Adam Croasdell, Adetokumboh M'Cormack, Chris Diamantopoulos
30 min
TLDR
Netflix, please, please give us a season two.
What it's about
After discovering his true heritage as an illegitimate son of Zeus, Heron, a commoner living in ancient Greece, is tasked to save the world from a demonic army.
The take
After the success of Castlevania, it became apparent that there was a market for American anime– so Netflix teamed up with Powerhouse Animation Studios and the Greek-American Parlapanides Brothers to create Blood of Zeus. Claiming to be a tale “lost to history”, the show takes familiar strands of Greek mythos, such as demigod births, fantastical beings, and powerful gods, woven together through the journey of Heron as he sets out on a heroic quest. It’s a distinctly Western tale, but the epic battles, arena duels, and demonic hunts mixes well with Powerhouse’s animesque art style, creating a novel combination that feels fully original.
What stands out
Blood of Zeus’ art style is definitely anime inspired, but unlike the outlandish hair colors and the exaggerated eyes of today’s anime landscape, Blood of Zeus’ character designs lean more on the realistic side, with regular facial proportions, emphasized shadows and high contrast coloring reminiscent of 70s-80s American comics. This gives the show a classic feel, something that makes the story really feel like a “lost” tale, while still enabling the studio to carve something new.