From the animators of the incredible series Avatar: the Legend of Aang and the second series about the Legend of Korra, The Dragon Prince had a lot to live up to – and it didn’t disappoint.

The fantasy world in which the story is set is a fantastic reality full of magic, mages, elves and dragons. It is a delightful balance of fantasy, humour and intrigue. The plot is somewhat complex because the audience is immediately submerged into a history of the war between two races: the humans and the elves. It is completely clear that The Dragon Prince is from the makers of Avatar because the entire narrative is a compelling and enjoyable watch.

The animation style is very different to what was used for Avatar, and any other animation I’ve seen too, and at first it takes a while to get used to the odd drawing style. Once the tale gets going the difference in animation is barely noticeable and even becomes enjoyable because it enhances the animation of the magic. The characters are nuanced and likeable, and you’re immediately enamoured with the three protagonists: Callum, Esryn and Reyla. In the midst of an assassination attempt and a political coup, the three discover the egg of the dragon prince that was thought to be long destroyed. They task themselves to take it back to the elven lands and to end the war currently raging between their peoples.

In the past, some animations have been criticised for their lack of inclusion and equality; audiences of The Dragon Prince won’t find any such issues. It’s a diverse cast of both in terms of colour and ability. The two princes’ aunt is not only a powerful and well-respected general, but she is also deaf.

The inclusion of sign-language and the lack of any negativity surrounding her character was delightfully refreshing. All in all, this is a lovely little fantasy series and I’m excited to see what the animators have in store for Reyla, Esryn and Callum in the next season.

 

Stephanie Bennett

Images: Polygon, IMDB