People Are Loving This Animated WWII Series On Netflix
Few times in human history have we faced as much turmoil as we did in World War II, and maybe that's why we have such a fascination with the era. The war was a lesson that the collective humanity should never forget. It showed the darkest of human nature as well as some of the best humanity has to offer. Humanity across the world came together to sacrifice for the good of people they'd never met, and even the "good guys" made some horrific mistakes. It marked a turning point in the military industrial complex, brought the abomination that is the A-bomb into existence, and cost millions of innocent lives. Those who fought for all that is just and right in the world: We commend you.
To keep alive the invaluable lessons that the war taught humanity, we've turned the WWII legacy into more than history lessons and museums. It's become rooted firmly in popular culture, with TV shows, movies, and video games. The media might be entertaining, but they're also important tools that remind us of times we never want to see again.
The newest in the wave of WWII media is a magnificently animated Netflix series called The Liberator, and it's worth the watch — in more ways than one.
What The Liberator is all about
Netflix's The Liberator is about WWII. The mini-series is based on the Alex Kershaw's book The Liberator: One World War II Soldier's 500-Day Odyssey. The story follows the United States Army's 45th Infantry Division (aka the Thunderbirds) as they fight their way from Sicily to Germany on a 500-day march. The animated Thunderbirds struggle through Axis territory, freeing Europe from Nazi oppression. Narration for the series is provided by Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs).
The series involves some impressive history in the telling. For starters, The Liberator is based on a true story, so what you see in the show is at least an approximation of what happened to the Thunderbirds after they landed in 1943. The Thunderbirds as a unit are fascinating. The 45th was known to have been one the most diverse units of its time. Coming out the southwest U.S., the Thunderbirds were comprised of a mix of Mexican Americans, Indigenous Americans, and rag-tag country boys, according to Smithsonian Magazine. The unit played an essential part in the war. General George Patton called the Thunderbirds ""one of the best, if not the best division in the history of American arms," and the series tells their story in a way that is truly compelling.
Viewer response is overwhelmingly positive
The Liberator already has a strong fan base. At the time this piece was written, two days after the series premiered on the streaming service, The Liberator had already made it into Netflix's Top 10, which shows that thousands of fans are tuned in. Numbers are one thing. It's their comments that really let us know what they think about the production. "Reliving a piece of history that has affected my country touches me deeply. Thanks to Bradley and all the cast for this great series," says Valentina Marinaccio on Twitter.
@Slytherin_Loki only had kind words about the series too, tweeting, "The animation looks so amazing! I completed the whole series last day itself. Beautiful dialogues, well written script, and an excellent cast. The series turned out way better than I expected."
Hopping over to Reddit's "The liberator" thread, we see similar sentiments, such as the original post by u/Lavi1011, stating: "It's animated Netflix original, i HIGHLY recommend. It's a huge rollercoaster and an AMAZING show. It takes place in WW2 following the story of a certain commander. If you like war movies, this series will take the cake."
You owe it to yourself to take a look at Netflix's The Liberator.