L e g e n d s o f V o x M a c h i n a

The Legend of Vox Machina was created by Critical Role, a Dungeons and Dragons web show run by a group of “nerdy voice actors” as said by Matthew Mercer, premiered in January of 2022 on Amazon Prime Video The show follows the adventures of Vox Machina, a band of eight unlikely heroes, which premiers new adventures from the group as well as adapting beloved arcs from the original Vox Machina campaign. The season is split into two stories; the Terror of Tal’Dorei and the Briarwood arc, the later of which takes up most of the season. The show stays incredibly faithful to the source material, something which can be accredited to the fact that everyone who worked on the show was a fan of the original campaign and most of the show was actually funded by fans on Kickstarter.

Like most adaptations, fans of Critical Role will get more out of the show than the casual viewer but casual viewers are welcomed with open arms by the world of Tal’Dorei. The characters are carefully crafted to fit the small screen while still maintaining the elements which made them lovable in the first place. The performances throughout the show, most of which come from the original cast, are nothing more than stunning, polished versions of the original campaign acting and uphold the original dynamics of the campaign. The cast bring an incredible amount of heart to their characters, most of whom were created by those who voice them, and viewers can hear the love pouring out of the screen The animation brings the characters to life in a way which live action never could, allowing for viewers to be fully immersed in the rich world of Tal’Dorei, all while being a constant reminder that The Legend of Vox Machina is incredibly adult, featuring some of the most brutal and vile violence on TV right now

Overall, The Legend of Vox Machina is a love letter to the campaign, both for the fans and for the creators, and is a rollercoaster from start to finish The show welcomes casual viewers with open arms and allows previous fans to jump right back into the fun of the original campaign without skipping a beat. No matter what perspective one looks at the show with, it’s an incredibly witty, heartfelt and carefully crafted piece of TV.