All of u𝓰s have art which has helped shape who we are as human beings. Films, shows, games, music, and books inform our perception o📖f the world and how exactly we seek to fit into it all. Nothing is ever simple, but to have a character or a narrative to lean on that helps you feel represented goes a long way. So when it suddenly ceases to be, grounding yourself can often prove difficult.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Disney Channel is going through a changing of the guard right now. Earlier this month, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:The Owl House reached its end and the premature conclusion of a creative era which began over ten years ago. The period saw burgeoning industry talent cement their worth as writers, animators, artists, showrunners, and individuals who helmed their own shows while building on the successes of those that came before. This all started with 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Gravity Falls.
Alex Hirsch’s critically acclaimed show debuted over ten years ago, and marked the start of serialised storytelling and more nuanced, in-depth characters being a trademark for the network. It still balanced this output with live-action efforts and similar productions for the saꩲme demographic which didn’t hold the same ambition, but for several years it felt like folks over at Disney suddenly started to take the potential of animation more seriously, or at least r💖ealised that the industry was filled with so much talent begging to tell their stories.
In the years since, Hirsch has been fairly outs🍌poken about the awkward censors he had to deal with during Gravity Falls’ production, and how many of the steps forward in LGBTQ+ storytelling were batted away because Disney wasn’t ready for it. Being the driving force behind any show is incredibly hard work, but those who push boundaries have it even harder. However, they also leave behind the most enduring legacies, and carve a path forward for those who want t🍒o follow. Many did, and the influence is obvious.
Amphibia, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Steven Universe, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Inside Job, Star Vs The Forces Of Evil, and 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Rick & Morty are a few of the gems spawned from those who first cut their teeth on Gravity Falls. At least within the House of Mouse, it showed that younger-leaning animation perhaps had an opportunity to be something more, or tapꦺ into worlds, characters, and themes that appeal not just to typical animation demographics, but audiences once thought unimaginable. In the age of social media we’ve seen fandoms form around them all, feverish collectives of eager follower🐼s who pore over every single detail in search of additional meaning. Many of these shows become cultures unto themselves, a testament to everything they have and will eventually achieve.
Dana Terrace, who first worked as an animator on Gravity Falls, would formulate and pitch The Owl House to Disney only to have the show greenlit alongside Amphibia. The latter is focused more on wacky hijinks and comedy than the magical adventures of Luz, Eda, and King, but it would still attract a fandom who wanted to learn more about its characters, and wanted to see exactly where its story of self-worth and destiny would eventually culminate. As did creator 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Matt Braly, who has talked to me 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:numerous times about the challenge that comes with ⛎striking that balance, and how fledgling showrunners learn the harsh truth that telling stories in this space comes with ample compromise. These restrictions often result in bouts of innovation that might otherwise go unearthed.
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Watching and Dreaming saw The Owl House come to a definitive end as we jumped ahead in time to older and more experienced versions of our favourite characters. The evil is gone, and now we are left with a vision of the future where anything could happen, but right now it seems Terrace wants to focus on personal projects and take a well-deserved break. Braly is in a similar mind about Amphibia, while smaller side ventures like 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Marcy’s Journal proved to be extremely successfuꦡl and certainly tease a potential continuation, but the focus remains on complimenting its universe rather than redefining it. Much like Gravity Falls, these worlds are beloved enough to warrant further expansion, although this isn&rsqu⭕o;t always the right path.
For a decade now I've jumped between shows which have all attracted major fandoms and become a huge part of the media landscape I exist within, so there is a bittersweet taste of reality that comes with seeing each of them call it a day as we look towards the future. With it comes a feeling of excitement, and how the closing of one book marks the opening of another I can’t even comprehend quite yet. Animation as an art form has matured and is given more leeway when it comes to telling worthwhile stories and trusting audiences to not only embrace thematic ideas, but run with them and help them evolve into something more.
The Owl House bidding us farewell is undeniably melancholic, but the lengths we’ve all gone to savour its fleeting excellence doesn’t just define its own beloved standing, it concludes an entire creative generation on the network that I hope we don’t come to take for granted. The coming slate features brilliant original projects like Hailey’s On It, although it’s flanked by a similar amount of reboots and revival♉s that rely on existing mascots instead of an iꦅnnovative approach that made the past decade so memorable. Disney may want to leave behind more serialised storytelling in favour of something more digestible, but that shouldn’t discount the trusting of new talent and ideas. The Owl House might be the end of an era, but it could be the start of another equally as exciting.