My Miniseries Review on The Wingfeather Saga-Season #1

Greetings and salutations, my friends.

This is your top-of-the-line film, TV show, & episode reporter here with another review.

Today, I’m gonna give you guys my very first miniseries analysis, which is on the 1st season of “The Wingfeather Saga”.

Here’s the rundown of it:

The Igibys are a family who have loved on a farm for much of their lives. They consist of three children: Janner, Tink/Kalmar, & Leeli; the children’s mother: Nia; and the children’s grandfather: Podo Helmer. They live near a town called Glipwood, which is among the settlements controlled by the Fangs of Dang. The Fangs are despicable lizard-like creatures lead by a mysterious figure known as Gnag the Nameless, whose prime intention is to acquire the Jewels of Anniera.

During a festival in Glipwood, a series of unexpected events occurs with the children that changes their lives forever. Along with getting on the bad side of a Fang named Slarb, the children find themselves stumbling into an adventure shrouded with mystery and secrets. Even more startling is that the Igiby family have been hiding something the children never knew about beforehand. A secret that’s greater than anyone ever expected.

The only question is…what will these things mean for the Igiby family going forward?

I really can’t lie to you guys about this:

I'm an incredibly big fan of "The Wingfeather Saga", and it's something that many of my family members love too! Years ago, my 2nd eldest sister shared with me her own copies of the Wingfeather books by Andrew Peterson, and ever since then...I was hooked. Everything about the books amazed me, and I still have fond memories of the times I first read each of them.

When I learned that Andrew Peterson partnered with an animation team lead by J. Chris Wall to create an animated series based on the books, I was deeply excited. "The Wingfeather Saga" being adapted for the screen was a prospect I supported from the beginning, and I definitely thought it'd be perfect for making an animated series out of. I was even more enthused that Angel Studios picked the series up, because I'm a fan of the company's work & business style.

I've been wanting to review Season #1 of "The Wingfeather Saga" TV show for a long time. Furthermore, making my critique for it is something I consider to be a significant first for my days as an entertainment media critic. It's the first time I've made an analysis of a show's separate season since "Samurai Jack", and the show itself is the first I'm reviewing that's currently ongoing.

The biggest thing regarding this review, though...is that I've made it to help give the Wingfeather show more notice & attention. Like every other original production distributed by Angel Studios, "The Wingfeather Saga" is a crowdfunded series. The show gets its money purely from the people who contribute to the production, and recognition from audiences is essential. I'm hoping that this analysis will encourage people to check out this program & contribute to the project.

In short, my critique on "The Wingfeather Saga-Season #1" is perhaps the most important I've ever done. I can't remember the last time I've felt this passionate or invigorated about reviewing something, or when I felt like I was doing more than just expressing my thoughts on an entertainment product, but I am. And it's wonderful!

Anyway...

Coming from a guy who rewatched this season multiple times in preparation for analyzing it, I'd like to start everything off by making this statement based absolute certainty:

"The Wingfeather Saga-Season #1" is truly a masterpiece!

For instance, the animation was astonishing.

Whenever I watched the season, I noted that the animators went with a visual style that reminded me of both "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" & "The Peanuts Movie". It's computer-animated & features everything with a 3-D graphic depth, but it has the appearance of a hand-drawn storybook illustration, with the colors looking like they were provided by paint. The characters share in that appearance, although their movements & expressions are generally like individuals featured in a fluid stop-motion animated film.

And you know what?

I think this animation style is perfect for the series. It works as a compromise for the animators by providing them with the technological benefts given by both hand-drawn & computer-animation, allowing them to do things that they likely wouldn't do if they went with just one of the techniques I mentioned. By using this style, the animators created a visual look that was strongly reminiscent of the illustrations featured in Peterson's books, only with more depth.

Not to mention the animation was gorgeous to see. Everything may come across as a little jarring at first, but when you look at it more...it's surprisingly easy to both adjust to & embrace the visualization. The designs of the settings & characters were natural, and I like that the animators weren't aiming to make the visuals too reflective of real-life while still keeping them from appearing largely cartoony. Plus, the colors of the series complimented everything beautifully, particularly because of their painterly look & feel. Considering the fact that this is a crowdfunded series, I think the animators made excellent use of their budget & resources as well, and I noted their passionate dedication every step of the way.

Along with this, the direction & writing for this season were smashingly spot-on.

Direction-wise, episode #1 was helmed by Bill Breneisen, and John Sanford commandeered episodes #2-#6. While writing-wise, Jacob Roman & Kenny Ryan wrote episodes #1, #2, & #6, Douglas Kaine McKelvey wrote episode #3, and Lauren Gauthier wrote episodes #4 & #5.

Looking back, I noted that every episode played out like it was part of a movie, and none of them were made under an intended runtime. This allowed the production team freedom in figuring out how they can naturally pace everything themselves, and if they feel that a moment is too fast or slow, they can work on resolving it. They clearly wanted to let an episode run until it came to a natural stopping point, and I think that's a refreshing thing to see. Once an episode reached its conclusion, the endings provided an immediate lead-up to the next one, so the continuity structure is tighter compared to most other programs.

In addition to this, Breneisen, Sanford, & the writers delivered in every other area they worked with. Each of the season's episodes provided a storyline that's engaging, fun, & intriguing to where a person wouldn't want to miss a thing. Bill Breneisen did a brilliant job helping episode #1 be a terrific starting point, and John Sanford marvelously aided the season in carrying itself along from episode #2 onwards. Also, even though not every episode was penned by the same person, or people in the case of Roman & Ryan, the writers maintained consistency with each other's works. They ensured penman differences wouldn't be noticeable while still giving a sense that their individual episodes were written by them, and I was amazed that they managed to accomplish such a feat.

When it came to the production team's work in making this season an adaption, there are things I'd like to address regarding it:

For people who read the book, you might note that the season contains many differences from the source material, and that other plot aspects were changed. Personally, I thought that the various changes were welcomingly acceptable, and that the numerous differences were pleasantly honorable. Most people wouldn't like them because they'd want everything to be exactly like what the book showcases word-for-word, but I actually approved of them because they helped the season be unpredictable & surprising in a good way, both for fans of the books & newcomers alike. They didn't detract from what the overall storyline is about either, because the season still shares the same narrative as Book #1 & has more in common with it than the opposite.

J. Chris Wall & the production team obviously intended to maintain faithfulness to the 1st book's storyline & capture its spirit, yet they wanted to stretch themselves creatively by taking risks & doing things that likely couldn't be done in book form. It's a balance that isn't easily obtained, but Wall & company remarkably achieved their goal. Andrew Peterson's involvement as an executive producer notably provides assurance that the changes & differences were ones he approved of, and his creative influence in the storytelling department was something I constantly pinpointed throughout the season.

Tone-wise, J. Chris Wall & company splendidly established this show as something with personality through their work in Season 1, because each episode displayed a fabulously unique balance between being lighthearted & serious. There were moments of humor & wit that I found to be genuinely entertaining, and along with not feeling forced, the comedy carried an innocence that made it too irresistible not to laugh at. Other times, there were scenes of heart, emotion, & drama that tugged my soul at every turn, and they were all tremendously sincere. There were also times of tension, mystery, high stakes, & suspense, all of which were strong enough to grip one's interest.

As for the themes & morals, they were impressively well-done.

One of my favorite things regarding Peterson's books is that they taught lessons involving family. They teach that while no family is perfect, a loving family is a greater gift than one can ever realize, and they teach other family-based values as well. It's an aspect that the production team thankfully captured & preserved for this season, and I can tell that they'll keep doing so for the rest of the show.

However, I believe this season's biggest themes & morals were about courage, fear, love, & loyalty.

I mean, think about it!

Season #1 features the Igiby family living near perilous locations that were crawling with dangers. The Fangs rule the human residents through fear & intimidation, and they frequently justified why people hardly want to mess with them. Plus, the majority of the human characters have powerful insecurities that are difficult for them to work through, and many allowed themselves to be completely dictated by them.

Nevertheless, this season went on to address that fear isn't capable of ruling one's life forever. In fact, it can be conquered if a person chooses to do so. Through the Igiby kids in particular, we're shown that the love & loyalty a person has for others is a true source of courage, and it paves the way for an inner strength no one would expect. In all six episodes, the children were faced with situations that were scary, dangerous, or both, and they all revolved around either the Fangs or Glipwood Forest. And yet, despite how frightening things became for them, the kids were willing to overcome the various adversities and obstacles they were faced with in favor of helping the people they love, including each other! The kids' acts of bravery, selflessness, and determination would later inspire others to take a stand against the Fangs, and it's particularly based on how much they love the Igiby children in return.

In whatever case, this season was teaching that while times of fear & danger are always going to be present, we as people should never allow ourselves to be dictated by them. Rather, we need to take a stand against what we're afraid of and actually help others, whether they're the people we love or simply our neighbors. The struggles depicted in this season are ones that reflect problems people have in real-life, and the lessons are ones that should definitely be taken into account, so they're strikingly relevant as well.

Moving on from that...

The music by Kurt Heinecke, Ben Shive, & the Arcadian Wild was magnificent.

Every time I watched this season, I noted that the melodies featured in each episode sounded extroadinarily reminiscent of music based in Celtic countries, and that they had a feel reflective of both the Middle Ages & Early Modern Period. To boot, the music flawlessly complemented the Wingfeather Saga's setting, and the melodies matched the personalities & emotions of the characters like a glove. The overall score even had a quality that was like that of a feature film, and the fact that the composers & musicians were going all-out in showing that the music was created without the use of AI made their work all the greater.

Likewise, the songs that Season 1 had were immediate showstoppers. Episode #1 featured "The Green of Rysen Hill" and all two renditions of "Yurgen's Tune", while episode #6 showcased "My Love Has Gone Across the Sea". All the songs played a wonderful part for their respective episodes, in that they helped move episode #1 & #6's stories along & made their end credits sequences enjoyable to watch. Not to mention the songs' lyrics & melodies were delightfully enchanting.

Finally, the voice acting, casting, characters, and character development were fantastic.

First off, I think the casting team made the right call to hire actual kids for the child characters. By doing exactly that, all of the children featured in this season were given a greater sense of authenticity through their voices, which helped them feel all-the-more convincing as characters. The young performers themselves did a splendid job portraying their parts, and I could tell that they were having a great time being there. Each of the child characters were a welcoming standout, that’s for sure.

Of course, the child characters I’d like to make particular mention of are the Igiby kids & Sara Cobbler.

At the time I was reading “The Wingfeather Saga” books, I immediately found Janner, Tink, & Leeli to be enrapturing. All three children had personalities that made them incredibly distinct as characters, they were lovable & relatable, everything! I particularly noted that Peterson modeled the Igiby children’s roles as individuals off of real-life sibling dynamics, and that this inspired him to take an incredibly unique approach with them.

With this being said, I’m happy to report that the show team successfully preserved what made the Igiby kids special in the books, all the while taking advantage of the benefits adapting the trio for the screen can give. I loved that they were putting utmost care in depicting the early stages of the Igiby kids’ hero’s journey, because everything about their transitions from a life as regular children to ones of astonishing significance felt so naturally played & executed. I was entranced by what was going on with the trio no matter what! And whenever the three children were in danger or ran into a problem, I’d be hoping that they’d come out on top.

Plus, the Igiby kids’ personalities & roles were faithful to their depictions in the books. Janner is the older brother who has to be responsible, discerning, and altruisitc since he’s often tasked with looking after his siblings. But, he’s a wonderful person who has a playful side & would love to do something exciting. Tink is the middle child who’s immensely exuberant, mischievous, & adventurous. Although, he cares deeply for his family & can get very protective of them whenever they’re at risk or in danger. And, Leeli is the youngest child who’s perhaps the most warmhearted & caring of the trio. Despite her limitations as a cripple, though, she wants to help others & contribute in any way possible. Each of the aspects I mentioned were beautifully depicted in this season, and the threesome’s individual character developments were awesome to see. Likewise, the performances of Alkaio Thiele as Janner, Griffin Robert Faulkner as Tink, and Romy Fay as Leeli were stupendous! All 3 cast members portrayed their parts like they were born to take them on, and I loved how passionate & committed they were in bringing their respective characters to life.

On the subject of Sara Cobbler…

When I first saw the cast line-up video, I was both surprised & uncertain over Sara making an early appearance, and I’m sure other fans of the books had similar feelings towards the announcement. Even so, I was willing to see what the show team intended on doing with Sara & observe how she could fit into Season #1’s overarching story, so I was excited anyway. And believe me, I was not disappointed.

By introducing Sara early in the show, the production team gave her a greater sense of character-establishment. In terms of her personality, episodes #1 to #3 provided an excellent look into what Sara was like while she lived in Glipwood, and they showcased aspects of her that viewers could immediately relate with, such as an interest in plants. I enjoyed getting to see the relationships she shared with the Igiby kids as well. When you really look into how close her bond with the trio was, it makes the tragedy that befell her in episode #3 all-the-more heartbreaking. Her role & inclusion in Season #1 was obviously intended to officially kickstart the Igiby children’s hero’s journey, so her early introduction was sincerely meaningful by story standards. Ari Elizabeth Johnson did a fabulous job portraying Sara, that’s for sure.

And now, it’s time for me to talk about the adult characters of this season. Both human & Fang.

Casting-wise, the adult characters were voiced by a noticeably impressive array of performers. Some were played by members of the show’s production staff, but others were performed by full-time entertainers, and a few of the cast members voiced more than one character! The best part was that they all did a stupendous job voicing their characters. Along with showcasing how passionate & committed they were for being aboard this project, the adult cast members portrayed their parts with tremendous personality, emotion, & depth. One thing’s for sure, all of the adult characters were distinct & compelling in their own way.

Out of every adult human character, the ones I’d like to talk about are Nia, Podo Helmer, Oskar N. Reteep, and Peet the Sockman. And, the Fangs I want to give the most notes on are Commander Gnorm & Slarb.

When it comes to Nia, Podo, & Oskar, I enjoyed their appearances in the books for a variety of reasons. All three of them had tremendous personalities & qualities that helped them stand out in the best way. Not to mention the relationships they shared with both each other & the Igiby children’s were truly heartwarming. Even the dialogue for the three characters was fun, with Podo & Oskar’s being particularly notable because Peterson gave them undeniably distinct speech patterns.

To my delight, I found that Nia, Podo, & Oskar’s depictions in the show were 100% faithful to their book portrayals, and the performers that the casting team selected for them proved that they were perfect for their individual parts.

Oskar is still the warm-hearted friend of the Igiby family who has a love for the literary arts, and every moment involving him was enjoyable to watch. Andrew Peterson knocked it out of the park with his performance as Oskar, showcasing his surprisingly stupendous voice acting abilities & portraying the character to where I highly doubt anyone else could have done better.

Podo is still the tough & hardened old man who nonetheless has a softer side, in that he loves his family & will do anything to help them when needed. Kevin McNally did an awesome job playing Podo, accurately capturing the character's personality & spirit while bringing a sense of something that's entirely his own.

And, Nia is still the loving & courageous mother who would rather die than let her family come to harm, including whenever tough situations develop. Jodi Benson was outstanding in the role of Nia. Along with capturing the sense of motherly love & authority that defines the character, Benson portrayed Nia with tremendous depth, emotion, & personality.

Podo & Nia in particular had terrific character growths throughout this season. Once it became clear that the children weren't going to be safe from the Fangs anymore, they realized that it was time to take action against their foes.

Similarly, I thought Peet the Sockman was spectacularly brought to life for the screen.

In Book #1, Peet was shown to be someone who went through unimaginable & traumatizing experiences before taking refuge in Glipwood Forest. All the terrible things Peet endured affected him physically, personally, psychologically, mentally, & emotionally; and the worst part is that they shaped Peet into what many would perceive as a strange & unpredictable lunatic of sorts. Because of this, Peet primarily closed himself off from the world out of fear that he'd cause more harm than good, and there were other aspects of himself that he believed needed to be kept hidden. Yet, Peet still had a desire to help & befriend others. For some reason, he also secretly kept an eye on the Igiby children from afar & wanted to keep them safe. It was only when the Igiby family's lives were being endangered that Peet began coming out of his shell, and he later realized that it was time to stop hiding.

In my opinion, everything I just mentioned regarding Peet was depicted marvelously in this season. All of the character's most compelling & humanly-relatable qualities were faithfully preserved, and the production team didn't hold back from displaying that the events of Peet's past negatively affected him in a powerful way. Peet's character development was equally well-done, and I could tell that a great deal of care was put into every scene featuring him. To top it all off, Henry Ian Cusick did a phenomenal job voicing Peet. As I listened to his portrayal, I noted that Cusick sounded like he was playing the character similar to how an actor performed a role for a live-action production, because he apparently wanted to be vocally in-tune with moments where Peet wasn't talking. His ability to capture the character's depths was terrific too, and I loved how personally & emotionally-invested he was in playing Peet.

When it comes to the Fangs' depiction in this season compared to the book, the biggest thing I noted is that they were further personified. In this case, both the production team and the performers who played the Fangs made them each more distinct as individuals and gave them more personality. It was something I enjoyed seeing, and the unique contrasts every Fang had from each other helped boost their notability.

Among the Fangs featured in Season #1, Commander Gnorm was one of my favorites.

Gnorm was great in the first book, but I thought that the season gave him more time to shine as a character. Some scenes showed Gnorm to be a glutton who isn't exactly bright, and that can make him seem silly by villain-standards. Regardless of his faults, though, Gnorm proved that he's a formidable military officer who shouldn't be underestimated, as well as a devious individual who isn't 100% stupid. Episode #5 particularly displayed that whenever Gnorm wanted to accomplish a mission, he'd take advantage of all he gained in his rule over Glipwood & was resourceful in his tasks, and he wasn't without lethal fighting skills either. Basically, Gnorm is a villain who's both funny & threatening, and he was well-developed too. Of course, it was Christopher Robin Miller's vocal performance as Gnorm that really brought everything home for the character. Miller portrayed Gnorm with a dark sense of humor & theatricality that helped the Fang officer brim with personality, and he stole the show every change he had.

However, if I were to choose who my all-time favorite Fang of this season is, it'd be Slarb. In fact, Slarb is Season #1's best villain!

Even though it's been years since I last read Book #1, I remembered that Slarb was among the story's most prominent of Fangs. He saw the Igiby kids as the source of his humiliation & wanted them to pay for it, his relationship with other Fangs grew strained, and he became much more mentally deranged. Andrew Peterson clearly had plans for Slarb when writing the book, that's for sure.

When I watched Season #1, I found that the show team obviously had the same intentions for Slarb in regard to his role, yet they upgraded him with significant results! From my perspective, Slarb was solidified as the main antagonist of this season, and he had a more fully-realized character arc in contrast to the book.

Case in point, I took greater note of Slarb's individual personality & dark sense of humor, because while I'm sure they accurately matched his book depiction, I noticed that they were amplified to where he became even more memorable. His wounded pride over the fiasco with the Igiby kids, his personal animosity towards the children & obsession over getting back at them, and the growing tension between him & other Fangs were also given greater emphasis. Heck, while it may seem strange that Slarb would later try to secure the "Jewels of Anniera" & suspect the Igiby family to be "in possession of them", it totally felt like something he'd do based on his desires for vengeance & glory. His character development throughout Season #1 was delivered with excellent finesse, and I didn't just see Slarb become more threatening as a villain, I felt it as well. Along with this, Kellen Goff killed it with his portrayal of Slarb. I loved how Goff captured Slarb's spirit while making the character his own, and he was clearly having a great time performing the part. His ability to vocally translate Slarb's emotional & psychological instability was particularly extraordinary, and the fact that Goff didn't limit himself to simply speaking the character's dialogue was outstanding to see.

In conclusion, "The Wingfeather Saga-Season #1" was spectacular with a capital 'S'! Everything about it served as a perfect kickstarter for the rest of the show, and the people involved were giving their very best in making it worth checking out!

So, I rate "The Wingfeather Saga-Season #1" a solid five out of five stars.

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By the way, if anyone's interested in checking out the show, click on the link below:

https://www.angel.com/watch/shared/87a1204b-9a6e-4d7f-a2ac-76defce68207

This link I'm sharing mainly leads to the first episode, but it'll give you free access to both the episode & the rest of the series on the Angel app.