Dota: Sangre de dragón

I have never heard of Dota or knew about this video game in any shape and form previous to binging this series - to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. Even as someone who doesn't tend to like anime, the execution of this series was extremely well done. Plot was well paced and thickened quite nicely. I was worried that the plot would be confusing for someone who's never played the game, but everything unraveled in a way that was easy to understand. The characters are intriguing, although not a whole lot of development yet. I assume this will be touched on more in season 2 (which I am desperately waiting for!)

I was aprehensive about this series because of all the previous movies/series based on games that have ended in disaster. But I must say I'm pleasantly surprised at the quality of this show. They've clearly taken their inspiration from the game, but the storyline is all new, and pretty exciting. At times it can be very dense in storylines, and I'm hoping the next season will take its time a little more to flesh some of them out a little more.

When goosebumps appear on the skin from every use of the abilities of your favorite characters! When the game comes to life, it's amazing! It's a pity for those who will not be able to fully experience this, because they have not played Dota) But without a doubt, a great plot, I look forward to the sequel.

What we've seen is just a glimpse of Dota's lore. I like that the fundamental premises were already presented albeit they could be a vague especially for casual viewers. Hint: ep 1 intro and Terrorblade's statement towards the end of his scene after the fight with Selemene

For the newcomers, or perhaps, even for those Dota fans but unaware of the depths of its lore, this season will be too hazy or too fragmented. As a typical series taken as it is, this series looks bad. Rooting on someone is looking harder, everyone seems to be immoral or has other reasons for one not to be rooted for. Such element could be explained by the lore later on. As a Dota fan, I liked how fleshed out it is. The plot may become slow but this would mean there will be more focus on character story and development. For now, we only had a glimpse of Davion's, Mirana's, Luna's, and Invoker's. We have not really seen the deeper stories for these characters. Davion, Mirana, and Luna for their future and Invoker for his general role in their universe, past and future. All the while, Dota, as the game, has around 120 heroes to offer. I'm just excited of what's to come. The community has waited a long time for this. Before, we were just watching Slacks' Loregasm series in YT for that good 'ol Dota narrative. Now, we've got an actual series that is so far not too bad. Season 2 pleasee!

DOTA is very fast-paced and covers a lot of content quickly. It requires paying attention and some thought, but even as someone who hasn't played the game and knows nothing of the lore, it's possible to keep up with and greatly enjoy the series. That said, the show would benefit greatly from a longer more paced run time. DOTA exhibits good animation, an intriguing world, and adventure focused on characters that don't fit into the standard binary of hero or villain. They're layered and each has their own story and complexity for what and why they do what they do, be it "good" or "evil". Give it a modicum of focus and the reward will be an evocative and wild journey.