As someone that isn’t that into any animation that goes too far beyond Looney Tunes, with some exceptions thrown into the mix, I’ll admit that I wasn’t thinking of watching The Legend of Vox Machina. But after watching the first episode I’m hooked, and not just because it’s a killer fantasy brought to life, but because it brings back a lot of fond memories spent around one table or another while the DM (Dungeon Master) came up with ways to kill, I mean challenge, the players that were sat around said table. Yep, I’m talking about the good old days of playing Dungeons and Dragons, which is what this show plays out as in more than one way since the show has the magic, the fighting, and the recognizable elements of a game of D&D, but it also has the charm and the unruly nature of a game that’s being played by those that don’t always follow the rules to the letter and try to get away with as much as they possibly can. One can only imagine the number of dice rolls that would need to be made for each episode, and yet, every moment tends to get better than the last as the companions continue along.
The show starts in a way that might hearken back to the days when Dungeons and Dragons was first getting its start among those that can remember the first edition and the different rules that had to be applied. But one thing that’s evident in a fight, as it should be, is that making big speeches before attacking is a huge no-no since eventually, it gives the enemy a chance to attack and simply annihilate the tongue-wagging adventurers that want to chat first and then attack. In the initial battle with the blue dragon that plagues the kingdom initially, the audience is shown three warriors that just HAD to utter something other than a war cry as they were blasted in turn by the dragon, which doesn’t get revealed right away.
Learning that Vox Machina is a band of misfits that haven’t reached their potential yet is interesting since this is essentially what it means to play D&D with a group of individuals that all have their own personalities and issues to deal with. A bard, a barbarian, a rogue, a ranger (with an armored bear companion no less), a cleric, a gunslinger, and a druid is a rather interesting group since there’s magic, there’s martial skill, and most importantly, there’s healing. Pike is a big part of the equation since without the healing powers granted to her by Everlight, her deity, then the group would likely be completely out of luck, especially with the kind of trouble they tend to get into. One would think that going after a massive blue dragon as their first quest would be a task that seasoned adventurers might be needed for, but while they’re kind of a motley group, Vox Machina still manages to turn it on when they really need to, meaning that they’re a more unified group than anyone might really think just by looking at them.
Finding the ability to laugh at their antics is easy since remembering how many times a DM might smile or perform a facepalm when thinking of how to counter every eccentricity that a group like this can offer is beyond hilarious. There’s a great deal of personality in this show, and waiting for a second season is going to be kind of tough thanks to the way the first one ended. From fighting a blue dragon, which wasn’t easy but was still over before the second adventure they went on, to trying to save the city that Percy, the gunslinging aristocrat of the group, once called his home, Vox Machina is a group that can’t help but be awkward and delightfully ridiculous when it comes to doing just about anything. Sitting back and laughing while being impressed with the direction that the story takes is simple and yet the story is something that one can’t help but agree is crafted in a way that helps to paint a vivid picture of a group that might have come together largely due to happenstance and a lot of luck.
The fact that anyone gets along in this group is amazing since apart from the twins, Vax and Vex, the ranger and rogue, and Pike and Grog, the cleric and barbarian, there doesn’t appear to be a lot in common, other than their love of adventure and yes, treasure. Each player has a part to fill in this group though, and they do this expertly since even if a couple of them feel a bit uncertain of themselves throughout the season, they end up shining in a way that brings to mind the natural roll of a 20 when playing the game, and just in the nick of time too.
Looney Tunes
Follow Us
