Television series

Hilda

Name: Hilda
Genre: Adventure, Children, Fantasy
Released: 2018
Cast: Bella Ramsey, Ameerah Falzon-Ojo, Oliver Nelson, Daisy Haggard, Rasmus Hardiker

Hilda is a gorgeously animated adventure about a fearless girl navigating a magical world full of genuine danger and wonder. It's got the warmth of a classic kids' story with the emotional weight of something for all ages. Funny, sometimes dark, always visually stunning—the kind of show that makes you want to explore forests and befriend monsters.

TVMaze rating

4.0

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love gentle, curious animation where a child wanders into strange places and simply notices things, with lush hand-drawn landscapes and folklore woven quietly into everyday wonder.

Skip it if you want a plot that tightens its grip episode by episode, since this is a loose run of wandering encounters that prefers atmosphere and small discoveries to momentum.

What it asks of you: Thirty-four episodes of about twenty-six minutes each, so it comes in easy doses; it moves at an unhurried, drifting pace and rewards you for watching quietly rather than hunting for the next hook.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Amphibia2019

A girl trapped in a frog-filled world discovers friendship, courage, and her own capacity for growth. Like Hilda, it balances humor with real stakes, and its character arcs sneak up on you with genuine emotional depth.

But The early episodes are lighter and more comedic than the arc-heavy later seasons, so patience is required before things get genuinely compelling.

The Owl House2020

A human girl in a demon realm navigates magic, found family, and self-discovery with the same visual style and tonal confidence as Hilda. It's adventurous, increasingly complex, and utterly charming.

But Cancelled before its planned ending means the final season is compressed; some plot threads feel rushed, and certain character arcs don't get the space they deserved.

Craig of the Creek2018

A beautifully drawn show about kids exploring their world with wonder and genuine peril. Same indie-animation charm and willingness to let children be brave, capable, and sometimes scared.

But The tone is gentler and more slice-of-life than Hilda; if you want consistent high-stakes adventure, the quieter pacing might feel slow.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Hilda

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Disenchantment2018

Both feature defiant, blue-haired protagonists who refuse to follow the rules their worlds expect of them, but Disenchantment asks what happens when that defiance stops being adorable and becomes a genuine middle finger to the system.

Matt Groening's fantasy-world comedy features a rebellious princess rejecting tradition, same blue-haired protagonist defiance as Hilda but in a raunchier, cruder package. It's got genuine character arcs underneath the jokes and a real heart about found family and self-determination.

But It's aggressively adult humor and caustic tone for adult audiences; the show traffics in cynicism and mockery where Hilda stays hopeful, so the register might feel exhaustingly coarse if you love Hilda's warmth.

Gravity Falls2012

A masterclass in building mystery and dread while keeping you laughing. Kids arrive in a weird town, uncover dark secrets, and grow into the story. Hilda owes this DNA—the balance of wonder and creeping danger is nearly identical.

But It's shorter than you'd want (two seasons), and once you know the mysteries, rewatching hits differently. Some found it ended too neatly.

Over the Garden Wall2014

A miniseries that feels like a fairy tale gone strange. Two brothers in a mysterious forest learn that wonder and beauty can exist alongside genuine horror. Achingly atmospheric and emotionally earned.

But It's slow-burn and melancholic rather than adventurous; the tone is closer to spooky folklore than romp, which might feel too dark or too quiet if you want Hilda's energy.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power2018

A girl discovers hidden power and finds her people while learning to trust and be trusted. Gorgeously animated, wickedly funny, with character development that builds season to season into something genuinely moving.

But The early episodes feel lighter and more episodic; the show doesn't hit peak emotional weight until season two, so it asks for patience from newcomers.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power poster

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake2023

A boy and his magical dog explore a post-apocalyptic world full of weird creatures and genuine pathos. It's funny and anarchic but builds into something unexpectedly profound about growing up and loss.

But The first season is scattered and silly; it takes time to find its rhythm. Some find the later seasons' emotional heaviness a departure from the goofy charm they loved.

Infinity Train2019

A girl trapped on a surreal train car full of mysteries must learn to trust others and grow. Short, visually inventive episodes with surprisingly deep mythology and genuine creepiness lurking under beautiful animation.

But Cancelled mid-story means many mysteries go unanswered; the anthology structure of later seasons feels fragmented compared to the first season's narrative drive.

Moana2016

Both are about girls who discover their courage not through destiny but through leaving home and learning the cost of that choice; both respect their heroines' capacity for error and growth in equal measure.

A girl leaves safety to answer a call beyond her understanding, carrying her people's heritage into danger and wonder. It's gorgeously animated, funny, and builds its heroine through action and consequence rather than instruction—exactly Hilda's engine.

But It's a Disney musical in a 100-minute package rather than a serialized series, so the breathing room for character discovery and world-building is compressed, and the emotional payoff is more immediate than earned.

Castlevania: Nocturne2023

Both use animation to build richly detailed worlds where danger is real and monsters are never just enemies but parts of a living ecology; both ask their heroes to understand rather than simply conquer what opposes them.

Adult-targeted animation about a man hunting monsters through gothic landscapes rendered in stunning detail. Like Hilda, it treats its world as genuinely dangerous, builds lore through exploration, and refuses to talk down to its audience about violence or darkness.

But It's violent, sexual, and aimed squarely at adults; the tone is noir-dark rather than adventurous, and Hilda's found-family warmth is replaced by loneliness and moral ambiguity that might feel bleak by comparison.