‘The Mighty Nein’, Amazon’s new venture into animation and fantasy, has quite a lot resting upon its laurels. The first three episodes released Wednesday November 19 and is based on Critical Role’s highly popular second Dungeons & Dragons campaign, ‘The Mighty Nein.’ You enter an already established world, one that has been steeped in the chaotic success of something like ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’. Where ‘The Mighty Nein’ diverges sharply from ‘The Legend of Vox Machina,’ however, is in its deliberate choice not to be so fast-paced and humour-focused. There is, from the beginning, a change in tone from ‘The Legend of Vox Machina.’ The first three episodes are not in a hurry to wow their audience but take time to revel in the emotional baggage that all these characters bring to the table. The emotional depth that has been infused into this diverse group of individuals is quite unexpected and can hardly be found in any animated series with a genre such as fantasy, which would rather be comedic or rely on action scenes.
But this is also perhaps the series’ largest risk, in terms of pacing. The early stages of this series may come across as almost deliberately slow, to the point where some may find it difficult to keep themselves enthralled with what is playing out. The series is well-written, and at times there may be points where it appears as though it is holding back its payoffs in favour of sustaining its dark, moody tone. This may be effective from a conceptual standpoint, but not necessarily as television, particularly television that is binge-watched.
In terms of visuals, it is one of Prime Video’s most impressive animations to date. The colour scheme has been kept muted intentionally to assist the shows much moodier and darker tone. The environments, with their dirty back alleys, dank basements and dreary old cities sport excellent texturing and detail. The darker colour scheme may not be to everyone’s taste, but it does complement nicely themes of trauma and personal history to be explored in ‘The Mighty Nein’. The moments of magic provide excellent contrast.
The series deals with an assortment of themes from trauma and addiction to guilt and found family without pulling any punches or simplifying things. Hopefully it will continue those themes in its latter half. This is a breath of fresh air, with many animated shows seeming to pander to the masses and smooth out some of the sharper corners to make themselves more accessible. ‘The Mighty Nein’ is not one such series, and this is what gives it its authenticity.
But these strengths also draw attention to points at which improvement can be sought. The group dynamic is interesting, although sometimes early seasons attempt to handle story lines concurrently, and some story lines seem more like world-building setup than actual story. Those not familiar with Critical Role need not fear. Catchup on their materials and understanding of the source campaign is not necessary to enjoy the show. Neither is watching ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ but I would personally recommend it.
All in all, ‘The Mighty Nein’ is a solid addition to the catalogue of modern animated fantasies. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you love more character-centric tales and darker atmospheres, then ‘The Mighty Nein’ has more than enough to keep you hooked. As a major fan of the original source material, the latter half of this first season should be a treat for us all. With episodes releasing every Wednesday you will have plenty to keep you occupied until the new year as you fall in love with this chaotic crew.