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Animator Vivienne Medrano’s (aka VivziePop) viral sensation “Hazbin Hotel” is the latest indie adult animated short to be adapted into a full-fledged series. Apart from Olan Rogers’ criminally short-lived “Final Space,” few indie animated pilots skewered for mature audiences received that blue fairy “real show” wish grant. Since the spunky crowdfunded DIY pilot dropped in 2019, it racked up 93 million views on YouTube. With a number like that, it was unsurprising that A24 and animation studio Bento Box (“Bob’s Burgers,” “Smiling Friends”) landed on Medrano’s front door with a deal to graduate the web series to the big leagues for demon child Jeff Bezos’ streaming service. At long last, the adult musical comedy set in a hotel in Hell finally opens its doors.
Every calendar year, Adam (Alex Brightman) leads angels from Heaven to descend into Hell and purge demon souls to deal with their overpopulation of sinners. Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen), the sunny-side-up princess of Hell, believes that demonic souls are worthy of redemption. So, she opens the Hazbin Hotel to rehabilitate sinners, hoping to avoid the yearly cleanse. Charlie is far from alone in her conquest. She has the help of her longtime girlfriend Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz), the suspicious and mischievous radio demon Alastor (Amir Talai), a homicidal maid Niffty (Kimiko Glenn), and a grumpy bartender Husk (Keith David), all acting as her staff. Her only two residents are filterless pornstar Angel Dust (Blake Roman) and a goofy villain named Sir Pentious (Alex Brightman). While Charlie is still getting her hotel up and running, a brewing subplot regarding the overlord demons trying to enact an uprising on the angels lurks in the background.
“Hazbin Hotel” expands Medrano’s rose-colored vision of Hell with clarity. Hell’s unbridled vulgarity is deranged meets animalistic, in the literal sense considering many of the uniquely designed demons are furry animal-hybrids. Much like her lead, you can feel the enthusiasm and wild ambitions in elaborating the background and its vast ensemble backgrounds radiating from the screen. Going from the spunky, amateurish, yet passionate animation quality behind that to the clean, thick-outlined, expressive quality on the entire show is a staggering, stirring whiplash. You can’t help but be amused by Medrano’s internet-to-streaming jump, where her signature style got its big professional break.
Within its five episodes provided for review, “Hazbin” tries juggling Hell’s intricate worldbuilding, the players in power, the characterizations between its large ensemble, their relationships, and their adversaries faced outside the front door. Part of those adversaries are the overlords that “rule” over Hell’s citizens. Bigwigs like weapons dealers, media moguls, and fashion designers have total control.
Not since “South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut” has an adult animated project had such theatricality and pride in its musical identity, especially since the trailers are so shy regarding revealing its musical element. The show, however, loves that it’s a musical comedy and adds authenticity to its identity by throwing more Broadway heavy hitters onto the screen than the Moondance diner scene in “Tick, Tick, Boom.” Performers Erika Henningsen, Blake Roman, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Alex Brightman, Sarah Stiles, Jeremy Jordan, and friggin Keith David, to name a few, all lend their voices to these demonic characters and pour unbelievable life into the variety of Sam Haft and Andrew Underberg’s genre-hopping numbers.
The raunchy, shocking, gory humor that comes with the territory can be very hit-or-miss. The jokes work only when the characters play off each other, particularly when Charlie’s happy-go-lucky charm is tested by the macabre happenings that surround her. Besides the mixed joke quality, the frustrating, disorienting camera can sometimes undercut punchlines from landing or diminish dramatic impact. With all its intricate setup early on, you can feel Medrano’s ambitious wings get trimmed by corporate streaming demands that are crucial for the show’s story pacing. Seriously, studios, stop commissioning eight episodes for shows and aim for ten. Eight episodes don’t make a full season, or at least make them as long as “Invincible“.
Overall, “Hazbin Hotel” checks in with stellar tunes, a skillful voice cast, and balanced charm to round out its hellish setting. It’s a sweet, raunchy time many adults, especially musical theater nuts, will proudly enjoy.
Five episodes screened for review. Now on Prime Video.
