When I need a break from working and just a little time to relax, Disenchantment is the show I usually turn on. The program isn’t exceptionally challenging or innovative, but it is by no means lazy or disengaging.
Disenchantment has struck the perfect balance of lightheartedness, comfortability, and enjoyment.
The show is made by the same people who made The Simpsons and it shows in many ways throughout the character designs. Every character on the show—regardless of importance—has a very distinctive look, resembling those of The Simpsons but with even more diversity.
Keeping everything vibrant and interesting visually is a fantastic way of passively keeping your audience engaged. You can tell a lot about the characters just by looking at them.
Prince Derek with his vibrantly-coloured clothing and his rotund appearance gives the impression of a lovable idiot. Chazz is a minor character but you get the sense of his personality just by the way he is drawn.
In terms of comedy, I don’t think the show is quite as funny as The Simpsons—nor as memorable. However, Disenchantment does a fantastic job at standing apart from The Simpsons as its own product.
One of the most dramatic differences is the cohesive overarching narrative Disenchantment follows opposed to The Simpsons. Disenchantment’s plot is pretty simple but usually works effectively.
There is plenty of fun action-filled adventure. One of my favorite elements of the show is all of the unique locations that are explored. Some places are lively and adorable like Elfwood, others are more menacing and grim. I have seen few animated shows that do world building better than Disenchantment.
The relationships between characters are brought about organically. There are several cute villains in the show who aren’t that threatening, but are still fun to watch as they act as comic foils to the heroes.
There aren’t really any steaks in the show, however, that doesn’t really bother me due to the lighthearted nature of it all. The voice acting has all been cast very well.
I’m a huge fan of Eric Andre, so you can imagine my glee now that he’s getting mainstream attention. His work as Luci is perfect for his voice and his character is something to look forward to every episode.
You can really tell that the people working on the show are passionate about it and have already defined their expertise. The animation is all so smooth and crisp. It’s one of those shows that gives you a dopamine hit just by looking at it.
Consistency is another really big strength. I’ve found myself enjoying all three seasons more- or- less equally and I can easily see the show running for another half dozen seasons or more.
The program isn’t flawless, unfortunately. Over the course of the show, the comedy has gotten slightly weaker. It was rarely “laugh out loud” funny, instead being more grin worthy.
Overall, if you’re into laid-back, well-made cartoons, this should be a fun watch. Keep looking out for the environments and world-building Disenchantment does, as that alone is enough to keep audiences interested.
It’s nothing world-changing, but Disenchantment is a nice relaxing show that helps you escape from the unrelenting turmoil of the outside world.