W.I.T.C.H Reboot Character Design Changes are Kind of BIASED...
So I discovered the reboot of W.I.T.C.H two years ago (or last year) and the MOMENT I saw Taranee, I MARKED IT AS NFM (Not for me). Taranee went from this shy quirky cute artsy vibrant sporty nerd to what looks like an emo adjacent dull sporty nerd.
2005 Taranee 👇
2023 Taranee 👇
I HATED THIS CHANGE.
I hated this because the artist made her buff. And TO ME, it felt like pushing this narrative of the unfeminine black women. I thought, they could have given muscles to ANY of the other girls- Will, Cornelia, or Hay Lin..but why Taranee? The TOUGH STRONG athletic black girl is already a sterotype, why lean into it? THIS was the reason why I stopped looking into it the reboot of W.I.T.C.H back in 2023.
HOWEVER, It has been popping on my Twitter feed because of the new WINX reboot. And seeing these other changes...I'm glad I dropped it before I even picked it up.
The moment I saw Taranee I did not want to know anymore about this reboot. I also felt like they gave her this design to make her a lesbian. She’d be the butch while someone else (probably white) will be the femme. Now if there were multiple black girls I would not be as critical because it gives an opportunity to show variety in interests and personality. However there is only one and she’s surrounded by feminine white girls. Do you understand my issue? And there is always, ALWAYS, one black girl in a group. So one side of the spectrum will get rep while the other side is shunned.
I've seen others discuss this, but Black women are rarely depicted as soft and feminine in media. Even more so if they have dark skin (compared to light skin Black girls).
I wish I reached out to the company/editor/auithor or whoever back then to voice my cooncerns. But it didn't matter, because it was already out. Plus, I AM AN AUTHOIR-ILLUSTRATOR. I can draw the representation I want to see. I don't have to rely on people who are ignorant (and benefit off) of sterotypes to create a Black/POC character thats puts into a BOX.
Speaking of BOXES...lets talk about the MUSCULAR ATHLETIC BLACK WOMAN....This black woman below is actually a girl. Maybe about 11 or 12 years old....😑
This is Taylor from Win or Lose the new Pixar show.
It is concept art from WIN or LOSE by Pixar. You see how the black girl compared to the other students looks MUSCULAR, ATHLETIC, and more grown. Her design did change to be thick but she is still more physically developed than her peers in the show.
This is not the media I want to see pushed to people about Black women. This is why we need Black/POC people in the room when creating Black/POC characters.
ON ANOTHER NOTE...YOU KNOW...
Now that I think about it, I don't think many heroes have brown eyes. Most of them have eyes of unnartural colors (yellow, purple) or they natural bright colored eyes - green or blue eyes.
THESE PEOPLE changed Will's (MC) eye color from BROWN to BLUE(or whatever)...
W.I.T.C.H. 2005👇
W.I.T.C.H. 2025 👇
I NEVER noticed that before. Maybe because I was so focused on Taranee. Honestly, as a kid I liked that she had brown eyes. I t was DEFINETELY noticable for me as a kid because I don't think there were any magical girls who did.
Brown eys are BEAUTIOFUL TOO.
I may have to give more of my OCs brown eyes. I think two of mine have them, but I'll make more.
They even changed her mom from a brown eyed-brunette (2005) to a blue-eyed blonde (2025).
White people have their own standards of beauty with blue eyed blondes being on top, but I'm not gonna get into that. We all know that it's triffling.
LASTLY - Another TROPE in Animation/Comics...
...the Asian girl/boy with colorful hair.
In the early 2000s. MANY animated shows that had an Asian character, who almost ALWAYS had colorful hair. People have pointed it out, and are tired of the trope.
Now I am wondering who on the team has these BIASES?" Who decided these changes were good? The art director/editor? The artist? The author? The colorist? Who is to blame for these UNESSECARY changes? Or maybe they are VERY unaware of these tropes and sterotypes and that we as a young society are tired of them.
I don't know if the artist did all of these changes or if the author wanted all of these changes or the art direcor/editor. However, I will say that all the changes definetely NOT FOR ME. Some people like it, some don't. To each their own.
Looking at the authors IG...It looks like they're NOT involved in this reboot. NONE OF THEM have posted about this reboot. 👀😬
It makes me wonder if they like these changes or not...
Looking at the covers of 2004 and 2024...their differences in colors schemes and vibrancy is telling of the times.
What was lost and what was gained in the span of 20 years for this series?
Maybe I'm just nostalgic...IDK...
The work of Alessandro Barbucci, the artrist for the 2005 W.I.T.C.H., will forever live in my heart.
As for...Giulia Adragna (the reboot artist) good luck with this series.
CREDITS to Weirdhumanbeing on Twitter for popping up on my feed about this.
















