Folio Swami

Aug 8, 2022

10.0

Gaiman is good. I can't speak of the adaptation, as I could not be bothered to check out the comics. But, by current standards, the story is very good. It has holes, but overall the story goes smooth. I can see the roots of *American Gods* in *The Sandman*. The casting is good. The acting is smooth. The designs are beautiful, and I guess the merit goes to the artist that drew the comics. Most writers today just go one more. Like the mobster in *Casino*, if you attack the character with a knife, the character will bring a gun. Nothing special. Gaiman goes some place else. So bad he has given up writing. Take for example the fight in Episode 4. I have never seen something like that. I'm not saying it wasn't done, but it's different by current writing standards.

Dean

Aug 18, 2022

1.0

Most woke show I have seen so far with horrible and politically chosen casting. It feels like it was made by some drag queens and leftist politicians. Horrible...

Another show ruined by modern writers. Don't get me wrong, story is OK, acting is good and many more good things ruined by wokeness. That's why I gave it score 5/10, otherwise it wood be 8/10.

DallasBob

Dec 30, 2022

1.0

Very good special effects (for Streaming/TV viewing), and good story line with good characters. (wait for it...) TOO BAD, it's attached thoroughly to a sinisterly liberal wagon. If you don't know what I mean, just think of everything that ruins a show for someone who is NOT gay, overweight w/colored hair, body piercings, unconcealable tattoos, and insufferably annoying. I made it to the episode where the Sandman got his ruby back, but then I had to let the show go. That re-writing John Constatine into a self-serving closed minded assho-- I mean, gay woman in her late twenties, was abysmal. The diner scene was just as god-awful in writing, if not theme. I wasn't even happy when the Sandman finally got his ruby back; just relieved I no longer had to keep watching the show. It really is a shame how ludicrously far the writing in Hollywood as fallen behind or under intersectional politics & woke agenda. smh

Ignore the homophobic, racist and everyphobic reviews, but maybe also avoid this show. Neil Gaiman might be a good writer, but as with American Gods, the moment he gets involved with live-action adaptations, the quality apparently goes out the window. Kudos to him for defending the casting choices though. A few episodes from season 1 stand out, specifically episodes 1, 4, and 6. The rest are fine but just not worth it. The mid-season climax leaves a lot to be desired and apparently is so insignificant that it has no lasting impact on the world and no one bothers to mention it again. By the end I had lost so much interest in it that I didn't even bother to return for the bonus episode, and it allegedly has a cat. I love cats. The casting is mostly good, but there's just too many plot holes and pointless guff. Maybe season 2 will be better, who knows.

j_otter

Jan 24, 2026

9.0

Okay I'll be honest... did I start watching this series because I developed a new celebrity crush on Mason Alexander Park (who plays Desire)... yes... but I'm so glad I did. LIKE: Every single episode is a cinematic masterpiece. The animation, costumes, camerawork - I could give a big kiss to the entire production crew. Detail & creative storytelling - I am OBSESSED with the thought that has gone into the details. For example, the whole idea of Time being the Sandman's father and the Universe being his mother? So fascinating (there's so many cool details like that but I would be typing forever if I analysed them all). I didn't read the original comics so maybe the original writer should receive the credit for that, but I just have to bring it up. Casting - I thought the casting was perfect. I couldn't imagine anyone else other than Tom Sturridge playing The Sandman, & I could say the same for the whole cast. Thought provoking scenes - I am obsessed with the diner episode, where everyone acts on their darkest desires & loses the ability to lie. Such a fascinating episode with deep reflections on the human condition. DISLIKE: My only criticism is that sometimes the plot feels slow because there's a lot of scenes of the Sandman saying mysterious things and having broody conversations with the other characters. There were some dialogue-heavy scenes that didn't feel necessary and after a while I got tired of seeing the same character acting moody over and over again (although I understand the show is literally about the Sandman lol). But again, I love Tom's acting so I didn't really mind seeing him a lot. CONCLUSION: A beautiful show, both inside and out; a fascinating, intricate story, gorgeously told through creative production choices. I would highly reccomend this to anyone who likes dark fantasy, shows with pretty scenes that'll make your TV look like an art print everytime you press pause, or enjoys shows that trigger you to think deeply about the world. Love love love!

TkA

Jul 30, 2026

3.0

**Not for kids, will gross out sensible adults by episode 7** I am a big fan of the original sandman comics, by Neil Gaiman, released between Jan '89 to Mar '96. This series had settings, dialogs, and points taken directly from the comics, which served to be the series' strongest area. The problem is they were nullified by the unhealthy and deranged focus on sexuality on screen. Which was over the top, and unnecessarily forced. It started slow, kept piling on, started trampling all over the story, until 1/2 way through episode 7, where i said "That's it, i give up", and tuned out. This is not how the comic was, it was focused on the story, not pushing sexual themes in your face. Yes, some sexual themes were discussed in the comic, but they were more subtle. I eventually went back to finish it, but it didn't get better. If you want to get the best version of the story, check out The Sandman comic series instead. This series can be summed up by a line that was in the 11th episode (which was added to that story and wasn't part of the comic), where the author had to hit diversity targets in the screen adaption of their work. If it gets cancelled, it's because of the above.