Plot: In the magical land of Xadia, magic comes from six sources: the sun, moon, stars, sky, earth and the ocean. When human mages created a seventh kind of magic called dark magic. They start capturing and harvesting the unique magical creatures they need as ingredients, which creates a war between Xadia and the Human Kingdoms. Three kids from opposite sides of the conflict two princes and an elven assassin sent to kill them discover a secret that could change everything and decide to join forces and go on an epic journey. That trek could be their only hope of ending the war and restoring peace to both worlds.
The Humor: I am not a big fan of western animated shows as the humour tend to be childish and silly. This show does have that kind of humour but it is still not as childish as the avatar so I gave it a pass since I did laugh a couple of times.
The Animation: The animators used an odd combination of anime-ish 2d and 3d. It took me a couple of episodes to get used to. it. The action sequences look fluid and smooth and there aren't any faults within them, the real problem was when 3d was used in characters are talking. The 3d animation made the characters feel stiffy and blocky. Luckily the animators listen to their critics and work hard to improve their craft which is something most studios needs to learn.
The Story: The story is a PG version of game of thrones. It also shared similarities with Avatar the Last Airbender which makes sense since the head writer Aaron Ehasz also wrote avatar. The story has a lot of potential the world it takes place in is wonderful and there is so much that can be done with it and create something wonderful. It starts off just like the fellowship of the ring the trio must bring peace to the world by delivering the dragon egg to a certain place. It also explored the themes of war and how ignorance fuels the endless cycle of conflict. There isn't much to criticize about the story since the first 9 episodes are merely the foundation to an even bigger story. We can say that it is one big prologue to a legend yet to be unravelled. As a prologue, it did a lot of things right and established the expanding world and its characters and their motivations.
The Characters: The characters in the story are wonderfully written. Each and everyone including the villain is believable for a kid's show which is something it shares with the avatar. In early episodes the adult characters feel like they are straight out of soap operas but as the series progresses that effect vanishes. The villain (I won't name him) is complex. It is refreshing to see how the western animators aren't shying away anymore creating a complex villain in a show targeted at a younger audience. The cast is diverse and it didn't feel forced as the show focused more on their character rather than their skin tone or their disability. The best part is female characters and the male character got equal treatment. Callum our male protagonist is a bit goofy but at the same time is smart and capable kinda like Sokka but this dude is less comic relief than Sokka. And his younger brother Ezran despite being a child shown bravery and is also such a sweetheart, its hard to dislike that kid. The female protagonist rayala is brave and strong but also has her own flaws which made her feel believable. There are other side characters who are after our heroes but their characters aren't fully explored yet.
The Artstyle: While the animation is a bit of let down the character designs were very good. The studios used innovative techniques to draw them as realistically as possible. The background art is gorgeous and it draws you in and makes you admire its beauty.
While the first season won't offer you anything groundbreaking but it does a fantastic job making a fantasy world with a lot of potential. This game of thrones and avatar inspired show isn't so bad don't sleep on it and give it a try.
Final Rating: 3.5/5
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