This was a really interesting and fun read! I remember being a bit scared by various elements of Pinocchio when I watched it as a child, so I definitely think it's not only just modern sensibilities. You're right in that the film never follows up with what happens to the donkey boys, which adds further nightmare fuel to the fire in a way...and learning more about the original story is quite fascinating. There is an element of fairy tale magic throughout the world, but it is presented in such a way that you can't help but wonder how the magic truly works there--what's considered normal versus strange, etc. Further character exploration would have been great in way too, given the breadcrumbs given to us!

Speaking of character exploration and characters who sometimes seem more plot device than actual character...have you heard of When You Wish Upon A Star, a book in Disney's Twisted Tales series that delves more into the Blue Fairy? I've been curious about this series of potential what-ifs/further character exploration books since seeing them crop up in the library...and this one in particular intrigues me given its focus on an earlier Disney film comparatively (they even have one about Arthur from The Sword in the Stone now!). When I read this post, I was quite curious to know if you had read it/knew about it! :)

The animation for Pinocchio is still stunning to this day. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts on the film here! ♥