so i’ve recently started heavily posting about critical role due to getting caught up during quarantine and the show thankfully coming back early july, and i do realize that most of my followers don’t actually watch this show and probably have no idea what i am posting about. which is why i’ve been thinking about making a post about why you guys SHOULD be watching critical role
WHAT IS CRITICAL ROLE? it’s a show where a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors sit around and play dungeons and dragons, as matt mercer, the dungeon master (or storytelling for those who are not familiar with dnd) would say. basically a tabletop game streamed through twitch and then released on youtube a couple of days later
like i said before, the dungeon master is matthew mercer, while the cast includes ashley johnson, marisha ray, laura bailey, liam o’brian, sam riegel, travis willingham, taliesin jaffe, plus occasionally we get some guest players come in
anyone who’s into anime/different animations (i am not familiar with the different genres so pls excuse not being able to name all of them) or videos games probably knows the cast (see above) - just recently the last of us 2 featured both ashley johnson and laura bailey
there are two campaign you can watch, both of them are unique and interesting and full of twists and turns. honestly this game has better writing than a lot of other shows and movies i know, matt mercer is truly incredible at creating plot points, arcs, and playing with both his own ideas and incorporating his players’ characters’ backstories into all of it. and on top of that, he is great at making sure every player, every character have their own moment to shine and have their own turn to be in focus
now about the players themselves - when i say they know what they’re doing... OH BOY DO THEY KNOW. they are full out roleplaying/acting out their characters, there are tears and laughter and they are really just great at it. they take the game so seriously and put so much effort and thought and creativity into it, it’s a joy to watch. and their care really shines through, all of this giving us such amazing 3d characters with clear flaws and character paths/developments
they really are friends and it shows. the cast didn’t just come together to do this show, when the stream starts, they’ve already been playing their first campaign for 2 years, and it really shows. their friendship and care and love for each other is the LITERAL HEART of the show and it’s shines through every step of the way. they just love each other so much and really are a big ass family and we are fortunate enough to get a peek into their game and fun
it’s really effing diverse - yes, it’s an all white cast, but matt and the players themselves put a lot of emphasis on making sure the characters themselves and the different npcs matt is bringing in are diverse and have different kind of experiences in life and they try to take as much care with them as possible
it’s just a lot of fun and everyone can find their own things in them. do you like fights in fantasy? full of them! dragons and other fantasy creatures? FULL OF THEM! good, interesting characters? the list is endless! found family trope? both campaigns are based on that! fun, complex dynamics and interesting relationships (romantic, platonic, family, all kinds)? honestly just full full of it!!! inside jokes for the show that keep coming back?
all of it is available on youtube, you don’t have to pay a penny for any of it if you don’t want to, and with youtube you can basically watch it from anywhere with some internet
it’s digestible. i know it seems like long ass episodes, but they fly by really quickly, plus it can seem daunting to people who never played dnd before and don’t know anything about the game, but i started it not knowing anything about the game either, and it sucks you in. matt’s descriptions are so great and detailed, you know exactly what’s happening, and you don’t need to know the rules anyway, you just gotta enjoy the story (srsly, you pick up the basics in like 2 episodes, and you don’t need more)
for more information, you can check out THIS REDDIT POST which is an awesome introduction and help on where to watch, how to watch, what other things you need to know
tldr; so basically what i’m trying to say is that critical role is amazing, fantastic, showstopping, just the best and you guys should all check it out bc it’s worth watching
