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I've been a fan of the Moomins since watching the '90s series entitled Moomin - which is how I will refer to it hereafter. It's a guilty pleasure for me and one which I'm sad to say is for all practical purposes abandoned for English speakers. It saw a remastered release in Finland in 2018 with new Finnish voice actors, and is still available in Japanese under the title Tanoshii Muumin Ikka. Unfortunately like most native English speakers, I cannot speak either of these languages and the only subtitles are fan subs of varying quality. With copyright now being enforced on the English dub by the Finnish copyright holders (and rightly so), it is now almost impossible to watch Moomin with English speaking voice actors. If MTV Oy could get chatting with the BBC about an English remaster anytime now, that would be great...
Needless to say when I heard that crowd funding had been successful for a new Moomins adaptation, and that it was to be fully dubbed in English, I was excited. Really excited. The leaked concept art looked bold and vibrant, the cast line up looked incredible, and the air date... was really poorly advertised. Seven months after airing and this is the first I've heard of it. Naturally I binged all thirteen episodes in a single sitting.
So what do I think of the show? It's great. It's very different to Moomin and indeed quite different to most other adaptations. Especially the 2014 film Moomins on the Riviera - which was very beautiful but really lacked substance. It has however taken some very important pages from what made the Moomin great, and I'm going to be so bold as to state that it's even improved upon it in some ways.
Don't get me wrong, the differences were at first quite jarring. For one this series is entirely animated in 3D. While the animation isn't as vibrant as the concept stills which were shown around, it's still largely quite good. I say largely because we live in a post Astartes era (a fan made 3D film done by a single person which is has honestly astounding visuals). While watching the animation I couldn't help but feel some of it felt lazy or a bit rushed. The forth episode titled The Golden Tale focuses a lot on Moomintroll's tail - specifically the tip, which is shown to be made of long hairs which almost flow. Yet in multiple scenes the tail looks like it's made from plastic, moving very stiffly, without flowing at all. I feel like they could have done a better job in this regard, but overall I'd say the animation is solid. The fur on the Moomin family is very welcoming and makes them look a bit like teddy bears.
Another thing I found quite jarring were the characters. The voice acting from the cast is impeccable, and really can't be praised more. The writing for the characters really concerned me during the early episodes though. Moomintroll is portrayed as a bit of a wimp at times. Contrast this with one of the opening lines from Moomin's narator when the scene is focused on a sleeping Moomintroll, "There's Moomin, our hero.". Moomintroll in Moomin is very much that, the hero. He's only portrayed as such in this adaptation from around the time we're introduced to the Groke in the 8th episode.
I hated this, I really did. To see such a beloved character reduced to being as cowardly as sniff, as narcissistic as Snorkmaiden, and a much of a fantasist as his father Moominpapa, it really didn't sit well with me. To me Moomintroll's defining characteristic is that he is brave. He is not for most of the series, and I found myself getting quite frustrated with that. I did however start to come round to the writing around Moomintroll as something happens to him that I've never seen in any other Moomins adaption. He grows.
The Moomins stories have always been shorts which sometimes contain particular story arcs between them. This is where I think Moominvalley has done something subtly different. They have given their characters chance to grow and develop through the series. Moomintroll finds his inner hero. Little My becomes less abrasive, Moominpapa has to learn that Moomintroll is growing up. This is wonderful. To see characters not just be what I've seen in other adaptations, but grow into their own, is so refreshing. I really hope we see another season and the writers continue this theme of growth as it could really raise the prominence of this show and the franchise as a whole.
The best thing Moominvalley has carried over from Moomin is the atmosphere though. Moomin really did something quite unique. It portrayed a family and their experiences in a surreal but beautiful world. It cut a slice from certain lives that very few people have the privilege to experience, and wrapped it into an entertaining kids show. The penultimate episode Midwinter Ancestor for Moominvalley reminded me of the same feelings I'd had as a child watching Moomin. The beauty and awe that a snowy landscape can instil, tension as our heroes brave the elements, joy as they discover new things about the world and each other. I was stunned. Even my partner gasped a little when Moomintroll takes one last look through his window.
To wrap a long review short, the stories are engaging, the characters familiar but interestingly different. Get yourself a warm cup of something, wrap yourself up and give this a watch. You will not be disappointed at the charming slice of fantasy life that is Moominvalley.
