Binge this surprisingly charming Final Fantasy show before it leaves Netflix

[ad_1] It’s simple to overlook typically, however video video games are sometimes a household affair. I fell in love with them whereas sitting on the ground, watching my older brothers play Tremendous Nintendo and Genesis. My brothers fell in love with them whereas sitting on the ground, watching my dad play Intellivision. And Akio Inaba, the sweetie-pie protagonist of Netflix’s 2017 restricted sequence, Ultimate Fantasy 14: Dad of Gentle, falls in love with them by sitting on the ground, watching his dad Hirotaro play the unique Ultimate Fantasy.

Dad of Gentle is leaving Netflix on the finish of August, however there’s nonetheless time to look at all eight episodes, due to their bite-size 20-25 minute runtimes. It’s a humorous examination of awkward household dynamics, in addition to a reminder that the teachings about love and friendship that video games train us can apply to our actual lives, too.

Dad of Gentle is predicated on a real story, and facilities on Akio’s quest to secretly befriend his retired workaholic father within the on-line RPG. Assuming the avatar of a cat-eared woman warrior known as Maidy, Akio and his mates are decided to offer Hirotaro an journey he’ll always remember. Inspired by Akio to offer his character a cool, heroic title, the shy and reserved Hirotaro settles on Indy Jones as his alter ego. He even offers his avatar a cool purple tribal tattoo on the aspect of his face.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="A father and son enjoy Final Fantasy together in Netflix's Dad of Light" data-img-url="https://static1.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/screenshot-2025-08-25-at-5-05-06-pm.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" src="https://static1.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/screenshot-2025-08-25-at-5-05-06-pm.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2"/> Picture: Netflix

The Netflix adaptation is a speedrun via a running a blog challenge that ran from 2014 to 2016, and mixes live-action scenes with in-game footage. This method takes some getting used to. The transition from an atypical middle-class front room to a 2010s digital guildhall crammed with pink-haired chibi women and musclebound meatheads is jarring at first. However Dad of Gentle leans into that awkwardness, by exhibiting Dad-as-Indy-Jones awkwardly strolling into partitions and utilizing contextually inappropriate emotes nonstop. Oddly sufficient, conserving a few of that in-engine clunk helps Dad of Gentle from feeling like a four-hour commercial for Sq. Enix.

It’s a well-worn cliché to speak about experiencing one thing you like “via the eyes of a kid,” however Dad of Gentle reminds us it may be simply as pleasant to expertise one thing you like via the eyes of your dad and mom. Throughout the second episode, Akio realizes his dad has stop enjoying FF14 as a result of he wandered into the sport’s snowy area and was embarrassed his character didn’t have a coat. After slightly light encouragement, Indy Jones is quickly again to his journey, with Maidy as his first in-game good friend. Then Akio makes use of that empathy for newbie frustrations to make a brand new IRL pal at his workplace.

<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" alt="Final Fantasy 14: Dad of Light’s wholesome charm outweighs its advertorial moments" data-img-url="https://static1.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/screenshot-2025-08-25-at-5-04-35-pm.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2" src="https://static1.polygonimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/screenshot-2025-08-25-at-5-04-35-pm.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2"/> Picture: Netflix

If you happen to’re on the lookout for a bingeable present with likable characters and loads of gamerly nostalgia, Dad of Gentle is a low-stress chillfest. It’s additionally obtained a bunch of great music, as a result of it’s Ultimate Fantasy. You by no means know, you may come away from it itching to dive into subsequent month’s FF14 crossover for Monster Hunter Wilds.