Yes, it’s me again, your Feisty Indian Aunty, who also happens to be a magic buff. Netflix clearly knows this, which is why the fairies inside the app decided that I should check out Fate: The Winx Saga.
The first thing that I ever watched on Netflix was the TV series Grimm. I thought it was going to be about fairy tales or the Brothers Grimm. It was neither. It was, however, very thrilling and easy to follow. There were monsters and magic, and I binged all six seasons in short order. (If it wasn’t already clear from my last two columns, I watch A LOT of Netflix.)
My craze for magic goes back a long ways. (I spent serious money to take my husband and children to see David Copperfield at the Putra World Trade Centre in the late 80s. Twice.) I love magic in all its forms. On stage, on TV, and especially in movies. Mary Poppins, The Witches, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are movies that I watch over and over again. And I can’t not watch Matilda whenever it pops up on Astro. Harry Potter, Gremlins, The Mummy (Brendan Frasier is a hunk!), Narnia, the list is endless. Even the Marvel movies, with their heroes and their special powers, really is just more magic.
But what is it about magic that makes me happy? I think a part of me has always wanted to possess some extra secret power. I would love to make people I disapprove of, or dislike, disappear. I would love to have the power to snap my fingers and teleport to England to see my daughter. I would also love to torture people who are wicked (especially those who are evil to kids) by invading their minds and planting the most horrific nightmares from which they will never wake. (I spend far too much time planning ways to torture those who deserve their just desserts!)
Which brings me to Fate: The Winx Saga on Netflix. (Don’t worry, there isn’t any torture in this series.) Even though this felt like something for the kids, it was nevertheless very compelling binge viewing for me. I loved it. Sure, it was a little dumb at times, but there still were a lot of important lessons for younger audiences. Especially about teamwork and knowing that you’re never alone in this world.
The story is focussed on Bloom, a fire fairy brought up in a “normal” home. She goes to Alfea, the “Otherworld,” where she learns about who she is and how to use and control her gifts. She isn’t all powerful and therein lies the twist. She cannot save herself or the world alone. She needs to make friends, she needs a team, and only then can she defeat the “Burned Ones” who are threatening to kill everyone in Alfea.
All the characters portrayed in this series have great gifts. All the characters were pretty well developed. Everyone gets to know each other with each passing episode, slowly learning how to trust, while appreciating how their gifts can ether be a boon or a bane.
There is, of course, a sneaky saboteur, a love triangle, the princess and the bad boy, the return of a great evil, and plenty of teenage angst. As these things always tend to have. And if that sounds like every other magical fairy show you’ve seen, you’re not wrong. But what’s great about these six episodes (it’s a very short series) is that they keep you enticed and interested and leave you wanting more. I know I ended every episode thinking: “Damn, what’s next?
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