I grew up with the 1990 version and i rewatched it recently for old time's sake. It still hit me with the feels and I will love it till the day I die. This one didn't really do that for me.. I mean it's pretty to look at but why turn Moomin and Snorkmaiden into angsty teenagers, Snufkin to an irritable and arrogant sociopath and Little My seemed overly pushy.. The only one who behaved somewhat consistantly was Sniff. The humor is too dry and simple.
I don't really know what they were trying to accomplish with this production. Seems cheap to me.
Add a Review
-
askeland8912 January 2021
-
roadhousesun22 April 2019Yes the originals are flawless and I know other reviewers are questioning the point of this remake, but it's a really sweet and cute adaption in my opinion (and I'm old enough to remember the original stories!) with a good voice cast that will bring these enjoyable tales to a new audience. The Moomins are classics and surely new eyes and ears to their antics can't be a bad thing.
-
kirkir-1792026 September 2020I wrote way more than I intended to about Moominvalley... minor spoilers
I've only watched the 1990 anime before this one, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I haven't read any of the children's books, or seen any other adaptations, so there's that.
This one makes a lot of changes from the anime, and I think they're mostly positive. Some of them are smaller, and some of them pretty much change the entire show. Pros and cons list, go!
Pros: 1. All of the mistranslations, mediocre voice acting and headscratching dialogue has been sorted out. This isn't hard, but God, has anyone else noticed just how awful this is in the anime?
We'll suddenly cut to characters speaking in 100 mile per hour proto-English for no reason, and it just ruins every line. All of that is fixed here, which makes it waaaay more watchable.
2. Much better pacing. This show definitely understands that it's taking from several stories at a time, and changes the structure to suit it. The anime kinda just jammed them all together, which never felt right.
3. Does a good job of explaining some kind of confusing plot lines. In the anime, it feels like a lot of the events are just implied from the books, and are sort of explained in non-sequiturs. Like, this girl is sad, so sheeee's invisible, obviously. This fisherman is sad for emotional reasons and stuff. This show dives a lot deeper into it, and you know... tries to explain it.
4. The characterization is great. I really like how the show finally commits to giving everyone in the valley a consistent personality. My personal favorite was playing up the absurdity of Moominpapa, but everyone else is well-done too.
Moomin(troll) is sorta rebellious and teenage-ish, but tries to be a nice kid. Snufkin is mysterious, but has to learn to stop pushing his friends away with persistent independence. Moominmama is hilariously maternal, Little My sort of matures as the show goes on and it's rare to see anyone get legit angry. The fisherman arc is a billion times better as well.
I think this is my favorite improvement.
5. The style of humor changes a whole lot. I think this comes from Steve Box, who also worked on Wallace and Gromit, because it feels a lot like that. The anime is more cute and subtle, while this version has a lot more slick one-liners and clever writing. It gives the show real energy, but I'm still mixed on it.
Like, it's usually well-written, but it definitely clashes with the mysterious, out-in-the-forest atmosphere of the whole thing. I like it, but I can see why some wouldn't.
6. The theme song is incredible, Stinky, Snork and the alien episode are gone (wahoo!) and there's plenty of Snufkin if that's your thing.
Cons:
1. I don't like the character animation. It's just boring. No one looks like a magical far-away hippo thing, they look like dollar store piggy banks. Really, really takes you out of the atmosphere at times. The anime is hand-drawn, it captures the setting and is just all-around nicer.
2. Don't like some of the voice acting. It's not all bad, but I think Snufkin and Snorkmaiden are particularly obnoxious. Moominpapa is over-the-top, even for his character, and Sniff can definitely get annoying. Speaking of which...
3. Too much Sniff. No one likes him, c'mon. I think his inclusion is what really pushes the humor out of any kind of subtlety. He's fine as someone who shows up every once and a while, but not as a main character.
4. When the new style of humor doesn't work, it really doesn't work. When that happens, you're basically devoting a huge amount of the episode to bad jokes, while also sacrificing that mysterious atmosphere. It doesn't happen very often, but yeah.
Wow, that sure went on, didn't it? Anyways, if you can get past the animation and different style of humor, I think the show is a pretty big improvement on the anime. Is it as loyal to the books? Maybe not. It is a lot more Wallace and Gromit-y, but that air of mystery is still there, the characters are improved and what is different is mostly for the best. -
R2D2K917 April 2019Having seen the first half of the first season, I am really happy about this. I feel the totality of what I've seen is good - animation, storytelling, visuals, dialogue. It respects the work of Tove Jansson and hits the nostalgic buttons by not being too different from the japanese series, but still it is not a copy but its own version of the stories. I feel this is great for kids, and most of the episodes are great to watch as an adult too. This will never be the same as the original series, but I think expecting that wouldn't be reasonable.
-
chazzheaton22 April 2019I love this, as a fan of the moomins, I find this version such a lovely addition. I grew up with the anime and I find this version so pleasant. The visuals are stunning, the feeling you get from this tv show is the same you get when reading the original comics. I love the voice cast, I have been so used to the voice cast of the anime, but I think this might be the best cast version!
-
edwardjohncharlesconley4 September 2019You'll probably enjoy this too.
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. -
ecrosby-writer24 November 2019I'm an avid fan of moomins, by which I mean I have been raised on it, from its bizarre and oddly sardonic humour to it's cute charming characters. I even have a moomin tattoo. I know it pretty well and I think that this series captures the mood of the books better than any others. Its sweet and wholesome, anarchistic and at times even strangely melancholy. It has something very rarely found in a show aimed a children and that is emotional honesty.
My nieces (3 and 5) love this show. Like me they have been raised with the characters. The more mature themes that sometimes show up allow a dialogue to open between me and them about things that would be hard to broach under normal circumstances, especially when it comes to the 'Invisible child' episode. My 60 year old mother also adores it, enjoying the dynamic between Mama and Papa Moomin.
The voice cast is excellent. The only one I'm not sure fits is Snorkmaiden. Jennifer Saunders as Mymble is excellent, as does Taron Egerton as Moomin. I was sceptical about the CGI visuals when the show was announced but I loved them after the trailer and screenshots were released. It has a cosy sort of aesthetic to it. The soundtrack is pretty good although sometimes I feel that the fit wasn't quite right for the mood of the show.
The writing and visual gags are pretty good overall. It's simple and easy for small children to follow but still entertaining and keeps a decent pace. The adventure sequences are fun to watch. -
emilystockle26 November 2021If I'm ever feeling down or sad or had a bad day, this programme always makes me happy and wholesome. Beautiful stories and amazing take on the original! Love it so much!
-
annarogersdotter9 January 2022So disappointed! Come on, make a version of the original books and how the characters actually are!! And the babyfied details.. the original stories are not actually written for children, It's written for everyone, the characters are as complex and unexplainable as people are.
But in this version i get the sense that they have just read the new simplified childrens version (which we don't even read our kids, they're not actually written by Tove Jansson herself).
Animation from the 70'ies version is still better than this.
It's like the made a copy from a copy from a copy.. big thumbs down unfortunately.. but my six year old likes it so I'll give it a three instead of a two. -
hannafechik25 December 2019I first want to confess, the Moomins were sadly not part of my childhood. I did not know of their existence until I was 17 believe it or not. (I am 21. By the way) At the time, I was not a fan, because it did not really hold any interest in me. Finally for my 21st B-day, I got a couple of the original comics, and I was actually amused. I thought, "Okay, this is actually pretty funny." So, I did happen to know of the anime adaptions, except it was not that much, appeal to me, considering my taste in anime. Like at this time, I'm into anime shows like, "Hetalia: Axis Powers" and what not. The anime adaptions of "Moomin", I felt, were to outdated for my liking. So, when I found the 2019 cg series "Moominvalley", (which by the way is a Finnish-British production) I decided to check it out. I'll tell you right now, I was impressed. The animation is gorgeous, and the voice acting, it's amazing. I really like the fact they use big-name actors and actresses. I saw that the character Sniff, was voiced by Warwick Davis. (Professor Flitwick from Harry Potter) That to me, is so cool.
What I also love, is how empowering this cartoon feels. It empowers in so many ways. Tove Jansson, had a feminist background to her, from what I have read. She challenged stereotypes and assumptions of how women should be. Her female characters make this very clear. Specifically Moominmamma, Little My, and even Snorkmaiden. I just simply enjoyed Little My's character in this cartoon. She is probably one of the most relatable female characters in animation. She's so tough, fearless, and lovable.
I also, love how there's LGBT undertones. Tove Jansson also had an LGBT background as well. Snufkin, appears to be giving the signs of being gay, it's just never clarified.
I also, really love the humor. This is my favorite joke, when Moominpappa chops his hat in half with an axe:
Moominmamma: Did you chop the wood dear?
Moominpappa: No, just my hat.
Moominmamma: Naturally.
I find that very funny for some reason, though I don't exactly understand what Moominmamma meant by "naturally".
Overall, I think this series is everything a good cartoon should be. A great story, like able characters, beautiful animation, good humor, and top-notch voice acting. I applaud Gutsy Animations for their work on this cartoon, and I give much respect and honor to Tove Jansson for her creations. -
Roande25 March 2019To be honest, I kinda like this. The story is interesting in my opinion and Little My gets much more screen time than in the Tanoshî Mûmin ikka. Still there's something that's irritating. Like the good moomin adaptations from Japan are anime, this one is 3D-animated. Anime gives the series much more life, because the original moomin were illustrations. Honestly anime makes it much more better, but this is plot wisely good. The good idea would have been this: same plot and anime. They sadly didn't do this and... I don't hate it or love it.
-
p_mongt25 October 2021This version really depicted the Moomin Books and cartoon series very well with respect on Tove Jansson. Characters is well crafted, like it jumps out from the books. This made it for the kids and they are really enjoy it. And also adult like me.
-
zpgykxpn2 October 2022The animation and character designs are pretty good, I can tell the animators, voice actors and everyone else involved put a lot of time and probably money on this project, plus it's an actual decent take on the characters and storyline from the original 90s version.
I might take bias as I grew up on the 90s version however my opinion and point is that if you like the 90s version than the likelihood is that you probably like this one as well!
As an autistic person it's comforting that they follow similar storylines ( ! THEY AREN'T THE EXACT SAME THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY DIFFERENT ! ) but in this 2019s version they make it more newer and more modern, this consistency makes me aa an autistic person happy! -
rabenulrik28 July 2021Based on decade old comics, shows and books from way up North Moomins it is. Asia and Europe was certainly flooding the cartoon market last decade. We follow a long row of fantasy creatures known as Moomins in their remote adventure forests. I just rented the DVD in the nearby library and it´s a shame the English dub is not included but at least there are Sami language to make it more weird. If you want your kids to watch more than Peppa Pig or Paw Patrol all the time stream Moominvalley 2019.
-
leigh_tinkler19 February 2020I loved the moomins as a child and thought this adaptation might interest my children. They adored it and I enjoyed it along with them, It really does the books justice.
-
nitrammd23 March 2024I can't compare it with the anime version as I watched that a million years ago and can't hardly remember, and what's the point anyway. We love this version. Great storytelling, amazing voices, music is so good that I want to put it in my playlist and listen to it on repeat. It's just perfect, I need more shows like this. This show should be way more popular than it is (always think that moonins are sort of popular but not enough). Wife's adores it, kids love it... a true show for the whole family. Also in the calm side, so it a great show for winding down, we watch this all together at dinner time.
-
klonedio22 November 2023I left self introduction for last.
This is a rare family friendly show which hasn't been created with the sole purpose of selling toys. How good is it? Think Adventure Time or Sponge Bob. It's better than Sponge Bob.
The directing of photography and the overall aesthetic taste is impeccable. Several times I've gotten goosebumps from the sheer beauty of a scene.
If you have kids, you must introduce them to this.
If you don't have this in your native language, you must petition a local company to introduce this.
It's so good, you won't mind watching it with your kids. This isn't the type of a show to give you anxiety over how blatant it is that it's just long-form advertising, designed to manipulate children.
It's wholesome, and it's beautiful. Don't miss out!
I'm an unusual Finn, because I don't have fond nostalgia towards the "Anime" version of 90's. I've watched that one back in 2013, when I was 28.
Perhaps that makes me slightly less biased.
I started watching this one because I wanted to learn Swedish.