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The Mighty Nein, the most recent animated adventure from Critical Role, revealed an exciting introductory sequence. It features the beloved group of outcasts, misfits, and criminals fighting hard and making their mark, while teasing at several heart-wrenching personal histories for key figures including Liam O'Brien's mage Caleb, and Travis Willingham's warlock orc, Fjord.

All in all, the opening appears stunning. But I couldn't help feeling that an element was missing in the song choice.

This sequence uses "Welcome to Wildemount", a truly stellar song created by producer and singer the talented musician. It's a track from the soundtrack album of the same name, the second one released by Critical Role Productions LLC's record label Scanlan Shorthalt Music. It's a great sentimental choice, and I suspect that fans of the sequel series will love its inclusion.

Personally, The series' opening fails to capture the excitement and energy that accompanied the second campaign's actual-play adventure. "Your Turn to Roll", written by singer-songwriter Jason Charles Miller, was an instant classic for me when it was initially unveiled in that year, and it only got better when co-founder the performer added lyrics to the melody for the animated Campaign 2 opening in 2018.

Including singing from Ashley Johnson, another performer, a co-star, as well as the writer, the track was memorable and enjoyable. Back then, I hadn't seen the follow-up series yet, but this was such an earworm that I still saved it on my phone. It's a song that excites you before you dive into an installment of fantasy hijinks.

The show's opening with "Welcome to Wildemount" fails to hit the right notes for me. It's an impressive composition, but based on my understanding of this party, I can't help but feel that its tone is somewhat mismatched.

Of course, the creators has stated that the animated show will have a few surprises and variations from the actual-play campaign. A tonal change for its opening seems to be one of them.

The Mighty Nein will be available to watch on the streaming service from Nov. 19. If you can't wait until then, or wish to prepare to get to know the characters of the second series, the original episodes are accessible on Spotify and YouTube.