Dragon Striker Season 1 Review: A Fun Fusion of Genres
Mixing sports and fantasy, Disney’s newest animated show, Dragon Striker, is a fun fusion of the most tried-and-true tropes of both genres.
The Plot
Dragon Striker takes place in a world called Asteria, full of magic and magical creatures. Asteria is also home to Kal Asterock, an elite magical school where the world’s best athletes play a game called Gorotama.
Gorotama is basically soccer, but with magic. It might remind fans of the Owl House of a soccer-themed Grudgby, but without the Harry Potter jokes.
Every player on the team has a unique tama, or magical ability, that they can utilize during games. There are countless different tamas. They can range from slowing time to changing form to multiplying themselves.
For most Gorotama players, their tamas emerge quite young, giving them a chance to learn how to use them before they attend Kal Asterock. That, of course, brings us to our protagonist, Key.
Key is an excitable local kid who loves Gorotama, but doesn’t have a tama, or at least that’s what he thinks.
As readers can probably guess, Key not only has a tama but a powerful one. He also has a family history with Gorotama that he knows nothing about, but that will shape his future.
Lots of Tropes, But Not Cliched
Even in the brief series overview above, multiple fan-favorite tropes are easy to spot. A magic school with a magic sport and a regular kid with a destiny ahead of him.
As the story progresses, it adds traditional sports tropes, such as a ragtag team of underdogs and an arrogant rival team that the heroes should have no chance of beating.
The danger here, of course, is that building a show on multiple very familiar tropes would make the series feel cliched or derivative. That is not the case at all, though.
Dragon Striker drops viewers right into the mix with an action-packed opening that will immediately have folks asking questions and ready to find answers. That leads into the introduction of the world of Asteria, and the promise of its rich world-building potential.
All of that is before we even meet our main character.
So Much World-Building Potential
Before we get to the characters, though, let’s dwell a little on the series’ world-building potential, because it is deep.
It’s been a minute since Disney really invested in a lore-heavy, serialized animated show, and in their return to that style of storytelling, they went all in.
Between the school, the sport, the world itself, and even characters’ power sets, the possibilities of where this show can go are pretty endless. Just about every part of this world is fertile ground for a seed that will expand the series scale and complexity.
It’s easily one of the best parts of the show and almost a reason enough to tune in.
The Cast of Characters
Lucky for us, world-building isn’t the only reason to tune into Dragon Striker. The show also has some really lovable core characters to root for.
We’ve already talked about Key a bit. He is a classic good-hearted, brave, if a bit reckless, protagonist in over his head. He is a great anchor for viewers to attach to and our avatar in this world.
The rest of his ragtag team at Kal Asterock are all (mostly) equally likable. They also fall into pretty familiar arc types, but, like the show’s plot tropes, they don’t feel cliched or flat.
If there is one minor quibble, it’s maybe that the antagonistic characters on the other teams are a little too over the top in their villainy. They feel a little one-note, at least for now.
That is true for most stories like this, though. Even the best villains often start as purely antagonistic presences with few redeeming qualities. It takes time for shows to reveal their layers and earn sympathy, or in some cases, start a redemption arc.
There is every possibility that this show will develop its villains if given the chance, so I’m not ready to knock it too hard for that yet. And, hey, if there is a character or two that stays a character people love to hate, that’s fine, as long as we see some of them evolve.
The Animation
The Dragon Striker animation is another one of its strong points. Some descriptions of the show have called it anime. I am by no means an expert no anime, but I’d say it is more anime-inspired.
Still, whether you call it anime or not, the anime influence on its art style is obvious. That influence gives the show a slightly different look and feel from Disney’s other high fantasy animated shows.
The colors are bright and crisp, adding the epic scope of the world and making everything about the show feel bigger.
Dragon Striker also has some pretty great character design. Beyond the main characters, the school and the larger world are populated by many minor and background characters.
These characters all have unique looks and seem to have received the same care and attention in their design as the core character. Much like the bright color palette, it only makes the world of Dragon Striker feel more expansive and immersive.
The real highlight of the animation, though, is the show’s action sequences. They are fluid, fast-paced, and just flat out cool. They definitely make Gorotama the most exciting of the high fantasy sports.
Final Thoughts
Disney has pulled back from shows like this in recent years. Still, it does have a history of stellar high fantasy, serialized animated shows for older kids (and animation-loving adults). It doesn’t always treat them as well as they should, but some of the best examples of this kind of storytelling aired on Disney.
Gravity Falls, The Owl House, Amphibia, and even Duck Tales are still enduring fan favorites that each raised the bar in their own ways.
Is Dragon Striker as good as any of those shows? Well, no. At least not yet. But then, none of those shows were out-of-the-box classics. They needed time, even seasons, to really hit their strides.
Dragon Striker may not be in the same tier as the shows that came before it yet, but it has all the pieces it needs to get there, maybe even exceed some of them.
And, frankly, whether it eventually reaches that level or not, it is already a fun and engaging series that all ages can enjoy.
What did you think of Dragon Striker? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Dragon Striker premieres on Disney XD on Tuesday, June 9, and streams the next day on Disney+.
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Sarah Fields
Sarah is an obsessive geek who likes to get into the weeds and over think things. She is passionate about Sci-Fi and comics and is a giant classic film nerd. Sarah cares deeply about media representation and the power of telling diverse stories. When she's not writing or watching her favorite shows she spends her days working in the non-profit world trying to make life a little better for those that need some extra help.