My Dad the Bounty Hunter Takes Down Vox Machina - Renegade Animation #98
In this episode, Captain Kaye and the Animation Guru discuss the first season of Netflix's My Dad the Bounty Hunter and the second season of Critical Role's The Legend of Vox Machina. They also give their quick thoughts on the first 6 episodes of Disney's Kiff!
What’s going on, everyone? This is your Captain speaking, and I am excited to share this episode of Renegade Animation! We still have a few weeks until the next big theatrical event that is Illumination’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, so for these next couple of episodes, Cameron and I will be playing a little TV catch-up. This week, we have My Dad the Bounty Hunter from creators Everett Downing Jr. and Patrick Harpin, a second season of Critical Role’s The Legend of Vox Machina, and the first 6 episodes of Kiff, created by Lucy Heavens and Nic Smal. Tune into the podcast to hear our full discussion.
Kiff
Perhaps I’m a little biased, but the number 1 reason I was excited for this series was because the titular protagonist happens to be voiced by the great Kimiko Glenn, and she’s surrounded by a pretty stellar supporting cast as well. Kiff may not have the dramatic heft of previous Disney TVA shows like Amphibia or The Owl House, but it still succeeds in establishing its own quirky sense of humor, in a world popularized by a variety of colorful characters.
“It might have a lot of pressure put on it due to being the first show out of the gate for Disney's new generation of cartoons, but it comes out swinging with some great cartoony energy and a fantastic lead performance by Kimiko Glenn. It has some likable side characters and a fun low key vibe at points that makes for a great first impression.“ -The Animation Guru
My Dad the Bounty Hunter
Pitched as a “family-friendly take on The Mandalorian,” this was easily one of the best new series to premier in 2023 alongside Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. You come for the grand intergalactic adventure, bouncing around various planets and encountering all sorts of alien friends and foes. However, you stay for the genuinely compelling family drama, unique application of mixed media, and an awesome soundtrack. Hopefully there’s more to this story beyond this 10 episode first season.
“Now then, are you ready to head to the stars for a literal out-of-this-world ‘take your children to work day’ adventure? Because My Dad the Bounty Hunter is the show for you! It’s a galaxy-trotting adventure full of action and a family reconnecting through a rather unorthodox way. With fun action, creative alien world/inhabitants, and witty writing, you will want to catch the nearest warp orb or spaceship to check this series out!“ -The Animation Guru
The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2
For their first animated series, Critical Role knocked it out of the park last year, thanks in no small part to Amazon Studios, Titmouse, Inc., and everyone who backed their Kickstarter campaign in 2019. This second season takes things to a whole other level. The stakes are raised exponentially due to the terror caused by the Chroma Conclave, and each character undergoes significant development in their respective arcs. Speaking only for myself, I’d consider Grog and Scanlan to be the MVP’s of the season, but everyone gets their time to shine.
“Critical Role’s The Legend of Vox Machina Season 2 is how you do a second season right. You up the stakes, you don’t slow down the pacing, you expand upon the characters, you build up the world around them, and for those that don’t watch the video form of the first campaign, feel welcome into jumping into this world that will probably get them interested to see the original campaign. It’s a win-win for everyone because both are a great way to experience solid storytelling and fun character interactions from some of the industry’s best voice actors. The only difference is that while the video form of campaign 1 is great, season 2 cuts a lot of the fat and streamlines it.“ -The Animation Guru
That’ll do it for this episode! Thank you all for joining, and stay tuned for more cool stuff on the horizon!
