1. Finally, Some Wonder!
The previous episodes of Niko and the Sword of Light, fell into a bit of a formula. Lyra and Niko, sometimes with their sidekicks, would be whisked to some new part of the world. There, they discovered everything in turmoil, corrupted by Nar Est and his manipulations of the Great Jewel. They would encounter a monster, Niko would flash his sword, then someone would appear to talk about how much work it was going to be to restore the place to its former glory and how they couldn’t wait to get started.
“From the Sea of Suffering to the Faraway Shore” breaks up that structure a bit. In the last episode, Niko and Lyra found themselves chucked into the ocean where they were quickly surrounded by piranhas. The episode opens with them escaping and finding air by making an air bubble with the help of some pufferfish. Eventually, Lyra remembers an underwater kingdom and they swim over to seek aid.
The shrimp kingdom is the first time we’ve seen something not tainted by Nar Est’s dark magic. This means director Michael Moloney has time to show us something wondrous, something spectacular. It’s not a place wrenched apart by dark magic and corrupted monsters. Not many, in any case. In a place that’s thriving, these shrimp are able to express themselves in these elaborate song and dance numbers. Well, as elaborate as the budget allows.
2. “Battle? I’m Not Familiar With the Word, Though It is Fun to Say!”
“From the Sea of Suffering to the Faraway Shore” does provide a good number of gags. After all the revelations of what happened in the last episode, it’s kind of nice to have a more light-hearted piece this week. “But should we not pause from time to time on our journey to enjoy these wondrous sights?” Niko asks while he pokes at a hybrid dyanoga/clam. The ocean setting helps Moloney and his animators do these free-wheeling sequences, where the characters are adrift and moving around everywhere. I dug how anytime the characters are still — say, when they’re listening to a conversation — the animators have their feet treading water. It’s a nice detail that helps cement the episode and sell the environment. There’s a shot of Mandok giving a thumb’s up through the nostril of an evil bird. I also got a kick out of how the shrimp’s modest musical number resembled a shrimp cocktail, even before the show made sure to point it out. The best part of that gag, though, was how the shrimp were able to use their dance routine to hypnotize this week’s monster while Lyra and Niko go about saving the world.
The show is getting better at some of its running gags, too. I got a kick out of how the shrimp people are completely unable to tell Lyra or Niko apart. They eventually conclude Niko is her twin, created as a decoy for Lyra in case anything goes bad. This carries through the entire episode and unlike, say, Mandok’s slew of annoyances, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
3. Nico and Lyra’s Growing Confidence
One of the best things about having a more laid back adventure this week is we get a chance to see both Lyra and Niko settling into their roles as the heroes of this story. Their confidence grows exponentially. Niko is more comfortable with the sword, not balking back when giant monsters come at him. Lyra’s diplomacy game is on point as well. She greets the shrimp people with this small dance. It woos them and wins our heroes favor.
4. Jazz Hand Your Way to Victory
Niko and the Sword of Light is so indebted to the texts that came before it one of its shortcomings is that it doesn’t really feel like its own thing. Certainly, the shrimp people bear hallmarks of the lemurs from Madagascar. When Lyra and Niko go to save the Dolphin Queen, allegedly abducted by the Manticore, only the youngest kids watching won’t see the twist coming from miles away. The whole kingdom has Little Mermaid vibes.
The show has started distinguishing itself in the more minute details, however. There’s the aforementioned hypnosis trick. I thought the bit about the shrimp’s economy working based on the treasure from various sunken ships was clever. I also love how they won this whole thing by using jazz hands. But it’s still only these little things. I’m ready to see Niko and the Sword of Light become the weird and wild world it so desperately wants to be. More of what we saw from the motion comic.
Continued belowAt least the show has a kinetic energy of its own. Another element it’s getting more comfortable and confident to deal with.
5. “Initiative. I Like It. To a Point.”
The cliffhanger here takes a different turn. Mandok, captured by the opossum things, finds himself face to face with Nar Est. It only takes a couple seconds before he’s completely ready to give up Lyra and Niko in order to save his own skin. Nar Est enlists him as a spy and sends Mandok on his way. I wonder how long the creators plan to have this plot line drag out, but, if it’s anything like the rest of the stuff with Mandok, it’ll probably go on far too long.
I think it’s also important how Niko and Lyra are making contacts throughout the world. They’re building allies and friends. I bet this won’t be the last we see of the Dolphin Queen and her shrimp minstrels.
