@dreyfus2006 "I think the show is also fairly solid queer rep. The lead protagonist is female but presents very masculine, so while they are cisgender I think any transmale or AFAB non-binary person could see themselves in the character. The main romance of the show is queer too, which is nice. But there's also a bit of queer baiting." :joy::joy:
Review by MorganucodonBlockedParent2022-02-19T18:18:55Z
This show's animation is really stunning and a real step forward for the medium. It isn't perfect and the character models in particular look off sometimes, but pretty much every fan of animation needs to see the new ground that animation achieves here. The show is very high quality in other ways such as the storyboarding, the character depth, and the shifting writing where it feels like anybody can be a bad guy (and some bad guys can be good guys). There are some standout scenes.
I think the show is also fairly solid queer rep. The lead protagonist is female but presents very masculine, so while they are cisgender I think any transmale or AFAB non-binary person could see themselves in the character. The main romance of the show is queer too, which is nice. But there's also a bit of queer baiting.
The reason why I give this show (just one season, as of writing) a 6/10 though is because while it is well dressed, the actual substance isn't very noteworthy or solidly built. Sometimes characters will completely change their goals between episodes. There aren't any likeable characters. You can't really root for anybody. The setting is very "been there, done that." Often there will be story beats that make you go, "Wait, what was their goal again?" or "What was the significance of that?" or "But in the last episode they said they were FOR this, now they are AGAINST it." A big chunk of the show hinges on very unbelievable character development. Most of the women are "bad bitch" archetypes and most of the men are "mad genius" archetypes (not sure if I am accurately describing that one). It all amounts to a show that is beautiful to watch and experience but has a very uninteresting narrative, perhaps even boring or worse, confusing.
I think this is a very positive example of Western animation because it really breaks out of a lot of the problems that Western animation falls into. And the aesthetic may appeal to people who like "punch first, ask questions later" characters or "Harley Quinn" characters. But overall, a lot of its strengths in some areas are brought down by some real weaknesses in other areas, and ultimately I would say the show is just okay. Check it out if you want a grungy magicpunk show with beautiful animation.