Nabu: Enchanted Sleep or Death?

I have finished watching The Shimmering Shells episode.

In the first half of the episode, Stella, Bloom and Aisha must confront their doubts about themselves in the Labyrinth of the Abysses to find a clue to the Gem of Self-Confidence. The Winx are entrapped in an illusion that makes them confront the people that are the source of their doubts. In particular, Aisha confronts an apparition of Nabu.

In the last season, Nabu had sacrificed himself to close the Black Circle's abyss in Tir Nan Og. The Winx had tried to use the Gift of Darkness to revive Nabu but Ogron wasted it on a flower leaving Nabu doomed to whatever fate was in store for him. What had actually happened to him in that episode was obviously ambiguous. In the original version, Morgana mention she and the Earth fairies would take care of Nabu until he woke up for Aisha, but the way Sky placed Nabu's staff on his chest made it seem as if Nabu was a fallen warrior--as if he had died in battle. Wrapping up his body in flowers did not help the image either. However, the fact remains that Morgana said that she would take care of Nabu until he woke up, meaning that Nabu was simply in a deep sleep, maybe a coma or an enchanted slumber.

At first, I thought that this had been a case of Never Say "Die" or Disney Death. Either the writers had actually let Nabu die but due to various reasons did not want to use the word "death" and its related terms or Nabu really was in some sort of slumber and were planning to use him in the next season as a plot device.

Now, if we look to the Shimmering Shells episode, Aisha confronts an apparition of Nabu that accuses her of "letting [him] die."

Aisha: Nabu, I miss you so much!
Nabu: So why did you let me die? You let me die! You could have saved me, but you let me die.

Those are some harsh accusations! Granted, this is not the real Nabu speaking, but an illusion created by the Shimmering Shells and possibly Aisha's subconsciousness. As the audience, we must ask whether this is an accurate display of the reality of those events. Does Aisha see Nabu's actions as the cause of his death? Is he really (biologically) dead? Or does Aisha just view his unconsciousness as not living his daily life?

After so much time, we still do not have an accurate answer!

Season four's latter half definitely gave the series a darker tone after the introduction of the Earth Fairies and their need for revenge.It hit its darkest moment when Ogron wasted the Black Gift and let Nabu fall into his (pseudo?) death. I believe that this helps it appeal to its older audience, but as usual, the series abounds with story inconsistencies.

Personally, I think Rainbow and Nickelodeon have invested too much into Nabu's "death" to just leave him dead. Dafne apparently does not have a physical body yet she is a spirit bound to a lake. Isn't the fact that she has no body considered "death" too? With the advent of Dafne's role in season five, I think they might use her situation to somehow bring back Nabu.

The Rise of Tritannus

Uploaded by Enchantix Germany

Not much happened that we did not know would already happen: Tritannus and the Trix escape their underwater prison. The Winx Club hold their benefit concert and Bloom flings some magic around to make the magic more entertaining which I found just plain weird. It is a little reminiscent of the Unica/You're the One music video. I am glad to see that have not forgotten Roxy so quickly. She is in the background and sometimes speaks with the occasional line. Klaus is around too, but I have not seen Morgana yet. They have also recycled some of the lesser villains from last season such as the mooks who tried to illegally import animals.

Does the following image remind of you of anything? Perhaps of a certain somebody from season one?

I think the answer is obvious.

It's Riven from in his original season incarnation!

Of course, the real Riven in his current attire appears in the next shot after the mysterious Riven-like stranger helping on the beach. I'm sure it's safe to say that the season one!Riven is an animation joke or an homage for the older fans. Surely, he didn't change his clothes that fast!

(By the way, not a fan of Sky's hair cut yet. It makes him look a little bit like Andy. Slowly, it will grow on me.)

The Spill: Reviewed

There are theories going around that the episode "The Lilo" was actually episode five and that Nick had aired it for the sake of being a season five premiere and the episode "The Spill" is the real first episode of the season. I have to say that those people could be right, but we will find out for certain if "The Lilo" airs again as the fifth episode. For now, watch the episode here! Or here!

From this point on, the post contains spoilers about the episode. Read at your own discretion.

In this episode, the Winx Club promote their concert and Roxy reveals that she has been accepted into Alfea. As usual, everyone meets up at the Frutti Music Bar and Aisha feels particularly lonely after Nabu sacrificed himself to save the fairies of Earth from the Black Circle's portal into the abyss. The fairies and specialists watch a live stream of the coronation ceremony of Nereus, the next king of the sea of Andros. The ceremony is interrupted by Nereus's jealous twin brother Tritannus and is captured. On Earth, an oil platform near the Gardenia catches fire due to negligence and it is up to the Winx Club (sans Roxy) and the specialists to save the workers and stop the ensuing oil spill.

Of course, the specialists don't get new outfits.

First of all, Sky got another haircut. This time, from the royal barber and it's actually more obvious than last season's. Can someone please fix this man's hair? After eight years of production, all the designers could come up was something that looks like a bad copy of Brandon's cut? They have the internet and millions of hair magazines at their disposal and we get this?

Brandon, who are you to criticise? You gave Stella
a compact in season three and a ring with a huge
rock in season four.

Oh, and let's not forget another "royal trinket" that Sky loses: the Pendant of Eraklyon. One would think that he would have learned his lesson when he sold the seal of Eraklyon in the last season.

Seriously, who keeps entrusting this crowned prince with all this jewelry? You read that correctly. Sky is suddenly a crowned prince again. Nick and Rainbow better have a good and logical explanation about this. I have a gut feeling that this may have to do with the fact that Diaspro is making a return this season.

At the Frutti Music Bar, Bloom and gang decide to fly around and have a show of magic to promote their concert at the bar the next day. Did the Winx Club not teach Roxy to use her magic for good and the benefit of others in "Magic Lessons" (otherwise known as "The New Witch in Town")? I am fairly certain that in season one, the fairies were taught to not abuse their powers. So why are they using magic in such an ostentatious way to promote their show? Fireworks, aerial acrobatics and a flaming dragon is a little over doing it, isn't it? The Winx Club are really getting into a gray area about how to use magic, because that display of magic seemed like it was used for personal ends. Luckily, they saved face by turning their concert into a benefit for the victims of the oil spill at the end of the episode.

Fireworks, flaming dragons and music...it's starting to look like a circus now.

That is a pretty lengthy acceptance letter.
Hey, Varanda of Callisto! Where was yours?

It also looks like Roxy is back and she is being hastily shipped off to Alfea the next day. Watching Bloom tell Roxy that she should stay on the beach to keep everyone safe was painful to say the least. Judging from "The Lilo," the Winx Club go back to Alfea and maybe we will see Roxy studying every now and then.

Those of you who paid close attention to the episode will have noticed these little pixie replacements (pictured at right). There are several of them in varying colours in the throne room. One of them even holds the cushion holding the Nereus's crown. Rumor has it that they are called "Pescix." We will have to wait and see what comes of these little guys.

As seen in the preview, Tritannus is having issues with the order of succession and he attacks his father and brother during the ceremony. Personally, I was more concerned about Tressa because she is really the only person (erm, mermaid) who could amount to being the equivalent of a female specialist every time she picks up a weapon. I want to see more of her and less of her brothers sadly. I keep thinking that this is what this series needs. A real female to pick up a weapon and fight like a specialist. (I'm not a fan of Aisha in this aspect because of that feminist phase she went through in season two.)

In other news, the specialists are suddenly much more competent at, well...everything than they were in the last eight years when they went to save the oil platform workers. The fairies and specialists are now capable of working as a cohesive unit to save lives. That was truly something I was not expecting.  I wanted to do a spit take when I saw them following the girls into the scene. I would also like to add that they improved the music for the action scenes as well as made them more intense than last season's. I bet Nickelodeon had a hand in this entire scene and I admit it: I am impressed. Good job, Nick!

Catch!

The Trix make an appearance at the end of the episode. They share a cell next to Tritannus's. I do not understand how a cell underwater meant for mermaids and tritons prevents them from escaping but apparently, it is much more effective than their previous prisons. Why not send them back to Omega? The only reason that they could get away was because they used the powers of the ice serpents to open the portal, if I am not mistaken. Still, they are back and terrifying as ever. You would think that they would get tired of fighting the fairies, but I guess they really want their revenge.

Overall, I am pleased with the episode and I await the next one with bated breath to see how the Trix escape and see what Tritannus is planning.

Episode 2 Preview: Don't Cry Over Spilled Oil

Well, that is certain revealing. Tressa and Queen Ligea are thankfully back. Great to see that they're sticking to canon and going back to their established characters. So Tressa and Aisha are cousins, huh? The underwater world certainly did get much more colourful than it was in season three. I must admit that it is an improvement from when Valtor was there when the sea was dark and drab. I am surprised that they were brave enough to give a male character pink hair. It's an interesting choice, considering the colour palette for the underwater world. If I'm not mistaken, Nereus and Tritannus may have the same character model with just colour palettes swapped.

Image from Sensational Winx Club

Episode 1: The Lilo

Thanks to EnchantixGermany for uploading!



That episode blew away my expectations in many ways. First of all, we got to learn about Mitzi and her little (adorable) sister Macy. Second, we got another Flora-centric episode. (I think that last one was in season one when she visited the Black Mud Swamp.) Third, the Trix's "vacuums" (Whisperian Crystals) are back! The Lilo flower felt like a total MacGuffin though and I hope that it gets a bigger role in the upcoming episodes.

What did you think about the episode?

My Fairy Pet

A new Winx Club game has been released! In My Fairy Pet, you are given charge of the Love and Pet shop and have the responsibility of caring for and teaching some of the pets. But we're not talking about the canon pets, no... you get to raise your very own!

You start off with enough "stars" (the game currency) to buy one room and one pet. With careful love, feeding, bathing, and accessorizing, you can get your pet happy enough to start doing tricks and earning stars depending on how well they are completed. You can use this to buy more pets, clothes, and space.

The game isn't that cut-and-dry boring though... your pet starts off a baby, then grows quickly into an adolescent. Eventually, the pet will become an adult... and like in life, the adults are where the babies come from. Two adult pets can go on a "playdate" and even have kids of their own... I think. So says the achievements!

It's a fun little thing, but the critters require quite a bit of attention, so play with caution and TONS of time!

Mark your calendars! Season five air dates!

According to michelle loves you from Fanfiction.net, August 26 may be the air date for Winx Club season five, Beyond Believix. Watch her video below for more information. Thanks for sharing, Michelle!



*super quiet voice* Yaaaaay!

Still don't believe? Watch this video from the same user visiting theslap.com. It's occurred to us that the ads are also based on the user's location, which explains why I could not see the ad. (I'm in Canada obviously.)

In other news, a quick visit on the official Italian Winx Club site confirms that season five will air October 23 on Rai Due at 7:20 in the morning from Monday to Friday. (So if they're going to air the first thirteen episodes, wouldn't the first half of season five be over in less than a month in Italy?)

In other wonderful news, the official Winx Club site has now also put out a new trailer on the front page showing Bloom transform into sirenix. We can at least confirm from this that at least Bloom's sirenix transformation from the leaked video footage is real.

HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR SEASON FIVE!?

"We Are Believix" by Elizabeth Gillies

This must be the music video Ms Gillies was tweeting about a few months ago. This is the official one posted on Nick's site.

What do you think about the video?

Season Five Ad: Beyond Believix

Besides the trailer being a little cheesy with the mythical rhyming voice, I'm still holding judgement for the season. So the villain "Tritannus" (I'm still wondering if that is his final name and whether that's how it's spelt) is apparently Aisha's cousin, but wait a minute...Aisha the fairy has a mermaid cousin (er, triton cousin--thanks Anonymous)?

So what do you think?

Looks like we have some official Season 5 clips! Including BOTH transformations!

Sadly, because of copyright violations, I'm taking them off.

However, we do have a new trailer, so feel free to check that out!

Source: Something to Muse About

Harmonix

Here's a close up of Stella, Bloom and Flora's new harmonix form:

I'm not sure about Stella's hair. It does seems a little...inelegant. It looks more fitting on Musa. And of course, the wings still look like PopPixie wings. Stella's are particularly strange in terms of colour contrast.

What do you think about harmonix so far?

Source: Winx Club Episodios

Wedding Bells

I'm a little late to the party, being as I don't actually have cable and therefore can't watch Winx Club on Nickelodeon. However, after reading this article on Una di Noi, and writing last post here, I want to talk about the proposals and marriages in the show.

There are a couple things that have been bugging me about the Winx Club and their upcoming marriages. For one, there is the fact that it's going to be harder for the majority of the fandom to relate to a married fairy. However, it's a tight spot there- would Iginio and the Rainbow staff rather have a group that the fandom who have grown up with the Winx can't relate to? Or would they rather disappoint all of the fans by not having the girls get married after all?

Another thing is- can anyone actually see the Winx girls getting married? It's a girl power show, and even in an equal marriage, wedding bells would signify a loss of freedom. As the show progresses, we see that the girls aren't shy about doing things that their boyfriends necessarily approve of. It's already something that is a cause of stress and of fighting. Can you just imagine if they actually needed to get their partner's approval? That's what marriage is, Winx. It's letting someone else have some pull over your life.

On a more humorous note, what direction would marriage lead the show in? Season 6: Apronix, a domestic transformation? An honest-to-goodness canon 2nd generation when one of the girls gets pregnant? I'm not saying that the show would be that stereotypical or sexist, but one thing we all love about the show is the diversity in it. If one of the girlier characters, say Stella or Flora, decided to settle down, what would that mean for us as viewers?

I also have to wonder... are the Winx Club fairies ready to be married? In canon, Aisha and Nabu have known each other the least long of any other Winx couple (of course, with Nabu's current state, marriage isn't exactly doable at the moment). As for Stella and Brandon and Bloom and Sky... well, with Season 4 and Magical Adventure, both relationships have been shaken to the ground. Are they fully recovered enough for marriage? With all the fighting that happens now, what does that signify for after the papers have been signed and the honeymoon has been had? No wonder Musa and Riven aren't engaged- they recognize their issues! The only Winx who I can see flourishing in marriage are Tecna and Flora... but hey, Misha Collins got engaged in a low point in his relationship, and that turned out fine!

*cough* Sorry... wrong fandom...

The only way I can see marriage working out is if it happens in the very last part of the show. For example, if Season 6 is the very end of Winx Club, with no more to come, I can see the characters getting married and leaving the show with a "Happily Ever After" feel. But I don't think that weddings can happen before them without consequences- for the fans, for the characters, or for both.

What I need from Season 5

Okay. I'm going to set something straight RIGHT NOW. I am going to have a hard time with Winx Season 5 if they don't at some point acknowledge the events of the Season 4 finale.

Both Aisha and the rest of the Winx made huge mistakes... Aisha when she, in a surprisingly Willow Rosenberg-esque plotline, went to the side of vengeance- and the Winx when they diminished the value of her grief and actually ATTACKED her for it. Yes, the last episode shows her being let back into the Winx inner circle... but hurtful words and actions were exchanged. That doesn't just go away.

I recognize that Winx Club is not always the most realistic show. And of course, nor is it the best with continuity (especially if you don't believe in the canon split theory). However, one of the things that has drawn me to the show since I was ten years old is the realism that isn't immediately obvious. No, most people don't believe in growing wings and going off to fairy school, because the realism in the show is from how the characters grow up. Every single character, even the commonly ignored ones like Tecna and Musa, has experienced some form of character develoupment since Season 1 began.

And as they grow up, so do their situations.

When I was ten, and the Winx were sixteen and seventeen, I related to how the girls were looking to find themselves. In Season 3, I related to their search for morality, how they were trying to learn what the right thing was, and how they always tried to do it. Even at great personal cost (remember the Water Stars plotline?). I watched Season 4 when I was seventeen, and the problems they faced echoed the problems of my emerging adulthood- getting a job, trying to make a path after school is finished, dealing with increasingly serious relationships, and your friends around you getting engaged!

Winx is a kids show, but it is the rare kids show that grows up. And I need Winx to keep this. As I, who will be nearly nineteen when the new season begins, learn to deal with the fallout of serious arguments... I need the Winx Club to learn, too. I need Winx Club to keep that realism, that personal growth that makes it stand out from so many other cartoons. I need to see the characters keep growing.

I hope so much that this isn't too much to ask.


NOTE: I don't know what's up with formatting. So apologies.

Your Face on Winx Club 100?

In preparation for the 100th edition of the Italian Winx Club comic magazine, a 16 character code can be found in the 98th issue. With this code, you can gain access to a new mini-game where you can create your own issue 100 cover. Judging by the picture above, does that mean you can put your face over Bloom's? It seems like it. I bet that this is a good way to put your own fan character's face if you are not so artistically inclined. Either way, you can create your Winx Club magazine cover.

For those of you who do not live in Italy, you can buy issue 98 on Muscara.com for 4.50 euros before shipping to get the code. Issue 98's comic is called "Return to the Amazon." (Doesn't that seem like the perfect way to bring in a Huntik character?)

In other news, Nick is sending out casting calls for actors/models to portray Bloom, Stella and Aisha for a meet and greet event. More details here.

Bloom's Harmonix

A full preview of Bloom's new harmonix transformation for season five is available on Rainbow's Youtube channel.

I get disturbed by how long Bloom's hair gets longer and longer every season in her transformations. Other than that, I'm curious to know how these transformations will look like animated. I was very sceptical about enchantix in season three because I did not think that it would look well animated. (I was somewhat right when it came to fighting in mini-dresses.)

Harmonix/Sirenix Dolls

I am not sure which form these dolls are supposed to be exactly, but since harmonix is supposed to come before sirenix, I will assume that these are harmonix dolls.

Smoby will be selling these dolls in France. Hopefully, they'll come out this fall to coincide with the release of season five. See more Winx Club dolls from Smoby here.



Do the PopPixie pixie wings not come to mind when you look at the harmonix wings? The new wing designs have in a whole new direction for the show. Inside of making decorated wings, they seem to have decided to take a simple wing and layer it many times in different colours. It might feel like a step back, but I actually do not mind. I like the simple designs.

As for the whole concept of being fairies with aquatic powers, I'm still not positive about it.

Photos from http://winxclub-stella3.kazeo.com/

(By the way, I'm trying out Imgur to upload the pictures onto one album rather than separate entries onto Blogger, because it makes the blog entry too long and difficult to manage. What do you think?)

"The Wizards of the Black Circle" Episode Available on Nick

Nick made the first episode of season four available online on their site a few days ago. Enjoy!

I'm super glad that they made them "teaching assistants" and not actual teachers at Alfea. Like the new changes that Nick made? Hate them? Talk about it in the comments!

"Hall of Enchantments" Clip

Nick has uploaded a preview clip of the scene in the Hall of Enchantments ("Hall of Magic" in Rai English) where Headmistress Faragonda explains what believix is.

Season 4 approaching

Hey Winx Fans,

Winx Club's season four starts in less than a week on May 6th with the one-hour special The Power of Believix! Are you excited? I am because then the rest of North America will be caught up with the story and we can as global community move on to season five in September.

In other news, the massively multiplayer online game Winx Adventures on the official Winx Club site had shut down their servers on April 27th. I personally never participated in it because I wanted to wait until it was improved and all the bugs were patched but it seems that it was short-lived. Honestly, I liked the idea but I did not think it would pan out well considering its target demographic.

As for completely cool news for those who like cosplaying, I found a site where they sell officially licensed believix costumes. The down-side is that the costumes only fit children. However, the wings seem to be good recreations of their actual designs. The costumes can be found at WebHats.com.

More Sirenix (Harmonix?) Images

Credit goes to various people, but foremost rickydshow for taking these images.

I believe the following is a launch calender.

From what I understand, there are going to be not one, but TWO transformations: sirenix and harmonix! It seems that the first half of season five will air this fall and go on until spring where we will see the girls achieve the harmonix transformation. Serenix will appear in the latter half...but, the "ability to use their powers under water?" Um, can't they do that anyways? The water on Andros did not really stop them in season three.

There will also be a Christmas special for this year. Hmm...I'm guessing that it'll just be a winter holiday special because Magix doesn't exactly celebrate Christmas or have winter for that matter.

Hey, look, it's the old mermaid transformations.

I've noticed that Flora's hairstyle never really changes, except when she transforms. And even then, how do you change her signature blond bangs while still make her look pretty. It's strange.

SotLK DVD on Amazon

Nick's dub of Secret of the Lost Kingdom is available for pre-order on Amazon for 11.99$!

If you still haven't seen it, you go watch it here.

Sirenix Images from Bologna Children's Book Fair

Rickydshow recently visited Bologna Children's Book Fair and took some pictures of the new Sirenix transformation. Check it out! (Pictures are from Una di noi.)

What do you think of the new transformations so far? I think the designs are cool, but I'm waiting to see how they implement the water/mermaid theme into their magic before I make any real judgements.

Are you prepared to let Roxy go?

I'm not going to argue about whether or not Roxy is a real member of the Winx Club in this post. That topic has been beaten to death across the internet.

Instead, I wonder: are fans ready to accept that Roxy may not appear in season five? EDIT: As pointed out, (I genuinely forgot that) Roxy will appear in season five. Thanks, guys!

The point wasn't to argue whether she will appear or not in season five, but to wonder how viewers would feel that an important character who drove much of season four be demoted to a unimportant role in the next season.

Clearly, she has not been featured in any of the recent merchandise or previews for season five, which makes me think that she won't appear at all (or that it just proves that she was truly a temporary important character). On the other hand, she appears frequently in the comics just like Aisha and has her own article section, making me think that she has some sort of permanence in the series. (For those of you who don't know, Aisha and Roxy sometimes don't make appearances in certain comics, leaving just the original five.)

Personally, I don't mind that Roxy does not appear in season five. I would be a little disappointed, but I could cope with the idea. As for other fans, I think they might either go crazy. Are you prepared to let Roxy go?

2012 Mirtillo Clothing Line

Mirtillo is the clothing company that creates the Winx Club clothing line in Italy. Their 2012 catalogue features clothing with images for new Winx outfits, namely the the "Fairy Concert" and "Urban Safari" sets as well as the usual Sophix and Believix sets. (Don't worry. I'll spare you the awkwardness of looking at child models wearing the sample clothing.)

The clothes below feature images of the new "Fairy Concert" outfits.?

For a closer look at the "Fairy Concert" images, go here.

Those of you with a keen eye will notice that the "Urban Safari"outfits below were first seen Nickelodeon's fourth one-hour special Winx Club: The Shadow Phoenix when Aisha, Stella and Bloom went to rescue the pixies.

(Above) Also, I'm guessing that Flora is has own outfit in this set as well if you look at the shirt in the middle. I guess they put her in the believix clothes line as well because her general colour pallette features pink.

 Images found at MagiaDelWinx.