I’ve had Love, Death and Robots on my watchlist for the longest time but never could get around to it. So recently I decided to finally sit down and binge it before the premier of its third season. Needless to say it left me blown away by how good the storytelling was accompanied by its amazing visuals and animation. The show doesn’t have one singular plot but instead showcases short stories centering around many genres including sci-fi, horror, etc. Every episode is a new story with unique animation to tell it. Below are my top five favorite stories through the course of all three volumes that I think everyone should watch at least once just for the experience and to give you a taste of what this show has to offer.
“Sonnie’s Edge” is based on a short story of the same name written by Peter F. Hamilton. Sonnie, the heroine of the story, is a “beastie fighter” that participates in underground matches where her consciousness is connected to that of a giant beast. Before one of her matches, she receives a bribe to lose but she turns it down only to emerge victorious in the ring. After the match, she’s visited by the man who offered her the bribe, and her future doesn’t look bright.
Two kids awaken on Christmas Eve when they hear something in their living room downstairs. Excited for Santa, the siblings race downstairs to catch a glimpse of the man in red. They quickly find out that the Santa they know isn’t exactly the one they’ve read about in stories.
Two Marines in Afghanistan with shapeshifting abilities find themselves facing a threat from their own kind. Torn between loyalty to pack and loyalty to duty, one Marine must make the decision to stick with his kind or stay with the humans that discriminate against him. The design of the wolves are very reminiscent of Van Helsing (2004) which in my opinion is one of the best shapeshifter/wolf designs I’ve ever seen.
This one left me speechless. It tells the story of a deaf knight who finds a piece of gold in the river which in turn awakens a river siren. The siren tries casting her spell on him but only ends up killing the entire group he was travelling with except him. Captivated by this, the siren decides she wants him for herself. The knight on the other hand, wants her for other reasons: for the gold her body is covered in. This episode made me extremely frustrated and uncomfortable but I think that was the intention. The way the camera shook and moved and the style of the animation tickled my brain in the most weird way imaginable. The overall story was a symbolism for toxic relationships and wanting your partner for all the wrong reasons. My jaw was on the floor with this one, making its way to the #2 spot on my list.
A 200 foot tall giant washes ashore in a quiet fishing community, capturing the attention of its residents as well as a local scientist who observes the giant’s slow descent into decomposition and degradation from the locals. The story as a whole can be interpreted into many different things but the concept that stood out to me was humanity’s habit of destroying the things around them but also their desire to preserve. The residents of the community vandalize the giant spectacle and show no respect for it as time goes on, seemingly unable to leave the giant in peace. Soon they start hacking off body parts, either keeping it for themselves or selling it to whoever was interested. Though it may seem grotesque and disrespectful, the scientist eventually begins to see remains of the giant popping up in places during his travels, showing that humans do care about preserving the beauty of the unthinkable.
Every story told is a feast for the eyes as you’ll experience some of the most beautiful animation and bizarre characters. You’ll laugh. You’ll cry. You’ll cringe. You’ll enjoy all the love and care that went into creating these incredible stories.
Love, Death and Robots volumes 1-3 are available to stream now on Netflix.
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