One part of the story I had planned was that Hewkii dies protecting Macku, because she didn’t discover her mask power yet. She attempts to commit suicide, which triggers her mask power to activate.
Edginess works. Pacing is what keeps it at a children’s level. Too many dark moments can make a story too negative. Add humour and recovery between moments to keep it positive.
I’m literally working off the same plot building scale as Star Wars Rebels and Lord of the Rings.