Hazbin Hotel pilot & Helluva Boss

So, I've been trying to figure out what makes this show's raunchy humor work better than something like Sausage Party, and I think I figured out a few reasons.

First of all, it's set in Hell, so it's to be expected that it's not exactly going to be cheery and wholesome.

But I feel a more important reason is that the main character, Charlie, is very cheery and wholesome compared to the vulgar raunchiness surrounding her, thus creating a sense of irony and contrast. Compare that to SP, where nearly every major character is a swearing sex addict.

Also, there was no Anvilicious "All religious people are stupid" message, which I found insulting even as an agnostic.

I don't think raunchy humor needs a reason to work so much as it needs a reason not to work - namely, when it's done for its own sake, as in Sausage Party, it won't work, the same as when puns are overstressed.

Also, this might just be me, but am I the only one annoyed by death in Bangsian Fantasy, especially when it's as simple as destroying someone's form? All I can think in the latter case is, "why didn't that work the first time?"

So, I admit Vivienne's interpretation of Hell is a pretty odd one.

From what I can gather, the traditional portrayal of Hell is a prison where irredeemable sinners are sent to be punished for all eternity. Just like how souls do not "become" angels when they go to Heaven, souls do not become demons when they go to Hell. Demons either assist in punishing the sinners, or are imprisoned there themselves. I know that traditionally Satan does not rule over Hell, but is a prisoner there too.

But in this version of Hell, sinners do become demons when they go there, and they don't seem to be prisoners. They have their own society that, while not exactly a wholesome one, appears to be doing fine. They take part in all the sins they committed in life, even though Hell is supposed to be punishing them for those sins.

If I were the creator of this franchise, I would set it in Purgatory. Maybe Charlie could be an Anubis-like character who runs a hotel in Purgatory to test and see if souls are redeemable or not (especially since Vivienne loves drawing anthropomorphic dogs), and Ammit could be her pet.

Edited by MrMediaGuy2 on Dec 23rd 2019 at 8:27:40 AM

I think the punishment is that they're spending eternity either being abused by each other or indulging in their vices until they lose all pleasure.

Hell is other people. And Hell is repetition.

Another thing to consider are the Executioners. So in Hell you spend your afterlife putting up with other assholes and being stuck in the same patterns of behavior that got you stuck in Hell in the first place and risk total spiritual annihilation every year or so.

Edited by M84 on Dec 24th 2019 at 1:16:50 AM

It should be noted that Angel has a pimp & he's clearly frightened of the guy.

So even if Angel's apparently successful in Hell it's not without its horrors.

Like I said, Hell is other people. I know I'm repeating myself here...but then again, Hell is also repetition.

Edited by M84 on Dec 24th 2019 at 1:20:21 AM

There's also no real chance of improvement, either. The best you can hope for is to become one of the Lords of Hell, and even then you'll have angels after you yearly - to say nothing about all your business partners, subordinates and so on, who by definition are the worst people humanity has to offer. No chances of improvement except for a very specific definition of it, no way to move to a better place or anything. Just the grind, full of assholes, forever.

From my understanding Hell also still can be rather torturous in the sense that demons/sinners cannot die without getting hit by angel weapons. This means that the real nasty of the nasty folks get free reign to indulge in every horrible thing that they can with victims that never die.

For example, the serial killers that gets sent to hell? They can do their dirty work and have their victims never die to it. Cannibals? I don't even want to imagine what exactly happens to their undying victims....

Edited by Wispy on Dec 24th 2019 at 1:39:40 AM

Hell like love is an eternal battlefield.

And now for something completely different:

Happy Holidays, y'all!

I enjoyed that short thoroughly. So sweet! I agree with Vivz, why not enjoy both?

Also, I was wondering: so Vox is among most powerful overlords in Hell but he died in 1950s and Alastor died in 1933. Wouldn't it be to Alastor's interests to curb any other upstarts and keep the rulers to a minimum or something? Or does he like a challenge and lets others also rise up so he can plot against more? it's something I was wondering about. He did slow down later on in Hell. I heard a lot about Alastor, but Vox is completely unexplained. He came to Hell about 2 decades or so after Alastor and rose up too.

Also about Vox himself, would he be like a walking reference to all the 50s low budget So Bad, It's Good b-movies? He did die in 50s

Onto Husk, ever since I learned recently he fought in Vietnam, it got me thinking: was he a Sociopathic Soldier who committed war crimes (rape, mass murder, other unspeakable atrocities...) against the Vietnamese and his cause of death is bunch of them he trapped escaping and killing him in revenge?

Edited by Dhiruxide on Dec 27th 2019 at 5:09:26 PM

There presumably was not much more competition for top spots in Hell after Alastor's massacre, it certainly wouldn't be the same to fight weak demons vying for power over Demon Overlords.

Of course, that's just what I suppose allowed Vox to rise up in power quickly, a lack of any real challenge.

I kind of figured his damnation was due to something after Nam, and that his death was related to the vices we see him indulge in Hell: gambling and cheap booze.

Heck, maybe whatever happened in Nam is why he fell into those vices in the first place.

Edited by M84 on Dec 28th 2019 at 12:19:06 AM

I'm suddenly reminded of Comedian now.

Ooof that's some sad shit.

Edited by slimcoder on Dec 27th 2019 at 9:31:05 AM

Heck, if you want to , maybe Husk was the Comedian.

"You think I'm some kind of fucking clown?!"

I think Vox's deal is that he uses advanced technology as Vivzie stated that the main focus of his rivalry with Alastor is their differing views on technology.

Edited by Kaiseror on Dec 28th 2019 at 7:12:10 AM

Either way, if this series ever gets picked up, I'd love to see what major antagonistic role Vox will take. He seems like he'd be part Greater-Scope Villain who's part of a Big Bad Ensemble.

I ask this because I'm really curious: is there like a Jahannam in HH 'verse? It can't be the (vaguely) Christian Hell only.

Did Vivz ever say anything about other kinds of Hell in her story world?

Quickly going off what I can recall was said in the second surprise Q&A, Viv has said that she takes inspiration from different theologies and not just simply the Christian one for her interpretation of Hell and etc.

She mentioned in the stream that her version of Hell isn't just Pentagram City. There are apparently frozen wastelands and such from what I think I can recall. At the very least, there's a 1910's cannibal town, and a really twisted and crazy place that's apparently called "Wonderland".

Not sure if Viv has a place in her version of Hell that at least takes inspiration from Jahannam however it wouldn't be surprising if there is such a place considering she has demons based off those from the Ars Goetia, and a demon family based on Lovecraftian Eldritch abominations.

Edited by Elfkaiser on Dec 28th 2019 at 9:55:42 AM

So two possible trope examples, since this seems like a show that'll draw vigilantes.

• Would the number from the talk show count as a Patter Song? Some will insist the slower stanzas should disqualify it, but I think every Patter Song has slow stanzas.
• The demon who escapes the purge at the beginning only to be run down by Angel's john is an apparent Take a Moment to Catch Your Death, but from what I understand, according to the rules of the show, he'll definitely recover, so it wouldn't technically be an example (again, vigilantes) - is there a Playing With subtype for that?

I would say it still counts even if the death is not permanent.

Happy New Year and here's a cute from the folks who made Hazbin Hotel.

E Dit: Whoops, didn't realize it was already posted. Sorry

Edited by MrTerrorist on Dec 31st 2019 at 5:52:49 AM

I watched the pilot and it's so good. It's so good I'm tempted to donate to the Patreon to help it maintain that level of quality.

I watched the pilot, and I liked it so far. I had a bit of trouble following what was going on at times, due to not knowing who all these characters are and occasionally very busy and fast animation, but it seems like an interesting story.

I have to wonder though, why would anyone want to get into the kind of heaven that regularly sends out exterminators to thin out sinners? I suppose that will be brought up at some point, too.

^Presumably because once you get in, you earned getting in. Everyone who gets executed deserves it.

So basically, the same justification that people use for wanting to get into a Heaven where Hell exists. You got yours, and everyone else just isn't trying hard enough or didn't work hard enough in life.