NFT-backed animation series ‘Krapopolis’ debuts on FOX; Poor reviews across the board
Krapopolis is set against the fantastical backdrop of ancient Greece at the cusp of civilization, boasting a rich vocal cast including Richard Ayoade, Matt Berry, and Duncan Trussell. However, unlike Dan Harmon’s previous ventures like “Rick and Morty”, this long-anticipated show has surprisingly landed in the territory of the mundane, as opined by numerous critics.
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Boring narrative
Despite Krapopolis being scheduled for three seasons, the show’s debut on FOX failed to impress viewers. IMDB users scored it a modest 6.1 and, while critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes were slightly better, the audience score was an abysmal 27%.
In spite of the thematic promise held by the show, critics suggest the pilot episode aired yesterday had a bland narrative. The satirical attempt to blend ancient with modern, through episodic plots starring the king of Krapopolis, Tyrannis, has lost much of the acuity that audiences have come to expect from a Dan Harmon creation.
Star-studded cast performs well
Throughout the series, the vocal cast manages to elicit chuckles, particularly credited to Richard Ayoade’s portrayal of the narcissistic and spineless Tyrannis. Among the array of characters, Hippocampus and Shlub were also praised, due to the vocal brilliance of Berry and Trussell and the characters’ bizarre designs.
Vocal cameos by notable names like Keith David, Yvette Nicole Brown, Dave Franco, and Daveed Diggs were also a highlight of the animated show. However, they alone don’t elevate Krapopolis to the level of watch-worthy animated comedy, at least not as of yet.
Humor falls flat
The humor mostly falls flat, despite the myriad of peculiar characters from vengeful gods to whimsical half-human creatures. Unlike the creator’s previous endeavors, Krapopolis lacks the characteristic clever dialogues and fresh humor.
According to critics, it doesn’t deliver anything groundbreaking in terms of humor or narrative, something shows like ‘Family Guy’ and ‘Disenchantment’ have previously excelled at.
Moreover, the visual storytelling has been dubbed as sparse, with less attention to background details, making it less rewarding for viewers to pause or rewind to catch subtle jokes. The usual Harmon show tends to have dense comedic content, where every frame can carry a joke. Krapopolis, however, steps back from this trend.
Krapopolis and the potential of NFT-backed TV
While Krapopolis failed to impress on its debut, it still showcased how NFTs can be successfully integrated into television. While there are other NFT-backed TV shows, like Stoner Cats, Krapopolis offers a greater level of interactivity for NFT holders.
Owners of one of 10,420 Krap Chicken NFTs were able to vote on certain aspects of the show, which were later integrated into production. One simple example was how fans chose the backup dancer for Deliria, one of the show’s characters.
As a result of the show’s debut, the Krap Chicken collection registered a spike in numbers in the last 24 hours. According to OpenSea, the trading volume surged 440% while the floor price grew 27%.
