Arkan is a work of art

Series Netflix Mysticala collaboration between Riot Games and Studio Fortiche, is an animated show based on the popular computer game. League of Legends. Science fiction writer Zach Chapman I loved Mysticaldespite never playing League of Legends.

“You don’t have to have any knowledge of the game,” Chapman says in episode 536. Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy podcast. “In fact, the less knowledge about the game, the better. None of this is needed. It just works great as a standalone show.”

Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy master David Barr Kirtley was amazed by the show’s visual style, a distinctive mix of 2D and 3D elements. “I look forward to seeing more of this art style,” he says. “You can freeze any frame and it looks like a really good illustration from Dungeons and Dragons management. So I think it’s very cool.”

Fantasy author Lara Elena Donnelly was excited to see an animated series with complex characters and adult themes. “There are parts that almost feel like you’re watching Scorsese a cop movie where no one is good,” she says. “Everyone has their own plans, everyone thinks that his way is the best, and everyone is trying to play with each other. It has a lot of complex power dynamics that are very surprising in an animated video game adaptation.”

Fantasy author Erin Lindsey also liked Mystical, but warns that the show doesn’t pick up steam until episode 3. “I think the first few episodes can lull you into feeling like you’ve seen these plot twists before and that you’ve seen this story before,” she says. “No. It will surprise you over and over again.”

Listen to the full interview with Zach Chapman, Lara Elena Donnelly and Erin Lindsey in episode 536. Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy (higher). And check out some highlights from the discussion below.

Zach Chapman on character design:

It is quite clear that [characters] were developed by a video game company. Many of the characters look like Activision characters. Jinx looks like Junkrat to me, although I’m pretty sure she came before Junkrat. And Ekko looks and acts like a DJ from Overwatch 2 … There is beauty in design that comes down to the very smallest level of detail, which is truly impressive. There is a scene in the fifth episode where a shark-like street vendor gives Vi some food and some information. And this character’s design has more personality than any of the designs in Blood of Zeus, For example. He is in one scene and he looks amazing.

David Barr Kirtley on the character’s death:

What convinces Victor that his experiments are too dangerous is that his laboratory assistant, who is in love with him, is burned to death as a result of his experiment. And I think that this character had maybe one previous scene where she made some kind of impression on me. So when she dies, my reaction was divided between horror and “Wait, who was that again?” So I felt that either that character should have been developed a little more, or some character that we cared more about should have been burned so that at that moment he would have the impact he could have.

Erin Lindsey on Mystical Season 2:

I really don’t know who will be left alive. I think Jace should survive, but I can imagine Mel dying. It’s part of the cruel irony that she symbolically and literally rejects her family’s legacy as she sits and removes her ring from her home when her home is an overseas power known for its brutal ruthlessness. And her mom wasn’t in the room, so her mom definitely survived. And she will probably be naughty about it and use it as an opportunity to use her position and seize power. And I see Jace – since we’ve already established that traumatic events change his personality drastically every minute – I see him also using Mel’s death as something that turns him to the dark side.

Lara Elena Donnelly at Studio Fortiche:

I’m so happy that it was done. I’m surprised they made it a little, because there’s just nothing like it on TV. When I watched it, I thought, “Like they said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s make nine nearly hour long animated episodes of this show that’s not for kids?” It’s amazing to me that this has been done. I’m so happy that this was done and I wish they did more of it. And they’re doing more, and I’m 100 percent going to watch it. When they finished with MysticalI wish they would do more animated TV shows and movies because they just do an absolutely breathtaking job.

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