I said I was doing less blogging and it would be more pointed and not until 2020. This one is more pointed at least. Not just the scribbles in my head. It might not be 2020 when I am starting this, I am starting it Dec 24th..... Also I shouldn't have to say this but since it is a review SPOILERS ahead! However I am editing now January 3rd, so I imagine if you haven't seen it. You probably aren't about to.
It is the of course on the Witcher. You should have known I would have to blog on that on, if you have followed any writing I have done. Years ago like 2015 / 2016 The Programmer was telling me PLAY THE WITCHER, it is up your alley you will love it! I ignored him, I shouldn't have, by the time I played the Witcher 3, the hype had died down, so maybe 2017 I first started it. I put over 180 hours in and loved every minute. There honestly isn't many games nearly as good. The game play is great. The graphics years later, are still good and the main thing the story is awesome. Maybe I am a nerd but I got invested in the characters. When Vesemir dies, it is tragic. When you finally hug Ciri in that cabin, it is just one of those moments that hits you right in the feels. Let's be honest VIDEO GAMES SHOULDN'T have the power to do that! But this one does, I think because of the writing. So I picked up the books.....
I liked them, wanna know a secret why? They really are an easy read. Unlike Lord of the Rings, which can be "wordsy" or Game of Thrones "boring" they are quick and easy. Almost like a kids book but with adult materials. Yes like most good fantasy, it should come with a map and a break down of who all these people are so you can try and remember them but it is lighter reading. The first two short story books are actually are great way to get to know the characters. And the fact is season 1 of Witcher seems to be based on them. The Ciri saga is amazing as well. I am going to flat out say it, you should read the books before the games It will make a lot of things make more sense. BUT you don't have to. It isn't like you wont understand, it just kinda brings it all together.
This blog was not to be about how awesome the books and games are though...
The series is finally out! I have been waiting since they announced it to watch it!! I can be honest I failed to binge it all the first night. IN fact I watched most of it 3 days later and finished it the next night. So ya I failed lol. However I can review it now. Lets just start with casting. I had doubts about superman being Geralt and the teaser from a few months back looked awful. Then I saw the stills of Yenn and Ciri and though, awful! But I was wrong. Henry nails Geralt. Freya is a great Ciri and Anya nails Yenn. Even background characters like Cahir are perfect. My only issue, yes likely the same one so many people have. Triss.... I am not a fan of changing already created characters to make a more diverse cast. But it happens, okay I guess I can live with it. NOT with HER!! She is a huge character. Like it is a love triangle with a red head! (In the game to be fair. But that is what most people recognize.) Hell she was in playboy over in Europe as a red head so WHY oh WHY did we change her? Go online, fan boys everywhere are debating Triss or Yenn. Almost as bad as girls were with Edward and Jacob back in the day! Jacob all the way BTW but that's not the point. Triss should have deep red hair! That's my only beef, with casting. Now I would like to know who is going to play other characters later on. Like Charles Dance would be great for the emperor. He voiced him already but I think he might be to old. Saw someone posted Luke Evans for emperor, that would be good.... Flip side, I like only semi famous actors instead of trying to use star power to get viewers. I also wanna see who is Vesimer, Regis, and on and on, I could list a million people I want to see who they cast.
The action is great, from the very first fight it is well done. I mean it would have to be to make the show a success. It is a very bloody story. I will admit I thought Sodden was a bit weak. I was waiting for an epic battle, but maybe it wasn't in the budget. I am wondering about the monsters, will they continue to show them and try and make better ones? Or will it go like the walking dead where zombies don't even seem to matter. (Yes I realize in both shows "people" are the real monsters.) I guess what I am saying is, it is visually pleasing. I am kinda shocked by the amount of nudity. IF it was HBO I wouldn't be but I didn't know Netflix would do that.
I have to comment on Toss a coin to your Witcher. Maybe I need to rewatch the series. I don't get the popularity of this song. Maybe it is just a nerd thing, I am not sure but to me it isn't amazing and doesn't need meme after meme. Don't get me wrong some covers are great and the song itself isn't bad but wow like soooo much of it!
But to be fair I can't sit here and gush on how great it is, without bringing up the problem I have heard from lots of people. The timeline...... It jumps all over. I am going to say having read the books, it doesn't bug me. I understand what is happening when. Others I have sat down and talk to about the show, not so much. Like I know you shouldn't have to do it, if it was just a single time shift. Say now and then, but this one is like now, then, more then, more than then, and so on. It could have used some sort of time marker. Also, the law of surprise could have been a bit better explained and I would have liked to see a Witcher made. The trial of grasses and so on.... Maybe they will get back to that but it would have explained why he is so much better than an average Joe. Along with that the conjunction of spheres... Like the opening video to Witcher 3 explains so much, this show could have used it.
Also Jaskier confuses the hell out of me, this is in the books, games and T.V. How old is he? Like say for fun he is 20 when he goes with Geralt to Cintra and ends up tied to Ciri. Well then if she is 12 when Cintra burns, that makes him 32? (Likely spoilers ahead.... Like for more seasons) Ciri is 14 when she leaves to Artuza. So Jaskier is 34 fine. I assume the series won't follow the game but say Ciri is 25 by Witcher 3 that would make him 45 at least! IN Witcher 3 I don't picture him that old. That was pure speculation as I was, pretty sure Jaskier isn't just 20 when Ciri is conceived. The way I read it, he is at least mid 20 to 30. But either way Jaskier isn't a Witcher, a sorceress, an elf or a dwarf. So what is his life span? Sorry I just have that beef, he seems to have been around as long as Geralt but that should make him an OLD man.....
So that was just a little rant, that took much longer than I thought it would. 8/10 for the Witcher, at least season one for me. I mean it was missing a couple things, or so I thought. Overall though it was well done.. With a ton of rich source material this could be a mega hit for Netflix. If you liked Game of Thrones (No it isn't the exact same, more fantasy here) Check it out, or hell if you like good fantasy in general.
It is the of course on the Witcher. You should have known I would have to blog on that on, if you have followed any writing I have done. Years ago like 2015 / 2016 The Programmer was telling me PLAY THE WITCHER, it is up your alley you will love it! I ignored him, I shouldn't have, by the time I played the Witcher 3, the hype had died down, so maybe 2017 I first started it. I put over 180 hours in and loved every minute. There honestly isn't many games nearly as good. The game play is great. The graphics years later, are still good and the main thing the story is awesome. Maybe I am a nerd but I got invested in the characters. When Vesemir dies, it is tragic. When you finally hug Ciri in that cabin, it is just one of those moments that hits you right in the feels. Let's be honest VIDEO GAMES SHOULDN'T have the power to do that! But this one does, I think because of the writing. So I picked up the books.....
I liked them, wanna know a secret why? They really are an easy read. Unlike Lord of the Rings, which can be "wordsy" or Game of Thrones "boring" they are quick and easy. Almost like a kids book but with adult materials. Yes like most good fantasy, it should come with a map and a break down of who all these people are so you can try and remember them but it is lighter reading. The first two short story books are actually are great way to get to know the characters. And the fact is season 1 of Witcher seems to be based on them. The Ciri saga is amazing as well. I am going to flat out say it, you should read the books before the games It will make a lot of things make more sense. BUT you don't have to. It isn't like you wont understand, it just kinda brings it all together.
This blog was not to be about how awesome the books and games are though...
The series is finally out! I have been waiting since they announced it to watch it!! I can be honest I failed to binge it all the first night. IN fact I watched most of it 3 days later and finished it the next night. So ya I failed lol. However I can review it now. Lets just start with casting. I had doubts about superman being Geralt and the teaser from a few months back looked awful. Then I saw the stills of Yenn and Ciri and though, awful! But I was wrong. Henry nails Geralt. Freya is a great Ciri and Anya nails Yenn. Even background characters like Cahir are perfect. My only issue, yes likely the same one so many people have. Triss.... I am not a fan of changing already created characters to make a more diverse cast. But it happens, okay I guess I can live with it. NOT with HER!! She is a huge character. Like it is a love triangle with a red head! (In the game to be fair. But that is what most people recognize.) Hell she was in playboy over in Europe as a red head so WHY oh WHY did we change her? Go online, fan boys everywhere are debating Triss or Yenn. Almost as bad as girls were with Edward and Jacob back in the day! Jacob all the way BTW but that's not the point. Triss should have deep red hair! That's my only beef, with casting. Now I would like to know who is going to play other characters later on. Like Charles Dance would be great for the emperor. He voiced him already but I think he might be to old. Saw someone posted Luke Evans for emperor, that would be good.... Flip side, I like only semi famous actors instead of trying to use star power to get viewers. I also wanna see who is Vesimer, Regis, and on and on, I could list a million people I want to see who they cast.
The action is great, from the very first fight it is well done. I mean it would have to be to make the show a success. It is a very bloody story. I will admit I thought Sodden was a bit weak. I was waiting for an epic battle, but maybe it wasn't in the budget. I am wondering about the monsters, will they continue to show them and try and make better ones? Or will it go like the walking dead where zombies don't even seem to matter. (Yes I realize in both shows "people" are the real monsters.) I guess what I am saying is, it is visually pleasing. I am kinda shocked by the amount of nudity. IF it was HBO I wouldn't be but I didn't know Netflix would do that.
I have to comment on Toss a coin to your Witcher. Maybe I need to rewatch the series. I don't get the popularity of this song. Maybe it is just a nerd thing, I am not sure but to me it isn't amazing and doesn't need meme after meme. Don't get me wrong some covers are great and the song itself isn't bad but wow like soooo much of it!
But to be fair I can't sit here and gush on how great it is, without bringing up the problem I have heard from lots of people. The timeline...... It jumps all over. I am going to say having read the books, it doesn't bug me. I understand what is happening when. Others I have sat down and talk to about the show, not so much. Like I know you shouldn't have to do it, if it was just a single time shift. Say now and then, but this one is like now, then, more then, more than then, and so on. It could have used some sort of time marker. Also, the law of surprise could have been a bit better explained and I would have liked to see a Witcher made. The trial of grasses and so on.... Maybe they will get back to that but it would have explained why he is so much better than an average Joe. Along with that the conjunction of spheres... Like the opening video to Witcher 3 explains so much, this show could have used it.
Also Jaskier confuses the hell out of me, this is in the books, games and T.V. How old is he? Like say for fun he is 20 when he goes with Geralt to Cintra and ends up tied to Ciri. Well then if she is 12 when Cintra burns, that makes him 32? (Likely spoilers ahead.... Like for more seasons) Ciri is 14 when she leaves to Artuza. So Jaskier is 34 fine. I assume the series won't follow the game but say Ciri is 25 by Witcher 3 that would make him 45 at least! IN Witcher 3 I don't picture him that old. That was pure speculation as I was, pretty sure Jaskier isn't just 20 when Ciri is conceived. The way I read it, he is at least mid 20 to 30. But either way Jaskier isn't a Witcher, a sorceress, an elf or a dwarf. So what is his life span? Sorry I just have that beef, he seems to have been around as long as Geralt but that should make him an OLD man.....
So that was just a little rant, that took much longer than I thought it would. 8/10 for the Witcher, at least season one for me. I mean it was missing a couple things, or so I thought. Overall though it was well done.. With a ton of rich source material this could be a mega hit for Netflix. If you liked Game of Thrones (No it isn't the exact same, more fantasy here) Check it out, or hell if you like good fantasy in general.
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