The original Winx cartoon show aired on Nickelodeon in 2008 and was predominately popular for young girls. The original plotline follows main character Bloom and her best friends as they save the universe and fight evil all while attending a special high school for fairies who have special powers. This new year, Netflix decided to release a reboot version of the story and target it to an older audience called, Fate: The Winx Saga.

The producer of Vampire Diaries Brain Young decided to take over Netflix’s newest project and he definitely brings the CW vibe to it. This saga brings back a lot of childhood memories but it takes a big turn halfway through the first episode when I could not decide if I should cringe or be amazed. The overall visuals and aesthetics of the show are very pleasing. However, seeing characters that I watched when I was three start vaping and try to deal with major issues while also keeping the language PG kept me on the line of embarrassment and intrigue.

The show still follows a similar plotline, but this go around it is almost a mix between the popular shows Stranger Things and Riverdale. This new spin-off surprises audiences with new themes of love and drama. The strong friendships built in the original cartoon are put in jeopardy, and the cast explores more mature topics of conversation such as smoking. The series has not been confirmed with a season 2 yet, but after the way it ended, it would be a crime not to continue and tie up the loose ends.

The show has gotten mixed reviews, from people who believe it is torture to others thinking it is the best reboot they’ve ever watched. It depends on what your preference of genre is and how much you are willing to accept the new changes and perspective over the old cartoon. Netflix does a good job of bringing this childish plotline to fit with teenagers’ interests today. After watching the show, I was honestly hooked, I am not a big drama show fanatic, but I was overall pleased by the end of the first season. If you are into shows that include lots of drama and action with mystical aspects or just loved Winx Club as a child, this show is definitely something you should look into.