Ahead of Liam Hemsworth’s debut as the White Wolf in season four of The Witcher later this year, Netflix has released a brand new anime film to help bridge the tide for fans of the live-action adaptation. Following the success of The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf, which centred on Geralt’s mentor and fellow Witcher Vesemir, the latest animated instalment marks Geralt’s animated debut and is based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s short story ‘A Little Sacrifice’. With the fifth season of the live-action fantasy series proving the final, could this medium prove the perfect platform for Netflix’s expanded Witcher universe?
Directed by Kang Hei Chul, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep centres on mutant monster hunter Geralt (voiced by the iconic Doug Cockle) and fellow travelling companion Jaskier (voiced by Joey Batey, reprising his live-action role) as they’re hired to track down and kill a mysterious sea creature which is reportedly attacking fisherman in a seaside village. However, there’s more than meets the eye to this job, and the pair find themselves embroiled in a an age-old conflict between humans and merpeople which threatens all out war between the two kingdoms.
There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to the latest animated offering, primarily the big draw of iconic voice actor Doug Cockle taking on the Butcher of Blaviken mantle, making his debut in the Netflix expanded universe after voicing the monster hunter in the beloved games. Joey Batey and Anya Chalotra are also reprising their roles, while Studio MIR are back on animated duties following The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf. And yet, The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep isn’t unfortunately the sure fire hit that it shoulda, woulda, coulda been given the numerous USPs.
While the premise is undoubtedly intriguing – a standalone tale focusing more on the dark fantasy monsters, creatures and underwater realms, paired with an exploration of mankind’s murky morality – the adaptation starts off strong but unfortunately winds up feeling more like a reworking of The Little Mermaid than a Witcher instalment. There’s even a bizarre Ursula “Poor Unfortunate Souls”-esque song from Melusina, the sea witch, thrown in for good measure!
Despite a promising start with an intense and action-packed showdown between an enhanced Geralt and “vicious” sea creature Allamorax, writers Rae Benjamin and Mike Ostrowksi frustratingly shift gears from the central mystery to focusing more on the underwater kingdom and the central romance. Unfortunately this means Geralt’s main mission quickly becomes a side quest, and in turn, Cockle and Batey’s excellent dynamic takes a back seat. Another disappointment is the lacklustre romance between Geralt and Essi (Christina Wren) along with Wren’s grating “British” accent.
However, alongside Geralt and Jaskier’s more fun moments, it’s the excellent animation which proves a real standout. With a more mythical take on Geralt’s character design, particularly his Witcher powers and fighting style, coupled with increasingly gritty action sequences (a last act showdown featuring a certain deep sea monster is particularly impressive) and also the introduction of a whole host of new monsters, creatures and underwater realms to explore – proves there’s plenty for fans of the franchise to sink their teeth into. The collaboration between South Korean animation Studio Mir, Studio IAM and Platige Image and Hivemind continues to provide an outstanding medium for the wider franchise.
Verdict
The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep excels amongst the incredibly stylish animation, excellent creature designs and the endearing Jaskier and Geralt dynamic (plus there’s a real bard banger!) But despite Cockle and Batey’s excellent vocal performances, the instalment feels like a mixed bag overall, with a strong fantasy standalone chapter unfortunately evolving into an out of place Little Mermaid tale. *Enter disappointed Geralt grunt*
