Media Essays: Helluva Boss vs. Hazbin Hotel

Vivenne Medrano, aka Vivziepop, must be living the fine life at this point, eh? She's currently created two of the biggest adult animated series in recent years with both Helluva Boss on YouTube and Hazbin Hotel on Amazon Prime being gigantic successes. Both shows have already become smash hits thanks to their colourful and zany animations, creative use of the Hell setting, memorable, complex characters and show-stopping musical numbers. Neither of these shows has been around for long and already they've amassed a huge, devoted fanbase. Heck, I went to a comic con in Nottingham earlier this year and I saw a few Hazbin Hotel cosplayers there! So yeah, these shows have already proven to be big new staples in pop culture and look to be some of the biggest pop-culture hits of the 2020's. I'm sure many creators wish they were in Vivziepop's place right now. I only wish my book could reach that level of success...

Anyway, this all brings me to today's topic for themediamanblog, and that's an inevitable Vs. essay. Come on, who wasn't expecting this? I'm sure plenty of fans out there have debated over which one is better. Having seen both Helluva Boss and Hazbin Hotel, I knew that I would be comparing the two. And so here we are. Which Hellaverse show is superior? Which show is the most hellishly enjoyable? Which one has the hell of a superior cast? And which one has the best songs that make you dance like hell? OK, enough hell puns. XD

Let's unleash our inner demons and find out who will emerge victorious in this hellish battle...

Best Writing

Helluva Boss

Despite both shows taking place in the same universe, they have very different premises. Helluva Boss is all about Blitzo and his mercenaries at I.M.P. who are assassins for hire that end up on crazy cases and having to deal with all kinds of enemies, while Hazbin Hotel is about Charlie Morningstar and her hotel staff trying to run a hotel that can redeem sinners and help them ascend into heaven to avoid the annual exterminations from Adam and his cronies.

So, how do both shows fare up in terms of writing? Both of them have that same feature in where both premises sound like they're for a very formulaic and episodic type of series and yet they end up having deeper, more complex plotting and characterizations than what you'd expect. On the one hand, this made the shows more interesting as they went in a direction that we didn't expect them too and it shows that even a simple sounding premise can have some depth to it. On the other hand, it does make it feel like false advertising and the initial premise ends up being more appealing than what we actually got.

This applies HEAVILY to Helluva Boss. I mean going into this show, I was expecting to see freaky demon creatures going around killing people, and what did I get instead? Generic soap opera crap with Blitzo and Stolas constantly being on edge with each other regarding their strained relationship with each other. Now at first, I didn't mind this stuff when I was watching Helluva Boss, but Season 2 has genuinely got me sick of this strained relationship stuff and I just want it to end already. The show was at its most appealing when it WASN'T about Blitzo and Stolas's relationship! When I got to the episode "Apology Tour" and we got yet another heated argument with Blitzo and Stolas, I outright said to myself "Remember when this show used to be funny and enjoyable? I do too! Good times!" Helluva Boss absolutely should've delivered on its premise and just been a job-of-the-week formula series where each episode is about I.M.P. being given a case and wacky hijinks ensue. There could still be an over-arching plot to it, don't get me wrong, I'm just saying if we got that instead of soap opera crap, the story would've been more enjoyable.

But that's not Helluva Boss's only issue with its writing. The biggest problem this show has is that it's so unfocused! It's the kind of series that is episodic in nature, yet simultaneously tries to have an ongoing storyline. Like, pick a lane writers, you can't do both. This sort of thing certainly did no favours for Pokémon Journeys so what made Helluva Boss think it could do any better? When watching this show, you might either get a standalone episode with I.M.P. taking on a case, or you might get a story-focused episode dealing with the larger plot at hand and then there won't be any follow-ups for a while. Season 2 is especially egregious with this. You get Episode 4 in where Stolas is brutally maimed by Striker and Blitzo is shaken by this reveal. What happens after that? We get a standalone episode with Moxxie and Millie at a camp and a two-parter focused on Fizzaroli and Blitzo making amends with one another before we get any kind of follow-up on that plot-point. And then there's how Season 1 set up a potential ongoing threat with the D.H.O.R.K.S. organization and guess what, it's left forgotten about until Episode EIGHT of Season TWO! Same goes for the three Cherubs that get kicked out of Heaven. That plot happens in Episode 4 of Season 1 and we don't get any kind of follow up until Episode 8 of Season 2 (again). Why can't this show just pick a lane and focus on driving down it instead of trying to do everything at once? This show is just bursting with plot, ideas and characters and the small episode counts just do it no favours whatsoever! Who did they hire to write this show, Chris Chibnall? =P

Helluva Boss is a show that tries to bite off way more than it can chew and that ultimately hurts its chances in the long run. If it just focused on what it promised instead of trying to be deeper and more complex than it needed to be, it could've been way more enjoyable and easier to follow. As is, Season 2's not even finished at the time of this post and I already feel as if I might drop this show when it's over with, because I don't want to keep following a meandering, unfocused mess of a series that has no idea what kind of story it wants to tell. If we're going to continue getting generic soap opera crap at the expense of everything else, then I want no more of it.

Hazbin Hotel by comparison feels like a masterpiece. Yes, that show has its own problems in where again, the small episode count holds it back from its true potential and as some reviewers feel, it went too big too soon with a premise that should've been saved for Season 2 rather than being the first season overall. But is it still better written than Helluva Boss? Hell yeah! Unlike Helluva Boss, Hazbin Hotel doesn't meander, is WAY more focused and it actually delivers on its premise. It promises us a show about a hotel manager running a hotel, and that's what we got. True there are somethings that could've done with their own episode to flesh things out more like Alastor's rivalry with Vox or maybe a couple of guest-of-the-week episodes, but for the most part the story is focused on what the premise delivers, and it doesn't deviate too far from the main plot. Whenever we get a subplot in Hazbin Hotel, it ties back into the main plot in some way, such as Carmilla Carmine killing the angel and Alastor finding out about it which leads into Charlie going to the cannibal town to gather recruits to fight against heaven at the end. When Helluva Boss has a subplot, it feels more like a distraction from the main plot and like the show's bored of its story and just wants to see what else it can do in the meantime.

To give an idea on how good the pacing is in one show and how bad it is in the other, when Hazbin Hotel concludes, I feel like we went through a lot and got a tight, complete story that leaves doors open for future seasons. In two seasons of Helluva Boss, I feel like barely anything has happened and that it's not leading up to anything. How is it Hazbin Hotel managed to tell a more complete story in one season compared to Helluva Boss, which has two seasons? It really goes to show that how you use your time is what's important when it comes to a TV series and Hazbin Hotel certainly does better than its sister show in that regard.

So the show with the VASTLY superior writing...is Hazbin Hotel.

Helluva Boss: 0

Hazbin Hotel: 1

Best Characters

Both shows have a cast of colourful, quirky and most certainly memorable characters that are known for two things: swearing a lot and talking about sex a lot. These are residents of Hell after all. XD And yet these characters have tonnes of layers to them that when you peel them away, you see there's more to them than you'd think.

Given how much I criticized the writing of Helluva Boss, it should come as to no surprise that it causes the characters to suffer some of the show's writing issues. The main cast consists of Blitzo, Moxxie, Millie, Loona and Stolas and it's very clear that the show's main focus is on Blitzo and Stolas. This comes to the detriment of the rest of the cast since these two are stealing so much screentime with their uninteresting fractured relationship that's taking up WAY more time than it should be, thus leaving the rest of the cast high and dry. I mean Loona especially went several episodes in a row throughout Season 2 without appearing or even SPEAKING! And need I bring up how one of the show's most criticized aspects is how underdeveloped Millie is? Even when we get episodes that logically should be focused on her, it somehow manages to be more about Moxxie than herself! Need I mention "The Harvest Moon Festival" or "Ex's and Oh's"? I get that Blitzo's the main character and Stolas is clearly the secondary protagonist, but you can still focus on the other characters and give them their dues as well instead of focusing so heavily on just those two. Pokémon Horizons isn't just solely focused on Liko for example, that show still gives spotlight episodes to other characters like Roy, Dot and Professor Friede so the cast in that show feels more fleshed out. This show on the other hand is pretty much the Blitzo and Stolas show and because their story is the least interesting aspect of Helluva Boss, it makes them the least interesting characters to focus on. I don't care about their relationship drama, I want to see more of Moxxie, Millie or even Loona! At least their plots tend to be more entertaining!

The show's haphazard writing and poor pacing does the cast no favours here. Millie and Loona are woefully underdeveloped, Moxxie flip-flops between being capable and being useless, Stolas had potential to be sympathetic but kinda ruins his chances by lacking any self-awareness of how he's been during his relationship with Blitzo and never once acknowledges his own wrong-doings and Blitzo, while having a lot of depth to him, has a few jerk moments too many to really be that likeable. This cast had so much potential to be great, but the show's poor writing did them no favours whatsoever.

Hazbin Hotel once again stands tall by comparison. While it's easy to argue that the show's cast is a little too large for an eight-episode series to carry, I feel that for the most part, the show's focused narrative and pacing does help in giving most of the cast their time to shine. Charlie Morningstar is the main character but unlike Blitzo, she's not hogging too much of the spotlight to the detriment of the other characters. No, we get plenty of scenes without her so the rest of the cast can show off their own personality traits, fun quirks and little gimmicks that makes them tick. I feel like I know the cast of this series better than the cast of Helluva Boss because of this. Charlie is the kind-hearted Princess of Hell, Vaggie is the bloodthirsty fallen angel who is Charlie's girlfriend, Husk is the washed-up gambler with a cynical edge, Angel Dust is the promiscuous porn star who's overly frisky nature hides a tormented side to him, and Alastor is the mysterious radio demon that seems to be running his own agenda. All these characters are memorable and easy to tell apart from one another and their personalities and idiosyncrasies give them a lot of character and charm that makes them even more enjoyable. I have a more fun time watching these characters than I ever did with the cast of Helluva Boss. It also helps that for the most part, they're more likeable than the cast of their sister show as they're not as jerky as Blitzo, not as inconsistent as Moxxie or as underdeveloped as Millie and Loona.

And now let's cover the villains of both shows. Helluva Boss doesn't really have a central villain, per say, rather it has multiple villains for the main cast to face. There's Striker, the D.H.O.R.K.S. organization and Crimson. Striker at least is a cool gunslinging assassin who gives I.M.P. a good fight every now and then, but he feels more like a hired gun than an actual proper villain. D.H.O.R.K.S. and Crimson are villains that feel like they should be main villains, but are instead more or less villains-of-the-week to deal with, thus leaving them underdeveloped as threats for our heroes to face. I'm sure D.H.O.R.K.S. might have more to do when we get to the end of Season 2, but it feels too little too late for me. Hazbin Hotel just has Adam and the Exorcists (heh, sounds like some kind of extreme religious rock band) and they're present all throughout the series, thus making them feel more developed and realized as antagonists compared to the villains of Helluva Boss. I feel more of a connection between the heroes and the villains in this show because we actually see more of them and develop the relationship between them more. If Helluva Boss had just one singular villain to focus on instead of multiple villains who feel more like one-shot or recurring enemies than actual antagonists, then it could've given us a more compelling threat for our heroes to deal with.

Both casts do have their good points, don't get me wrong, it's just the cast of Helluva Boss have a lot of bad points that brings down their potential and makes them feel lesser compared to the cast of Hazbin Hotel. The show with the superior cast of characters...is once again, Hazbin Hotel.

Helluva Boss: 0

Hazbin Hotel: 2

Best Music

Now for the part I'm sure you've all been keen to hear about: the music. Both shows are practically infamous for having rocking, show-stopping tunes that steal the show whenever they happen and live rent free in people's heads for months on end after they've heard them. I know I consider the musical numbers to be the best thing about both these shows. But which one does it best?

I admit, I'm not the best when it comes to judging music. Both shows do a fine job on the soundtrack and I can't really comment on much more than that. But in order to determine a winner, I'll be judging these soundtracks on how well I remember them. And in this case, Hazbin Hotel wins out yet again.

So why is that? Well, compared to Hazbin Hotel, I just don't really remember that many songs from Helluva Boss. When watching the show, most of the time I just watch the scene with the musical number and then that's it, it's already forgotten about by the time it's over and I never really find myself wanting to listen to it again. The only songs I've ever listened to more than once from Helluva Boss is "You'll Be OK", "Cotton Candy" and my personal favourite, "You Got The Power". "You'll Be OK" is this utterly gorgeous lullaby sung by Stolas to his kid daughter, Octavia and is absolutely carried by Stolas's angelic vocal performance. "Cotton Candy" is this fun, boppy 2000's era tune that fits in with Ke$ha's musical style at the time (even though she didn't actually sing it). And "You Got The Power" is this kickass rock song that makes you feel like a badass when you hear it and sing to it and I just can't get it out of my head! But those are only three songs out of an 18-episode series (at the time of this post), and this series has a song in every episode. I dunno what it is, but I just don't find myself remembering a lot of the tunes in this show. They just come and go and I never really bother to listen to them again except for those three I mentioned.

Hazbin Hotel by comparison, I remember pretty much every song in the show, and that show has two songs per episode! But yet, I still remember them and have a blast singing to them time and time again. "Happy Day In Hell", "Hell Is Forever", "Loser Baby", "Respectless", "Hell's Greatest Dad", "More Than Anything", "Poison", "Stayed Gone" and especially my personal favourite, "Whatever It Takes" are all show-stopping bangers that I remember and can sing to with ease should I hear them and they all have very memorable melodies that make them infectiously catchy. This soundtrack also covers multiple genres of music too, which gives the soundtrack more flavour with rock, alternative rock, pop and more while Helluva Boss's soundtrack isn't quite as varied.

Also, Helluva Boss's musical numbers more often than not feel like they're there just because, while Hazbin Hotel's soundtrack feels like an extension of the story-telling, which is what a musical should do with its music. Nearly every song in Hazbin Hotel is kinda like a mini-story in and of itself while Helluva Boss's songs are kinda like that but not all of them are. Tunes like "Cotton Candy" and "You Got The Power" especially feel like songs I could hear on the radio devoid of all context regarding Helluva Boss whereas Hazbin Hotel's songs can't be separated from the story so easily. They're a part of the show's story, and it's what makes them feel better integrated as a result.

I wish I could give both shows the win here as both shows have good soundtracks. But because Hazbin Hotel's soundtrack is more memorable and integral to the story, I have to give it to Hazbin Hotel once more. The show with the best soundtrack...is Hazbin Hotel.

Helluva Boss: 0

Hazbin Hotel: 3

Overall

It really was no contest in the end. Hazbin Hotel is just objectively better than Helluva Boss in every way.

Blitzo: "OH F*** YOU ASSHOLE!"

That's enough Blitzo. Don't be a sore loser. Helluva Boss is just too unfocused on its story and has its priorities all wrong in order to be anything other than a passable viewing experience while Hazbin Hotel just gave me a better time watching it by comparison. It has the better story, the better chaarcters, the better soundtrack, the better pacing and is more focused on what story it wants to tell. If I were to recommend these shows to anyone, I'd just say "Watch Hazbin Hotel and don't bother with Helluva Boss". Unlike Helluva Boss where I think I'll be done with it when Season 2's over, I'm more than ready to see another season of Hazbin Hotel...

And that's it for this Vs. essay. I hope you enjoyed it and I invite you all to share your thoughts down below. Which show is your favourite? Do you agree with my choices or disagree? Do let me know.

Next week, I'll be covering the career of another Robot Wars contestant. Which one? Let's just say it's time to let the cat out of the bag... See you then media fans!