The writing quality was disappointing, often falling short of expectations. The voice acting was adequate, while the animation itself was pleasing. Qwydion is delightful; she’s incredibly bubbly and endearing! My overall impression is lukewarm – meh. However, I'll likely watch season 2 just to see more of Qwydion. I’ve encountered better writing and storytelling in shows like The Dragon Prince (seasons 1 through 3 were good, season 4 was not), and Arcane, which really established a high standard for mature-audience animation. I've also seen similar or worse quality in Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Here, the writers seemed to forget details they’d already established, inconsistently portrayed characters’ intelligence, and lacked consistency in their actions throughout the story. The writing of the plot twist was particularly weak; it could have been handled much better. [SPOILER WARNING] Parents should be aware that this series, rated **TV-MA** on various platforms including IMDB and Netflix (**16+**), is intended for mature audiences. It’s concerning when children are exposed to media designed for adults. As someone from outside the United States, I found the use of population statistics unsettling; it implies a lack of empathy towards those experiencing hardship. This likely explains why the review I'm responding to completely overlooks the blatant xenophobia and slavery present in this series – acknowledging it would require some degree of compassion. Presenting 2% of America’s population as insignificant, which is roughly 7 million people, feels insensitive, and that number itself becomes a spoiler. While homosexual characters are included, the first season portrays their existence as unremarkable within the world. There's no exploration of the challenges or persecution faced by LGBTQ+ individuals, which is often a criticism leveled at other shows. Instead, the reviewer seems to object simply to the presence of these characters. Spoiler: two protagonists are homosexual, one antagonist is also homosexual, and another protagonist may be bisexual. The lesbian elf protagonist harbors resentment towards her human “brother” due to their shared history as slaves subjected to abuse by his family. This past trauma led directly to the death of her twin brother, a sacrifice she was forced to perform to save her master's son’s life. It’s understandable that she would want nothing to do with him, even though he wants to resurrect her real brother, despite the potential for disastrous consequences from using Blood Magic. Would bringing him back mean returning him to slavery? The presumed heterosexual human antagonist is portrayed as reckless and arrogant, willing to endanger others through his own actions. He’s shown to be willing to use forbidden magic he doesn't understand and even murder someone who defies him. Apparently, evil is acceptable as long as it isn't associated with homosexuality. Poor writing remains poor writing. Diverse characters don’t excuse bad storytelling, nor do they compensate for it. The presence or absence of specific character traits won't change that fact, because there are plenty of shows without diverse characters that are also poorly made. I hope my review is allowed to remain on this website, especially given the presence of other reviews that seem biased and prejudiced.

Source on TMDB