Ark: The Animated Series

I had high expectations for this animated series after falling in love with Ark Survival and its story, and spending countless hours in its world. Unfortunately, the series felt flat and bland compared to the game's many ups and downs and the sense of danger in the world of Ark. I just couldn't feel it in the show. Honestly, it feels like another disappointment, similar to the MCU lately.

One aspect that particularly stood out to me was the lack of development in the characters. In the game, the characters are complex and multi-dimensional, with rich backstories and motivations. In the show, they felt like cardboard cutouts, with little to no depth or nuance.

Additionally, the show's pacing was slow and plodding, failing to capture the sense of urgency and danger that permeates the game. The animation was also subpar, with stiff character movements and dull, uninspired environments.

I was also disappointed by the show's failure to explore the world of Ark in any meaningful way. The game is full of mysteries and secrets, but the show barely scratched the surface.

I hope there will be a spin-off or remake that makes use of the world of the ark to its fullest.

Overall, I was disappointed by the Ark Survival animated series. As a fan of the game, I had high hopes for a faithful adaptation, but the show fell short in many ways. I hope that a future spin-off or remake will be able to do the series justice.

In conclusion, while the Ark Survival animated series had some promising moments, it ultimately failed to deliver on its potential. With underdeveloped characters, slow pacing, and subpar animation, the show felt like a disappointment. I hope that future adaptations will be able to capture the magic of the game in a more meaningful way.

Nor was I aware of the game until I read some of the reviews, though I have to wonder if many of the performers who are also producers are fans of the game?

Just as a tale, it comes over as a cross between "Lost" and the Jules Verne classic "Journey to the center of the Earth" (choose your own favorite version of that one ! ), adding in the sub plots of how each character died to get to this clone of the "Savage Land" from Marvel comics.

As an animated adventure, it's reasonably well told, enjoyable to watch, a little gruesome from the violence level, though there's some predictability to the plot.

There's sure to be plenty of hate for the choice of a female protagonist and standard 'older white male' antagonist, ignore it, these characters could be any gender or colour skin and still work.

There's the odd line of fan service in-joke dialog too.

Overall I think the 7 to 8 out of 10 rating is well earned (the 1's and 10's are clearly the outlier scores that don't match the curve. Haters gonna Hate, and all that stuff.

It'd be nice if there's a season 2 in the works, and not just the teaser.

If you liked any of the programs or stories that this references, you'll probably enjoy this one too.

The animation and voice acting is good.

Though it is a bit to cartoonish for my taste.

One time its shockingly brutal but the the next scene theres silly elements. Its just a weird mix, which is just too much of a contrast for me.

Most of the times the main character seems to just not act believable for the situation shes in.

Also the show mixes in the backstory of the main character into the story, which sadly is the flat stereotype used in every show today.

Some dinosaurs are just too smart and too tame what makes everything even less believable.

Overall the unreasonable way characters and dinosaurs behave killed the interrest in the show for me.

The setting, action, fight scenes, and characters are great, but everything they do right they follow quickly by attempting to virtue signal which feels like a betrayal to the existing fanbase.

The main character's flashbacks give nothing to the current storyline outside of trying to place her in a saintly position which makes her a less relatable character. She's a scientist at the top of her field, a professor at a prestigious university, she is a Lesbian who lost her partner to a foreign conflict, a first nations person from Australia and an activist with a criminal record. The list goes on and on and on and on, but none of it, not even her sexuality is at all important to the current events they put just as much effort into presenting how horrible the world is just for it to be completely overshadowed by how horrible the Ark is.

I don't know, I'll keep going because it is well made. It just seems like too much for zero narrative reward.

I wanted to learn about this world and - more importantly - what the heck was going on?? None of that got explored in the first half of the season, and instead we were incessantly fed political commentary that was as trite as it was overbearing.

The most interesting characters were Rockwell and Nervus; I was disappointed with the rest - especially with how much they stereotyped John and Meiyin Li. And Helena, oh boy, is easily one of the worst Mary Sue's I've ever seen. When you have a character like this, it would at least be appreciated if you quit putting them in peril all of the time - there's no suspense - and it takes up screen time that could be better utilized.

Interesting premise, underwhelmingly delivered. Beautiful animation (in later episodes) but that's not enough to hold someone's interest.

FYI, I played them game. I 'know' what's going on, but I do not see how anyone else can possibly hope to keep up.

5/10.