Hazbin Hotel Gives Us A New Twist On Hell In This NSFW Animated Musical
It’s a happy day in Hell as fans of Hazbin Hotel finally get more of this charming band of characters with the new animated show on Prime Video.
In the series, the demons of Hell deal with a yearly extermination imposed by angels to reduce overpopulation. The princess of Hell Charlie Morningstar (Erika Henningsen) opens a hotel in hopes of saving the demons of her kingdom by rehabilitating them. Perhaps if they change their ways, they can get out of Hell and truly get a chance at life in Heaven. Alongside Charlie is her devoted partner Vaggie (Stephanie Beatriz) and her first test subject and adult film star Angel Dust (Blake Roman). The legendary Keith David voices bartending cat demon Husk, Kimiko Glenn plays cyclops demon and hotel maid Niffty, and Alex Brightman brings versatility with the voices of Sir Pentious and Adam. Meanwhile Amir Talai voices the mysterious Radio Demon, Alastor, who agrees to help Charlie with the hotel for his own amusement.
Imagine a Disney princess in Hell and you’ve got Charlie in Hazbin Hotel, but it’s so much more than that. The NSFW animated musical balances raunchy and wholesome elements that allow us to get to know these characters on a deeper level. We get to see a different take on the fallen angel Lucifer and explore the layers of characters like Angel Dust and Vaggie. With a focus on second chances and found family, Hazbin delivers a unique take on the afterlife with the demons of Hell being much nicer than the angels in Heaven. An added twist from the YouTube pilot reveals that angels can actually be killed, which may give the residents of Hell a fighting chance at survival. With all that in mind, there is a lot to explore. This can become a bit overwhelming with the sheer amount of characters popping up and lore to dive into. Hazbin Hotel is at its best when it takes its time to develop each character and their relationships fully in this world.
The animation style is vibrant and distinct with colors like red, black, white, and yellow adding to the spindly character design. The voice acting cast is full of Broadway veterans — including Daphne Rubin-Vega, Christian Borle, Jeremy Jordan, and Darren Criss — who show us how it’s done when it comes to both the development of their character’s voices and the musical numbers. Alex Brightman is a stand out with his expert vocal transformations in the dual roles of Sir Pentious and Adam, while newcomer Blake Roman is the perfect embodiment of fan favorite Angel Dust. With alumni from Broadway shows like Waitress, Mean Girls, Wicked, Rent, Beetlejuice, and more, the score spans classic musical theater songs to soaring rock ballads to dark EDM dance tracks.
Between the incredible cast, catchy music, and stunning animation, Hazbin Hotel is a feast for the eyes (and ears!) while giving us flawed but still redeemable characters to connect with. The jaw-dropping lore introduced throughout the season proves that creator Vivienne Medrano has a plan and is ready to deliver. I, for one, can’t wait for the already confirmed season 2 to dive even further into this adventure with these beloved characters.
New episodes of Hazbin Hotel are streaming on Prime Video. Get more of our Pop Culture Planet coverage of the series, here.
