By Juan Calvillo
Netflix’s new animated show, “The Dragon Prince,” is a fantastical romp into a world filled with elves, humans, magic and dragons. The diversity of characters and strong story make the nine-episode-run feel far too short, leaving viewers wanting more.
“The Dragon Prince” follows the story of Callum and Ezran, two human princes from the land of Katolis. Callum is the older of the two and is Ezran’s step-brother. Each of the brothers are special in their own way.
They are joined by Rayla, a member of the Moonshadow Elves. She is a member of a team that is sent to kill the King of Katolis, Harrow.
She is bound to her fellow Moonshadow assassins to kill prince Ezran. Circumstances cause her to align herself with the two princes in a bid to save the world.
The Elven people want retribution for the humans’ use of dark magic against the Dragon King and its heir. While King Harrow’s right hand, Lord Viren, wants to learn how to harness the power of an ancient artifact that the humans took from the lair of the Dragon King.
“The Dragon Prince” does quick work of world building, introducing two warring races and adding dragons and the realms of magic and dark magic into the mix.
Each episode is fast-paced and interesting, always managing to move the main story forward while also adding a little bit to the world as a whole.
Each episode brings tons of character development, but the most well-developed is that of Rayla. Her past, while at first shrouded in mystery, is revealed bit by bit.
Her character arc in this first part of the show makes the character immediately one of the most entertaining to watch.
As the series goes on, there are multiple twists and turns. Alliances that seemed rocksteady in the first episode, would end up in tatters by the next, giving every episode the same charm most Netflix shows have.
By not having to conform to a 22-episode-structure, the story is allowed to be tightly written with no excess fluff. “The Dragon Prince” is all the better for it, using its nine episodes to finish one of its arcs.
In the end, the show is fun and light hearted, yet it also knows how to pack character development and excitement into every minute of every episode.
There is very little to nitpick when it comes to the shows run of episodes other than the fact that it is only nine episodes long.
“The Dragon Prince” is available now on Netflix and is rated TV-Y7.