As Halloween comes to a close, many people aren’t too excited when others start playing Christmas music on the first of November. To those who love that fun and spooky time of the year and wish it could go on forever, there are a handful of things you could do to stay in that Halloween spirit. Whether it be watching horror movies, going to parties, or carving pumpkins, there’s always something for everyone out there. Personally, I love to take it slow, sit back, and watch my favorite shows in the comfort of my own room. So, what better way to do it by watching one of my favorite forms of TV entertainment since as long as I can remember… cartoons and animation! For this wonderful month of November I’ll provide you with two animated shows about everything demonic that deserve the spotlight, as well as a specific episode from each one that perfectly encapsulates the blend of horror and comedy that this article is all about.
The two cartoons I will be discussing today are ones that I’ve grown extremely fond of within the past year, and even if you’ve never heard of them, I’ll give you a basic rundown of each one to make it easier for you to follow along. The focal points of this article are going to be the two cartoons of Dead End: Paranormal Park (which I will refer to as “Deadendia” for simplicity) and Helluva Boss. As drastically different as these two may be from each other, they both share one overarching similarity, which just so happens to be the demonic aspect of each one!
The story of Deadendia revolves around two teenagers, Barney Guttman and Norma Khan, and tells us the story from the perspective of humans. The two teenagers, as well as Barney’s talking dog, spend their days at a haunted theme park making alliances and fighting battles against various demons that they come across. On the other hand, the story of Helluva Boss revolves around an imp named Blitzo, and tells the story from the perspective of the as opposed to humans. The show follows Blitzo and his employees, Moxxie, Millie, and Loona, as they use a spell book obtained from a prince of hell to target inhabitants of the living world for their assassination business.
One thing you may immediately notice is the target audience of each show is surprisingly different, as Deadendia is a 2-season Netflix series marketed towards any and all ages, while Helluva Boss is set to be a 4-season YouTube web series that pushes itself towards a more mature audience, with a proper disclaimer provided at the start of nearly every episode. Although Helluva Boss is still thriving and has years before it’s set to end, Deadendia wasn’t as lucky in comparison, as it was prematurely canceled by Netflix before it could reach its intended count of three seasons. Both shows have fairly good ratings as listed by IMDb, with Deadendia receiving 7.1 stars out of 10, and Helluva Boss receiving 8.2 stars out of 10. If I haven’t made it clear yet, both of these shows certainly have a special place in my heart.
For Deadendia, the episode that I wish to award the spotlight to is the series finale, as well as my personal favorite episode, The Watcher’s Test. This is an episode that constantly had me at the edge of my seat, and if you watch it, you’ll easily understand why. In the penultimate episode, the main cast receives an unfortunate prison sentence on the fourth plane of heaven while looking for Barney’s dog, Pugsley. This episode effectively builds into the finale, in which the goal is to escape from this prison and confront the ruler of this system in an attempt to change the future. It’s a fantastic mix of emotions for all audiences to enjoy, and without spoiling too much, it’s definitely one that you’d want to brace yourselves for whatever the episode brings your way.
For Helluva Boss, the episode that I wish to award the spotlight to is the second most recent episode of the series, Oops. Both this episode and the one previously mentioned have a similar runtime of around 25 minutes, and both are equally as worth the watch as one another. Despite the differences in storylines between each show, they are both just as action packed and filled with excitement. This one focuses more on a confrontation between the main character, Blitzo, and a prominent character from his past, Fizzarolli (who, fun fact, shares the same voice actor as Pugsley from Deadendia!) Something that many fans of the show can agree on, is that this may be the greatest episode of the current season, if not the whole series. A combination of fluid animation, fantastic storytelling, and a mix of light and dark humor works together to create an episode so excellent that it attracts attention from both longtime and new fans of the show.
Even if these shows have many differences ranging from audience, characters, storytelling, and so much more, they still share that one common interest that this article’s all about: Demons! No matter what your interests may be, I can assure you that both of these shows have something for everyone. Whether it be the oddly sentimental feeling you may get from the series finale of Deadendia, or the comedic and exciting nature of the latest episode of Helluva Boss… you may find something you love not only in these episodes, but in each series as a whole. After all, there’s nothing better than getting invested in a new show that you can’t get enough of! And for Halloween lovers, these movies will help you keep the spooky going year round.
