Dragons - Auf zu neuen Ufern

The transition to Netflix meant a leap up to a higher level in almost every aspect. The humor is surprisingly even more absurd, understandably somewhat "more adolescent", but the tension is no longer just half-hearted bait. Long-time villains are appropriately menacing, the synergy of the entire team is important, and the development of Dagur, my favorite maniac, made me wish for his own spin-off. It is precisely the ever-expanding gallery of villains, allies, new faces, and luckily even dragon-like creatures, that made me go from occasional viewing to a marathon, where the circumstances of the new adventures entertained me so much that I could easily watch an entire season in one weekend. Of course, it is pointless to claim that the series doesn't stick to a clear pattern of events even in the later seasons, which has to play out every time. Each season will always offer an episode where Snotlout has to redeem himself from his extreme stubbornness, where Fishlegs proves he is not just an egghead, one that reinforces the bond between Hiccup and Astrid, and (at least) one in which the twins go overboard with their mischief. But sometimes it's okay to have a little certainty. It's hard to say exactly when it happened, but roughly in the third season, the dear Dragon Riders definitively moved from family-friendly relaxation to the edge of lighthearted fantasy. And for that, they definitely deserve this (when combined with the original seasons from Cartoon Network) sizable portion of over a hundred episodes. (18.07.2019)