Gen:Lock
Gen:Lock (stylized as gen:LOCK) is an American adult computer-animated science fiction streaming television series created by Gray Haddock and produced by Rooster Teeth. It is set in a dystopian future Earth where an international coalition known as The Polity fights a hostile, autocratic invading force known as The Union. The show follows the gen:LOCK program and its members, who participate in the development and testing of an experimental technology which allows for individuals with unique mental make ups to have their minds uploaded to giant suits of mecha armor called "Holons". Production and release . The concept for "Gen:LOCK" originated in 2017 as a cautionary tale about cultural warfare. It was announced with a brief teaser at RTX Austin 2018. A trailer was shown at New York ComicCon 2018, where it was described as, "grounded science-fiction" in the tradition of mecha anime such as "Gundam" and Tom Clancy novels but with a look and feel reminiscent of "RWBY". Gray Haddock cited several anime titles as inspirations, including "Ghost in the Shell", "Gundam", "Aldnoah Zero", "Kiznaiver", and the writing of Gen Urobuchi. In May 2018, it was announced that Michael B. Jordan would voice  lead character Julian Chase, the news of which accelerated the signings of other voice talents. "Gen:Lock" is Rooster Teeth Animation's first series that allowed members that are part of the Screen Actors Guild‐American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) like Jordan, Dakota Fanning, and David Tennant joining in. Jordan's production company, Outlier Society Productions, co-produces the show. In July 2018, Austin-based writer Evan Narcisse joined the writing staff of "Gen:LOCK". For the first four months, the team animated the show without the actors’ voices recorded. Haddock performed every voice for the first  few episodes himself, hoping his direction would match later. Initially advertised for release in 2018, the show's final release date of January 26, 2019 was announced at New York Comic-Con. It released on Rooster Teeth's FIRST platform. Following a mysterious tweet from Rooster Teeth's Twitter account on December 21, the first episode of the series was broadcast in a surprise screening on the company's live streaming service the next day. On January 9, it was revealed that along with the Volume 6 finale of RWBY, the first two episodes would premiere on the 26th, and  that only the first episode would be available for free and all subsequent episodes would be exclusive to Rooster Teeth FIRST members. The remaining six episodes released on a weekly basis. Reruns of the first season aired from August 3, 2019 to September 21, 2019 on Adult Swim's Toonami programming block, with episodes edited down to approximately 23 minutes to fit into a standard time slot. During the period, "Gen:LOCK" was either the second most viewed Adult Swim show after "Dragon Ball Super", or third after "Dr. Stone". Its best performance was Episode 6, which ranked at ninth  among all shows on September 7. At New York Comic Con 2018, Rooster Teeth announced a partnership with DC Comics to publish "RWBY" and "Gen:LOCK" comics starting in 2019. The "Gen:Lock" comic is written by Collin Kelly and Jackson Lanzing, while drawn by Carlo Barbieri. On October 24, 2019, it was announced that the show had been renewed for a second season set to be released on HBO Max for its first 90 days before it is released on Rooster Teeth for FIRST members. This was confirmed in 2020 by "Forbes". On October 22, 2021, it was revealed  that the show's second season would premiere on HBO Max on November 4, and on Rooster Teeth FIRST on March 23, 2022. As of April 1, 2022, All episodes are available on Rooster Teeth FIRST. Animation was handled by Canadian studio Bardel Entertainment. Episodes. Character reveal teasers. Prior to release, Rooster Teeth released four "Character Reveal Teasers." These teasers, set during episode one's four-year time-skip, were framed from the perspective of Dr. Rufus Weller (David Tennant) and his continued phone conversations with Colonel Raquel Marin (Monica Rial), discussing the new recruits for the gen:LOCK program . Reception. Season 1. Reviews for season 1 of "Gen:LOCK" were largely positive. Critics praised the series as a clear step forward for the company behind "Red vs. Blue" and "RWBY", highlighting the animation quality and the performances of the lead cast, as well as sharp dialogue by writers Gray Haddock and Evan Narcisse. The series' use of action and spectacle, while praised for its quality, was criticized as taking precedence over storytelling, with "Comic Book Resources"<nowiki>'</nowiki> Reuben Baron noting it made the series feel unfocused. Writing for "Inverse", Eric Francisco observed that at least for the first five  episodes the series lacked a clear antagonist which made the stakes of the story difficult to perceive, but overall praised the series as a much more mature outing for Rooster Teeth than "RWBY". Austen Goslin from Polygon observed that the series was at its strongest when the characters were the focus and that the fight sequences, though well-choreographed, took time away from those interactions. However, Goslin conceded that the series was a strong addition to the mecha genre. Tristan Gallant of anime review series "Glass Reflection" noted the series seemed to be following some recognizable tropes and story beats , but praised its entertainment value and overall production quality, noting its animation was superior to other Western-animated 3D shows like "The Dragon Prince" (which uses a similar reduced framerate as part of its style). Mike Toole of "Anime News Network" offered a more mixed opinion after Season 1's conclusion. Toole praised the show's casting and use of classic science fiction tropes, but noted that despite enough material to keep audiences engaged the first season lacked a truly compelling conflict to drive the story. Toole expressed that a second season would require a story that matched the ambition  of the series' characters and core concept in order for it to become a truly great show. "Until then, "gen:LOCK" feels just a little bit like a prototype." Fan reaction to "Gen:LOCK" prior to release was largely skeptical: potential viewers found the initial trailers underwhelming due to a lack of information on what the series was about, and many expressed fatigue with the show's marketing in the months leading up to release. Some mecha anime fans found the concepts unoriginal, with an opinion piece published on Forbes a few days before the premiere claiming that the designs  were generic and encouraging viewers to watch something else. The reception was much more positive following release, with several of the more skeptical fans admitting the first episode was all it took to win them over. "Gen:LOCK" was nominated for best animated series at 9th Streamy Awards. Season 2. Mark Millen of CBR reviewed the first episode of the show's second season, saying it keeps the spirit of the series intact, even with a different writing crew, and further described the show as a "distinctive animated experience" which has "mental illness, trauma recovery, technological intimacy and identity" at  its center. Cassandra Feltus of "Black Girl Nerds" said that fans would enjoy the second season. She praised the characters for having distinct personalities, who then have to deal with their trauma. Feltus also raised the argument that the series is an introduction to the world of anime due to its inspirations like "Ghost in the Shell". Feltus praised the show's design calling the second season "as entertaining and compelling as its first" and was amazed by the action sequences. Reviews of the second season following its conclusion were mixed. Aaron Phillips of the "But Why Tho" podcast praised  the animation and character developments but called it a disappointing follow-up to the first season, claiming the narrative arc seemed more appropriate for a fifth season rather than a second. Audience response leaned negative, with a 29% score on Rotten Tomatoes: users indicated a drop in quality between the first and second season. Torrian Crawford, a former Rooster Teeth animator who worked on Season 1, was highly critical of the second season, voicing that he felt both his and his fellow artists' efforts on the first season had been completely ignored. He cited the sex scene in Episode 3  Buried Pain Grows Poison Trees as a particularly egregious example of poor writing and pacing. Related media. In November 2019, DC Comics released a tie-in comic book for the series. Described as "Season 1.5", the series deals with the team heading to Japan to breakup a Union blockade. The series was published digitally for 14 chapters, which were eventually collected in trade paperback form. In advance of the trade paperback's release, a series of 7 single-issue comics had been planned, and the first 5 of these issues officially made it to print. Issues 6 and 7 were  ultimately cancelled by the publisher and sent for pulping; however, copies of issue 6 have since appeared in online marketplaces, such as eBay. On October 6, 2020, a novel based on the series called "gen:Lock: Storm Warning" was released, written by Melissa Scott. On July 2021, Hi-Rez launched a Battle Pass Event Paladins Crossover, including five skins based on characters from the show.