feel less rushed.
The pilot may have set the scene for this show, but the series fleshes it out. The characters are dynamic; they react with and influence each other, constantly growing and getting shot down. While they may not have the time to spare to goof around with each other, each interaction they have is impactful. Each character is also uniquely designed, with a personal musical motif and color scheme. Some standout characters, in both looks and personality, include Valentino, a dirtball with stunning moth wings, and Sir Pentious, whose name is probably a pun on the word serpent and also looks like one.
The narrative and pacing are perfectly accompanied by the songs in the show. The animation is zestful and the musical accompaniment matches the mood set. The music enhances the characters and builds off of them rather than just being forced in. There is a beautiful scene of Charlie out of breath, trying to convince another character of her will, but it’s seen how his dominance is established as his voice and music shine over hers. The way the characters act in each song tells the audience just as much about their personality as the lyrics and tone do, further fleshing out and developing the cast.
It takes talented voice actors to bring the music to life. Many of the voice actors in “Hazbin Hotel” have a long history of both acting and singing. Prominent voices are featured such as Erika Henningsen, who performed on Broadway as Cady Heron in “Mean Girls,” and Stephanie Beatriz, who played Mirabel in “Encanto” and Rosa Diaz in “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” The shift of voice actors was a big change from the pilot where many of the singing characters would have two voice actors with one specialized in acting and the other in singing.
“Hazbin Hotel” is all about playing with emotions. The color-grading in each scene brings mood changes. The pops of light and color emphasize key moments. Similar to how you can tell something big is going to happen in “Jaws” with a shift in music, you can feel a sense of dread creep up your spine when the usually vivid characters dim. The colors draw you in like a moth to a light — it’s difficult to look away when the scene shifts, constantly demanding your attention.
The series itself can feel uncomfortable, making it hard to watch and heartbreaking at times. There are a lot of heavy topics covered with some considered to be handled more poorly than others. But it is important to remember that art is meant to comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.
Verdict: “Hazbin Hotel” is more of an acquired taste. Its charming artstyle coupled with unconventional storytelling makes it a rollercoaster of a show.
