AnimeMania January 15, 2022 Share January 15, 2022 The Legend of Vox Machina is a Dungeons & Dragons inspired adult animated adventure airing on Jan. 28, 2022 on Prime Video. It will consist of 24 half-hour episodes split evenly two seasons. Season 1 which will be released 3 episodes a week. The Legend of Vox Machina - Opening Title Sequence The Legend of Vox Machina originated when a group of Voice Actors decide to play a game of Dungeons & Dragons together. Their group name was Critical Role and they started to live stream some of their D&D campaigns on Twitch. Members of Critical Role includes (L-R Back) Marisha Ray, Liam O’Brien, Taliesin Jaffe, Matthew Mercer, (L-R Front) Travis Willingam, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, Orion Acaba and Ashley Johnson. The popularity of streaming their D&D campaigns on Twitch lead them to a Kickstarter campaign to turn the adventures of the characters they created into a half-hour animated special entitled "The Legend of Vox Machina". The Kickstarter raised $11.4 million in 45 days and got commitments from over 80 thousand "Critters", the name they use for their Vox Machina fanbase. Critical Role partnered with Amazon Studios and Titmouse to produce two Seasons of The Legend of Vox Machina. The fantasy-themed animated series follows a band of misfits with a penchant for boozing and brawling, take on a quest to save the realm of Exandria from dark magical forces in exchange for the funds to pay off their ever-increasing tavern tab. Sinister necromancers, powerful curses, undead giants, and other obstacles test the skills of Vox Machina, as well as the strength of their bond. The members of Critical Role will provide the voices as well as serve as executive producers with Brandon Auman and Chris Prynoski, president & owner of Titmouse. The main Quest characters include: (L-R): Percival de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson), Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), Keyleth (Marisha Ray), Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien) and Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey) . Critical Role have a deep love for "Saturday morning cartoons" and as voice actors they have a deep appreciation for and have been "in" a large number of the English dubbed Anime that has been brought over to the US from Japan. Their Twitch popularity gave them an opportunity to see and decide what their characters might look like based on all of the fan art that had been created. Their voice actor careers take them to a number of Comic Book conventions and in 2018 Travis Willingham approached veteran character designer Phil Bourassa during the New York Comic Con to design the characters. The story was pretty much written based on what was developing during their campaigns of over 115 Twitch episodes. They just have to shape the best parts into cohesive compelling narrative. It was essential to make sure that the story felt like you were on a journey and every decision you make has consequences that shapes every subsequent episode. New twists and turns have been added to the plot to keep the "Critters" engaged. There will be adult themes, language and violence in keeping with the original Twitch story. Critical Role have two additional D&D campaigns set in the world of Exandria, so they have plenty of adventures ready should the opportunity arise. The Legend of Vox Machina is on Campaign 3 of their weekly streaming show, which just started on October 21 and is currently available for viewing on YouTube. Main Characters: Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien), Half-elf rogue Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), gnome bard Keyleth (Marisha Ray), a half-elven druid Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), goliath barbarian Percy de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), gunslinger Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey), half-elven ranger Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson, Patterson from Blindspot), Gnome cleric Dungeon Master (Matthew Mercer), creator of the world of Exandria Other members of the voice cast include: Brandon Auman, Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, and Ben Kalina. Link to comment
AnimeMania January 15, 2022 Author Share January 15, 2022 Something is going down at Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, January 20 involving "The Legend of Vox Machina" adult animated series. Information is vague at the moment, but it might involve airing some of the episodes of this soon to be released 12 episode animated TV Series Season 1 to the public early and for "Free", not requiring an Amazon Prime Video subscription to watch. This is part of the Amazon Prime Video Fanimation Week from January 17 to 22. Amazon is dropping the paywall for some of it's adult animated shows. Here is the current schedule (Information I added is in parenthesis and might be wrong): 1/17 - Anime Monday: A day dedicated to highlighting all of the amazing Anime titles available on Prime Video, including the critically-acclaimed Evangelion Rebuild series. (I believe Evangelion 3.33 and Evangelion 3.0+1.0 and several other anime titles can be viewed for free starting from January 17 to the end of February). 1/18 - Diabolical Tuesday: It’s time to get f*cking Diabolical with Prime Video’s animated anthology series, The Boys Presents: Diabolical, set in the world of The Boys. (Possibly can watch several episodes for free this day before the official premiere of the series.) 1/19 - Fairfax Wednesday Drop: Get ready for the DROP! Let’s get hypebeast-y with Prime Video’s latest entry into its Adult Animation lineup. 1/20 - Vox Machnica Thursday: Fans have made this the most successful Kickstarter campaign of all time, let’s blow it all out for them and this amazing cast. (Possibly can watch several episodes for free this day before the official premiere of the series.) 1/21 - Undone Friday: A behind the scenes of one of Prime Video’s most visually stunning shows. 1/22 - Invincible Saturday Season 1 Rewatch-a-thon: Let’s end the weekend on a high note with a rewatch of Prime Video’s most talked about animated series of 2021. (Possibly can watch the entire series for free this day.) Link to comment
SVNBob January 17, 2022 Share January 17, 2022 (edited) On 1/15/2022 at 9:31 AM, AnimeMania said: The Legend of Vox Machina originated when a group of Voice Actors decide to play a game of Dungeons & Dragons together. Their group name was Critical Role and they started to live stream some of their D&D campaigns on Twitch. The game actually started because of two things: First, Liam O'Brien and Sam Riegel had started a podcast where they decided on fun things to try doing between episodes, then talk about the experience for the podcast. Liam convinced their friend Matt Mercer to set-up a "one-shot" game as an event for the podcast after hearing a lot about another game Matt was running and kept inviting Liam to join. Liam had played in his youth, but it had been quite a while since he had. And Sam had never played any TableTop Role Playing Game before, so this was perfect fodder for the podcast. Second, the game was set-up to be a gift for Liam's birthday (coincidentally also Laura Bailey's birthday, hence her and Liam deciding their characters were twins). Laura, an avid gamer, was invited, and she dragged in her husband Travis Willingham for his first ever game, Matt's then-girlfriend (now wife) Marisha Ray played DM's assistant and advisor to the new players (later joining the party with her own character) and brought in her friend Taliesin Jaffe, an experienced player, to help round out and "protect" the party. After the one-shot, Liam was quite giddy about playing again and asked the rest of the group if they wanted to continue to play together. They did so and eventually brought in Ashley Johnson, another first-time player, to join the table. And technically, they were playing Pathfinder (the one-shot may have been DnD, but the ongoing pre-stream campaign was Pathfinder), a different but similar TTRPG system. They switched over to 5th edition D&D for the streams, as it was a more easily accessible system (as DnD takes up more space in pop culture, and has a free set of Basic Rules), but that required Matt to home-brew a class for Taliesin's character. The streams started because Felicia Day wanted a DnD show on her new YouTube and Twitch network, Geek and Sundry. She'd heard of Mercer's game through cast members of other shows on the network who wanted to get in on it, but didn't know who the players were. At a meeting with Mercer, and hearing that the people already in the game were people she would have wanted to cast anyway, she decided to invite him to bring the whole game and table onto the network, if they were all interested. The rest is internet history, with one of the largest streaming shows to date, and the current holder of the most-funded film and TV project on Kickstarter (taking the title from Joel Hodgson and the revival of MST3K that aired on Netflix.) Edited January 17, 2022 by SVNBob Link to comment
AnimeMania January 18, 2022 Author Share January 18, 2022 1/20 - Vox Machnica Thursday: Fans have made this the most successful Kickstarter campaign of all time, let’s blow it all out for them and this amazing cast. On Thursday Jan. 20 Here is what I think you will have to do to see the (two?) episodes of "The Legend of Vox Machina" adult animated series available for early access. Continuously monitor #FanimationWeek and #FANologyPV on Twitter or the Instagram equivalent. At some point someone on there will give you a time when they will have a watch party. Go to the Prime Video/Twitch Watch Parties section of Twitch at the appointed time and select the appropriate streamer. To view what the streamer is watching you will also have to have an Amazon Prime Video account that requires you to "Log In" before being allowed access. I don't think you have any control over the video so make sure that you can view the content without stopping or distraction. Link to comment
SVNBob January 20, 2022 Share January 20, 2022 On 1/15/2022 at 9:31 AM, AnimeMania said: Main Characters: Vax’ildan (Liam O’Brien), Half-elf rogue Scanlan Shorthalt (Sam Riegel), gnome bard Keyleth (Marisha Ray), a half-elven druid Grog Strongjaw (Travis Willingham), goliath barbarian Percy de Rolo (Taliesin Jaffe), gunslinger Vex’ahlia (Laura Bailey), half-elven ranger Pike Trickfoot (Ashley Johnson, Patterson from Blindspot), Gnome cleric Dungeon Master (Matthew Mercer), creator of the world of Exandria Other members of the voice cast include: Brandon Auman, Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, and Ben Kalina. In addition to this cast, Critical Role just released the following video about many of the guest voices that will also be appearing in the series: For those who can't watch the video: Stephanie Beatriz as Lady Kima Anjali Bhimani as Head Cleric Eugene Byrd as Jarrett Esmé Creed-Miles as Cassandra de Rolo Felicia Day as Captain of Emon Darin De Paul as Kerrion Stonefell Grey Griffin as Delilah Briarwood Tony Hale as Sir Fince Bobby Hall aka Logic as Palace Guard Kelly Hu as Dr. Anna Ripley Sunil Malhotra as Gilmore Rory McCann as Duke Vedmire Max Mittelman as Desmond Dominic Monaghan as Archibald Desnay Khary Payton as Sovereign Uriel Tal’Dorei Mason Alexander Park as the Tavern Keeper Stacey Raymond as Bryn Stephen Root as Professor Anders David Tennant as General Krieg Tracie Thoms as the Everlight Gina Torres as Keeper Yennen Indira Varma as Lady Allura Vysoren Link to comment
AnimeMania January 25, 2022 Author Share January 25, 2022 How a scrappy Dungeons & Dragons game night evolved into an R-rated animated series Entertainment Weekly Written/Video Interview ***Contains Spoilers*** Link to comment
AnimeMania January 27, 2022 Author Share January 27, 2022 ‘The Legend of Vox Machina’ Lives Up to the Hype, According to This Dungeon Master: TV Review Link to comment
AnimeMania January 28, 2022 Author Share January 28, 2022 (edited) The Legend of Vox Machina Jan. 27, 2022 Prime Video Episodes 1-3 Titles and Descriptions Spoiler S01.E01: The Terror of Tal'Dorei - Part 1 The ragtag group of adventurers known as Vox Machina are commissioned by Sovereign Uriel to find out who (or what) is decimating villages in the outskirts of Emon. S01.E02: The Terror of Tal'Dorei - Part 2 Vox Machina tells Sovereign Uriel of the monstrous culprit behind the devastating village attacks, and manage to track the creature back to its hidden lair. For the safety of Emon, Vox Machina must rise to the occasion and go face-to-face with a beast that is seemingly impossible to kill. S01.E03: The Feast of Realms Vox Machina is invited to the palace for a formal dinner, where Percy encounters murderous figures from his past: the mysterious Lord Sylas and Lady Delilah Briarwood. While gathering more information about the Briarwoods, a battle ensues. In the aftermath, the team discovers Percy’s tortured past has left something dark brewing inside of him. Edited January 28, 2022 by AnimeMania Link to comment
Dandesun January 28, 2022 Share January 28, 2022 (edited) The episodes dropped early. Episode 1 is your fairly typical introductory episode although it does give the group a chance to actually dig in and make a stand for themselves. 2 ups the ante and give a hint at the end of who the real villains are. 3 is when shit gets fucking real. Anyone else here follow the show? There are definitely Easter Eggs scattered about. My favorite so far is seeing Tusk Love. And, come on, we all know that was Fjord and Jester on the cover. The Briarwoods live up to their in game reputation. Incredible. And Percy’s darkness making itself known was very nicely done. As a backer, I’m not remotely disappointed. At all. Edited January 28, 2022 by Dandesun 2 Link to comment
Zonk January 28, 2022 Share January 28, 2022 (edited) Really good writing and of course voice work so far. You can see that this is the original critical role crew behind it and how much they love these characters and this story. Me personally, I actually like campaign 2 more, but that doesn't mean 1 wasn't also excellent. I like the animation style, except for the dragon. That one was really jank. I can see what they were going for but it really didn't work. I don't really like the opening credits. I know instrumental openings are all the rage these days but it doesn't fit the overall style of the show. It needs some good old-cartoon- or current-anime- style opening. Something banging, like the first attack on titan opnening (or most of the other attack on titan openings). And knowing the creators and their style, I get the sneaking suspicion that the opening we got was something amazon demanded. Because when they make openings on their own, they bang, hard! There was a lot of foreshadowing dropped especially in the first episode. David Tennant as Krieg was a nice surprise. A bit weird to see Kima here at the beginning, but I guess since they started straight into the Briarwood Arc in episode three they are skipping her introduction in the campaign. Probably a good choice. I'm sure a crawl through the underdark wouldn't have made for the most exciting television. Glad to see that Vox machina got to fight their worst enemy twice already in these three episodes. Doors *shakes fist* According to X-Ray Felicia Day was the guard captain who got her face electrified off. I listened to it multiple times and really couldn't recognise her. Had no idea that she can change her voice that much. On the other side of that coin, I think I caught all the Mathew Mercers in here, but it was a delight every time. 2 hours ago, Dandesun said: My favorite so far is seeing Tusk Love. And, come on, we all know that was Fjord and Jester on the cover. Oh, I totally missed that. Can you remember where in which episode it was? Edited January 28, 2022 by Zonk 1 Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff January 28, 2022 Share January 28, 2022 2 hours ago, Zonk said: Oh, I totally missed that. Can you remember where in which episode it was? It was in Gilmore's Glorious Goods, if I am not mistaken. Pike even stops and looks at the book with interest and the cover of the book is facing the camera and it clearly is Fjord and Jester on the cover. The battle with the Blue Dragon was pre G&S stream and occurred during the home game, and I don't think this is a spoiler since that has all been out for years, but I know they have discussed how Pike died fighting the dragon. (Can't recall if it was this dragon fight or another one). So during the fight with the Blue when Pike gets slammed into the rocks, at first I was thinking, "Oh they are going to go there."...and then they didn't. I know they changed up a little bit from the streaming dnd game story for the animated show. Like Pike being around even though she wasn't due to Ashley Johnson filming Blind Spot meant she was away from the table during the game a lot. 2 hours ago, Zonk said: A bit weird to see Kima here at the beginning, but I guess since they started straight into the Briarwood Arc in episode three they are skipping her introduction in the campaign. Probably a good choice. I'm sure a crawl through the underdark wouldn't have made for the most exciting television. I was under the impression most of the first season was going to be what was played at home, the things people didn't see on the stream, leading into the Briarwoods. So when they hit the story beat in the 3rd episodes I was taken aback, but it also explained something that nagged about the first episodes and that was that I couldn't understand why Pike was having trouble healing people. But as you point out, if they skipped the underdark, iirc that is where Pike does something that displeased the Everlight Sarenrae and cracked her holy medallion. 2 hours ago, Zonk said: Me personally, I actually like campaign 2 more, but that doesn't mean 1 wasn't also excellent. I actually started with Campaign 2, then binged 1 when the pandemic hit and they had to go on hiatus for 2. Personal opinion, but I always found the character of Vax to be a dick, so when they show him giving the coin to the boy I was thinking they were retconning his character attributes a bit, then after their defeat by the dragon and he was all fuck the council we don't owe them or these people anything, I was all there is the Vax I know, and then he flip flopped after the boy dies and is all "we have to do something about this" I swear I got whiplash with how quickly his characters opinions changed. It was cool to see the "your soul is forfeit" 2 Link to comment
Dandesun January 28, 2022 Share January 28, 2022 Yeah, Tusk Love was in the scene with Gilmore. He was cleaning up and the book settles in the foreground. Apparently there's also a red weasel on the shelf in the background so, hello Traveler! I have to go back and look but apparently there's a banner behind Lady Allura when she visits the crew at their new keep that depicts a roc and a bunch of cows. I love that nod because I had a feeling there was just no way they were going to be able to fit that particular episode into the Briarwood Arc at large, even though it is full on crazy and exactly the kind of shit that happens at the table. In regards to Vax being a bit of a dick, I mean, yeah... he is but when I participated in the Kickstarter I decided to go back and watch those episodes (I, too, started watching regularly during campaign 2) and Liam's monologue as he was dying after first encountering the Briarwoods was so good that it stuck with me even through his more dickish phases. The quick turnaround with the coin and the kids did feel fast but with the opening showing Vex and Vax in the burning ruins of their home, obviously quite young, I think coming across the two kids and then the aftermath with their first encounter with the dragon made sense. Yes, it was a little fast but I'm willing to overlook that for the sake of the overall narrative. There have been nice nods so far to the relationships between the characters, Vex and Vax are right there up front especially with 'sister, we have a home.' But I'm also enjoying Vex' low key jealousy of Keyleth. Pike and Grog's relationship is, I think, being portrayed very well. I don't know if they'll spell out their backstory but there's no question about their being close. I'm actually really enjoying Pike a lot, it was difficult at times watching the campaign because Ashley was a way a lot working so it wasn't easy for me to get a read on her character but this is working for me. And I don't want to give anything away to those experiencing this story for the first time but everything Percy in episode 3 was top notch. The dream/flashback at the beginning, the rage at the feast, the smoke rising from him with the carriage driver, and the introduction of No Mercy Percy. "Your soul is forfeit!" Just... mwah! This makes me anticipate the Sun Tree like whoa. 2 Link to comment
Zonk January 29, 2022 Share January 29, 2022 12 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said: It was in Gilmore's Glorious Goods, if I am not mistaken. Pike even stops and looks at the book with interest and the cover of the book is facing the camera and it clearly is Fjord and Jester on the cover. Ah thx. I think I was paying more attention to the background at that point. Yeah I think that is a nod to Jester and Fjord. But I hope that if they ever do campaign 2, they change Jesters design up a bit. That haircut doesn't fit her at all. 12 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said: The battle with the Blue Dragon was pre G&S stream and occurred during the home game, and I don't think this is a spoiler since that has all been out for years, but I know they have discussed how Pike died fighting the dragon. (Can't recall if it was this dragon fight or another one). So during the fight with the Blue when Pike gets slammed into the rocks, at first I was thinking, "Oh they are going to go there."...and then they didn't. I know they changed up a little bit from the streaming dnd game story for the animated show. Like Pike being around even though she wasn't due to Ashley Johnson filming Blind Spot meant she was away from the table during the game a lot. They might not want to introduce resurection into this show at all. That is part of D&D but it would probably lower the stakes for a show like this. That is until a resurection towards the end that isn't a true one and only temporary. The change I'm a bit sad about is that they totally omitted Tiberius Stormwind. I know there was some falling out with the player and maybe there were rights issues for using the character, but I think that would have been fun if he had been there for the first three episodes, then gone to get help from Draconia and them finding his body like they did in the campaign. Could have given a later arc a bit more of an emotional impact. Although they were pretty blasé when they found his body in the campaign, too. They really must have parted with that player on bad terms. 12 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said: I was under the impression most of the first season was going to be what was played at home, the things people didn't see on the stream, leading into the Briarwoods. So when they hit the story beat in the 3rd episodes I was taken aback, but it also explained something that nagged about the first episodes and that was that I couldn't understand why Pike was having trouble healing people. But as you point out, if they skipped the underdark, iirc that is where Pike does something that displeased the Everlight Sarenrae and cracked her holy medallion. I thought we'd get a bit more of the pre-story, too. A bit disappointed, that we don't. Feels a bit weird that bloody beginners fight against a dragon, get a keep and get named protectors of the realm right away. And then go up against the Briarwoods (which I won't spoil there whole deal here at the moment). Seems a bit rushed. I guess they really commited to get that whole story told in two seasons. I don't even really remember the part of Pike having problems with her faith, but I guess there was something... 4 hours ago, Dandesun said: I have to go back and look but apparently there's a banner behind Lady Allura when she visits the crew at their new keep that depicts a roc and a bunch of cows. I love that nod because I had a feeling there was just no way they were going to be able to fit that particular episode into the Briarwood Arc at large, even though it is full on crazy and exactly the kind of shit that happens at the table. Whoever caught that has very good eyes: 4 hours ago, Dandesun said: And I don't want to give anything away to those experiencing this story for the first time but everything Percy in episode 3 was top notch. The dream/flashback at the beginning, the rage at the feast, the smoke rising from him with the carriage driver, and the introduction of No Mercy Percy. "Your soul is forfeit!" Just... mwah! Agreed. 4 hours ago, Dandesun said: This makes me anticipate the Sun Tree like whoa. I hope they don't skip the sun tree because they think it's too silly. That was some very needed light heartedness in an otherwise very dark arc. I also hope it's voiced by Matt. Was a bit taken aback when Gilmore wasn't. 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania January 29, 2022 Author Share January 29, 2022 The Legend Of Vox Machina Proves Imperfectly Near-Perfect: Review Link to comment
Chyromaniac February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 I’m trying to remember how the initial kickstarter was set up, but I think the original pitch was for a single half hour, then a two-parter, and finally a whole season. So I think the show was always going to be VM vs Krieg, with Briarwoods added as the major arc. It seems like they are mainly using the pre-stream timeline for stuff like comics, and the recently released Vex/Vax novel. As for why they’re basically skipping the underdark mission to rescue Kima- honestly, I don’t know that it contributed much to the overall story, other than introducing her character. I also wonder if they would have problems clearing the story given that the enemies are primarily Mindflayers and a Beholder. I know Beholders at least are WotC specific IP, and it feels like they’ve avoided using stuff they might need to license- like specific spells, creatures, deities, etc…. For what it’s worth, If there’s anything from the pre-Briarwood era that I hope gets adapted at some point, it’s the Vassalheim arc with the Slayers Take trials, and Keyleth’s Pyrah Aramente. I really enjoyed those episodes (especially the guest characters), and they set up things that pay off later on. Otherwise, I loved the first three episodes. I think they are doing a decent job building the storyline- although I wonder if new viewers are having trouble keeping track of all the lore. Like, there’s a bunch of characters and places with idiosyncratic names and titles. But I think they’ve done a great job adapting the stories (thus far), and the characters (both main and supporting) feel spot on. The only other weird bit is that I’m so used to hearing them improvise these parts, that having actual scripted dialogue seems… strange? But overall the series is off to a great start. 2 Link to comment
Dandesun February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 The initial goal was $750,000 for a 30-60 minute special that was canon but not part of the viewed campaign. And then they hit the goal in under an hour, before they had even decided on stretch goals. From there they were kind of scrambling to keep up. They realized they had something to work with that was more than the original plan and the Briarwood arc became a stretch goal very quickly. I think my favorite stretch goal reward was Travis doing a haunted house if they hit 10 million. I am on Travis’ side when it comes to scary things (especially the Ring girl) but I knew the second they suggested it as a stretch goal it was going to happen. Link to comment
SVNBob February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 5 hours ago, Chyromaniac said: For what it’s worth, If there’s anything from the pre-Briarwood era that I hope gets adapted at some point, it’s the Vassalheim arc with the Slayers Take trials, and Keyleth’s Pyrah Aramente. I really enjoyed those episodes (especially the guest characters), and they set up things that pay off later on. Given the supposition that Season 2 is the Chroma Conclave arc, and knowing that they're not holding to the campaign timeline, then adding in Vassalheim isn't that hard, depending on how they end this season. For example: Episode 1 sees Vox Machina in Vassalheim heading to Pyrah for the Aramente. Maybe with a brief stop at the recently found Church of the Everlight before heading home to Emon. End of episode climax is the big escape and destruction. Episode 2 is the Conclave attack of Emon at Winter's Crest, the taking of refugees to Whitestone (made more poignant after the first episode of Season 1 and Vox Machina now more able and willing to help people), and the return to Vassalheim to find allies, when Vox Machina learns about the Slayers' Take. (Or maybe hearing about the Take in Whitestone which sends them back to Vassalheim.) Episode 3 (and maybe 4) is them joining the Take and meeting some new friends, meeting the "leader" of the Take, and learning about the Vestiges. Maybe even splitting the party with Keyleth heading to Pyrah (with Vax following), Grog and Pike going to the Crucible to "meet" Kern and then the Earthbreaker, and Vex, Percy, and Scanlan encountering the Take and meeting Kashaw, Zahra, and Thorbir. From there, the two timelines more or less reconnect. Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 On 1/28/2022 at 6:25 PM, Zonk said: The change I'm a bit sad about is that they totally omitted Tiberius Stormwind. I know there was some falling out with the player and maybe there were rights issues for using the character I believe this is one of the main reasons for not seeing things unfold in the Underdark. It is also why I think they would be skipping the trials of the Slayers Take since his character was around for that. Also take in the fact that the other half of the Slayers Take trial was fighting a white dragon, which would take away from them having the fight the white dragon of the Conclave. I don't dispute what @SVNBob is saying, but the way I see it they have 12 episodes per season. The fight in this season with the blue dragon took 2 episodes. So if we go by that, 8 episodes in season 2 would be dragon fights alone. For sure the black dragon fight specifically, since they have to fight Kevdak first to obtain the stone knuckles vestige and convince the Goliaths to fight the dragon with them. You also have the unveiling of Raishan and them fighting the white dragon, going to Marquet and getting J'mon Sa Ord on their side. Basically a lot of ground to cover before Thordak. So I fear the Aramente and Slayers Take may take a back seat, but we will see. Link to comment
Zonk February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 (edited) 7 hours ago, SVNBob said: Episode 1 sees Vox Machina in Vassalheim heading to Pyrah for the Aramente. Maybe with a brief stop at the recently found Church of the Everlight before heading home to Emon. End of episode climax is the big escape and destruction. I kinda doubt they are going to do the Aramenthes. They don't add much other than some character flavor for Keyleth. The slayers take, I hope they do. It came back multiple times and would add to the world. 3 hours ago, Spaceman Spiff said: For sure the black dragon fight specifically, since they have to fight Kevdak first to obtain the stone knuckles vestige and convince the Goliaths to fight the dragon with them. 99% sure they won't bother with vestiges and if they do, they could/should completely change where they are gotten. Getting every vestige at the places they were gotten in the campaign would take up waaay too much time. In the show they would all have to be in one place. Edited February 1, 2022 by Zonk Link to comment
Chyromaniac February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 I honestly don’t see avoiding Tiberius as a major issue. Technically, he was around for the events of these three episodes, and I don’t feel like he was missed at all. To be perfectly frank, I feel like them not having the flying carpet (yet) is a bigger impediment to them doing the underdark or slayers take than not having Tiberius- and the moments where it might matter can easily be solved by subbing in Pike (she goes with Vax, Keyleth, Kashaw and Thorbir). Heck, they could even do the cows episode by swapping Percy for him. The crazy thing about Critical Role is that depending on how things go, they have so much story content to draw from for future episodes - VM alone could easily run for 4-5 seasons. And like, I know that season 2 will probably be chroma- but I think it would be really cool if they had a locked in season 3 renewal, so that 2 could be the Vassalheim adventures (maybe some other side quests) and ending with the fall of Emon as a big cliffhanger moment. Then season 3 can be the dragons, season 4 could be Taryon/remaining Aramente/return of Vecna “the Whispered One”, and season 5 with Trammel Quest (or maybe this is when they can find the Vestiges?) and the final showdown. They could probably do a mini season 6 from just the one shots- it’s nuts how much material they have to work with. 1 Link to comment
Dandesun February 1, 2022 Share February 1, 2022 Tiberius was gone fairly early on in the Briarwood Arc so his being gone here isn't going to alter things too much. There were six episodes before it was announced that he wasn't a part of Critical Role anymore and one of those episodes (the Cows and Consequences one) was pure filler because Taliesen wasn't available that day, meanwhile, Ashley/Pike was missing for a huge chunk of the storyline. I'm guessing they were looking at the Big Moments of the story. Tiberius didn't really have any and certainly by the time the real shit started going down he was gone while Pike did have some. One is definitely easier to lift out. As for season two... it seems likely it's the Chroma Conclave but I don't know how they would scale that down. That's a LONG arc. Link to comment
AnimeMania February 4, 2022 Author Share February 4, 2022 The Legend of Vox Machina February 4, 2022 Prime Video Episodes 4-6 Titles and Descriptions Spoiler S01.E04: Shadows at the Gates After ruining Sovereign Uriel’s diplomatic dinner, Vox Machina is confined to their Keep under house arrest. While they stave off boredom, Keyleth convinces Percy to open up about his dark history and Pike fears she has lost her connection to her deity. Meanwhile, a looming new threat is on its way to confront Vox Machina. S01.E05: Fate's Journey Vox Machina journeys to Whitestone to confront the Briarwoods and help Percy reclaim his family home. As they travel, Scanlan studies Delilah Briarwood’s mysterious spell book to uncover clues. But the team’s first road trip is interrupted when the Briarwoods send horrific monsters to retrieve their missing book. S01.E06: Spark of Rebellion Vox Machina finds Whitestone's holy leader, Keeper Yennen, who tells them of a growing rebellion. The team realizes that to defeat the Briarwoods they will need the help of rebel leader, Archibald Desnay. But first they must stage a daring prison break and confront the Briarwoods’ sadistic jailer, Kerrion Stonefell. Link to comment
SVNBob February 4, 2022 Share February 4, 2022 The archive of the Watch Party/Q&A for episodes 1-3. Hosted by Mica Burton and featuring Matt, Sam, Travis, and Brandon Auman, the writer of Episodes 1 and 2. 1 Link to comment
SVNBob February 5, 2022 Share February 5, 2022 (edited) Episodes 4-6 released. Next Twitch Watch Party/Q&A is live on Tuesday, Feb. 8th at 7pm PST with Mica hosting and guests Taliesin, Liam, Laura, and supervising director Sung Jin Ahn of Titmouse. Edited February 5, 2022 by SVNBob Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff February 5, 2022 Share February 5, 2022 These episodes were great. My only complaint would be the reveal of the bodies hanging from the Sun Tree. During the stream it was a completely "Oh Shit" moment for the cast when they realized the bodies hanging there were meant to represent them, and it also showed the Briarwoods cruelty in spades. The show quickly pans across the faces of those hanging, with barely enough time to even remotely see a resemblance to the characters and then we hear Keyleth say "it's us" end of episode. The next episode starts and again, barely enough time spent on the image of those hanging there to see it as our party, aside from the older gentlemen who had the Grog tattoos. I also get that the character of Scanlan was a horn dog, but we already had a scene of him going down on woman, then a shot of his nut sack and here yet again another scene of him in bed with a woman. I just think that time could have been better spent on what I mentioned above, a more impactful Sun Tree scene. I am totally loving all the casts performances. Taliesin is knocking it out of the park in these episodes and I really feel that Marisha is also. She is really bringing out Keyleth's youthful naivete that I never picked up during the live stream. Link to comment
Dandesun February 7, 2022 Share February 7, 2022 (edited) I could have done with a little more time spent on the bodies but, at the same time, that we saw those people coming in as 'dinner guests' and Delilah putting the symbol of the Everlight on the little girl built up that foreboding. It's been kind of fun to watch reaction videos from those who don't know. No one saw those people brought in as anything other than dead people walking. But the little blonde girl and the Everlight symbol had people putting some pieces together 'was that Pike's symbol?' 'did she do that because the little girl looks like Pike?' and then the reveal at the end combined with the sound of the ropes over the credits... horror achieved. Doors continuing to be a problem remains delightful. Everything with Vax, Scanlan and Percy trying to get in through the back door was just hilarious. Especially when Vax was able to pick the cell lock with no problem. And the bit with the guard throwing the piss bucket on them and the extra long beat as they all just stared at each other before Dagger Time! I love how they are able to bring out these comedic moments in the midst of action and drama and horror. Percy stalking Stonefell all in shadow was just *chef's kiss. One thing, though, the villains are all clearly evil and enjoy causing pain and anguish. But Stonefell's line about 'some people you kill because you're ordered to, them I killed because I wanted to' was like... WHY? Was it to get under Percy's skin? Or was there a personal reason Stonefell hated the de Rolo's? I mean, he's dead now so I don't see the show going into it but it did make me wonder. Edited February 7, 2022 by Dandesun 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania February 11, 2022 Author Share February 11, 2022 The Legend of Vox Machina February 10, 2022 Prime Video Episodes 7-9 Titles and Descriptions Spoiler S01.E07: Scanbo As Vox Machina discovers more about a revenge pact Percy made years ago, Keyleth tries to magically connect with the Sun Tree. She senses its pain as well as a dark force deep below the city of Whitestone. Feeling underappreciated, Scanlan volunteers to infiltrate Duke Vedmire’s mansion as a distraction while Vox Machina attempts to rescue Percy’s sister Cassandra. S01.E08: A Silver Tongue Vox Machina battles the vicious Professor Anders and his unique magical abilities, while Delilah Briarwood uses magic to summon a demonic army to rise against our heroes. Meanwhile, Pike searches for a way to reconnect with her deity, even if it means risking her life. S01.E09: The Tide of Bone The Briarwoods’ evil past connects with the present as Delilah reveals her pact with the Whispered One. In the bloody Whitestone streets, Vox Machina wages the fight of their lives against an undead horde. But just when all looks lost, the team gets help from an unexpected source. Link to comment
ouinason February 11, 2022 Share February 11, 2022 those three episodes were my favorites so far Link to comment
Spaceman Spiff February 13, 2022 Share February 13, 2022 Pike's "big damn hero" moment was everything I wanted it to be and more. 2 Link to comment
Dandesun February 14, 2022 Share February 14, 2022 She even got an end credits song! But yeah, that was wonderfully done. The overwhelming odds, Archie's fate, and then... the thunder. I will admit that a part of me was hoping she would majestically ride in on Trinket but, you know, I can't argue with holy thunder. Bad. Ass. Link to comment
AnimeMania February 18, 2022 Author Share February 18, 2022 (edited) The Legend of Vox Machina February 18, 2022 Prime Video Episodes 10-12 Titles and Descriptions (Season Finale) Spoiler S01.E10: Depths of Deceit After Percy confronts his old nemesis, Dr. Anna Ripley, a tenuous partnership is struck. Despite Percy’s protests that she can’t be trusted, Vox Machina brings Ripley along. She leads them through the traps under the castle, but soon the team is double-crossed by one of their own. S01.E11: Whispers at the Ziggurat Vox Machina launches a final assault against the Briarwoods atop the Ziggurat. Battling the dark magic of Delilah and the vampiric strength of Sylas, a worried Vex and an unhinged Percy try to save their siblings. But their best efforts may not be enough as the Briarwoods near completion of their secret ritual. S01.E12: The Darkness Within Vox Machina has stopped the Briarwoods’ evil ritual, but at a heavy cost. As they flee the Ziggurat to save one of their own, Percy is eager to take revenge on their prisoner, Delilah Briarwood. When Vex implores him to let go of his vengeance, Percy must confront the darkness within himself. Edited February 18, 2022 by AnimeMania Link to comment
AnimeMania February 18, 2022 Author Share February 18, 2022 Critical Role team talks bringing D&D to the screen with The Legend of Vox Machina Link to comment
Zonk February 23, 2022 Share February 23, 2022 Scanlan taking on this whole mansion on his own was really cool. But I think nothing can beat how it played out in my head during the campaign. I think that should have rightfully been a suicide mission with nobody there to revive him, and with hindsight, knowing how much Sam wanted to role a new character, maybe that was even his plan. But the dice rolled extremely well and the outcome was epic. Sometimes things just work out. The rest of the episodes were also really fun. Do I remember that wrong or didn't they start the acid in the campaign on their own? That was hilarious. But I guess it makes for better drama if Vax is controlled here and starts it because of that. Still sad that, like I had feared, they cut the sun tree talking to Keyleth. I would have celebrated so hard if we had gotten to hear "Hey, Kiki!". Also I always thought it was a big missed opportunity that it wasn't the sun tree who taught Keyleth treestride and hoped they would change it in the show. That would have made so much sense, his roots being connected with everything, him being old and wise, him having been planted by a god, etc. But I guess the writers didn't agree. So she just had that ability all along and just needed to believe in herself or something. Lame. Anyway. Good show. Can't wait for season two. Hopefully by then they'll get some opening music that fits the tone of the show better than that instrumental stuff. The newest attack on titan season has metal music for the opening for crying out loud. They should really be a bit braver here and not just do what all western shows do at the moment. Link to comment
Dandesun February 23, 2022 Share February 23, 2022 (edited) The opening always made me think of the opening for InuYasha which, for me, isn't necessarily a bad thing but... I guess I had gotten so used to 'Your Turn to Roll' and now 'It's Thursday Night' that it was just... okay. But I did love the animation for it and I also loved that they didn't do any kind of opening, just a stark title screen, for the last episode. The fight at the ziggurat (zippertwat) was great. So dynamic, so many pieces moving at the same time. Two members charmed to fight against VM... I've been going back and forth between the show and the original episodes to relive how certain things played out. I actually love how they did Sylas' attempt to charm Grog. In game, that actually worked until Travis remembered he was raging and asked about it. So I really dug how Grog's eyes glimmered for a moment and then he shut them and told Sylas he wouldn't be seduced. Pike and Keyleth with their Hero moments... yes yes yes. The Sun Tree not talking doesn't bother me too much. I seem to remember that initially Keyleth was just getting very faint feelings from it. And it was practically dead at first so it took some time to recover and turn into the Sun Dude. Season 2 is supposed to be twice as long, isn't it? I would imagine if VM returns to Whitestone as a base of operations after the dragons we might get our moment of the Sun Tree actually speaking. It'd be fun. But I love that they didn't pull any punches with the ending and I really love how it tied into the first two episodes. Okay, you went and handled Percy's tragic backstory although that ball of darkness still remains a problem now back to Emon and DRAGONS!! Loved it all. Edited February 23, 2022 by Dandesun Link to comment
Zonk February 24, 2022 Share February 24, 2022 9 hours ago, Dandesun said: The opening always made me think of the opening for InuYasha which, for me, isn't necessarily a bad thing but... I guess I had gotten so used to 'Your Turn to Roll' and now 'It's Thursday Night' that it was just... okay. But I did love the animation for it and I also loved that they didn't do any kind of opening, just a stark title screen, for the last episode. Yeah, the animation is great. They just need better music. Inuyasha would have been the furthest comparison for me, but I really only know the german openings. The first one was techno/pop, the second one straight up pop and then the show was cancelled. -.- Have to watch it at some point. I just looked it up and it seems like they actually dubbed the remaining episodes into german in 2018 (after having stoped in season 2 in 2005). Have to look up where to find those. Usually I watch anime with subs, but I'm used to the german voices and 180+ episodes is a bit much for subs. Anyway you can find those openings here and I guess I will look up the english openings. Hmm after having watched the english and japanese opening I still don't quite get the comparison. Those also have pop songs. 1 Link to comment
moonshine71 March 11, 2022 Share March 11, 2022 Ok, I thought I noticed something in episode 6, wondering if anyone else did, or if I'm even correct Spoiler Did Gina Torres(Keeper Yennen) use a few lines straight out of her speech as Jasmine on Angel the Series? When I have time, i will rewatch both and compare, but it sure sounded familiar. Anyone else think so? Link to comment
AnimeMania March 15, 2022 Author Share March 15, 2022 Nexus Studios uses real-time technology to do live animation of two of The Legend of Vox Machina characters, Grog and Scanlan, during an online Q&A session. The article includes a video of what it looked like: Nexus Powers Real-Time Animated ‘Vox Machina’ Q&A for Season Finale Link to comment
AnimeMania March 30, 2022 Author Share March 30, 2022 Critical Role: The Legend of Vox Machina Action Figures Available to Order $24.99 coming in June 2022 The Legend of Vox Machina Wave 1 Percy 7-Inch Scale Action Figure features up to 22 points of articulation. The gunslinger comes with his pepperbox pistol "The List" and a base. The Legend of Vox Machina Wave 1 Vex'ahlia 7-Inch Scale Action Figure features up to 22 points of articulation. Vex comes with her bow, arrows, quiver, and a base. Link to comment
AnimeMania October 7, 2022 Author Share October 7, 2022 ‘Legend of Vox Machina’ Renewed for Season 3 at Amazon First look at Season 2 streaming sometime in January. 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania December 7, 2022 Author Share December 7, 2022 Critical Role’s ‘Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 2 on Prime Video Guest Stars Include Henry Winkler, Lance Reddick, Cheech Marin (EXCLUSIVE) Season 2 streaming sometime in January 2023. Henry Winkler as a gnome named Wilhand Trickfoot Additional guest cast for Season 2 includes Lance Reddick, Cheech Marin, Will Friedle (“Boy Meets World”), Billy Boyd (“The Lord of the Rings”), Cree Summer (“Rugrats,” “The Patrick Star Show”), Alanna Ubach (“Euphoria”), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (“Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence”), Troy Baker (“The Last of Us”), Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Heroes”) and Ralph Ineson (“The Witch”). 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania December 15, 2022 Author Share December 15, 2022 The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 is 12 episodes and will stream 3 episodes a week starting January 20, 2023 on Prime Video. 1 Link to comment
Chyromaniac December 31, 2022 Share December 31, 2022 On 12/7/2022 at 2:58 PM, AnimeMania said: Additional guest cast for Season 2 includes Lance Reddick, Cheech Marin, Will Friedle (“Boy Meets World”), Billy Boyd (“The Lord of the Rings”), Cree Summer (“Rugrats,” “The Patrick Star Show”), Alanna Ubach (“Euphoria”), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (“Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence”), Troy Baker (“The Last of Us”), Sendhil Ramamurthy (“Heroes”) and Ralph Ineson (“The Witch”). Very much hoping that Mary and Will get to play their streaming characters- they always felt like honorary VM members. Otherwise, this is an interesting group of guests. It’s hard to imagine who some of them might play- the best guess I have is Kevdak for Ineson. And Reddick almost certainly has to be one of the Chromas- if not Thordak himself. 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania January 9, 2023 Author Share January 9, 2023 Magic 'butt stuff' saves the day in Legend of Vox Machina sneak peek Sneak Peek Video at this link. 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania January 16, 2023 Author Share January 16, 2023 Critical Role Cast on ‘Legend of Vox Machina’ Season 2: ‘Sillier, Darker, Bigger and Badder’ The battle between Vox Machina and the four powerful of dragons known as the Chroma Conclave will last for 2 seasons. They are currently working on the third season. They say they have enough story to last for at least 5 seasons. 1 Link to comment
AnimeMania January 20, 2023 Author Share January 20, 2023 The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 January 20, 2023 Prime Video Episodes 1-3 Titles and Descriptions Spoiler S01.E01: Rise of the Chroma Conclave Vox Machina’s victorious return home to Emon is cut short by the arrival of ancient dragons, the Chroma Conclave. Despite Vox Machina’s best efforts, the dragons lay waste to the city, forcing the team to find a way to escape. S01.E02: The Trials of Vasselheim Vox Machina travels to the mysterious ancient city of Vasselheim to search for allies. They’re soon forced to turn to a group of seedy bounty-hunters, called the Slayer’s Take. There they encounter an ancient creature who holds critical information that could help them in their fight against the dragons of the Chroma Conclave. S01.E03: The Sunken Tomb Vox Machina explores an ancient temple to search for their first Vestige of Divergence, a legendary weapon they hope will aid them against the dragons of the Chroma Conclave. As they overcome a series of dangerous encounters to reach the sunken tomb, one of the team makes a terrible mistake. Link to comment
PurpleTentacle January 20, 2023 Share January 20, 2023 (edited) Recently I watched the first episode of the last of us and was bored throughout the whole thing (doubly relevant since Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey voice two main characters in the games). At the time I wondered if it was just boring or if I was bored because I already knew the story. Then this comes along and thoroughly entertains me, with a story I already know by heart (with only minor tweaks). So now I know the last of us episode 1 just told the story in a boring way, since it's absolutely possible to retell a familiar story in a way that entertains! So glad this show is back in this kinda dreary TV landscape we have at the moment. Always love having Mary Elizabeth McGlynn back. I still hope that she might show up in campaign 3 at some point. Ending the first part of the season on Vex's death, bold move and very impactfull. Edited January 20, 2023 by PurpleTentacle 2 Link to comment
Dandesun January 20, 2023 Share January 20, 2023 That is a hell of a cliffhanger to leave the first drop on. Well done and damn did I ever love the buildup. 2 Link to comment
tennisgurl January 20, 2023 Share January 20, 2023 Well....shit. I did not see that one coming at all, where do we from here? 1 Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.