Posted by Hi again.
Remember when we talked about Edgy Winx– I mean Fate: The Winx Saga?
You’d think that post would have been long enough for me to get it out of my system.
Well, clearly it wasn’t.
I realized after posting that I didn’t really discuss the intense character overhaul of the show, compared to the original cartoon.
And on top of that, the actual loss of one of the original Winx.
*sob*
The fabulous short-haired and bodysuit-wearing technology-fairy Techna.
This one is for you, girl.
My hot take on the Winx girls just because I need to put it somewhere
Bloom
They really turned up the angst to eleven with Bloom. She was relatively stable, fun and quirky in the series, despite her mysterious past and everything. Granted, the fact that she freaks out a lot more is maybe more realistic for someone who’s not used to all this magic stuff.
Especially her explosive behaviour whenever an adult doesn’t disclose all possibly available information was a bit much for me. At least she apologised for that before her mentor did what all mentors do at the end of season one. No spoilers though.
Stella
Stella was turned into much more of a bitch than I remember. Her whole carefree sunny attitude was gone, and she actually reverted to a much more tropey version of herself. The new abusive relationship with her mother is a harsh though interesting way to give her character more depth. It certainly adds a more relatable element to her royal status; horrible parents are clearly everywhere.
I personally preferred her arc in the cartoon, where she has a reality crisis because her boyfriend turned out to be a commoner. That plot is gone here, by the way. What a pity. Sorry, Stella, being in Edgy Winx really did a number on you.
Musa
Musa’s powers were switched from music toward empathic mindpowers. Very interesting premise, and one that easily allows for an opportunity to explore cases around mental health and introverts. They even kept the earphones from her fairy design! I actually really liked Musa’s character, her memey-references really lightened the mood. I guess she also got some of Techna’s characteristics, since she-
Wait.
WHERE’S TECHNA?! Is this some kind of joke to you, Netflix?!
Techna never was very popular in my experience, with her pantsuit and short, not very swishy hair. But looking back at the original Winx now, I think she’s actually really cool. Just look at those grid-wings and that awesome hat.
Techna had her signature aesthetic and owned it, especially in a even more technology-rich society I was sad to see her missing. However, the more Celtic, folkloric tone they adopted to explain magic makes it more difficult to justify the existence of a techno-fairy. Maybe season two?
Please Netflix. Give us our Techno-Fairy.
She can even be perceived as evil at first and then have a redemption-arc in which people have to accept that times are a-changing and stuff. It basically writes itself!
Flora
Flora was turned into Terra in this show, and again, I can understand. On a meta level I do think it is sad that the troubles of this character were intrinsic to her creation; writers decide that there needs to be a more curvy girl, and most of her troubles converge around her body-image and insecurity. She was just so troubled during the entire show, with very little respite for her.
Though again I think her troubles are recognizable for a teen audience, and showing various body-types on tv is good, philosophically I am saddened that Terra was created only to suffer.
Aisha
So she gets to be here here, the fairy they added lateron and I don’t really know much about. What? No, I’m not bitter at all.
So yeah, she loves water and has some athlete version of Hermionism going on: I guess they dumped some of Techna’s characteristics into Aisha as well. Her conflict mainly consisted of her friends breaking rules and having issues; somehow also probably quite relatable. I especially felt bad for Aisha when she was accused of treason during the job she took for her friends. Tough times.
Generally, I understand how these characters were adapted for their target audience. The thing that probably bothers me most about this version of the Winx girls is that it’s so hard to believe that they’d actually be friends.
The classic trope of the band of characters becoming friends due to their coinciding sleeping arrangements (like in boarding schools) is a tried one, and it usually works well. However, since all the character building needs to focus on how these Edgy Winx are different from the cartoon, there’s even less room to let us watch them bond.
There are less silly shenanigans they experience together, and a lot of scenes focus on their frustrations with their lack of control over their magic, body and identity (again, very teenagery, angsty and recognizable, but not that fun without shenanigans). Since there are only six episodes, and new villains, monsters, relationships and traditional raves (?) need to be introduced, I guess the actual friendship this series was built on kind of fell to the side…
I suppose that adventuring out of sense of duty and because the script wants you to can kind of be enough.
The theme of transformation
Ironically, whereas a lot of transformation happened during the creation of this show compared to its source of inspiration, there was little transformation actually in the show. Only one fairy transformed in the whole first season of Edgy Winx. I guess it’s because it’s not a very edgy thing to do; that or it took a toll on the CGI budget.
The general loss of wings in this magical world is actually tackled within the first five minutes of the show, and it’s a believable enough explanation. The fact that wings are constantly shown in the opening of the show does promise the audience something though, and it makes us yearn for that fiery explosion of colour and preferably glitters.
This is Edgy Winx though, so no glitters.
But there were explosions!
Also very loudly mixed music.
At least they delivered on the teased wings; but still I have to say it was a bit of a weird scene. Bloom’s befuddled look was very well acted though, and we all knew this was going to happen as a Bloom Ex Machina in order to save the day. That’s actually quite remeniscent of the cartoon, now that I think of it.
I guess we’ll have to see what happens in season two. Will transformation now suddenly be a thing? Will Netflix repent and give us Techna after all? Will we get to see a big Edge-Off against some Edgy witches? Will the black government cars feel less out of place?
Will there be sparkles?
Honestly, anything could happen.
Let me emphasize again that I liked watching Edgy Winx. It was surprisingly well written. It’s just so curious to me on so many levels that I keep thinking about it.
Can’t help it.
Do let me know if you like this kind of analytical tv-content! I really enjoy writing it, so I might just continue doing it anyway, but still. It’s nice to know what the people want.
Even if what people want is Edgy Winx.
NB: Obviously the pictures I used for this blog are not mine; I own nothing Winx-related and only used these images from a review standpoint!
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