S01.E02: Venus Pop

[tessaray]

A ragtag crew of bounty hunters chases down the galaxy's most dangerous criminals; they'll save the world for the right price.

Drops on Netflix - November 19, 2021

[AnimeMania]

I still like it, Spike should have played it a little more likable and smooth. I think the performance is lacking in a playful energy. Spike should appear not to care, but still be very focused on his surroundings. The fight moves are unique and entertaining although they could have been edited better to make them seem more natural and flow better. Some places are a little grungy, even the higher class places you would expect would have a little more polish. The sets could use more high-tech looking gadgets to remind us this is space and we are in the future. I think they leaned in a little to hard on the retro, since I even saw and original Mac computer. They also need more splashes of color to remind people of it's Anime origins.

[WritinMan]

Watched two episodes so far, and I'm not really liking it. But I don't know if I'll give up on it. Has nothing to do with comparing it with the anime, though. I don't know anything about the anime, and don't really care to be honest.

This...just doesn't seem very well made--kind of silly. Sometimes it looks great, other times really cheap. There isn't much chemistry between any of the actors, and Cho seems to be sleepwalking through this.

[thuganomics85]

The likely big baddie for this season is actually named Vicious?!  Subtly is clearly not a play here, heh.  Although, to be fair, it seems like the true ringleaders are these masked folks (including the lead guy played or voiced by John Noble!) who are running the Syndicate and clearly don't like it when you step out of line.  Also, it already looks like Julia is regretting being married to this dude.  Still not sure what is the full story about her and Spike/"Fearless", but I'm thinking he would have been the better option...

Always cool seeing Tamara Tunie.

Can't wait for the eventual scene when Jet finds out that Spike use to be part of the syndicate at the worst moment possible.  You really should just go ahead and tell him, Spike!

No Fay in this episode.  I guess this season is going to build up to her eventually joining the crew, but I found this episode lacking without her there.

I'm suddenly craving noodles!

[Mabinogia]

8 hours ago, thuganomics85 said:

The likely big baddie for this season is actually named Vicious?!

Vicious is clearly Lucius Malfoy's insecure little brother, determined to prove himself but clearly not as clever, smooth or (IMO) sexy as his older, much more menacing sibling. 

Seriously, every time they show Vicious all I can think is he is in a cheap, discount Malfoy costume. lol 

Other than him I am loving the show. I never saw the anime so I had no expectation going in beyond this was going to be fun, stylish and have a corgi. Sad I haven't met Ein yet, but I am trying not to binge this, since whenever I binge something I forget about it a day or two later, but I really hope Ein shows up soon. I also missed Faye in this very short ep. 

[MisterGlass]

On 11/20/2021 at 9:33 PM, WritinMan said:

Watched two episodes so far, and I'm not really liking it.

Same here.  I'm not familiar with the anime, but all the individual pieces are things that I should like.  it just doesn't hang together for me.  The irreverence is forced, the humor doesn't really make me smile, and the drama is not compelling.  I love the set design and the effects, but I don't know if that is enough to carry me through.  Maybe some of this plays better in anime than in live action.

I like John Cho so I'm sorry to be disappointed by this.

On 11/19/2021 at 3:05 PM, AnimeMania said:

The fight moves are unique and entertaining although they could have been edited better to make them seem more natural and flow better.

I very much agree with the editing observation.  If they reduced the pauses in the fighting and in regular conversation I think these episodes would be five to ten minutes shorter.

[tennisgurl]

The pacing of this show seems really weird, you can tell the show wants this to be a serialized story with a real Big Bad and a plot of plot threads, but the show doesn't really lend itself well to that sort of format. Every time they cut to Vicious and Julia it feels totally disconnected to the rest of the story and its not really adding much. Vicious lives up to his name, Julia is regretting her marriage, it feels like we could have established this in one scene. I am really trying to not watch this and compare it too much to the anime, but it just feels so off, like its trying to be too much like the original at times but is also diverging in weird ways. 

There are things I liked though, I am always happy to see Tamara Tunie and I liked her scenes with Spike, the exploding Teddy Bears were creepy, and I loved the joke about how Jet and Spike couldn't understand the bad guy under his mask. Mustafa Shakir is probably the best casting in the show, he makes for an awesome Jet, even with that cheap looking metal on his eye. 

I am looking forward to Ein's introduction so much, he's the best boy no matter the adaptation.