Review: Hotel Transylvania “Buggin’ Out/How Do You Solve a Problem Like Medusa”

Hotel Transylvania: The Series continues its streak of brilliance. The monster-filled hotel is chock full of zany antics and macabre mischief in this pair of enjoyable episodes.

“Buggin’ Out” starts out with Mavis (Bryn McAuley), Hank (Gage Munroe), Pedro (Joseph Motiki), and Wendy (Evyn Rosen) playing video games. Well, it’s Mavis who is playing while Pedro, Wendy, and Hank all watch. Unfortunately, Aunt Lydia (Dan Chameroy) asked Mavis to infect the hotel with bed bugs. Thankfully, Pedro comes to the rescue.

However, the bed bugs are misidentified. Instead of bed bugs, the insects are actually truth bugs. Frantically trying to rid the hotel of them and save the guests, Mavis and friends rush about telling huge truths to make the bugs erupt.

Then in “What do You do With a Problem Like Medusa,” Mavis invites Medusa to the hotel. After this, she discovers that her aunt Lydia despises Medusa. Trying on the snake wig, Mavis accidentally turns Medusa to a stone which prompts another bout of Mavis, Hank, Pedro, and Wendy wreaking havoc and trying to fix the situation they caused.

While both episodes air and are separate, like previous Hotel Transylvania entries, there’s quite a bit of continuity. The plots don’t crossover, but themes do. Each episode part features a story where Mavis causes a problem which she and her friends scramble to fix.

I really appreciate the horror references. It’s a pleasant mix of youthful fun and callbacks to horror lore. Uncle Gene (Patrick McKenna) appears and rather strikingly resembles Nosferatu. This combined with characters like Frankenstein (Paul Braunstein), Medusa, and Dracula (David Berni) makes the series marvelous.

The friendship between the misfit monster kids is truly adorable. Additionally, monster lore is inventive. The introduction of truth bugs is a unique element and creature. I appreciate the character development and humor. Appealing to all ages is one of the most difficult tasks, but Hotel Transylvania: The Series masterfully executes this feat.

Voice acting excels. It’s probably the strongest aspect of the series with distinct voices. Chameroy absolutely steals the show as Lydia. Mavis, however, is a likable character. Another fantastic part of the show is its brilliant cast. I like the monster entourage, humor, and genuinely sentimental parts of the series. It’s endearing. Sure, it’s not terribly deep. The animation isn’t revolutionary. But it’s a well done, balanced series.