I Watched The Winx Club Reboot So That You Don't Have To
Written by Daphne Bryant
Image courtesy of the Clementoni Puzzle Sets
Sooo they’re bringing Winx Club back! Again. The first time fans were re-introduced to our favorite fairies was via the animated spin-off World of Winx, in which the girls work as a group of talent scouts on a reality television series (all while trying to save talented children and teenagers from the“ Talent Thief”). World of Winx’s plot is pretty silly and unmemorable (+ the whitewashing of Flora and Aisha is despicable), but I still remember liking certain aspects. Then there’s that god-awful live-action series Fate: The Winx Saga, which tried to go down the edgy Riverdale route and ended up destroying the colorful essence that made Winx Club so popular and impactful! Now there’s an official animated reboot (officially launching in the U.S. on October 2nd), and I watched it early so that you don’t have to. Given their track record, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but here are my thoughts on the first half of Winx Club: The Magic is Back!
Animation style
The entire series is animated in CGI 3D, which is extremely different from the original 2D style that I found so charming. There’s something about the computer-generated imagery that feels less personal, as the decision to divert from 2D resulted in some rather stiff and indistinct character movements. Take for example, what’s been memed as the Winx’s NPC walks; protagonists and antagonists should have distinctive walks that reflect their personalities, but with this animation everything feels way more robotic and sames-y than it should. This isn’t to say that the individual walks were super well-done before, but here (because of the animation chosen) the movements are mechanical and a bit off-putting. What this animation style does get right is facial expressions and mannerisms. I think the eyes and lips are way more lively and perceptive than they’ve ever been before. Another thing I enjoyed was the intricate and vibrant backgrounds, which is a step-up from the OG’s stagnant set design.
Honestly, my biggest issue is that the new CGI style just doesn’t feel as mature (but this is an issue that World of Winx and many other platforms have had too). It’s part of this movement to appeal more to younger kids and rope in the newer generation, but I personally really miss the fashion sketch inspo and celebrity culture that shaped Winx’s original animation.
Character design
Overall, I appreciated the characters that were given nuance or strong connections to their past selves, but grew frustrated with characters who were one-dimensional or dull. Here are all of the reimagined character designs, ranked:
1. Flora
Flora is still the sweetest and most caring Winx, but isn’t it a little odd that in the reboot almost all of her care is directed at Damien, her new crush? *RIP Helia and see the new characters section below for more info*
Flora used to care about everything so deeply, from plants to her friends. She and Helia also had the healthiest relationship out of the entire Winx franchise (because they’re both LOVERSSS). Here though, I pretty much only remember Flora being considerate of Damien (who is largely dismissive of that affection and arguably more of an asshole than RIVEN #iykyk). I do like that she’s been given a Spanish accent to drive home her Latina ethnicity; I guess the creators got tired of all the whitewashing critiques (hehe and thank GOD). Ultimately I like her OG fairy form better than this one, but this one isn’t bad at all.
2. Musa
Musa’s reimagining is a bit quirkier than previous versions (not as edgy unfortch), but still pays homage to core aspects of her personality like her love for music and suffocating self-doubt LOL. Her fairy form is probably the best one from the reboot: I love the colors, the BOOTS, and the sheer detailing on her outfit. In the reboot we also get to see her home life and her connection to her dad a lot more and a lot earlier, which I actually think is awesome. Ultimately, her rendering is the closest to perfect, but I wish Musa had gotten a little more room to breathe; even in the episode about her and her music, we don’t really get to focus in on Musa because of the Bloom x Evil Forces drama. Definitely something that might be improved upon in later episodes.
3. Tecna
Tecna has an undercut this time #GAY! #PRETTYMUCHCONFIRMED! Most importantly though, in the reboot there is a deeper exploration of Tecna’s social anxiety and tendency towards isolation. Episode Six: Into The Woods and Episode Nine: The Simulation Room, really stand out to me as markers of Tecna’s depth as a character, showing that she’s not as emotionless/one-sided as she’s perceived in the show and by fans. Big neurodivergent vibes also, which we love, although we probably don’t have to bring attention to her“ otherness” every episode…the show makes it very obvious that she thinks differently than all of the other characters, which is understood halfway through the first half of the season and doesn’t need to be weaponized against her over and over. I also fear her outfits could be a LOT more interesting. Tecna’s fairy form is essentially just her in a sports bra and leggings with wings…do with that what you will.
4. Aisha
Nothing about Aisha’s redesign sticks out to me. In fact, it might have taken a downwards dump. What I mean to say is, there was something about Aisha’s original character design that was very elegant and sensitive. She could definitely be stubborn and impatient, but she was notably soft-spoken and shy in Season 2, and grew to discover her confidence and find her well-deserved place in the Winx. While I knew that this series was going to be different from the first (ex: Aisha is introduced immediately, and not at a later point), I think it’s worth noting that she is way more one-dimensional. Yes Aisha’s, energetic athleticism and tomboyish nature are still emphasized, but the soft layer that lies underneath her toughness has essentially been discarded in favor of simplifying her character. Apart from her complicated family relationship, what makes Aisha Aisha? Watching this reboot, I’m not sure I’d be able to tell. Also, her first fairy form is now blue instead of green (which I don’t love in retrospect but barely even noticed while watching). Points for her dark skin tone though (which I shouldn’t even have to reward the Winx team for, but if you’ve seen Aisha’s other versions you know why I have to address this).
5. Bloom
Bloom’s design is as basic and boring as ever. She’s the average main character with an average hero storyline, so there’s not really much the writers could have done to spice her up (other than give her a twin named Damien I suppose…again, more on that later). Even so, the personality quirks she had in the original have pretty much been scrapped. For example, Bloom is a certified book nerd, fantasy diva and stubborn as hell. While the stubbornness remains, the geeky parts of her seem to be missing. We also don’t know ANYTHING about her daily life before she gets to Alfea, which makes it hard to form attachments. Her fairy form fit is pretty bad (literally looks like a cheerleader uniform), but she’s slightly less annoying. The pining after Sky is a little weird, and so are her dynamics with Daphne and Diaspro but that’s more of a plot problem than a Bloom one.
6. Stella
Poor Stella: in the reboot, I think she was my least favorite character. Gone are all of the things that made her fabulous, though the whiny narcissism remains. She also makes a lot of poor decisions, like leading Brandon on and meeting up with a random (and fake) prince #catfished? At least the characters actually recognize her superficial self-involvement, but I really wish we could’ve seen a more realized version of Stella. Perhaps that’s something that will come with character development (we have to remember that only the first half has been released online), but it’s still off-putting. I will say, Stella’s fairy form is actually really, really cute, but I can’t get over how irritating she comes across in this.
Voice acting
Voice acting is really hard to get right, especially for kids’ shows. The only one that sticks out in my mind as uniquely and perfectly distinctive is My Little Pony, but Winx Club used to have really awesome voice acting too. In the reboot though, a lot of the girls’ voice acting falls flat (although Bloom’s is pretty freaking good). I really feel like it’s important to mention how Tecna’s voice is devoid of all life…which contradicts the“ more human than she appears” narrative the storyline is trying to push. If you don’t want people to view her as a robot, why have you made her sound like a robot? At least the OG Tecna, in the words of Keke Palmer, had“ a little sweetness to it.” All of the Specialists sound the same, which is disappointing as well. The solution to this is probably just really studying the original and getting as close to that as possible. We’ve seen this with remakes before; the closer you can get to the OG character’s likeness, the less backlash you’ll receive.
The transformations
Why are they so short in the show?! Have attention spans really grown so dire? I loved the original transformations, where you could really sit with a character and watch their outfit and powers come to life. Even if they were a bit long, the transformations were so beautiful and worth the couple of minutes they took up. I went ahead and watched the full transformation song and animation on YouTube, so that I could really appreciate them, and I have to say the animators really went all out. TBH: I LOVE THE NEW TRANSFORMATIONS! They’re so bright, unique and very personalized to fit each character. Unlike other critics, I do appreciate that the fairies aren’t half-naked for their transformations (it is probably more suited for the audience of today), but the fashion could definitely be focused on more. I just wish we could see the full versions in each episode, because then maybe people wouldn’t have such a disappointing reaction!
Differences in plot
The first episode has a few frame by frame scenes as the OG, but essentially speed runs Season 1. After that it starts to differ in a lot of big ways. My thoughts? This could be a good or bad thing. A big problem for me is that the way that Stella discovers Bloom in the reboot feels way less organic. In the reboot, Stella’s on a mission in Gardenia (accompanied by Flora), and specifically there because she’s heard there’s a fairy on Earth (Bloom, of course), and needs to recruit her for the Alfea College of Fairies. It’s giving…errand? Why is the worldbuilding lacking so much thoughtfulness? The writers never explain that Alfea is actually in Magix, a dimension with magical architecture, rules and lore that is separate entirely from Earth. I don’t want to go too much into detail (I’ve already spilled so much tea), but just know that the show has a lot of different filler episodes, fundamental plot changes and shot inconsistencies that will bore you…I think Iginio Straffi has fallen victim to the Miraculous Ladybug curse.
New characters: Damien and Robin
Major spoilers incoming…
Damien is a new male character, a warlock who also happens to be Bloom’s twin. Yep, now she has a twin! Damien is your typical bad boy with a lot of trauma, and is grumpy, moody, and fearful of attachment (for good reason, but whatever). I personally found him very vexing, and his relationship with his“ father” is reminiscent of Adrien and Hawkmoth’s (and not in a good way). #AnotherMiraculousReference! I think seeing him be a brother figure to Bloom will certainly be interesting as the episodes go on, but I don’t know yet if his inclusion was a great choice (especially because of the Damien x Flora bullshit that I am too old to fall for).
Robin is a new female character, a Specialist and Headmistress Faragonda’s personal assistant. I think the fact that she’s a Specialist is what makes her so interesting, since in the original show only men could be Specialists. It certainly leaves room for queering, like maybe she’s a masc lesbian (certainly dresses like one) or on the transfem spectrum. Other than that headcanon, she’s pretty forgettable, but in future episodes I’d love to see an elaboration on her storyline. Like, can some of you get some Tecna x Robin fanart going and essentially bully the writers into a sapphic love story?
Pacing
The one word I would use to describe the pacing is rushed, or maybe even incoherent? Or maybe we should just say bad. It’s really bad. We skip over key plot points and jump into significant missions and scenarios much too early on, which makes it so that almost none of the girls have character development and Alfea and its associated tales feels way too familiar, way too soon. Overall, I think everything moves too quickly and there is not enough characterization or development, so for someone who has never seen the Winx Club before, I think it would be really hard to form connections with the characters.
Action and combat scenes
I remember finding these being kind of funny? They weren’t particularly well-done (and again, there were so many so early on and that lowered the stakes TBH. Like we get Dark Bloom so early on). I just couldn’t take the action/combat scenes all that seriously, and a few of them were nonsensical, but what can you do?
Life lessons for children
I don’t know if the life lessons were always so in your face, but here they are really in your face. Like Episode 10: Stella’s New Crush for example, which is essentially a side quest with the sole intention of warning young girls against meeting up with strangers that they meet online. There’s one line about always going with a friend, or an adult, that sort of took me out of it. Like yes, obviously, tell women how to protect themselves and avoid dangerous situations, but is Winx Club (a fantasy show where the main characters **and actually everyone** are constantly finding themselves in dangerous situations) really the best medium to do so? Food for thought…
Issues with the script/slang
Help! Winx Club is“ pandering to Gen-Z”, and as a Gen-Zer, I don’t like it. No FR though: why is Stella saying things like“ rent-free” and“ cringe-tastic”? The modern slang used in the script is obviously an attempt to appeal to people my age and younger, but it’s not really landing the way it’s intended to. I wish fantasy worlds would ground themselves more in you know, the fantasy. If the girls are in Magix like they were in the original, they shouldn’t be using terms that you’d only hear on Earth. Something the Monster High franchise does really well is worldbuild through lexicon. There’s too many words to count, but whether it’s ghouls instead of girls, bad scare day instead of bad hair day, or fearbook instead of yearbook, the shows, movies and books surrounding Monster High make it so that you never forget you’re in a world full of monsters and supernatural creatures.
The soundtrack/music
One of the most notable music changes was the re-recording of the theme song, which was done by Virginia Bocelli, a 25-year old Italian singer, songwriter and actress who for the most part totally captures the essence of the original version (don’t love her belts though). I believe this is the only actual musical remake, but in general there are a lot of contemporary choices made in the soundtrack that are catchy and fun. This is an aspect of the reboot that is pretty lovable.
REBOOT RANKING
Art Direction: 6.5
Exploration: 5
Music: 7.5
Combat/Action Scenes: 5
Story: 6.5
The Winx as Characters: 6.5
Honoring of the Original: 6
Number Rank: 43/70
Letter Rank: D
Winx Club: The Magic is Back definitely brought back a bit of the vitality that other reimaginings were missing, but was also disheartening in many other areas. I love the Winx Club and what it stands for, but this reboot has not done it due justice. Unfortunately, the passion is not there, but the series will likely bring back some initial comfort and much-needed nostalgia. There is potential for growth, if the writers slow down and listen to their fans.
