Webtoon Review: A Tale Dark & Grimm
Once upon a time, there were a brother and sister named Hansel and Gretel. They lived happily with their parents until the day their father chopped their heads off. Although the pair somehow survived this experience, it understandably made them wary of the King and Queen, and so they ran off into the deep dark woods looking for a new home.
That might not seem exactly like the tale you remember from childhood. It isn’t–this animated series is based on children’s books by Adam Gidwitz that weave together several of the classic Grimm’s Tales into a longer adventure. Yes, Hansel and Gretel do run into a woman who lives in a gingerbread house. It ends somewhat like you might recall. But they also have to deal with curses, a dragon, deceptive appearances, and even the Devil’s Grandmother!
The story is narrated by a trio of talking ravens, William the dramatic, Jacob the squeamish (“don’t look, kids!”) and Dottie the bird-brained, who is the most like a normal raven. They turn out not to be entirely outside the story, no matter how much they might wish otherwise.
Hansel and Gretel grow up a bit both physically and emotionally during their adventures. At the beginning, Gretel tends to over-think, while Hansel tends to rush ahead without thought. So Gretel has to learn when to trust her emotions, while Hansel has to learn to make solid plans. And the story doesn’t end when they first return home, as the broken family must be mended and their parents aren’t eager to take the necessary steps.
There are several amusing supporting characters–the Devil deliberately misuses words to be evil.
The series is kid-friendly, for the kind of kid that likes a little violence and scary stuff in their fairy tales. Usually the most foul violence is rendered less realistically to take some of the parent-terrifying sting out. Content note: There’s torture in the Hell scenes. Given it’s Hell, that should not be surprising. Also, at one point Hansel gets obsessed with hunting, and there’s wasteful death of animals.
Some parents may not like that most of the adults in the series are useless or actively dangerous to the children, but this isn’t for them.
I’d rate this one okay for kids ten and up, with younger ones probably able to handle it if watched with a more mature guide. It’s a treat for fans of twisted fairy tales.
