In an effort to expose myself to more diverse animation and stories, gen:LOCK quickly jumped to the top of my queue. At first glance, the series doesn’t look like something I would typically be drawn to. Military/war centric stories generally tend to be hard for me to keep up with, and usually don’t hold my attention for very long. However, after learning more about the series, I realized it checked off a lot of boxes.
The show is a high concept sci-fi fantasy, set in a futuristic dystopian society with advanced nanotechnology, mind transfers/mindsharing, and high tech mecha designs. The show also features a cast of diverse characters forced to team up and save the world. I mean, that’s a tale as old as time.
gen:LOCK is a 3D animated web series created by Gray Haddock and produced by Rooster Teeth (Red vs. Blue, RWBY). The series features Mecha – giant robots controlled by a pilot, used to fight in battle. Think Gundam x Transformers x Pacific Rim, whose influences are inherent, but the animation, cinematography, and design of the show are what standout.
The animation style is pretty similar to Netflix’s The Dragon Prince, where the computer generated animation has a more smoothed out 2D look and feel. The trailer gives you a glimpse of the cinematic visuals, backed by a high energy soundtrack.
The series takes place fifty years in the future, where there is a war against autocracy from “The Union”. Dr. Rufus Weller establishes the gen:LOCK program; an experimental technology that uploads a person’s mind/consciousness to the Mindframe of a mecha, or Holon. These mechs are weaponized by the military and utilized to fight in the war.
The caveat of the experiment is that there are only a select few that are genetically and physiologically compatible with the gen:LOCK tech. Their team is small, but they all must learn to let down their walls in order to engage in Mindshare with their teammates, so they can aid each other in battle.
There are plenty of action and fight sequences with the mecha that are well crafted, well choreographed, and really fun to watch, but the character dynamics, the actual human moments, were what I found the most compelling. To be honest, what initially sold me on the show was the diverse, all-star voice cast – Micheal B. Jordan (Black Panther), Dakota Fanning (The Alienist), Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), David Tennant (Doctor Who), and Kōichi Yamadera (Cowboy Bebop) all give great performances that really establish their character’s personality.
Storywise, details of the war and the history of the world are revealed sparingly throughout the season arc. We actually don’t get a proper “meet the team” sequence until very late into the season. So, it did take some effort on my part to get a grasp on the world.
Initially, it wasn’t always clear to me who was fighting who, or who was on what side of the war, but once the technology was explained and the team was established, I was able to sit back, appreciate the action and animation, and really enjoy the story.
The creator of the series has said that one of the goals of the show was to normalize diversity. This is evident in its cast of characters. The gen:LOCK team includes a Black pilot, a Scottish teen hacker, a Japanese soldier, an Iranian pilot, and a genderfluid Russian agent, which all make for interesting clashes of personalities. The humor and dialogue are also really well written and acted. Dr. Weller’s humor is no doubt a product of Tennant’s talent and sensibility.
gen:LOCK seems to be a passion project for its creators and everyone involved in its making. The show serves as a prime example of what’s possible with animation in the industry today, and coming from a small independent studio, the show’s body of work is a testament to the talent and passion of its creators.
Season one of gen:LOCK consists of eight half-hour long episodes. The first episode is available to stream for free, but anyone interested in continuing the series will need a Rooster Teeth FIRST membership from the company’s own streaming platform.
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