Onyx Equinox

Episode one is out and it quite impressed me. A good take on Aztec and Mayan mythologies with Zapotec deities too and a pretty nuanced and realistic take on human sacrifice. If I have one complaint is that using Mictlantecuhtli as the main villain is a bit boring.

If I were to sum up it in a one word, this is a series where gods are all powerful and do whatever that pops into their mind + a 'hero' who is a crybaby almost all the time.

Most of the actions doesnt have any reasons to why they did those. And the story moves at a very fast phase with lots of gaps in between them.

For me, those are the major points thats drag this one down. Maybe the English dub should also be responsible for that because I kind of felt that the dub has lots of flaws as well.

It is a fine work of art, at last someone does justice to Mesoamerican stories, simply the fact that there is no censorship in sacrifices and weird customs are respected, the cult of death, gods, places, all are historically endorsed, nothing to do with western culture, Mesoamerica is more rooted in Asia than Europe.

I'm often entranced by media that takes place during a historical period in which mythology is reality. When I first heard about Onyx Equinox, I thought it was going to be another "The Road to El Dorado" - a colonial telling of the Aztec/Incan/Mayan indigenous people and painting them to be blood thirsty savages. This show amazed me. Yes there is bloodshed, but the cultural practices surrounding it and their beliefs is fascinating. I had to go and look up articles to understand what I was watching and I have learned so much! This show tries to provide a compelling tale about the Indigenous peoples of South America pre-conquisator invasion and I must say, they succeed very well! If anything, the show can be a tad melodramatic (but given what the characters have suffered through, it's warranted) and the action feel a bit wooden but if those aren't hang ups for you, please watch this show!

The point of main character aside, he is the failing of this show. Irritating to endure and creepy to listen to, more so after realizing the boy character is being voiced by a woman, his voice just sounds off and the unrelenting whining.

He's also a bit of a Marty Stu when necessity requires him to be smart or have skills. From weaver to leader, swordsman, tactician, and back to whining...