First and foremost I want to start off by saying I had no idea that the show was based off a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena) so this entire review is based on what I saw on the show. I had nothing to compare it to so this is an unbiased take on what I thought about the series (mild spoilers ahead).
The story begins with Davion, a confident Dragon Knight with a pretty successful career under his belt. After a battle between a dragon and a demon underground, an elder dragon by the name of Slyrak merges his soul with Davion’s in order to stay alive and remain on the earthly plane, for lack of a better term, to fight the demon Terrorblade who seeks to kill all dragons and reshape the world as he sees fit. On top of that, Davion meets Princess Miranda who seeks out the lotuses that belonged to her people which were stolen by a clan of elves in hopes of reviving a goddess. Both Davion and Mirana team up alongside Mirana’s partner Marci to seek out the lotuses and find a cure for Davion’s infliction.
Because this is based on a MOBA, the show is probably dripping with lore and Easter eggs that someone like me (who hasn’t played the game before) doesn’t understand or wouldn’t catch on to. Fans of the game might notice little things or cameos from the game such as locations or characters. If you’ve seen any and are familiar with the game, feel free to comment at the end of the review.
Dragon’s Blood is a healthy mix of anime with American cartoons. For scenes such as battle sequences, the animation is a little more 3D-ish instead of the normal 2D we’re used to seeing. The character designs are gorgeous and the colors are so vibrant and attention grabbing. The series also gives off adult Avatar: The Last Airbender vibes (at least in my opinion) so if you love ATLAS and Legend of Korra, this might just be your next binge.
I personally think this series is off to a great start. Even if I didn’t fully understand any references made towards the game, it was still very enjoyable to watch so it can probably be viewed as a standalone and you don’t have to have prior knowledge of the MOBA. Fantastic storyline, tons of action and lots of beautiful dragons. I can’t wait to see what Book 2 brings.
DOTA: Dragon’s Blood is available to stream now on Netflix.
Fandom Lair 