The Legend of Vox Machina Review by Someone Who Knows Nothing About Critical Role
For years, I’ve wanted to dive into Critical Role. It’s been recommended to me over and over again by friends. I worked in a comic book store when the first whispers of their comic series were in the works. Fans would always ask if we had Vox Machina books or which D&D guides were in the show. I’ve seen amazing fanart and cosplays. I’d see it trend on Twitter. The ‘fear of missing out’ was very strong.
But every time I sat down to look into the series, it was so daunting. There were so many episodes. It was hundreds of hours of content. Was it better to watch the videos or listen to the podcast? Where would I find the time? It felt intimidating to jump into Critical Role all these years later.
So when I heard about The Legend of Vox Machina, I got really excited hoping it would be a good starting point for Critical Role. I finally got my hands on the series, and I wanted to give my thoughts as a new viewer!
I did look up the showrunner beforehand. I squealed when I saw Brandon Auman’s name. As a huge fan of Star Wars Resistance, it pumped me up so much. That’s a great ensemble show about found family which boded very well for Vox Machina. I also found out that the series was produced by Titmouse, Inc., one of my favorite animation studios. In the wake of Titmouse going union, I wanted to give this studio some extra support.
Keep in mind I know very little about Critical Role. I know it’s a tabletop web series with a lot of my favorite voice actors in it. I know nothing about the characters or the story. The world is new to me. I went into the show completely blind.
And boy howdy did I have a BLAST!
What I loved about the first two episodes is it took the time to establish the characters. As a new fan, I really enjoyed this approach. With an ensemble cast, it’s easy for some characters to get sidelined for later episodes. That didn’t happen here. Every member of Vox Machina got a moment to shine. It quickly established who they are, their skillsets, and how they worked off each other. It was the perfect two-part introduction for me to get to know the cast.
Who are simply amazing characters. I’m a sucker for found family tropes, and this is no exception. The writing is tight enough to give a newbie like me everything I need. It’s the little things like Pike calling Grog her old friend. It translates probably hours and hours of gameplay into a nice bite sized bit that I need for the show. Because if I want to know the backstory, there is a web series for that that I can check out.
Which is what I think is the biggest strength of this show. I immediately latched onto these people, the world, and I want to know more about them. Instead of seeing all those hours of Critical Role and feeling intimidated by them, I really want to dive into the campaigns now. I want to read the lore. I want to know how it started prior to The Legend of Vox Machina and how it ends. The show is a delightful appetizer whetting my appetite for more. That is a huge success for me.
It was also a surprise how queer the show is. I was not expecting in the opening minutes seeing Vax flirt with another man. I immediately looked up and confirmed he was bisexual. The weaving of queer storylines is so seamless into the overall narrative. As I’ve discussed before, the normalization of queer stories is so important in YA animation. But I don’t think we discuss it enough in adult animation. I know that in my experience as a 34-year-old queer woman, I didn’t grow up with the best normalization of gay characters (looking at you Sailor Uranus and Neptune portrayed as cousins). One of the biggest joys I’ve had is seeing the next generation of baby gays have such a feast of representation. But I’m sure many adults, queer and straight, didn’t get LGBTQIA+ stories normalized in their animation growing up. This makes Vox Machina important in such a different way. It allows for adults who might have missed this important normalization step to get it now. It might allow them to experience queer media for the first time.
What can I say about Titmouse’s animation that’s not already known? It’s gorgeous. They’re one of the best in the business for a reason. The character designs are beautiful. The animation is fluid and smooth. It always has a great re-watchability. I should know, as I’ve watched episodes 1-3 three times now and 4-6 twice. Every frame is so detailed that there’s always something new to spot in the background or in battles. Titmouse is such an amazing, talented company. I enjoy everything they do.
Again, it’s such a historic moment in animation that Titmouse is union now. Go support more of their work.
Having adult animation that’s actually focused on long running narratives and characters is such a breath of fresh air for me. Part of the reason why I tend to review YA animation is I have such a distaste for adult shows. So much of it is in the same vein as Family Guy or Rick and Morty, when I just want story. I want lore. I want to see characters grow and change, not get rebooted back to zero at the end of every episode. I get that in a lot of YA animation like The Owl House or in the case of Auman’s other work, Star Wars Resistance. It’s so refreshing to get some fantastic adult stories in an animated medium. I really hope The Legend of Vox Machina succeeds so we get more shows like this. I mean I love Bob’s Burgers and King of the Hill as much as the next person, but I desperately want more series like Vox Machina outside of the realm of anime (which I do love too).
I’m glad that the series is already renewed for more seasons. While it looks like this season is shaping up to be focused on Percy, I’d love to see each character get big arcs like him. The tight storytelling is already setting down long-running threads throughout the show. Little things like Vax and Keyleth forming a romance or Pike having to focus on her faith are being woven in well into the bigger narrative. I’d still want each character to have a season focused on them though. I don’t know how many arcs Critical Role had with this campaign, as I am trying to avoid spoilers, but I hope this is easily a three, four, or even a five-season show. I’m enjoying it so much that I want it to last for a while.
This leads me to my biggest gripe which is how it is being released. I understood the first three episodes being released at once. “The Terror of Tal'Dorei— Part One” and “Part Two” were a solid intro while “The Feast of Realms” set up the rest of the season. I wish after that, or even after the first two episodes, it had a weekly format instead of episode drops. Mostly because I am really enjoying this ride. I don’t want it to be over that fast. It’s crazy there are only two more weeks left at the time I’m writing this.
Though I must keep in mind I’m a newbie. For longtime fans of Critical Role, I’m sure this is a fun adaptation. They probably are watching to see how and why things are being presented. Already, my friends have discussed online what has been cut out and what’s been focused on. I’m sure they’re loving these big episode drops. As a newbie, I just wish I had more time to marinate from week to week. Pouring over episodes, breaking them down, and having time to talk with fans is what’s the most fun to me.
This is just a personal preference though. I enjoy fandom and being able to communicate with fellow fans to talk about the series. It’s part of the ride of the show.
The Legend of Vox Machina is fun, fast, and so full of heart. I immediately fell in love with all of these characters. I’m all in on their journey. And most of all, for the first time ever, I think I’m going to finally check out Critical Role thanks to the series once season one is complete. I am eager to see where the journey of Vox Machina takes me.
