This show occasionally has some of the most beautiful writing I've ever seen in an animated series. Other times, it's painfully ordinary.
What I mean by that is, "Pantheon" begins as a highly compelling character drama imbued with Sci-Fi elements from theoretical computer science. I immediately fell in love with it, and this series continued to deliver-episode after episode. However, at a certain point in season 1, it begins to pivot.
When the virtual world becomes a more prominent component of the series, it gave writers the freedom to pretty much write any sequence of events from an imaginary standpoint. This led to an immense number of action scenes, and this remains rampant for roughly 9 episodes in a row. Given that Pantheon is two seasons and a total of 16 episodes, this action becomes part of its identity.
Don't get me wrong, I have no opposition towards action scenes or fantasy. It was animated quite well, given their budget. But this series was previously a really eloquent character drama. That's what made me binge it, and I missed that. Problems were solved through a thought-out series of events, and then it just becomes "my energy blast is stronger than yours", which feels like a betrayal. For 9 episodes, Pantheon is comparable to your average superhero show or movie.
However, the last two episodes of season 2 were once again interesting. I enjoyed it quite a lot and commend the writers for pulling it off. I still prefer the first six episodes of season 1, but the ending of season 2 was a pivot I welcomed with open arms. Had it not been for those two episodes, I would have given this series an overall 8/10, instead a 9.
We need more series like Pantheon and they need to be supported. While it has its flaws, it's still better than a vast majority of 'live-action' television series.
(8.6875/10)
Season 1 (10/10) episodes 1-5
Season 1 (8/10) episodes 6-8
Season 2 (7.5/10) episodes 1-6
Season 2 (10/10) episodes 7-8.
