Blood of Zeus

TV Series Review

Greek mythology—at least this Netflix version of Greek mythology—says that there was once an epic struggle between the Gods of Olympus, the masters of light, and the Titans, the family of darkness. The gods sought to have a world ruled by order and peace. But they were opposed by the Titans. In order to rid humanity of this dark power, the gods struck down the Titans until there was but one remaining. And it was only a matter of time before he, too, was toppled.

But as that last evil power fell, his blood spilled into the ocean and created a new league of villains known as the Giants. For years, war raged . Finally, Zeus tried to convince the giants to unite with the gods for peace, but they refused. So, he slaughtered them, cast their remains into the sea and trapped their souls in a cauldron beneath the ocean floor.

One day, a giant’s remains washed up on shore and a mortal found them. Curious, he touched the corpse and was instantly drawn to its wicked power. Instead of walking away, he embraced the evil that ran through his veins and taught other men to become like him. As they feasted on the Giant’s flesh, their hearts and desires gave way to treachery and they transformed into demons.

Now, in Greece, demons, sometimes disguised as humans, run rampant and are threatening to destroy human villages. Many humans are fighting against them, like Alexia, the Grand Archon of the Amazons, as well as various gods who take on the form of ordinary men.

But one man has the ability to eradicate the evil powers at work. His name is Heron. His true identity as the son of Zeus has been hidden from him since birth. But if he is to take on Greece’s demonic army, he must first learn what he’s made of and who he truly is.

A Greek Mythology Mix

Netflix has wandered into the world of the gods with its latest anime original, Blood of Zeus. It mixes some traditional Greek mythology and adds a few of its own twists. But that’s not all.

This show, while it might not look it at first glance, holds a TV-MA rating. For now, that means that animated violence gets pretty gory. Heads get sliced off, blood pours from open wounds and battles of all sorts are endless. There’s also a bit of language mixed with sexual innuendo, and it’s possible that those elements could get worse with time.

And, of course, the show is just drenched with spirituality. Demons, sometimes disguised as regular humans, are the enemy as mythological gods battle against them. And though the sides of “light” and “dark” are clearly marked, heroes and gods still deal with their own lot of imperfections such as infidelity and brutality. Then, finally, there’s the human race who depend on and worship the gods as they rely on them for the outcome of their fates. Creativity abounds here, but those artistic measures can’t blur the obvious issues that families are sure to discover.