(Minor Spoilers for the film and the series)
So I finally finished watching the entirety of Big Hero 6: The Series (for the third time). Most people are familiar with the film, but it did actually get a spinoff series on Disney XD. Personally, I found the series to be better than the movie as it fleshed out the film’s world and characters in ways that the film didn’t, which made it a delight to watch. However, there is something about it that makes me appreciate it a lot more than many shows or films I see in the modern day.
Now, the series itself is pretty good. It follows a large cast of superhero college students with unique personalities while one in particular, Hiro Hamada, takes the main focus. Each character gets more development and focus than they did in the film, but the heart of the story is still Hiro and his robotic friend, Baymax. There’s a variety of new characters as well, such as the school they all attend’s dean and Hiro’s school rival, who hates him but loves the superhero team they’re secretly in, and all the new characters are quite enjoyable in how they relate to the main cast.
The overall plot is pretty straightforward. Leaving off from the end of the film, the protagonists get to continue their superhero work after taking down Yokai while balancing their school lives, or even seeing intersections between the two as projects they may be working on end up being related to a potential villain’s plan. Being a show for kids, each episode usually has a moral, such as dealing with bullies or emotional expression. Unfortunately, I didn’t find the non-main villains particularly compelling, but I know other fans of the series that quite enjoy them, so that might be a matter of personal taste. Overall, it’s a fun superhero show that knows exactly what it is, and does it very well.
The reason it sticks out to me though, as much as it does, is a lot of the theming. Since it does follow Hiro, a lot of it does follow his need for rules and limits. Being a super genius at the age of 14, there are things that he can do incredibly well, at an even earlier age than his peers, and that makes it hard for him to relate to other people when often there’s reason for him to believe he knows better. It would be uncharitable to call him a narcissist, but this does lead towards feelings of superiority and pride that do often get him in trouble.
The result is that a lot of the focus from Season 1 is about his needs for limits. The main villain has rejected the idea that he needs limits, believing he can do whatever he wants regardless of the consequences as long as he deems his goal as good, and Hiro often faces that temptation throughout the series. Yet throughout the series, Hiro has to keep rejecting that temptation because when he doesn’t, problems inevitably befall him.
What truly keeps Hiro on the path towards good is his brother, Tadashi (who died in the film), and the relationship he has with his friends, especially Baymax, who was his brother’s creation. His brother gave him someone to emulate, a role model, which instilled in him a desire to do good and help others, while Baymax continues to impart wisdom from what Tadashi programmed him to do. His friends also help keep him in line by giving him needed reality checks and keeping him in the present as opposed to completely withdrawing into his own head. Finally, the dean instills in him the need to keep limits on what he can and can’t do, which constantly pushes him to keep his desires in check, even when operating under the best of intentions. That all provides Hiro a lot of balance he definitely needs which gets him back on the right track, even when he stumbles.
At the heart of it all, that’s why I really love this series. It tells us that not all of our impulses are good, that there’s a healthy need to respect authority (they got to their position for a reason), and that we need people in our lives if we want to grow. In short, it is a reminder of the need for community and that we have to keep our priorities straight. I find that compelling in the modern day.
After all, a lot of the more prominently marketed films of the last decade from major companies (including Big Hero 6’s owner Disney) usually tend to lean against those ideas. There’s no shortage of films where the protagonist actually rejects the guidance of the mentor and totally outperforms everyone they know with limited guidance or training because they just know better. Examples include Captain Marvel, The Last Jedi, and just about anything involving post-Joker relationship Harley Quinn. In a sea of media seeking “empowerment,” an empowerment that rejects both tradition and self-denial, it’s nice to see a show that veers hard in the opposite direction.
For that reason, Big Hero 6 connected with me at a time when society is pushing people towards unhealthy disconnect with their fellow men. It stays true to themes of community, friendship, and obedience when those are things increasingly overlooked in media. It brings a smile to my face every time I think of the characters, and makes me excited to possibly watch it again. If you’re interested, or at least just want more of the movie, I’d say give it a watch because you’re in for a treat.
No comments:
Post a Comment