New animation projects have been arising in almost every streaming platform. Except for HBO Max, where the entire animation division is going through some tough times in the middle of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. Hulu on the other hand doesn’t have many animated original shows, so it comes as a surprise that Little Demon is one of those shows, and it is also surprising to see just how violent this show is. This is a review of Little Demon.
Little Demon is a show created by Darcy Fowler, Seth Kirschner, and Kiera Valla. The series stars Aubrey Plaza, Danny DeVito, and Lucy DeVito. The series tells the story of Christina, also known as Chrissy, a thirteen-year-old girl who just had her first period. For a normal girl, this would mean that she is now becoming a grown woman, but for Chrissy, it means that her father, Satan, is coming for her. When her mother, Laura, finds out, she will do anything to keep her daughter safe from the Devil himself.
Little Demon follows the trend that many shows have been following recently, and we are talking about animated shows. Series like Adventure Time, Rick & Morty, and many others celebrate the weirdness that can only be performed when using animation to create some of the most twisted and crazy visuals ever put on screen. Doing a show like this in live-action would be too much expensive, but with animation, the writers can just go ballistic and write whatever their minds come up with.
The result is that in these types of shows, the lack of limits just means that nothing really matters and everything is possible. When you follow the concept of the young girl finding out she is the antichrist and that her father is Satan, she is able to travel to other dimensions, including hell. The concept can only lead to outlandishness, which can be quite fun, but sometimes too much of a good thing can be its own demise.
In some way, all these shows are very similar to each other. Each episode lasts for about 25 minutes where a plot is presented and closed at the end of the episode with some possible follow-up in later seasons. Plot progression is very limited, so while there can be discoveries and revelations coming out in each episode, they probably won’t matter in the long run. Why? Because the show needs to keep going and if they go for the path of a serialized storyline then a plan with an ending needs to be made.
All of these shows also shared a common aesthetic. Once you have seen Rick & Morty, then you have seen every other show of its kind, which can be summed up to dozens and dozens of shows like this right now, both on cable and on streaming. As more shows like this seem to appear on almost every streaming platform, it is becoming harder and harder to differentiate them from each other. Little Demon sadly falls into the trap of being all these things.
Thankfully, the voice actors are all doing a great job. Aubrey Plaza is a woman of many talents, and her role as Laura is quite fun. She knows how to go through an entire spectrum of emotions in a matter of seconds. She really helps sell Laura as a mother in a situation that might be too much for her, but not enough that she won’t fight until the very end for her daughter. Danny DeVito also does a great job as Satan. Although for those who know his voice very well, it is hard to see him in the role of Satan. He sounds too nice.
The similarities between Little Demon and so many other shows really put into question how long shows like that are going to keep being green-lighted. Sure, they are way cheaper than doing a live-action show. However, the shows are becoming so similar that it seems a disservice to keep making them like this. The animation should open an entire realm of possibilities. Instead, the creators of this show are following a trend, in vain, to try to reach the success of Rick and Morty.
Rick and Morty became such a successful show because it was unique. There was nothing like it when it was released for the first time on television. Years later, every single adult animated show wants to be like Rick and Morty by copying its visual style, and also the way it tells its stories. Following a trend isn’t bad per se, but adding your own flavor and turning the recipe into something different should be a must.
As it is, Little Demon has some good jokes here and there, and it is well worth the watch if you are a die-hard fan of Aubrey Plaza. If not, then there are more interesting things to watch elsewhere. Animation has the potential to be massive among adults. The stigma that animation is only for kids should have died long ago, but with shows like this, it seems like that step won’t be coming anytime soon.
