Why “Puffs” Is More Canon Than “Cursed Child”

If you haven’t heard, the show to buy tickets for in New York City these days isn’t Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. No, it’s Puffs, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic. I wrote a review for the show back in April, and since then, I’ve seen the show six times with different groups of people – from the diehard fan to the occasional movie watcher – and they all loved it. Sure, you can purchase tickets for Cursed Child now, but let me tell you, in my opinion, Puffs is more canon than Cursed Child.

 

 

Some of you might be thinking, “Well, that’s not hard to do,” and others might think I’m crazy. While not everyone can drop what they’re doing to go see the show (even though I would highly recommend it), I can give you a few reasons why you should in this list below. And then maybe that’ll convince you to drop what you’re doing to come see it. (I’ll go with you if you need someone to go with!) Or you can donate to the Kickstarter to film the show so you can watch it from the comfort of your own home!

 

 

1. Muggle-borns!

Known as “Mugborns” in the show, Muggle-borns are absolutely going to be behind in their magical studies considering they didn’t grow up in that world. Two title characters, Wayne and Oliver, both come from Muggle homes and suffer in their training as a result. Now, I’m not saying all Muggle-borns are doomed to fail, because Hermione blew that out of the water, but it definitely affects plenty of children.

 

 

2. The Puffs’ Perspective

The entire story of Puffs is from, you guessed it, the Hufflepuffs’ point of view. So no wonder Harry comes across as annoying, unsuspecting, and a downright pain in the butt the entire show. From his moody attitude in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire to his return to Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the Puffs tell a different side of the story, which reflects how the rest of the school must have felt for seven years.

 

 

3. Cedric, the Hero

Cedric is easily the glorified hero of the entire show, even past his unsurprising death in Year 4: The Puffs and the Year They Mattered. The way Hufflepuff House worships the character feels scarily accurate. Cedric is adored from the start of the show as the coolest Hufflepuff there is – he’s nice, smart, and athletic. I mean, what third year hangs with first years?! How nice of him!

 

 

4. ’90s References

Finally, we can acknowledge the time period the series takes place in with appropriate references to the era. Sure, all of them are Muggle related – AOL Instant Messenger, Game Boy, Free Willy – but it reminds you that, while everything is going on at a Certain School of Magic and Magic, there’s a whole other world experiencing some more normal discoveries. Watching wizards interact with Muggle technology is hilarious. Cedric’s reaction to Batman, whom Wayne brings up to make a point, is one of the show highlights.

 

 

5. Matching Timelines

While Puffs adds some new storylines, the creators don’t deviate from the original story you know. They do include some tidbits from Cursed Child, and even those are perfectly placed in the show. I can promise there are no rogue Time-Turners in Puffs, but they do mention them for a good laugh.

 

 

Treat your loved one or friend this holiday season to Puffs and prepare yourself for an evening of constant laughter. You’ll come to adopt these characters as members of the Potter universe and wish they were there the whole time. For tickets to Puffs, visit this link.