The Netflix adaptation, Fate: The Winx Saga, puts a new darker spin on the once glittery kids show Winx Club, leaving longtime fans with mixed reactions. 

Released January 22, 2021, Fate: The Winx Saga gained popularity within its first day, climbing to the number one spot on Netflix’s Top Ten. The original series, Winx Club, first aired on Nickelodeon in 2004 and was a popular series among younger audiences. 

Taking the storyline of Winx Club in a different direction as the dark fantasy series, Fate: The Winx Saga, explores the main character, Bloom’s (Abigail Cowen) new life at Alfea Academy. Arriving under unusual circumstances, Bloom begins her training as a fire fairy in hopes of controlling her powers. Along the way, she makes friends with her roommates as they get used to their new student life. As Bloom tries to adjust herself at school while being homesick, new mysteries arise within Bloom’s past, making her question all she’s ever known. Together with her friends, Bloom sets out to reveal the truth about her past, only to discover the path she must take has some powerful people on the other side.

Even though the characters within the reboot are interesting, they aren’t accurate to the original show; while some viewers liked the change, many diehard fans disagreed. Seeing the progression of entertainment and culture from the early 2000s, it’s understandable why people like the Winx Saga better because of its overall higher quality production and inclusive themes. It makes sense that Winx Club wouldn’t be as popular now as it was back then considering how much entertainment has changed over the years. However, the themes presented in the show still stand strong while giving many old viewers a sense of nostalgia. 

“During the 2000s there was a wave of ‘friendship’ and ‘love’ overcoming obstacles, while modern TV shows have been taking these lighthearted kids’ shows into dark edgy teen/adult dramas. It kind of loses its nostalgic value when they modernize it like that,” Santa Fe Junior Ryan Ross said.

In addition to the inaccuracy of the new adaptation, fans have been complaining about not only the aesthetic of the show being altered but also making major changes to fit more unnecessary details into the show. Doing things such as changing the characters and plot to be more inclusive for their audience, but in turn, losing focus on telling a quality story that’s enjoyable. The Winx Saga is more comparable to other teen dramas, such as Riverdale, than the series that it’s revamping. Another complaint with the series was some of the special effects used throughout the show. Many fans pointed out a specific scene in episode six where Bloom is fighting the burned ones with her magic, saying that it looked a bit too cheesy. 

“They changed the very thing that the watchers loved about the old show, honestly the title sequence was better than the actual show,” Santa Fe student Morgan Girten said.

On its own, the show itself is decent; if you liked Riverdale or The Chilling Tales of Sabrina then The Winx Saga might be added to your watch list. But overall, the series itself doesn’t seem very original and is a disappointment if you were hoping for Winx Club nostalgia. Having only one season out, much was expected with the reboot of another popular kids series, but the standards Winx Saga was being held to weren’t exactly met. 

With season two already in production and the release of some early teaser clips, a glimmer of hope still remains for some characteristics of the old Winx Club to return.