Content Warning: This article contains non-major spoilers for the TV show The Owl House.
A few years ago, one of my friends (lovingly) forced me to watch a TV show called The Owl House. And let me just say, there are only a few TV shows I’ve watched that I can confidently say changed my life. This gem is one of them.
The Owl House is a cartoon that centers around a young girl named Luz Noceda as she enters a magical realm called The Boiling Isles. There, she meets a witch, Eda the Owl Lady, and her sidekick, King. With some convincing, Eda starts teaching Luz magic, as she’s always wanted to become a witch. Along her journey, she makes new friends at magic school and learns the value in being yourself, even when the world tells you to change.
One of the biggest aspects of this show is the LGBTQ representation. There are several queer characters, including Luz, Amity (Luz’s eventual girlfriend), Eda, and Raine Whispers (a non- binary witch and Eda’s old friend/love interest). These characters and relationships are represented in a loving, respectful, and honest way, and seeing that in a family-friendly TV show is really powerful. Additionally, there’s no drama about the characters’ queerness. For example, with Raine, there’s no question about their pronouns because everyone knows and respects them. There’s also nothing taboo about Luz and Amity being together and it’s just like, “Oh yeah, they’re a couple. That’s cool.” This is so refreshing to see and it’s incredibly necessary, especially for younger audiences.
Another reason why this show stands out is that it’s enjoyable for younger and older audiences. It’s rare to find a show that can really appeal to anyone of any age, and this show does it in such a smart way. There are characters and jokes that are aimed at children, but also some more mature themes that older people might relate to more. For example, Luz reveals that her father passed away, and she talks about how his death impacted her and her behavior ever since. The show is able to strike a balance between being appropriate for all ages and discussing heavier topics, which I think is really important. We can’t keep things like loss and tragedy from children forever, and if they can see a cartoon character going through that and managing it in a healthy way, that can influence how they handle it in the future.
This show has taught me many lessons, but I think the biggest thing I took away from it was that it’s genuinely okay to be who you are and not hide those “weird” aspects of yourself. In the human realm, Luz is seen as a weirdo for being interested in fantasy and wanting to act out characters from her favorite books. And when she came to the Boiling Isles, that was the first time she wasn’t judged for having those interests. For as long as I can remember, I was always seen as the outsider. I had very few friends growing up and most of the ones I did have ended up finding other people to hang out with. It was something I came to expect after a while, and I still do sometimes. But this show reminded me that just because I have different interests and a different personality than some people around me, that doesn’t mean that I’m less worthy of love. It took me a long time to understand that it’s actually possible for me to be myself and find genuine friends who love and respect me for who I am. Right now, I feel more secure in myself than I ever have and this show played a large role in that. I only wish that this show came out when I was younger so that I could’ve learned this lesson sooner. But, I’m grateful that young people have The Owl House to help them if they ever feel the same way I did. And as Luz says, “Us weirdos should stick together.”
Feature Image by Peri Oberman, via Canva
