There’s a lot to say about The Dragon Prince. I've never seen an agenda pushed quite like this since the release of The Little Mermaid. It's striking how many social issues are presented under the guise of fictional animation! It reminds me of experiencing the story from its original book form, where there’s so much more excitement and depth than you get in a movie adaptation. And here, the studio really leaned into that concept! You have a coming-of-age boy who happens to be the king's stepson—and the king is married, across racial lines, to a single mother! The co-lead is another character presented as male with horns, but who’s supposed to be an exceptionally skilled thief and assassin. Of course, she surpasses him in every physical way; he’s—or rather, she's—a wood elf, beings of magic, so why wouldn't she excel at everything? You might wonder about the "he" thing with this white-haired, horned elf, and it’s because the artists drew her in a way that makes it hard to tell if she’s male or female unless you mute the show—then you’ll see what I mean. She doesn't possess any obvious feminine qualities. It’s almost as if they didn’t want those “girly” traits getting in the way of her strength. It feels like ages since characters could be identified by their appearance alone. Now, it’s practically offensive to depict a teenage girl with curves, full lips, or a typical hairstyle. Oh, you pervert for liking girls! We miss 2013, don't we? And if the show goes more than three minutes without showcasing how capable women are, expect the next few scenes to hammer home how flawed and misguided men are. If they lack admirable qualities, then you’re subjected to seeing them as bumbling, dependent, clueless, indecisive fools—and gullible too! It's preferable to being a magic user, though. If you’re born with magical abilities, there’s a 60% chance you'll be in a same-sex relationship or pursuing one! How exciting and daring is that? Magic users are largely happy, aren't they? Of course, if you're heterosexual, you'll have to use your imagination to appreciate what the show offers. Same-sex relationships and hope are good; heterosexuality is strange and unlikely. And I know what you’re going to say: "But the leads kiss!"—and it was as forced as a puzzle piece jammed into place. How could she be so capable for many episodes, only to need rescuing by him at the end? It felt contrived when, for once, he saves her after all that demonstrated skill. Like I said, it’s forced. The animation is decent (though you wouldn't be able to tell which character was female if both leads were silent). The story moves along adequately, but there are too many boxes being checked off for me to enjoy it—and I’m black! Here’s a list of inconsistencies that have been shoe-horned in because this is “fantasy”: * Interracial marriage. * A royal interracial marriage to a single mother. * Homosexual elves—though how much of an inconsistency that really is, it's bogus; elves are proud and even prouder warriors. * Same-sex royal marriage. * A same-sex royal marriage with a child!? I can’t even process that without reacting. * An androgynous female co-lead. * An androgynous female co-lead who is more skilled than her homosexual male captain. * A female leader of a military force with a disability. * A royal, disabled female leader of a military force. * The fact that all royalty put themselves in harm’s way to fight the most dangerous magical foe—the dragon king. You mean they had kingdoms but no loyal knights? * The daughter of an evil white man with severe daddy issues who makes bad choices and harms innocent people to protect her family. * The son of that same evil white man, a good soul who only becomes so after causing injuries or deaths. * Another female leader of the magic fairies—this one controls lava—and she’s even more openly gay than pink pineapple in Rupe Hall's hands. * And last but not least, an angry young man who won't listen to reason because the evil white man framed the fairies for his father's murder. Apparently, he's Latino, so they represented him too! Yay. This list highlights what a "typical" person would miss if they weren’t skilled (or 10 years old or a housewife) at spotting these kinds of plot devices. The animation is good, but everything else about this “animation” feels forced, contrived, and predictably plotted. Who gave this liberal visual mess .5 stars? This guy!

Source on TMDB