Television series

Star vs. the Forces of Evil

Name: Star vs. the Forces of Evil
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, Children
Released: 2015
Cast: Jessica Walter, Jenny Slate, Eden Sher, Grey DeLisle, Rider Strong

A magical girl comedy that swaps out the usual earnestness for genuine chaos. Star Butterfly arrives on Earth as a dimensional princess with a reality-warping wand, and the show tracks her friendship with Marco—a grounded Earthling—through high school romance, surreal villains, and increasingly complicated stakes. It's colourful, fast, clever, and gets markedly darker as it ages. For anyone who loves comedy that earns its emotional weight.

TVMaze rating

3.9

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you love cartoons that treat a silly premise with real heart, where the jokes come fast and the emotional beats land harder than you expected from a show built on bright colours and monsters.

Skip it if you want a show that slows down to think, since episodes sprint through their plots, the humour leans loud and gooey, and the mythology keeps piling up at a pace that can feel frantic.

What it asks of you: Roughly nineteen minutes an episode across four seasons, with little downtime; it wants you to keep up with running gags and serialised threads rather than settling in for quiet moments.

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

If you liked this

Gravity Falls2012

Shares the same DNA: a show that starts as goofy supernatural adventures and slowly builds toward genuine mystery and emotional stakes. Brilliantly plotted, endlessly rewatchable, and genuinely moving by the end.

But It's more puzzle-box than pure comedy, so if you want jokes every thirty seconds rather than plot momentum, it will feel slower.

The Owl House2020

Another Disney show about magical worlds and found family, but it's bolder about romance and character complexity. Outstanding supporting cast, increasingly heavy storytelling, and animation that gets genuinely beautiful.

But The pacing is slower and more deliberate than Star's, and it can feel like it's finding itself in the first season.

Craig of the Creek2018

Warm comedy about kids navigating friendship, adventure, and growing up. It has the same gentle affection for its characters and the same willingness to let episodes breathe between big moments.

But It's deliberately cosy and low-stakes, so if you're watching Star for the interdimensional plot turbulence, this will feel almost aggressively relaxing.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Star vs. the Forces of Evil

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Bee and PuppyCat2013

Both pair a grounded protagonist with a magical creature and use high-concept weirdness as a backdrop for questions about belonging and what 'normal' even means.

Surreal, gorgeously animated magical-girl story that's half comedy and half dreamscape. Non-linear, joyfully weird, and obsessed with beauty and weirdness in equal measure. Like Star filtered through an art student's fever dream.

But It barely has a plot in the traditional sense, and if you need narrative structure and explanation, you'll leave frustrated. Very much an experience rather than a story.

Amphibia2019

A girl gets stuck in a frog world and has to learn to trust the creatures around her. Like Star, it's funny and colourful at first, then systematically wrings your heart out by season three. Brilliant character development.

But The first half of season one is genuinely hard to push through if you're impatient; it takes time to care about Anne.

Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts2020

Post-apocalyptic adventure with a genuinely kind protagonist and gorgeous animation. Balances humour, action, and genuine darkness without losing sight of hope. Inventive, colourful, and weirdly moving.

But Only three seasons, so it ends just when you want more. Some plot elements feel a bit convenient.

Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake2023

The obvious ancestor to this whole wave of cartoons. Starts as jokes and grows into something profound about mortality, abandonment, and what it means to stay good in a broken world. Endlessly imaginative.

But Early seasons are genuinely slight, and it takes real commitment to reach the parts that justify the hype. Some people find the tonal shift jarring.

Infinity Train2019

Surreal adventure anthology with gorgeous animation and genuinely unsettling moments. Each season is a self-contained story on a magical train, mixing mystery, body horror, and unexpected emotional depth.

But It's darker and stranger than Star, with less emphasis on humour and more on dread. Some episodes are genuinely disturbing.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power2018

A magical warrior show with heart, humour, and seriously compelling character arcs. The relationships feel earned, the found family is genuine, and it gets surprisingly emotional about trauma and redemption.

But The early animation is deliberately stylised in a way that bothers some people. The first few episodes are slower than later seasons.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power poster

Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure2017

Rapunzel's story continues into adulthood, balancing comedy with a slow-burn mystery. Sharp writing, great character work, and surprisingly ambitious plotting for a Disney show based on a film.

But It's tied to the film, so you need to care about that version of the character. Later seasons get quite heavy and convoluted.

Hilda2018

Both follow an outsider navigating an unfamiliar magical world, learning that the real stakes involve people they care about rather than abstract 'evil forces.'

A girl adjusts to life in a forest city full of monsters and magic. Like Star, it's comedy-first, but it gradually builds toward genuine darkness and complexity. Exceptional creature design, world-building, and emotional maturity.

But It's much darker and more gothic than Star, with body horror and genuinely frightening villains. Tonal whiplash if you're expecting consistent lightness.

Over the Garden Wall2014

Both use magical worlds and adventure as a frame for characters learning who they are, but Garden Wall strips away comedy entirely to lean into the loneliness and morality underneath the premise.

A miniseries, not a season-long show—only ten episodes. Two brothers get lost in a mysterious forest. Autumn atmosphere, folk-tale dread, and a narrative that unfolds like a proper short story rather than a TV plot. Utterly assured.

But It's genuinely dark and melancholic, not comedic. If you watch Star for jokes, this will feel like tonal whiplash. Some find it slow.