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Reviews for "Epexsus Episode 1"

Heh... A friend told me to check it out. I'm looking forward to this...
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Liked

-animation for background and characters (they look unique, just hope the outfits and backgrounds change for different areas, and it's not all grass, forest, or wasteland)

-music sounds good for menu and credits

-interesting villain. I hope to see this masked man become a strong antagonist, or one that changes the plot dramatically...

-creature designs look interesting, and hope to see more in your videos that continue being original -(ish).

-face expressions are cute and funny. got that down :D

-fire effects look cool.
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Dislike

-Bland dialogue...

-World seems kinda generic

-numerous breaks in animation, even with a high level computer. (pretty sure I can play this at full potential if I can play left 4 dead 2 and Blacklight at the same time...) Just continue making it smoother :D

I think Minty 737 said it best for most of the above in case you missed...
"I wanted to point out that there are some inconsistencies between your written story (war was 400 years ago) and the script ("the war ended decades ago!") that make it not seem as epic. Also some of the scripting made the show boring to watch - the characters said "of course" about 6 times in the first 2 minutes watchign the village. I know you're trying to set up the characters usual habits, but you need to vary the language. "They're arguing again" or "I'm so sick of..." would help for the annoying things. "You know me" would be a good one for something ordinary like the hunting.
I also think you need to work on the timing. Some of the jokes and reactions seem to have too long a pause in between them, which distracts the viewer. Keep things flowing and moving along."

-Protagonist needs a more apparent flaw... Weakness in physical strength or revenge on a bad guy should not be entitled to this, as it would really hurt the potential of Expexsus. (Or if you have one in mind, make it very very apparent next episode, cause I see this just becoming one of those meh-ish series. Yeah you will get fans, but not as much as this series probably deserves.)

-Not attached to any of the characters yet... Good 1st episodes have at least some character or idea to keep audiences watching (I'd put this in nitpick, but I bet a lot of people feel this way already...) However, as a fair critic, I will continue to watch the first few episodes, as you should never judge a book by it's cover :P
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Nitpicking...

-Cosmic beliefs and ways of life are considered very very similar but whatever...

-Tribes feel like a Naruto and avatar rip off... (Probably isn't, but it does right now)

-Your protagonist is very boring (Dakota?)... He's already better at most of the other characters at what he does, and has little interesting dialogue when talking to Anna or Ken.

-plot seems kinda predictable of some of the things to come...

-the ogre/imp joke is over done in the episode, but it's still funny.

-Voice acting "overall" is pretty sub par for my taste, but I hope the experiences you guys gain will improve your acting careers in future installments. I mean, give me a hero who's voice I won't forget, or at least put some emotion into it, and relationship that's more feisty or romantic... (unless you killed em off this episode, as most of the houses in the tribe were destroyed)
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Hope the story continues to grow, and look forward to seeing your work in the future as you grow (HOPEFULLY) :D

P.S.- Careful about making people go to deviant art to see you... maybe some viewers may have felt it is not worth it to follow you :P (Naw, some people will.... Just some cautionary advice though)

3 and 3 (:3)

Good directing and voice acting. Not so good animating, and OK writing, just need to work on continuity and logic

Other than that good job I guess

*sniff* awsome dude

eh...

Well, since you'll probably be wanting some valid criticism, I'll just give you my input.
The animation was a bit underdeveloped. It was alright, as far as conceptual animation, but it can definitely be improved dramatically. I think the best action to take would be to study up on some traditional animation, human anatomy, and maybe even some martial arts videos (in order to become familiar with how the human body works).

As far as background art, I think it would be wise to not use so many gradients and avoid over-simplifying the environments. It's going to take a lot of work and time, but I promise it will pay off.

Now, as a typography buff and graphic designer, I would suggest you did not use typefaces (commonly called 'fonts') that are notorious for being over-used and abused. The typeface you are using (Birth of a Hero?), is not a good choice for three reasons:
1.) It's overused, which hurts any artistic value to your typography
2.) If you want a grungy typeface, you can do it yourself using your programs or even doing them by hand with the use of a scanner and some form of photoshop (or any other program that allows you to make precise selections and delete the background).
3.) It is unmistakably the same typeface you used for your logo which, once again, devalues the artistic value of your type.

With the logo of the series, I'd advice you to rework it.
Avoid stretching typefaces (stretching type destroys the integrity of the letterforms, such as your 'p' and 'u'). Avoid using typefaces which do not convey the mood of the overall story of the series. Typefaces actually have personalities, which most people are not aware of âEU" but are subconscious, much like the typeface Garamond is associated with body text in books.
If you feel compelled to re-design your logo for the series, consider using Chinese calligraphy brushes (not photoshop brushes âEU" ACTUAL brushes), using ink as your medium, and simply drawing out the word "Epexsus." From what I'm seeing you're creating an environment that has some oriental themes, so this method seems appropriate.

As far as story-telling âEU" I can't really give any confident advise, so I hope you can take some criticism on that issue with another user.

Just as a note: this is just a critique. You may respond however you feel is appropriate.