Disney's New Artstyle Has A Massive Problem

Backlash to the Hexed Trailer

The video examines the online backlash to the trailer for Disney’s upcoming animated film Hexed. The main complaint is “same face syndrome”: viewers say the characters—especially teenage Billie and her mother, Alice—look so alike that they could be sisters. Critics point to their similar big eyes, small noses, pointed chins, expressions, and slim proportions, arguing that Disney’s newer character designs feel repetitive or even like “AI slop.”

The trailer’s quirky humor is also mocked. One reaction, for example, questions why Disney’s characters all have to act the same.

Character Design Comparisons

The video compares the designs with those in older Disney films, where characters such as Ariel, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Jane, and Mulan had more varied facial shapes and proportions. It also notes that some newer films, including Moana, Encanto, and Raya, feature more distinctive designs.

Artist Sam Does Arts argues that Disney’s recognizable style can still allow for meaningful differences between characters. However, proportions popularized around Tangled and repeated in later films may have made many newer female leads feel similar.

The Mother-Daughter Debate

The resemblance between Billie and Alice becomes a running joke. When viewers are asked which character they think is the mother, many might choose incorrectly: Alice is the character on the left. Some fans tried adding wrinkles to Alice to make her age clearer, though others remained dissatisfied with the designs.

One commentator jokes that the story seems predictable, inventing a possible family twist involving a grandmother and a second daughter, then admits the film will have to come out before anyone knows how close that guess is. The video also mentions a possible in-story explanation for Alice’s youthful appearance, such as magic keeping her from aging, but stresses that this is only speculation.

A More Nuanced Discussion

The discussion is not entirely one-sided. The narrator points out that similar-looking characters appear at other studios, too, and that Disney is often scrutinized more harshly.

The film’s creators explain that Billie was initially announced as a teenage boy, but the story evolved into a mother-daughter tale during development. They describe major changes as a normal part of making animated films and say the new relationship became the right fit for the story.

Conclusion

The video’s conclusion is to hold off on judging Hexed until its release. The narrator agrees that the character designs and “quirky” personality type may feel overused, but suggests that some viewers are already looking for reasons to dislike the movie—and that the finished story could still surprise them.

Personalities Featured

• Mohammed Agbadi, the narrator
• Sam Does Arts, featured in the art-style analysis
• Disney Animation filmmakers, interviewed about the story’s development
• Online commentators, reacting to the trailer