Through the Hills with Hilda
If you’re looking for a heartwarming tale of adventure and friendship, look no further than Netflix's original series Hilda. Within moments, this courageous, blue-haired girl will surely steal your heart away. At the beginning of the series, Hilda lives with her mother Johanna in the wilderness. She travels at night without any fear along with her half-deer, half-fox named Twig. The woodman, the family’s only visitor, randomly comes into their home and graces them with fresh wood and unwanted company.
In the first episode, Hilda’s home is attacked by invisible creatures who leave an anonymous note telling them to leave the wilderness. Eventually, Hilda realizes that this was all the work of invisible elves, who she is able to see after signing a special contract.
Hilda saves her home from the elves and makes a new friend Alfur, and she meets the midnight giant, one of the last of his kind, as he waits every night for a friend who promised to meet him.
The creativity and imagination in the show is driven by creatures and wonderful bold colors that match perfectly with Hilda’s blue hair. She rides creatures in the night and climbs tall mountains all in the name of adventure.
Things Change
Eventually, Hilda and her mother realize that they belong in the city. The wilderness is no place for humans. Hilda is resistant at first, but gives in when her mother steps on an invisible elf house, forcing her to realize that her home can cause harm to the forest creatures.
Alfur joins her on her new journey, and Hilda is prepared for whatever comes her way.
In the city, Hilda has a difficult time adjusting, but she makes friends with Frida and David. The three of them join the Sparrow Scouts, which feeds Hilda’s hunger for adventure. Frida is brilliant and David is funny. David provides that bit of comic relief, except for the episode where the girl next door starts haunting his dreams.
Dare to be Different
The show stands out for its uniqueness. It tells untold tales of trolls, midnight giants, rat creatures, and great ravens. It’s a great example of a female heroine who isn’t obsessed with her looks.
Hilda is boyish, and a bit clueless at times. It takes her longer than it should to realize that her teacher despises her. And she often misses the cue when her friends are frightful, as nothing seems to scare her.
She’s a new take on the lead character in an adventure series and it works surprisingly well. Some of the jokes miss the mark, but that doesn’t detract from the absolute adorableness of this show.
No matter what though, Hilda puts a positive spin on any situation and she always looks out for her friends.