Julie and the Phantoms is the type of show that I would have been OBSESSED with if I were still 12 years old. I mean if a band of attractive boys magically appeared in my garage, I never would have complained again. But now as a 20 year old, that whole idea is a bit too cheesy. Very Disney channel circa 2006. But I saw the trailer for Julie and the Phantoms and I just had to give it a shot, for the 12 year old me. And boy-oh-boy am I glad I did. I love the show and here are the reasons why—in no particular order.
- Kenny Ortega
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You might recognize that name because this is the man who directed the iconic High School Musical series. HSM is literally what I grew up with and I still love it to this day. Kenny Ortega knows what he is good at. He can direct a musical/show that has a lot of musical sequences, which is exactly what Julie and the Phantoms is.
- Emily
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Now you won’t understand this one unless you watch the show, but just know that I cried a lot.
- Disney Humor
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I will be honest. The show, especially in the beginning, is so cheesy and has that weird disney channel humor, meaning that the characters are aloof and they explain all the jokes which then makes the jokes not funny. This also affects the acting and makes it seem like the actors don’t know what they are doing. I almost gave up on the show, but I was still intrigued by the whole concept. I definitely recommend sticking through it because when the content of the show gets more heavy, the weird Disney humor subsides and you barely notice its occasional appearances. The plot itself is so entertaining and although there is an aspect of predictability, it is the same predictability that comes with watching a Rom Com. You know what is going to happen, but you want the satisfaction of seeing it happen.
- It’s a Quick Watch
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There are nine episodes, and they’re all about 30 minutes apiece, which means that the show is only 4 1/2 hours. I watched it all in a day.
- The Music
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The music in the show is amazing. This was another thing that got me through the cringey beginning. I was bopping to the music after I watched the show. The songs are all so catchy, and some of them carry an emotional impact. I promise you will be humming the songs after watching.
- Representation
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The main character is a darker skinned Hispanic girl and her best friend is Black. It’s nice to see that change of pace. I know as a kid if I saw Julie, a non-white person, as the main character, I would’ve felt like that could actually be me.
Although the show has Disney vibes and as a result is a little childish, the show also balances itself. It mixes the child-like aspects with the more adult topics really well, which still made me interested in it. I did some research on Twitter to make sure I wasn’t the only 20-year-old watching this. And I am not. Although the main demographic is teenagers, there were many people my age with my same concern of being too old but loving the show anyway. So, if you’re ever in a mood for a quick easy show to watch, this is a great one.