Barbie: A Touch Of Magic Is The Perfect Streaming Chaser For The Gerwig Generation
If you're not well-versed in the extended Barbie universe of animated films and TV shows, you're in luck, because the new Netflix series "Barbie: A Touch of Magic" is the perfect streaming chaser for those still riding the high of Greta Gerwig's live-action "Barbie" movie. While the Barbie brand has been equal parts loved and at the center of controversy for over half a century, Mattel has been seriously putting in the work to make sure that every child feels seen, loved, and affirmed by Barbie.
So while it may have been groundbreaking for some to hear America Ferrera's monologue about womanhood in "Barbie," these sorts of lessons have been at the core of animated Barbie (especially the Barbie Vlog series on YouTube) for quite some time. In the lead-up to Gerwig's "Barbie," the 2012 animated series "Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse" routinely hit the top 10 on Netflix, and a whole new audience got the chance to discover ... "Holy crap, these Barbie shows are hilarious."
This is to say that there was a lot of pressure for "Barbie: A Touch of Magic" to succeed because it's a show that can't just appeal to the Barbie fans "in the know," but also the revived fandom in the wake of "Barbie" becoming the highest-grossing film of 2023. Fortunately, this story of Barbie and Barbie (Malibu and Brooklyn, respectively) discovering a Pegasus is the perfect marriage of the animated nonsense the series are known for, and the sincerely deep conversations and camp comedy fans crave in a post-"Barbie" world.
The magic of Malibu
"Barbie: A Touch of Magic" centers on Barbie and Barbie after a magical horse washes up on the beach in Malibu, and the two are determined to help guide her home. The duo (and their friends/family) realize that this horse has wish-granting powers because she's a baby Pegasus. I never thought a fictional magic horse could be cuter than Pegasus from Disney's animated "Hercules," but then I met Peggy. Not only do the Barbies have to figure out how to get Peggy back to her homeland, but they also have to dodge Rocki the Glyph, a fantastical being trying to use Peggy's magic for her own wish of having her own wings.
On paper, it sounds like "Barbie: A Touch of Magic" is yet another fantastical series operating under the rules of imagination, but a majority of the series is set in Malibu and deals with real-world issues. Brooklyn Barbie has to feign going on a kombucha date with the obnoxious Trey to serve as a distraction for Malibu Barbie, keeping Peggy a secret keeps interrupting George Roberts (Malibu's dad) from recording narration for his latest documentary, Skipper is established as having smelly socks, and Ken takes Barbie on a date to "The Selfie Museum" to give the idea of the two becoming a couple a trial run.
There's an abundance of fantastical magic (I'm a huge fan of Rocki's assistant: a duck with eyelashes), but it mostly serves as a vehicle to talk about real-world issues and teach the target audience of children to navigate relatable conflicts. Rocki the Glyph is presented as the ultimate antagonist, but the more we get to know her over the course of the season, the more obvious it becomes why she's so desperate for Peggy to grant her ultimate wish. It's a fantastic exercise in teaching empathy and seeing a person as a whole, not just as a sum of parts.
Let's hear it for the boys
Despite being very familiar with the animated world of Barbie, I couldn't help but think about the series using the language established by Gerwig's live-action film. For example, Trey Reardon has been a part of the Barbie canon for a while now, and the pop-collared rich kid with annoying tendencies like bragging about going on his first yacht before he hit double digits could benefit from learning that he's "Kenough." At one point the duck with eyelashes lets out a shady quack, and Trey whines back, "Don't judge my life choices!" No one is judging you, Trey! (Okay, maybe a little judging). Additionally, there are tons of moments where random men of Malibu are shown surfing or trying to woo girls on the beach, and they are all an acoustic guitar away from busting out "Push" by Matchbox Twenty. I hate to say it, but I love them.
And Ken! This Ken is so evolved from the Ken of "Life in the Dreamhouse," one who is constantly talking about his relationship as being "complicated" and is very much on a journey of self-discovery. He's maintaining his friendships, but also learning to be okay with the idea that he and Barbie might not end up together, and it's hard not to see him as an enlightened Ken after the ending of Gerwig's film. He's emotionally vulnerable, he's so much better at listening, and he's helping out all of Barbie's friends not because he's trying to impress her, but because it's the right thing to do. The show has a perfect balance of how to treat the boys on the show, with some having not yet outgrown the urge to beach-off, while others have learned that the patriarchy is no way to live.
The stuff only adults will care about
There's a certain charm to the almost uncanny animation of the Barbie shows that adult fans have come to love, but there's some genuinely great stuff in the production and storytelling that deserves to be highlighted. Rocki the Glyph is voiced by Alejandra Cazares, and the voice she uses sounds like the second coming of E.G. Daily. America Young and Tatiana Varria yet again prove that they are the perfect pairing of Barbie and Barbie, Ritesh Rajan's Ken boasts a dream boyfriend voice, and Eamon Brennan's Trey is the perfect comedic relief, as always. No one is phoning it in on this series, and it's some of the best voiceover work in the entire Barbie cinematic universe.
There's also so much casual diverse inclusion scattered throughout, including characters with different bodies, skin tones, hairstyles, and fashion choices. Lya the cashier with dyed hair and an undercut that sighs and gushes when asked about another girl ... I see you. There are also so many bits of witty banter that would be completely lost on most kids, meaning it's a show that even adults can enjoy. Not to mention, in the same way that music has regional sounds like Seattle Grunge, Midwest Emo, or Nashville Honky-Tonk, there is a specific sound of Malibu Barbie Pop. The show's title track, "A Touch of Magic," sounds like the TV-Y7 version of "Speed Drive" by Charli XCX, aka the song that plays in Gerwig's movie during the chase scene.
Fortunately, Netflix has already greenlit season 2, and it will be released in spring 2024. But if you're a Barbie Girl looking to fill the void after the live-action film, "Barbie: A Touch of Magic" is worth a watch.