Dragons: The Nine Realms

Granted I do have nitpicks with the series, but those are small. I came into this show with low expectations and left the first season pleasantly surprised and intrigued. The stories and characters are really good here and each character gets their time to shine with their dragon companions.

While there are some things to potentially gripe about, like the animation and a few other things, it doesn't bring the show down as much as you would think. This show is worthy of future seasons and I cannot wait to see what lies ahead for this show.

My personal favorite piece of HTTYD content is Race to the Edge, I thought it was fun well developed and interesting. This show is not that. It honestly feels more akin to a bad modern AU fanfic than a proper show. It also doesn't help that the animation might be the weakest the series has had since Riders of Berk. The characters just aren't as interesting as the original Dragon Riders in RTTE and you can try so hard they're trying to emulate those dynamics but without any of the chemistry or dialogue that made it work. The issues for this show are made more frustrating by the fact that the show is only 6 episodes which prevents any interesting or real change from happening.

The only character that really works is the nerdy character who has some very good delivery and some of the only good lines in the show. They alone are keeping it from a 1/10 Even if you're a big fan of HTTYD I still wouldn't suggest checking it out honestly if you like the concept just go on a fanfic site and I guarantee there's something that does concept better.

This 6 part show isn't a solid stand-alone series the plot, animation, background story, ending, motive, setup, and delivery is jarring and poorly done. This diverse cast is the most substantial part of the show, and it's easy to follow along with the story are the best parts of the show. (The motive of Tom, the lead, is dumb and against the people of his new town and the dragons he kills more than he protects. Just to keep the dragons a secret.

The plot is frankly boring, although the concept doesn't seem so bad.

There is no humor, there is no drama, the action scenes are terrible.

There are uninteresting characters, so much so that I didn't even remember their names.

Graphics and animation are also not pleasing.

As an enormous fan of How to Train Your Dragon franchise I was, like many others, not very optimistic, even doubtful for this show when it was first revealed.

While many of my concerns did crop up, my expectations were fairly low and I am happy to say the show surpassed or subverted many of my worries.

If you were a doubter, I would say to give the show a chance. While it is nothing groundbreaking, I do believe The Nine Realms will give most fans the feeling of a return to his universe, even if it is in the modern world.

Most of the stories are fairly simple, and the animation is a hugely mixed bag, but there are some compelling elements to be had amongst it. Feathers and Alex are two characters who are the most interesting, as having a dragon as a sort of support animal is both a new and rich concept that I hope will be explored further.

Huge props must be given to the composer who modernised, but captured the feel and soundscape of the Dragons soundtracks that have preceded it and honestly do the most work in carrying much of the show throughout its six episodes.

On the note of number of episodes, 6 episodes means the show is neither a huge investment for a viewer, which is good, but also leaves a lot to be desired, with rushed pacing and character moments that sometimes need more time to set.

I feel like I'm not able to give it a lower score in good faith simply due to the restrictive structure a short 6 episode season brings. In my eyes, they've done alright with what they got, and the first season essentially acts as an extended pilot.

While I really appreciate some of the nods and parallels to earlier Dragons iterations, I hope the show expands in scope in a lengthier second season to capitalise on all the promising aspects yet to be fully explored.