The Liberator is not like the other wartime stories. It is acted by real people but it uses artistic animations as the main leads. It brings you something new, especially if you have never watched anime. Netflix launched this show specially for Veteran’s Day.
It is a story about U.S. Army Officer Felix “Shotgun” Sparks and his infantry unit. This is the epic story where they fought for more than 500 days to liberate Europe. The main cast includes Bradley James, Martin Sensmeier and Jose Miguel Vasquez.
The Liberator is set in the midst of World War II in July 1943, at Sicily. The men are a part of a very diverse unit from Oklahoma also known as the ‘Thunderbirds’. The story is intriguing enough for you to give this show a chance.
It is based on a non-fictional novel of the same name by Alex Kershaw. This miniseries enters directly into the action. It starts with their training days where Sparks’ superior gives him one week to shape up his soldiers. But the story gets interesting due to the diverse nature of the soldiers involved. People who won’t even talk to each other at homes will now have to play a major role in a war and fight together.
You could get distracted sometimes by the way the narration and animation take place. Not everyone has the retaining power to see something other than human beings in a series and it is totally understandable. In this series, it just looks like a strong filter has been applied on real people in the scene.
Earlier, the show was supposed to be of eight episodes but that would’ve worked if the creators had decided to pt the soldiers against each other. Instead, however, the soldiers stand together against their racist superiors and it reduces the drama time from the show. Also, Sparks is a consistent figure throughout the series.
Although the story is to glorify the soldiers who fought against Nazis, it is very confusing to see writers of The Liberators humanizing the Nazis on the other side of the camp. It seems confusing whether they want you to hate them or understand them and their point of views.
Surprisingly, the animation is able to capture the action scenes well and although it seems like it sometimes lacks emotion, it is able to grasp your attention at its best. The show is a bit different and is not exactly an anime nor is it a traditional movie, and thus it makes for an interesting watch.
The Liberator is currently streaming on Netflix.
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