Netflix’s Blood of Zeus Anime Looks Like JoJo Meets Hades
Okay so I just finished binging Blood of Zeus on Netflix and I genuinely need to talk about this show because holy crap where did this come from. Like this show dropped out of absolutely nowhere and its actually incredible? Nobody was talking about it beforehand, there was barely any marketing, and then suddenly its just… there. And its GOOD. In a world where streaming platforms are constantly fighting for subscriber attention with endless content drops, this one actually deserves the hype.
If youve played Supergiants Hades – and if you havent, seriously what are you even doing with your life, go play it right now, Ill wait – the art style in Blood of Zeus is gonna feel familiar in all the best ways. Theyve got that same kind of mythological aesthetic going on, all dramatic poses and godly designs and environments that look like someone painted them specifically to make you feel small. And if youre a JoJo fan? Dude. DUDE. The character designs have that same over-the-top dramatic energy that makes JoJo so fun to watch.
The show follows this guy Heron who – shocker – turns out to be a demigod son of Zeus. I know, I know, Zeus couldnt keep it in his toga, what else is new, the man was busy. But Heron gets caught up in this whole war between the Olympian gods and these demon things called Giants, and theres this whole conspiracy involving Hera because of course there is, and I dont want to spoil too much because some of the reveals are actually pretty sick.
Animation studio Powerhouse did this – same people who made Castlevania for Netflix. Den of Geeks review breaks down why Powerhouse has become the gold standard for adult animation and yeah you can absolutely tell their fingerprints are all over this. The fight scenes have that same fluidity to them, that same weight. When someone gets hit in this show you FEEL it. The action choreography is genuinely top tier and Im not just saying that because Im easy to please with animated violence.
The gods themselves are designed so well it hurts. Hera is absolutely terrifying in the best way possible – shes got this cold fury thing going on that makes every scene shes in feel dangerous. Zeus actually looks imposing and powerful instead of just being some dude with a white beard and a toga. Apollo looks exactly like you want Apollo to look. Hermes is perfect. Theyre all perfect actually. The Wikipedia page for Blood of Zeus documents the shows strong reception and the 100% Rotten Tomatoes score it earned, which honestly feels deserved.
Now look. Is the story groundbreaking narrative cinema that will change how we think about storytelling forever? Nah not really. Demigod discovers his heritage, has to save the world, probably has some daddy issues to work through along the way. Its pretty standard Greek myth stuff when you break it down. But the execution? The style? The way they animate everything? Chefs kiss man. Absolute chefs kiss.
The voice acting is solid too. Not gonna pretend I recognized most of the cast but they all do good work. The guy playing Heron brings real emotion to what couldve been a pretty generic protagonist role. And whoever is voicing Hera deserves an award for making me genuinely uncomfortable every time she opens her mouth.
Eight episodes. Binged the whole thing in one sitting. No regrets. Go watch it if you havent. Seriously. Your weekend plans just got cancelled, youre welcome.
