Into the Lion's Den

Eyes of Wakanda's inaugural episode, "Into the Lion's Den," attempts to establish the historical underpinnings of Wakanda's isolationism and the origins of the Hatut Zeraze (War Dogs). I liked it as a Marvel completionist (7/10), but my daughter didn't (5/10)

Set in 1260 BC Minoan Crete, the story follows Noni, a disgraced former Dora Milaje, on a mission to apprehend Nkati, "The Lion," a rogue former Royal Guard captain who has stolen Wakandan technology and established a tyrannical kingdom.

While the episode successfully lays the groundwork for the series' premise... the global pursuit of scattered vibranium artifacts by covert Wakandan agents... its distant historical setting and focus on entirely new characters proved challenging for my daughter. Her expectation of a "Black Panther" experience, likely tied to T'Challa and the familiar cinematic universe, went unfulfilled.

The distinct animation style, while visually striking in its painterly quality, was also not to her taste, contributing to a lack of engagement. Despite its ambition to expand the Wakandan mythos, Ep 1 struggled to connect with a younger viewer seeking more direct ties to the established hero.

I might give Ep 2 a run on my own.

It was a very good and interesting episode. The story itself is not great, but the action was wonderful, the pace was great, the characters are colorful and life-filled. I am not such a fine of the style of the animation but it worked very well here. As I need to fill more characters I will say it is story set 1500+ B. C. and I wonder if the show will follow Wakanda in chronological order.

The first episode of the show is way better than I expected it to be! The animation is pretty decent and although a lot of the script isn't that great, it still tells a solid story with good action and a very interesting antagonist.

Eyes Of Wakanda isn't a show that I was looking forward to, but this first episode is definitely a solid watch and expands nicely on the lore surrounding the MCU's Wakanda!

I honestly don't understand the mediocre reviews this episode is getting. The animation style is far superior to What If...?, with fluid, dynamic fight scenes that feel truly cinematic. The character designs and costumes are stunning.

Sure, the way the story is told could have been a bit more original, but it more than succeeds in drawing me back into the rich lore of Wakanda. The episode is action-packed and engaging throughout. Yes, the 30-minute format limits how much story can be told, but even so, the creators did a solid job. We get a clear sense of what drives the villain and how the main character thinks and feels, which is impressive for such a short runtime.

I think we've become so obsessed with chasing "masterpieces" that we've forgotten how to just enjoy a good, well-crafted show. This episode shows a strong creative vision and a talented design team behind it. It's a shame it's being undervalued, but I, for one, will definitely keep watching.