Why Does Reddit Hate the Percy Jackson Show?

In this video, I look at the positives and negatives of the Disney + adaptation of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
I used Epidemic Sound for the SFX and music for this video. They've got a great library over there! Sign up using my link:
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"Percy Jackson’s big episode 3 change came directly from Rick Riordan himself" by Petrana Radulovic
www.polygon.com/24011108/perc...
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:02 Part 1: The Show Knows Its Audience
6:14 Part 2: The Show Is Faithful To The Book (Mostly)
13:55 Part 3: The Show Feels Like Television
16:51 Conclusion

[@NotableStories]

Which adaptation worked better for you: the show or the movie? I’m seeing some debate down below on this and I’m curious. Please be kind to each other in the responses.

[@dreamgrrrl]

the show is definitely the better adaptation, better casting, pacing, etc.

[@CoduhyMinecraft]

While the show is no doubt better, i feel like the characters arent developed, like, at all. And without that it just doesnt feel like percy jackson to me. I think maybe 3 more episodes wouldve been perfect too allow for the characters outside of sally to actually have character building moments. Annabeth especially just seems more wishy washy and “knows what she needs too” instead of the calculating and emotionally intelligent version of her in the books

[@CoolThings123]

The Show Is Bad

[@stephwong6422]

the musical. I found it to be the more faithful to the source material than the movie (probably show too) and more exciting than the show was. also the music was good too

[@Georgiaaara]

No it actually isnt ​@@CoolThings123

[@thequeenjess]

To sum up my thoughts on the show and the movie: Show: accurate but boring Movie: inaccurate but fun It's actually hilarious how the disappointment in the show has made the movie gain more fans. The movie Rick hates so much. Wow.

[@masked_serpent]

The movies were always a horrible adaptation, but they could still be fun to watch as their own thing. I have been able to enjoy the movies as long as I ignore them being a very much failed attempt to adapt a book series I really enjoy. The show definitely has the opposite problem of hitting all the little checkpoints, like certain monsters being met, certain lines being said, but it feels to me like the heart has been removed. Long story short, I definitely agree with your thoughts.

[@Lambent_Omega]

As I was watching this it felt like I was watching a channel with hundreds of thousands of subscribers, then I looked in the description and saw.... 72 views??!?!? 546 SUBSCRIBERS?!?!?! I hope you get the success you deserve, I know nothing about Percy Jackson and this was an entertaining watch.

[@taylorparis7228]

Interesting take, I agree about Walker....he IS Percy. Not just because hes witty, he just feels like the character. All the time. He might not have Percys dark straight hair but that doesn't affect his acting ability. Walker is such a stand out!

[@inventorking9124]

15:30 Good point there. Honestly, I don't remember the action in the first book being very big or intense. It wasn't until the later books that it got bigger, and it wasn't until Heroes of Olympus that the day-to-day action was always gigantic and massive.

[@mariospriftis4011]

The Annabeth being 6 steps ahead comment still doesn't make sense. She's supposed to be SMART, not ALL KNOWING. They're 10 year olds not Greek mythology professors. To put it in perspective, we are taught US History the same way they would be taught about these monsters, and I promise you if you walk in to a 6th grade history classroom and gave them hints about presidents it would take most kids quite A WHILE to figure out who we're talking about, once they figure it out, it would be a "oh my god how did I not realize" for them. It doesn't make sense that they figure half the monsters in this season out before they have even interacted with them. Without allowing the monsters distinct qualities begin to flash light bulbs in their minds. EDIT: On top of that, the monsters (at least in the books) go a long way to disguise who they are from Heroes, moreover that creates a plot hole w/ Ms. Dodds like 6 months and neither Chiron or Grover figure out shes literally one of the most famous and powerful monsters in the series????

[@jayschmidt2196]

Alot of it just felt conflicted. The characters know everything before it happens. They don't figure a single thing out themselves that they didn't previously know. Most gods were underwhelming besides Zeus and ares. I just don't get some choices. There's more than enough good stuff there for them to make a great series. The source material deserves a good, Decent length series. I think this show REALLY suffered from the runtime and episode count. It needed more space to breathe per episode but it's forced to enter, solve and exit scenarios so fast just so we can say it technically was in the show. No matter how underwhelming it is. Like Medusas, crusty's, hephaestus's or even the lotus casino. Say what you will about the movies inaccuracies. At least there's conflict and actual problem solving. The lotus casino in the movies felt way more like you'd be stuck there, mostly because they didn't know the gimmick going in and had to actually figure it out like in the books. There's a creepiness to it in the movie that is seriously lacking in the show and that's just one example.

[@nope19568]

tbh if you can completely divorce the og movies from the source content theyre def at the very least fun/entertaining movies

[@jayschmidt2196]

@nope19568 in the spirit of this idea I rewatched the first last night, and I firmly stand by that it's alot of fun. The second isn't nearly as good and even less source accurate. But the series didn't capture the adventure danger and problem solving that the movie did. Much more memorable action.

[@nope19568]

@@jayschmidt2196 totally agree lol, if only they couldve taken the best of both, also Stanley tucci as dionysus was an A+ casting choice imo and im sad we couldnt have more lol

[@All-ze9cl]

You said this perfectly

[@deznuttz515]

I understand this and ur def right ab the run time but to ur other point for someone as smart as annebeth who has spent half her life in this world she she like 100% know tht was Medusa and that they were the lotus eaters

[@shianncooper2596]

I loved the books growing up, while I didn't like some things I was so excited when they went to the arch and fought the chimera and when they had the Aries fight. I love what they've done with it and I am so excited for season two.

[@reepicheepsfriend]

I feel like a ton of the response to these kinds of cultural moments has everything to do with expectations. I think, because the author was involved, a ton of people were expecting an ultra-faithful, beat-for-beat adaptation of the books, and they didn't stop to think whether that would be realistically possible or even desirable. Because the show didn't live up to that unrealistic expectation, it got more heavily scrutinized than it really deserved on its own right. Great video, by the way!

[@torijeri]

this is a great point!!

[@gilgameshkingofheroes5903]

To me it sounds more like the show has issues and some people are calling it out. They usually agree though, that there are some good parts about it. What about the expactations do you believe are unrealistic?

[@tastetaste2866]

@@gilgameshkingofheroes5903I think the time everyone spent a good week on Tiktok complaining about the action when the book itself doesn’t have much action (minus Minotaur, minus the ares fight and Luke traitor conflict) was one of the biggest complaining to complain moments I’ve seen from this show. People being mad at him not fighting the Chimera just let me know that they weren’t reading the actual book (where he also doesn’t fight it.) I’ve seen great criticism and I have my own issues with it but the louder ones kind of make no sense

[@zazs5309]

I would understand if it were kids upset (like how many of us were back when the movies came out) but it’s shocking to watch adults suddenly pretend they don’t know what an adaptation entails or genre conventions for a kids show

[@gilgameshkingofheroes5903]

@@tastetaste2866 Fair enough. I agree that some of the critique is unjustified. But I believe people go to extremes on both ends. Some think that absolutely everything is wrong with the show while others seem to believe absolutely everything is correct.

[@torijeri]

i really appreciate you making this video. I don’t spend as much time on tiktok or instagram so I’ve honestly been seeing nothing but hate (especially on youtube) and it’s been exhausting as someone who LOVES the books and genuinely really enjoyed the show. It honestly confused me how much people hated it? I think I was just not looking in the right places honestly. But that kind of made the viewing experience really crappy for me because of how much negativity i was seeing. But seeing your video here is SOOO refreshing. I can understand valid criticisms and places that could use improvement but that doesn’t take away from my personal enjoyment, as it maybe would for others. Sometimes it’s hard to keep enjoying things when negativity is all you see about it. I don’t believe objectivity exists when it comes to enjoyment of entertainment or media. And i get frustrated when people try to say their subjective opinion is the objective TRUTH. I think something being a good or bad adaptation has more of an objective foundation (how close to the source material it is) but even then, people will still say it’s a bad adaptation.

[@joellen5142]

Me too I’ve been seeing mostly hate on tiktok and KZbin. Twitter is where people really enjoy the show. I grew up reading the books. The show has its flaws but it hits all major plot points and displays each characters identity really well. The pacing & exposition can be worked on but watching the show was like the book came to life. I’m sure they will use all the feedback to make next season great. Also, I see a lot of people say they liked the movie from years ago. It’s a good movie sure but it’s not a good adaptation. I enjoyed the show and I am so excited for next season.

[@torijeri]

@@joellen5142 100% agree!!! The whole time I was watching it I kept thinking, this feels like I’m reading the book for the first time again. There are definitely things that need improvement but they are so minor in my eyes and are things that are so easily fixable and will most likely be improved by season 2. The original movie is a fun movie if you separate it from the books. It’s not a good adaptation whatsoever but it can be enjoyable as a movie itself. I kind of see it as its own entity because of how much they changed the story.

[@flyingbeagle6371]

I agree 100%. Thought I was going crazy. You’re so spot on on each episode having its own internal arc.

[@sharonoddlyenough]

I mostly agree. For the most part, I liked it, but I was a bit disappointed. If Rick hadn't hyped it up as extremely faithful to the book, that would have helped. It also could have benefited from a full 13 episodes plus maybe also longer episodes. For the most part I understood that changes have to be made for pacing and format, but they could have done the Lotus Casino episode better and cranked up the stress around the pearls that brought them out of the underworld. That being said, I am not the target audience nor am I one who grew up with the series, so I have distance from it all. I first read the first books of the series in a language that is foreign to me, too.

[@fullmetal44509]

When Rick says that it is going to be the MOST accurate. I see why people are complaining.

[@MeliMant]

07:10 I totally agree 09:25 I loved these points too. One of the things I was disappointed about was the length of the episodes. Those 30-40 minutes at best weren't working for me. I would love it if they could make them at least 50-60 minutes long because at some point the pace felt rushed to me and I didn't get the chance to enjoy it the way I wanted to since it was so short lived.

[@marbgamer]

Thank you for this video! It's very refreshing to see some well constructed criticism instead of the usual extremist opinions that are common on the internet. I personally loved the series and it actually got me into the books. As someone who experienced the show first and then read the books, I feel like it's a very faithful adaptation. I'm excited to see how the next season will turn out.

[@starlight5111]

Exactly my thoughts. I loved the casting and acting. Literally such amazing choices for the main characters. I thought most of the changes made sense for a tv show rather than a book. Obviously the Lotus episode was a letdown that desperately needed mystery and tension, and we definitely needed less info dumps in a visual medium, but i have nothing but hopes for the next season.

[@arseneck]

Crazy underrated channel

[@Warblaaster]

I have to go back and reread the books, because I don't remember it having that much action in it. Any action scenes were usually quick in my mind. So I think the show did an amazing job with that. I love how the series stayed true to the heart of the books and still felt like Percy Jackson. I will confess, I did like the slow reveal in the lotus hotel and Percy was the one to figure it out but I do like they automatically realize the dangers. Like you live in a world filled with gods and monsters, so anything that is weird or out of place should rise red flags.

[@AMV_KINGDOM_mv]

Those aren't the character traits they have infact it kills the characters they are not supposed to know and be able to realized in the midst something is going on otherwise it makes no sense for them to be trapped especially annabeth being the daughter of the goddess of wisdom

[@All-ze9cl]

If the second season is similar to the first, then I’m going to be really disappointed. This show has the potential to be great, but it’s just been so decent so far. None of the episodes have been particularly enjoyable, and it’s not a series I could rewatch, even though the books are so re readable.

[@vinyamar_]

The thing about their target audience is this: they say the show is for kids, but the script (considering how many things they left unsaid) is aimed at people who've already read the books. I'm not saying kids can't pick the books up, too, but there are a lot of references to the late books in the first season, which... kind of doesn't make sense, if you want the new generation to discover your books from the TV show? Why spoiling so much stuff in the first place? Also, the show is waaayyy to boring, too dark (and I mean it LITERALLY). They talk so much and show such little action, there's no wonder or sense of discovery. It doesn't seem like a kid show in that sense.

[@FictionalSimmer]

I love the show, like you said, you get cozy and just enjoy it. I also agree it could have been better, the entirety of Gabe actually bothered me because, spoilers, why kill him if he just sucked. Riordan did really well showing him as abusive in the books, worthy of Sally putting in effort to end him. And the length??? Oofda, glad for 20 min episodes but 12 or 13 episodes would've been a lot better IMO. I also really like your idea of building up the action scenes!! I was just saying how much I hate the "every bad guy is bigger and badder than the last and the heroes always come so close to losing everything" but the first series of books played that trope SO WELL

[@Shancus32796]

i adored the show and im looking forward to more! but did anyone else have trouble seeing what was going on during the scenes with dark lighting? so many times we had to turn off the lights to see what was going on, not as bad as the show mindhunter though!

[@alixgold]

The PercyJacksonTV subreddit really just became the place where all the haters came together since the mods aren't as strict there. The PJODisney and camphalfblood subreddits have a much better balance of criticisms and praises for the show.

[@Hoosiergirl2022]

Exactly. I’m one of many people in the CHB Reddit who ended up muting the PJOTV subreddit because it became an echo chamber for hatred and any praise or alternative opinions were immediately downvoted.

[@alixgold]

@@Hoosiergirl2022 SAME!

[@excalibursonic32]

The Camp Halfblood subreddit is the exact same... But in the opposite extreme. Reddit overall is a poor place for discussions and due to how the upvote system works, subreddits end up becoming echo chambers of the same opinion being thrown around by different people and the rare opposition gets buried in downvotes.

[@maxvandoorn3799]

@@excalibursonic32If I would ever get a penny for getting downvoted for writing something sensible in the wrong subreddit in Reddit, I would be a multi-millionaire.

[@LiterallyMisty]

Let them cook cuz this first season is setting the groundwork for the next seasons

[@katgreer6113]

People turned on this show so quickly. They want the movie thats playing inside their head when they think of Percy Jackson. Aka the books. Read. The. Books. The exist for a reason. TV adaptations will never be the same. Yeah, this isnt the best show ever but its season ONE. Come on... Lighting, character's curiosity, and plot lines should all improve by season 2. I think a lot of people are expecting the same type of accuracy the likes of Harry Potter. That's a super high bar. If you look back at TV history a LOT of fantasy adaptations haven't been super accurate or pleasant unless you're counting the big 3 like Star Wars, LOTR, and Harry Potter. And again... it's season ONE! Give them some time to find their footing. If season two is the same, then we'll know we've been complaining for a good reason.

[@G-LukeJA]

Im never excepting an excuse of season 1 isnt good but just wait! Im watvhing and critiquing what's in front of me rn.

[@pedro.gandra]

Star wars is not an adaptation bro. This series has 15M budget PER EPISODE, and it looks like it was recorded in a cellphone without going through any editing. The "action" acenes are depressing. The mistery is non existent, the tension is not there. Also, for some reason ppl decided not to talk about this, but the casting is an insult to the books. Percy, Annabeth, Luke, they are almost the opposite of their book descriptions. There is a reason ppl like the Percy from the movies. BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE PERCY. Every good adaptation needs good casting, just look at GOT. They had like 50+ important characters to cast and like 90% of those were amazing casts.

[@jackieroberts2625]

In this age of streaming, the first season is how you grab your audience attention. If your first season is meh why should people come back for more? Saying its just the first season is not an excuse, bad writing is bad writing and there's nothing wrong with calling it out. If you like something and you want it to be better, then you should let it be critiqued. I watched the show, never read the books and there was so much potential there but the writing and direction was lackluster which is shame considering the actors are suited for the role. Honestly, if this wasn't part of an existing IP and didn't generate buzz online, it wouldn't have gotten a season 2. If people like you create this echo chamber where the author only hears what he wants to hear and not what he needs to hear, it's definitely not getting a season 3. All in trying to say is stop acting like this show is beyond criticism just because you like it. Critiquing something isn't about hating it, it's about wanting it to be better.

[@gilgameshkingofheroes5903]

I find the "It's season 1" excuse quite strange I must say. Yes, it may get better but it doesn't invalidate any of the critique.

[@katgreer6113]

@gilgameshkingofheroes5903 Of course it doesn't. I'm just surprised people are giving up on it so quickly already. Or rather, I'm surprised people aren't even going to stick around for season 2 at least.

[@YTEdy]

The show did feel a bit cartoonish and made for a younger audience, but I also liked it and looked forward to the episodes. I agree with what you said and I'd heard about some of the things the author had tried to do. I don't think the show was a home-run, like Wanda vision, but it was light and fun and fresh.

[@icecreamhero2375]

"a bit cartoonish and made for a younger audience" If anything it felt more serious than the books. The books are a laugh riot.

[@YTEdy]

I wouldn't know. I'm too old, so I was never the books target audience. I'd never heard of them until the first movie came out, which everyone hated, but I thought was entertaining enough. Don't get me wrong. I thought this series was fun and watchable. I liked it, but if I had a criticism, it's that it was made for too young an audience, which the movies kind of moved away from. Maybe that's what the author wanted, so it's just a personal preference on my part. @@icecreamhero2375

[@justachildofGod]

LITERALLY! I was rereading the book and just, there are so many jokes. I was smiling and laughing the entire time. The show is so serious and dark and depressing about everything. @@icecreamhero2375

[@Taihime]

Great video! You really articulated everything I enjoyed about this adaptation captured my feelings on it overall. It was good and entertaining kids tv that wasn't perfect but hits the core themes of the series. While it could do with more humor and a bit more of Percy's unique voice I have high hopes that will improve as it does at its heart feel like it gets this series. It was a good time just enjoy it!

[@calvinbrinenestoris2357]

The show could've been better, could've been worse. Hopefully, the next season can crank up the good stuff and repress the bad(go figure). Better pacing, less exposition, longer action sequences(seriously they were all so short), and bring back the part of Annabeth's character where she's a huge nerd. Seriously, she doesn't geek out about architecture ONCE, unless you count her describing the pure intellect that went behind the creation of the Arch, but that's more about her describing why that makes it a good monument to Athena than about it just being a general hyper-fixation of her's.

[@tko-bx4bd]

I’ve never watched anything of yours before but honestly great video. It talked about all the points that could go both ways and you have a pretty soothing voice. And I really agree with most of what you had to say

[@oohasquirrel1]

I'm probably in a tiny minority here, but I was fine with the way the show turned out, and I say this as someone who grew up reading the books. The way my mind operates towards adaptations (e.g. Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, etc.) is that I like seeing the way they are translated to different forms of media. I watched the show out of pure curiosity - I wanted to see how Rick Riordan's world worked when it was adapted for TV, never mind that it maybe changed some details from the books (but I also wanted to see how the newer plot points and characterizations fit into the overall narrative). It was the same way when I saw Cursed Child - my entire interest hinged on how they were going to adapt Harry Potter for the stage, considering all of the magic was done live. Tl;dr - The process of creating this show interested me more than the details from the books they kept in, and I loved it a lot.

[@milenealme]

I dont understand why some fans didnt like the show as much. I LOVED IT. i feel like is a breath of fresh air after a long time waiting and its different from other series and movies that came out in the past few years.

[@LiterallyMisty]

If they get 5 seasons it will be really good i think this season is genuinely good and it will get better

[@iurymikaelsobraldossantos646]

I'd say that the show is too childish compared to the books. The books handled more mature themes, while the show does it's best to exclude them from the narrative.

[@Didi_Online]

Really well dne video. Hope you continue to do so and the channel grows with time. Very underrated.

[@Mara-om3je]

The show was a great start. For a kid show, it works great! I do feel like backlash against diverse casting is what’s spurring this hyper-critical lens.

[@JaneDoe1947]

Idk I felt like they filmed a bunch but alot of stuff was cut out in the editing process. I just can't imagine putting that much detail in the sets only to have them be on screen for 5 minutes. To me it seemed like disney gave them a budget and a green light for the show. But didn't trust the show enough to give it a longer run time. That's just my opinion.

[@maximusdraco2199]

I am so happy that I found your channel 🎉

[@sloganreadet1151]

By the gods! I honestly thought this channel was a 200,000+ subscriber channel with the quality of this video. Subscribed and ready for more well informed videos! I’ve been on the r/PJOTV subreddit since the first episode launched and that sub really is a very critical group. A lot of people pointed out differences and how it negatively impacted the story/characters but then go on to ignore how those same changes improve on the books. There’s a lot more focus on the themes and messages than in the book (Annabeth’s arachnophobia being used to act as a metaphor for Percy’s position and Luke’s view on the relationship between the gods and their kids, Percy’s sacrifice at Waterland being used to drive Annabeth toward a changed perspective, etc.) Obviously there are people who do consider the upsides and downsides of changes but they’re overshadowed by the sea of criticism. I think a part of the discourse over the show in the predominantly young adult Reddit is that a lot of these people grew up with the series, developed nostalgia-tinged glasses, and expected an experience aimed at them despite now being well past the age recommendation.

[@KP-vr6sm]

What’s funny is this particular sub used to attack people for any critique but after a few eps they got depressed

[@elamantis5174]

I really enjoyed your video, the format was great and I really liked how you showed different opinions and gave actual constructive criticism. For me personally I think the pacing of the show show overall was weird and the beginning felt a little weak but I really enjoyed the ending and I loved Sally Jackson's character 🥰 thank you for making this video! :D

[@Ray03595]

The books definitely got more mature as they went on. I'd expect the show to at least appeal to teenagers at some point and not just 12 year olds. The books didn't exclusively appeal to middle schoolers ever and could be enjoyed by young adults and slightly older too. Either way I only saw the first episode and the whole thing just felt rushed and underwritten. And it seems like it never changes from that unfortunately so I'll be sticking to the books.

[@tizs.5447]

This comment is for the algorithm. I like what you have to say. There are a few things I view a tiny bit more critically just because I try to view the show the way Rick wants us to: as a comparison to the books rather than the movies which basically everyone hated. But overall I am very excited to see what they are going to do with the second season since they have been promising to take fan criticism into account and there just are a few things that are not impossible, but for sure difficult to get right after having done them as wrong as they did this season. I think when it comes to Hermes helping Percy out to sneak on the quest anyway, they will probably have to create there own little cannon for the show since they already included Hermes in this season and had him say that he won't get involved anymore, while in the second book he tells Percy to go on the quest because you can't give up on your family no matter how tempting it might be. Or the criticism that most can agree on that the trio just often recognises danger way too fast. They will have to find a way to fix that without making the characters look suddenly stupid. I think either fixes are possible but I don't know how well they'll be able to do it.

[@LAL7887]

Honestly honestly honestly the Lotus Casino episode sucked. And if it was cut out of the show people would've had a much better impression of the show overall. Like other than this episode and maybe the Hades one the rest of the show was good. Also, the subreddit of the TV show is filled with negativity, but R/CampHalfBlood f.e is a lot more positive. Just be warned that it's the books subreddit so there will be spoilers about the rest of the books.

[@darmorel549]

Hades was just boring, which mess everything up. Cronos and Charon look near identical and I had heard people getting confuse between the two (which is really bad), there almost no shades so you not sure why Hades wouldnt want a war (he goes on a good five minute rant about how his job sucks in the books. Though I guess by this point in the show he isnt consider the one who stole the lighting bolt which is weird thinking about it), and how they get past Cerberus is kinda laughable when you think about it. Oh and by the time they go to the underworld the date already pass the solstice so there very little tension, while the book they were trying to figure out how to they were going to succeed in time. AND it ruined Sally in my opinion, since I dont see a world where Percy really gets into a fight with her, even as a kid since he mostly feel bad about all the schools he fail out of if memory serves.

[@whenwhere6173]

They are 12 and Annabeth and percy never been by themselves in the world outside of school or camp. And the medusa story was Roman version not the Greek.

[@jholmes553]

Great review. I agree. I always give adaptations, especially the live action ones, the benefit of the doubt. Treating them not as a rehash in a new form of media of the same story but like a parallel universe of the original material. Same general plot beats may happen, but the characters may not be identical for each version. And in that regard, Percy Jackson live action is great. There are flaws to the show - Sally's story is expanded which is nice but perhaps taking up too much screen time that the adventure part of the show is more like a boring and tedious side quest, characters being too smart that kills the suspense more often than not, Grover taking the role of a talking pamphlet, Annabeth being too much of an ice queen without proper endearing moments, Percy being too willing to sacrifice himself in every turn - like done, you don't have to become a statue for what is essentially a bus ticket to the Lotus hotel. But I digress. The show is still enjoyable as it is and with the worldbuilding established mostly in season one, I hope it will give more breathing room for season 2 to spread its wings and be the fun kids adventure show that the Percy Jackson book series is.

[@shaharbob3167]

They had to change the show because they had to turn it into the format of a show. The movie was too short to contain the whole book so they had to do it as a show and the format of a show is that each episode there's a conflict and resulution.

[@Ana_Paula.Frasson]

I have one big complain that I don't know if other people do, but I haven't seen being mentioned is the lighting. This show is SO DARK, like soooooo dark, I had to watch on my phone so I could keep amplifying the glow of the screen, because on the tv I couldn't see their faces, expressions, what was happening. So many times I finished watching a scene being like: "wait, what happened, who was there? It was Percy's voice, but what was he doing?", and made me so mad. Why tv/movies these days have so much trouble illuminating a scene? I don't have night vision, I need the scene to be light and clear so I can see what's going on. So frustrating.

[@abc.animal5143]

I definitely see room for improvement in the show but i otherwise thought it was great.

[@vanydeasy]

Really love your opinions on this and I totally agree 🥰

[@adeadpotato]

God of the algorithm, please take my offering and make this channel grow.

[@endlessinspiration4118]

what a great video! thank you for making it. indeed the show is very good even though it has its flaws. i hope it will be even better in season 2 actors are amazing and they FEEL like their characters which is more important than hair and skin color

[@MafiaPyro]

The movies didn't do bad because they were trying to appeal to a new older audience... It did bad because they were badly written movies that weren't true to the source material... I honestly think they weren't that bad, and Percy's casting was incredible!!!

[@soccer4207]

I wish I enjoyed the show as much you did. Regardless, I am happy they renewed it and I hope I will enjoy the next season more.

[@whattheworldneedsiscreativ6421]

I’ve never watched a video from this channel before and this video was just in my sidebar, but I gotta say that I really like the relaxing and cozy feeling this video has with your calm cadence in the video and the way the video is edited really well. You present your points in a really chill way with things that I can even agree with you on, like the fact that I don’t think that season one of the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians (TV series)” needed to be TV-14, and how the flashbacks to Percy’s childhood with Sally raising him as a single mom were great additions to the overall story, and how Luke is a less one dimensional character in season one of the TV series compared to how his character was in the original The Lightning Thief book which I think made it a little bit less obvious that he’s The Lightning Thief and the friend that betrays Percy. But there are still things that I just disagree with… For me personally, I’ll admit…, I, like many other Percy Jackson fans, was *super* excited when Rick and Becky first announced that a Percy Jackson TV series was coming to Disney+ and my expectations and hopes were through the roof and at an all time high… You could honestly maybe say that I was so ridiculously excited for it that being somewhat disappointed by the end product was kind of inevitable for me lol… And I was even more excited when I read, “"In terms of the plot, we stuck with it very closely," Riordan says to D23. "What I will say though - that I found really fascinating - is that we were able to look at the story, which I wrote back in 2005, and say, "What do I wish I had done at that time? What background can we give people that know the story backward and forwards, but still have questions like, 'How did Sally meet Poseidon?' or 'What were Percy's experiences in school before we see him in the first chapter?'" "We were able to dive into that and flesh out the history of these characters and the chemistry between them in ways that are completely faithful [to the book] but are also new," he said,” because from what I took away from those statements was that we were gonna be getting a first season that’s not only faithful to the original book, but also one that sort of reimagines the original book in a way that really stands out and maybe even surpasses it by aiming to improve the original book’s story… I wasn’t just hoping for a one-to-one adaptation that just follows the original book word for word with absolutely no changes because I saw a much *greater* potential than that… Season one of the PJO TV series *definitely* had the potential to be even better than the original book by just making changes and implementing additions that improved the original book’s story… Such as doing beneficial stuff like putting an emphasis on the other demigods roaming around Camp Half-Blood like Travis and Connor Stoll, and Lee Fletcher, and actually setting up key characters like Ethan Nakamura and Charles Beckendorf and Silena Beauregard unlike what the original books did with those characters… Heck…, the TV series could’ve explored and spent more time at Camp Half-Blood just in general and made Camp Half-Blood play a bigger role than its role in the original books by actually exploring the culture and the magic that resides at Camp Half-Blood and having general Camp Half-Blood shenanigans that actually show Percy having fun where he belongs because even though Camp Half-Blood is a major location in the Percy Jackson book series, it isn't used nearly as much as it could be (I mean…, in the original The Lightning Thief book we only just get a quick chapter on Percy’s entire first week at Camp Half-Blood leading up to Capture the Flag on Friday, that basically just summarizes how his week went…), and the TV series could’ve fixed that by actually showing Percy's first week at Camp Half-Blood. But… we really don’t get any of that in season one of the TV series aside from just Chris Rodriguez being introduced early… Hell…, I would say that it felt like the TV series spent less time at Camp Half-Blood than even the original The Lightning Thief book did… I think that right there just highlights the most glaring core design flaw with season one of the PJO TV series, which is that the bulk of season one's issues comes down to the fact that Disney+ just didn’t approve longer episodes and a longer season. Ideally, season one would’ve been 12 episodes with 45-50 minute run-times. That could’ve given the directors and writers more room to work and more room to explore Camp Half-Blood, Percy’s life before camp, the overall quest, and laying the foundation for developing the character’s dynamics. I wish the whole power discovery, camp experience, and Percy being claimed after his battle with Clarisse and her siblings would have been stretched out to 4-5 episodes, but instead that's *all* crammed into just two episodes that are *too* *damn* short... Season one's pacing was *so* odd and underwhelming and half-baked… 9:57 - "Grover talking with Ares really fleshed out his character in a way that just tagging behind at Water World wouldn't have." Literally how??? How is Rick and the writers of the TV series omitting Grover from the Waterland excursion an improvement??? That scene between Grover and Ares in the TV series literally did nothing for Grover's character. They literally gave Grover the traits of a child of Athena by having him try to deduce who The Lightning Thief is by acting like an Ivy League student who is smarter than the average fifth grader, but all we learn from this is that Grover only guessed half right who The Lightning Thief is and we never even see Grover's reaction to it being Luke and not Clarisse who he pointed the finger at and how he was literally wrong and incorrect about Clarisse... The whole excursion where the main trio retrieve Ares' shield in the original book was a chapter filled with humor, teamwork and fast-paced action and in the TV series they just turned it into a Percabeth boring side quest lol. 10:03 - "And the scene of Annabeth starting to grow into a tree because of her regrets in life really worked for me." Welp..., it really didn't work for me lmao... Like are Rick and the writers of the TV series implying that neither Percy nor Grover have *any* regrets??? Percy is cool with having left his mother behind with the Minotaur and Grover stopped feeling bad about not getting Thalia Grace to Camp Half-Blood all of sudden??? Also, Annabeth's entire speech where she quote on quote "sacrifices" herself by telling Percy and Grover to go on without her and that she'll distract Cerberus so that they can get away is not impactful whatsoever and then... she just immediately uses the pearl to disappear and escape... Annabeth was literally never in any danger... Obviously!!! 10:43 - Also, I personally feel that Rick and the writers of the TV series shouldn't have completely skipped over the characters' learning experiences throughout the story like season one did... The main trio in the TV series pretty much knew how to just walk into a place and *immediately* know how to defeat a monster and their weaknesses like the Lotus Eaters and Procrustes... I watched Dominic Noble's Lost in Adaptation review of episode six of season one of the TV series and I remember him making the analogy of, "This series is genuinely starting to feel like the second playthrough of an RPG where you know all the twists in advance and make very different decisions just to see what will happen," and if that isn't the perfect analogy of how the encounters with monsters played out in season one, then I don't know what is... The struggles and being able to put myself in the main trio's shoes were pretty much non-existent in season one... As someone who enjoys "a coming of age hero's journey" story like this, I didn't have the feeling of the main trio trying to get better at things and the sense of discovering things and letting us get lost in the world. Season one *completely* missed out on the feeling of this newbie that's just starting out in this fantasy world when I came to Percy's characterization and arc. Like..., I seriously do wonder how a room filled with a bunch of writers from TV shows like Black Sails and Lost thought it would make for good and entertaining and compelling television to just have the main characters just straight up completely spoil events of the plot before they even happen, through extremely boring and mundane and lazy exposition info dumping no less..., like they consistently did in season one... Like Jeez..., why were the writers so afraid to let the main trio have lapses in judgement and make mistakes??? They're literally twelve-year-old kids and two of them even have learning disabilities lol... 11:15 - Also, the writers of the TV series could've just simply had the main trio not be able to see the statues placed at the front entrance of Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium by having the scene take place at night time just like how it was in the original The Lightning Thief book so that the main trio can't really see anything in full detail... Simple as that... I really don't think Rick and the writers of the TV series had to completely eradicate and throw away the Medusa twist from the original book in order to make Annabeth look smarter... Also..., they need to seriously *stop* with the constant non-stop cutting to black lmao... It's *so* jarring and weird as fuck lmao...

[@miriamrinaudo2075]

Thank you I agree with absolutely EVERYTHING! I’m so happy there are people who have understood the intentions of the tv show and do not spit absolute nonsense about it

[@benwelch6554]

I hadn’t read the books since 09 but it was my favorite book series so I was excited to see a new show, watched the show and got so bored I didn’t get past episode 6. I wasn’t sure exactly why I didn’t like it, I thought “oh well I’m in my 20s, maybe younger kids absolutely love this still” so I decided to relisten to the audiobooks while at work and I fell in love all over again, I loved and looked forward to my listening yet when trying to go back to the show it didn’t have the timeless magic from the books at all. I felt too disconnected to the characters and the whole plot took all the fun and passion out of the experiences. Mind you to this day I still watch the clone wars and avatar and do not feel like the fun and passion is taken from it. I still enjoy it despite it caters to a much younger audience

[@Random-mess]

I haven't watched the PJO show but I've seen clips and a lot of people talking. Out of all the negative points I saw the one that kinda gets me is that they made Annabeth the more hot headed one of the trio. On of the examples the person gave that I remember was with Areas. She was apparently ready to go at him with words or something but the other two were like "that's a God Annabeth..." Again, I haven't watched the show, I don't have the service to, and I've olny seen cut up clips and bits aswell as other point of views(good and bad)

[@audreyyanne]

great video!

[@tastetaste2866]

Yes! Great video!

[@docroc1172]

I loved the show, it has the vibe of the books. Does need a lot more threat, longer and more intense or hard hitting action and challenge for the characters. Fights are way too short and not dark enough. A lot of pj fans are adults now. Harry potter understood the age variation of their fans and was very dark/intense when it needed to be. Yet kids could still watch. Pj should be too. I'm not asking for blood, gore and swearing; just a dark and more threatening tone for action and monsters. There is no threat or challenge. No sense of danger! Which is a problem for this kind of story. Other than that it's great in every area. The world is well realised and the actors did great. Especially the main trio. Zeus was a LEGEND. Poseidon was amazing and Ares. I didn't like Gabe though, he wasn't the bully and threat he is in the books. Which is important. Dionysus needed to be more serious, (he's still a god) not just a total joke. Monsters looked good. Should be a bit scarier though.

[@matheusfiorelli8829]

one thing i realized, its that the second viewing of the show after the season was over was better for me, for some reason binge watching made the overall experience better in my ranking scale (Love it/Like it/Meh/Bad/Martha): it sits on "Like it" :V

[@MafiaPyro]

Avatar's appeal to both adults and children IS NOT shared with the Percy Jockson TV Show...

[@couldbesweet02]

This was cozy, thanks for your time and effort 🙂

[@starchipsixtysix6844]

For me, I loved the show. Hated the movies. So glad we get a 2nd season. In preparation reading the books. I can't wait. Loved your video I just became a new subscriber.

[@fernandojr7854]

I was excited for the show since Percy Jackson is the only book series I have read from start to finish I thought it would be more epic all ages but is definitely childish that’s why I it didn’t get a lot of attention online or word of mouth. I was disappointed but I understand he wanted the target audience to be kids not all ages

[@marcosfern777]

People loved the original Percy Jackson movie. The sequels were tanked by the studio for tax write-offs

[@Minikitty130]

My thoughts are - I really enjoyed the show I was a bit unsure of the actor choices at first, but by the end of the first episode it really didn’t matter, I do think they suited the roles well HOWEVER I did really hate the changes to the Medusa scene and the Lotus Casino. I know it’s more logical that the characters would know what is going on because they should be expecting it, but to me it just got rid of all the stakes and made it quite a bit less interesting So I get both sides of the argument, and I think both sides are valid

[@zacneley4685]

are we not gonna look at the fact that its annabeth's first time in the outside world since she was brought to camp by thalia and luke at 6 ( i think?) she shouldn't know as much as they made her in the show .

[@applejackx97]

I wanna say she was about 7 when she arrived because she's supposed to be 12 in the book and her camp necklace had 5 beads on it 1 for each year she was there. But yeah they're a bit too quick at figuring out what they're up against and too quick at defeating each enemy. They are 12 and have never really been in a situation where they had to rely on themselves much before the start of their quest. Annabeth does figure out some of the threats before the rest of the group like with Medusa, but that was largely because Medusa was monologging about her "boyfriend" and a "jealous and angry" other woman and put so much emphasis on Percy's and Annabeth's eyes that it was practically beating the kids over the head with who this was.

[@Celine-kn5wv]

I’m not fully agreeing with you. There is a middle ground between the movie and the TVShow. A place where we use real kids, without « sexy » scenes… but where you build your characters and world interestingly enough for adults to follow. I mean a Demi -goods secret place in the wild… how cool is that ? It should be epic, we should want to go there… but it’s just looks as every Disney show/movie summer camps. You mentioned Harry Potter, the first movie wasn’t really dark or made for adults. But Hogwarts is like nothing you’ve seen before. If it looked like the school on « Wednesday » those movies would have been long forgotten. The visual, the characters, the way the story unfolds… everything seems to simple and too shallow. And sure you can do stuff aimed 100% as kids (like the Disney Chanel shows). But when you create a product you need to know your audience first. 6 to 12 yo now don’t know Percy Jackson. We were (young adults to 35yo) the audience. And they didn’t even tried to appeal to us, just a tinny little bit. I get why people are so unhappy, they feel left out.

[@linustrate]

I'm with you. It's by no means bad and I understand why some people genuinely like it. But in all honesty, it was so obvious the show was seriously lacking in visual appeal or spectacle. It just felt so underwhelming and plain, barely doing enough to set itself apart from other shows with similar look. It's enjoyable but looks and feels half-baked. I also felt a lack of or less urgency, tension or dread/danger in the show. It's too safe or tame and tries too hard to lean toward its target demographic and ties way too neatly into Disney's family-friendly brand. The show, understandably, may have its shortcomings but so much of it got in the way of the viewing experience or investment that it usually felt like a chore watching it. Glad you 'referenced' the Potter films. The show could have been just as grand or great. Wednesday, another notable mention, suitably Burtonesque had its characteristic sensibilities going for it. But Percy Jackson and the Olympians just feels, well, too plain. I genuinely dig the beautiful ending sequence and accompanying soundtrack though. I never skipped it.

[@akiraevangelionultimateali5199]

5:35 I liked them

[@griefforest1870]

I thought it was alright. Some changes were justified, there were a couple pacing issues. It really could've benefitted from being at least 2-3 hours longer. Then again, I also agree as I get older that the first book is probably the second weakest in the series. Book 2, 4 & 5 are downright amazing. If they get 10 episodes for season two and they'll really take the overarching structure of the odyssey they have the potential to really up the ante.

[@gabmoreno280]

ok not going to lie I grew up watching the percy jackson movies and enjoying them, while yes I did read the first 3 books it felt the same as the live action just with a lot more pg-13 humor, which for me watching those movies I was in 5th grade to 7th grade when they came out (give or take)

[@marielli7]

Finally!!! Someone who gets it. The show has a the same tone as the books and is lighthearted while having some valuable lessons and great lead actors!! Same as you, I don’t mind them knowing about Medusa since it’s more obvious but agree that the Lotus Casino ep should’ve not been too obvious…and wish they also showed the guy from the 70s for them to figure out they’ve been inside for days. Still, really loved the show (+nostalgia) and how the actors were so similar to the characters 🩵💙

[@HighPriestPlays]

While I also ernjoyed the show there are changes I don't think work, I think kids need at a few more incidents wher they stumbeld into something with little idea whats happening at first. either thempark or the lotus, and I would prefer the lotus. and, I think they just fucked up with the underworld near entirly. The extra pearl was great, but everthing else just didn't work for me.

[@milenealme]

finally an opinion that i can agree on

[@brendantuthill6491]

Other Percy Jackson subreddits have better opinions about the show. The PJOTV subreddit is, admittedly, a bit of a cesspool

[@marcosfern777]

Bro. U said u read the Harry Potter books I don’t believe you 😂 the fact that he threw the elder wand away in the movies would’ve disturbed you the most.

[@JohnSmith-gx7md]

You are missing how the characters being aware of everything destroys any sense of TENSION. They stroll through each episode with 0 stakes to the point it becomes boring to watch. Sure it makes sense that anabeth is smart so she figures everything out instantly but that is boring to watch. Percy knowing the Luke twist at the end is the biggest joke

[@hallo23779]

i personally dont like the show it looks so lifeless and dark without any reason the books are light hearted with dark momments not dark and seeing kids fight gods and monsters is so cringe ik thats their ages in the books but it doesnt work for me its not a cartoon or anime or whatever its a tv show with actual kids playing this roles, that sums up why i dropped the show almost from the start i would have given it a chance after it ended depending on the ares vs percy fight but it looked ridiculous had you told me percy was the god and ares a mortal i still woundnt have believed or liked that the child won while the fight in the books it was ares playing around and being forced to leave for a reason i forgot 😅(its been some time since i last read the books).

[@darmorel549]

Oh boy the Areas fight a mess in the show. I forget exactly why he leaves, but Im pretty sure it involves a bunch of cops thinking he a gun wielding maniac (this is also how Percy doesnt get arrested, which despite the fact that the show make it know he wanted isnt brought up), bad pr, and knowing that he would likely get in trouble from Zeus if he stays any longer since the summer solstice a few hours away at this point (which they also mess up in the show for literally no reason, which just makes the gods look like idiots). If memory serves, Percy is barely able to land a hit on Areas before all this unfolds, but it a very close call while the show make it look one sided to a good degree.

[@jacquesdaniels2435]

The race swapping just to check a box ain't cool. Lol

[@lbell9695]

They didn't do race swapping for a diversity criteria lol. Aryan and Leah were the best in acting their characters and according to Riordan had the essence of their characters too.

[@joimonae4090]

I loved it ❤

[@icecreamhero2375]

Its not as good as the books but its still a fun watch. The books were much funnier and had more time to tell the story. The show had to cut things and rush because of the 8 episode order.

[@kerrychristensen7204]

👍

[@fernandojr7854]

The show was too bland, childish and had no real stakes or action. The show needs more fantasy and action and more personality

[@marcuskeams8065]

Your done careers over

[@ARandomPersonOnHere]

I noticed I’m really good with dealing with not fully faithful adaptations as long as it still has the ideas I wanted which is probably why I enjoy Percy Jackson show. Of course there is more to Percy Jackson show that I like but I just wanted to show how you don’t need a full complete faithful adaptation, as long as the adaptation is good in terms of story and stuff. For example I was a huge how to Train Your Dragon Fan which started as a book series. I read and watched both at the same time so that could have affected it but something about the two are, the movie is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE BOOKS. Okay so hiccup is actually cousin with snout-lout who is a antagonist, toothless is a small dragon, hiccup can talk to dragons, Astrid and the twins don’t exists, fish legs is super skinny, they already know about dragons and hiccup is not the first to train it, the antagonist are completely different, they removed characters from the book like camicazi and dogs breath, and i can keep going about the differences. But you know what? I still love both versions

[@JohnSmith-gx7md]

You doing mental gymnastics justifying the mid action cuts (which kill the suspense). “Did you just use your water powers to save us?” Man I wish I could’ve SEEN that. But u right it’s so they can save some action for the later seasons. Similar to how marvel famously did not include much action in the first few movies 🤡

[@seohhe]

Just because something is for children it doesn't mean it has to be boring, I recommend checking out original animated series Avatar the last Airbender - show for children, that is one of the best shows ever, for everyone

[@lavamelon729]

The dude talks about Avatar in the video

[@calebray1834]

Thank you also the Haters are actually minority seeing as it’s actually getting good ratings especially enough to get a season 2.

[@allandm]

I'm sorry but Disneys Percy Jackson is nowhere near Avatar the last airbender.

[@janaechapman2879]

Thank you! Amen! I couldn't have said it better myself.

[@rudzanimunyai2090]

It was fantastic, people just like to criticize everything these days, it's a THING being duchy just about anything.

[@excalibursonic32]

The show is just mid and a disappointment after all the hype. There's also the Camp Halfblood subreddit that is all praise about the show so it's the opposite extreme lol

[@Ale-dd3ek]

I tried to watch it The main problem Is that it's boring... No fun, no sense of Adventure I find the movie better, at least it's entratainign

[@bobbysmith8095]

I didn't like the cast (lack of costume really annoy me) but after watching it; I really like it. I really like Annebeth actress the most, she feel the most like the character to me. Still not really feeling Percy but it the TV show take on his character and I always feel he was different. Maybe this new take will grow on me. Personally someone point it out, the show just lack humor and I think that what Percy needed. He too serious right now. Still the whole kid show thing never really bother. I just lower my expectation that it for kid (like the book). As a grown ass adult my expectation will not be met cuz I am not the target auidence and that fine. I still love the book for the kid and I love the show even if it a bit kiddy for me. I do agree with more humor, more action and less telling. However, overall as someone who was very hesitant about the show; it is great so far for season 1. I don;t get all the "worst show everything; I hate it all " people. It got some issue but it not as bad as people are making it seem. Glad you made such a postive video.

[@iurymikaelsobraldossantos646]

This Percy Jackson show is DEFINITELY NOT at the same boat as Avatar. Avatar handles darker and more mature themes way better than what PJO did. Also, you're focusing the problem on the target audience the show wants to reach, but it sucks even for kids. It lacks magic and fantasy. I was watching Wonka the other day, and I couldn't stop thinking that as children's movie it was infinitely better than anything the Percy Jackson show ever tried to be.

[@nicoleterego]

Are you a kid? Cause I'm pretty sure the kids love this show. Parents flood the show's socmed acc on complaint how their kid skipped school to visit a photo-op for the tv show but after waiting in line for a CHB shirt did not get one because of so mamy people lining up. Adam Copeland, the guy who plays Ares, can’t even pick his daughter up from school without getting flooding by the kids who yell “Ares, Ares!” at him. Jason Manzoukas had his friends tween kids flood him giving him notes on how to play Mr. D. Minors on tiktok are "learning" how to act because they want to be on the show even though they had no prior experience beforehand. I listen to a podcast led by mother and son who are also loving tbe series so much. The kid even talked about watching it together at school with the whole class. It doesn't suck for kids like how you claim it to be.

[@Hiolori]

lol this show is boring to kids

[@ijj2286]

The main characters seem bland, have a lack of depth and emotion in them. It seemed forced.

[@BlueFoodFandom_PreviouslyAiden]

Because Reddit is Reddit 💀

[@lalaland12]

Because reddit is full of old people who are miserable lmao. Instagram and tiktok teens are loving the show