Score: 2

"Overall? Rather forgettable..."

submission: Minushi - Chapter 19

date: June 5, 2008

So, having watched the entire series, I'm pretty unimpressed. Not with the technical side of the production so much - I absolutely acknowledge the time and effort it must have taken to create Minushi, and certainly praise the author for having the skill and willpower to finish the project. The animation and artwork, while not overly spectacular, are above average and sufficient to express the author's ideas. The first few episodes were promising, but the project quickly began to go downhill.

I felt there were a lot of flaws in this work: the storyline was meandering, insipid, and felt like the author lost his handle on focus and pacing about halfway through. The story didn't explain any of the mysteries and questions the earlier episodes indicated would be important, and the Tinker/medallion subplot that initially seemed to be a key feature was turned into a laughably meaningless and irrelevant side-issue (as I mentioned in my review of episode 18). In addition, the tedious, drawn-out military action, the childish good/bad distinctions, and Trixi's repetitive whining to her brother about how the giants "weren't bad" were poorly thought out, especially as in the latter situation she'd only just encountered them and there was never a straightfoward answer given as to whether the giants were actually good, either. Also, the author wants us to believe that *nobody* in power ever considered that the giants might not be overtly hostile? Seriously?

The voice acting for the main characters was okay for the most part, but the secondary characters (especially the woman in the destroyed town earlier in the piece) ranked from bad to awful-beyond-belief.

As for the ending, it is no surprise that the speech given in the epilogue is a generic, cheesy, cornball "after school special" message, mostly because the story itself doesn't really have any meaning to it, or expressed within it.

I will finish by venting for a moment: For the love of all that is holy, whose idea was it to use that god-awfully amateurish, offensively off-key wailing as the end-credit song? I had to make sure my ears weren't bleeding after hearing that untalented tripe.

Will keep an eye out for other projects by this author; I have faith that experience and feedback will lend themselves to superior results in subsequent narratives. ^_^

Score: 3

"Hmm..."

submission: Minushi - Chapter 18

date: June 4, 2008

This penultimate episode was better than many of the preceding ones, but unfortunately revealed the truth of something I had thought might be the case. Whether it was a lack of focus over the years it took to put this project together, or just that you just hadn't ever fully written the story, this episode gave away the fact that most of the narrative was being made up as it went along.

It is evident right back at the start of the story that the writing on the medallion Khal possess is intended to be some kind of riddle to be solved, and that Tinker would be a key feature in Minushi, but by the end his whole subplot has been lazily thrown aside, with the riddle turned - in an outrageously hamfisted and hilariously awkward retcon - into a literal set of phrases to be spoken. When it becomes obvious that Tinker's entire role has served no purpose whatsoever, it is disappointing, as even the too-small part which we did get to see was more interesting than Trixi's insufferably whiny, banal quest that dominated the rest of the cliched story.

You need to focus on pacing your stories better, identifying which parts of the narrative are worth pursuing in more depth and, as has been stated before, it is important to develop characters that aren't untouchable one-note caricatures. Otherwise, effective animation and artwork as usual.

Score: 10

"Interesting."

submission: Head's Rush

date: May 23, 2008

10/10 for the graphical style and interpretation of the game, and also to counteract those morons who don't realise that their own incompetence does not warrant the game being given a 0 or 1.

Don't review things until you've actually had some experience with them, dumbasses.

Score: 9

"Very familiar."

submission: _-={Garden of Memories}=-_

date: May 10, 2008

This particular melody is also eerily similar to Stones, from the old Ultima games. Good, though.

Score: 10

"Grr... stupid effective music! >_<"

submission: Homeward Bound

date: May 10, 2008

I hate it; I'm so easily emotionally manipulated by music (although I write best while listening to the stuff, so I persevere), and this really pushes all the buttons. This tends to happen a lot with the pieces you've composed. Stop it. ^_^

Incidentally, seeing the title of the song in your list of submissions actually made me think of the movie, and then noting the movie referenced in your comments for the song made me smile. ^_^

Score: 10

"Really can't review this in detail."

submission: Then I Seen Her Beauty

date: May 10, 2008

Not going to try to explain why I like this; not sure I even can. ^_^

Think I might have to quote CelestialSticker's question and your succinct response in something I'm working on - that answer appeals to me. ^_^