#if the season overall was handled better and the last episodes weren't a confusing mess this season would have been the best

[winx-trash]

Finished rewatching season 4. Figured I'd make this little retrospective because this season is kind of special to me.

It has a special vibe. Not the one I mentioned when I was talking about s1-3. It's something entirely else. And now I can properly articulate what exactly makes season 4 stand out so much even though it's arguably not the best season of Winx.

For one, season 4 brings some of the very noticeable changes to the animation and the artstyle. Somehow it's gotten even brighter and more colorful compared to the previous seasons. And the animation also begins to shift towards the puppet animation (none of these changes so far as my favorite, I really liked the way the first seasons kept the balance between colorful character design and sometimes bleak and dark environment). Aside from that the entire sound design is revamped for this season. Which I assume is due to licensing issues as even the Enchantix song had to be taken from the movie. But I honestly have no idea. In addition to that we also get fuck ton of pop rock songs which are still absolute bangers even now. "Superheroes" (ending credits song) is my all time favorite. I fell in love with it the moment I heard it.

The narrative also takes an interesting turn. Winx, no longer just regular students, have to face the hardships of adulthood. New responsibilities, new place, new people, new powers and new enemies. This is the first and only season of Winx Club that breaks the status quo by forcing them out of Alfea to Earth where the girls have to learn to navigate a completely new environment (except Bloom of course). It's a bumpy ride for everyone including the Specialists. And they fail a lot at first. Their first failure against the Wizards brings down their confidence but it's their belief in themselves what eventually helps them overcome their problems.

Their goals on Earth are to make people believe in magic again and find the last Earth fairy. That fairy is of course a girl named Roxy who quickly became my favorite character. People love to say she's just like Bloom and that's why she's not interesting but while the show does draw a lot of parallels between Bloom and Roxy I think that statement is misunderstanding Roxy's character. Roxy's conflict of being the last fairy of Earth and coming to terms with it is heavily connected to the central theme of the season which is about believing, to no one's surprise. Roxy has to learn to believe in herself if she is to save the Earth fairies from imprisonment. In turn for all the support she received from the Winx she helps them with their task of tapping into the hearts of the people. She explains that you can't force people to believe in something. The nuance of the situation the Winx found themselves in is also what sets this season apart from other seasons and what makes it special.

The Winx spent a great amount of time trying to get people to believe in fairies. Even with Believix' new powers, it proves to be a strenuous task. People of Earth are quite egocentric and at times they can be cruel. But most of them just want to live their lives. And with how busy life can get there really is little to no time or energy to appreciate life and the good things that it brings. Learning to believe in magic is very low on the list of everyone's priorities. And that's why the Winx have only been effective when in time of peril. The burning building, the robbery, the disaster at the train station. You really begin to believe in miracles after surviving a dangerous event. And for some it's what drives them to not take anything for granted. Each of the Winx have their own form of Believix power that help them inspire others. Aisha can give people courage to overcome their fears, Tecna can help people see the reason and reconsider their actions, Musa can help others to listen to their deepest feelings, Stella can calm someone down and make them feel safe, Flora can make you see the beauty all around you and to respect it, while Bloom can help you appreciate life.

I know all of this may sound cheesy but it's all very wholesome to me even as an adult. I still remember how I used to believe in magic and fairies because of cartoons. And how much I wanted to become one myself. Now, rewatching the season in my twenties the theme of believing in magic took a whole new meaning for me. It's not about magical powers and cute outfits anymore. Now, it's about learning to believe, learning to trust people again, to appreciate life for all the good and bad things, to be open to new adventures that await, and finally to believe in myself. It's a healing process that may take years but one day I'll get there. I do want to believe again and bring the magic back in my life.

Thank you, Winx Club, for being an important part of my life.