la_ricciolina

I've never read these graphic novels, but I am in general a big fan of Neil Gaiman. He is a magnificent storyteller and this series is classic Gaiman. I love how he works within traditional mythology (Classical, Christian, and English), creating new stories while respecting the tradition. And I love the emotional effect his stories have on me. At least three times in the first episode he built up this little flame of hope inside me and then snatched it away.

This series is visually beautiful. Morpheus communicates so much with a shift of his gaze or turn of his head. Lucienne and Death are perfectly cast. From the shifting stained glass and sweeping vistas of the dreaming to the subtle shadow of her wings. It's one of those rare occasions where the dialogue and the visuals have equally strong roles to play in the storytelling.

This starts out feeling so much like so many other films and books in this genre. One person is dealing with having survived the apocalypsis with strict routines. One person is dealing by expressing all the feels all the time. Then..... well I won't spoil it, but there's a big twist that I didn't see coming at all.

I love the books and in general I don't care if movie or tv adaptations of my favorite books are different than the book. Different genres, different visions. I'm fine with it. Also, I love the two main actors. Their chemistry is perfect for these two characters.

All that being said, this show is gratuitously violent. And it's not just violent in a bloody way, it's slow psychological torture violent. I couldn't make it past the second episode, which is such a shame, because the books are fun. The violence in this completely overshadows everything else though.