Rose reviews Indie animation!: The Three Tomes (Pilot)
Post 6!!! This one is actually special because it's the first time a creator reached out to me! Thank you so much, @breanimator, for letting me review your blog. If you enjoyed this review and want updates on the series, be sure to follow their 3-Tomes centered blog, @thethreetomes! No new milestones this time, but I am now taking requests from Indie animators!
Thank you to everyone for your support, and I hope you'll continue looking at my blog! Every reblog and like counts!
Rose Reviews: The Three Tomes (Pilot)
Based in the greater Los Angeles area, Breana is an alumnus of Columbia College Chicago with a BA in Cinema Arts + Science. They are also the co-founder of the Black N Animated advocacy group and the co-host of their podcast. She has worked for Disney and Cartoon Network on several shows, such as Minnie's Bow toons, Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Mira Royal Detective, and Jessica's Big Little World. A stunning resume if you've ever seen one, and now we get to see their creativity shine through with their own indie animation pilot.
The official blog for The Three Tomes puts the Synopsis of the animatic as this:
"While making a short horror film, best friends Tammy and Sia get more than they bargained for when witches, magic books, spirits, vampires and romance are involved. Will Tammy and Sia’s friendship survive this supernatural summer, and will Tammy's romantic endeavors with two vampires be more than she can handle?"
The art and character designs, as I've seen from my research on the series, look stunning. I have no clue what's in store but I do have high hopes that I have no doubt Navickas will live up to.
With that out of the way, let’s get to the review!
After watching this pilot, I can say with 100% certainty that it is Card Captor Sakura-inspired. A young girl gets a magical book and accidentally unleashes all the spirits trapped inside, and must work together with her best friend and a new magical one to get them all back in the book? The similarities are clear, but don't mistake this as a rip-off. The three Tomes are it's own unique story with Witches, Vampires, and much more. My major grievance with the pilot is the pacing of the pilot. The plot seemed to just suddenly introduce new people and major plot points without much background, and was hard to digest. The idea and heart were there, but the execution wasn't.
A series' characters can make or break a pilot, a series can have an amazing plot, stunning animation but if the characters can't deliver the plot it's all for nothing. Luckily The Three tomes doesn't have this problem. All the characters, regardless of how much screen time they got were memorable, sweet, each had their own unique charm, and contrast each other stunningly. If I could I'd write my thoughts on each of the characters but for this review we'll stick to the main three, starting with our main character.
The main character of the Three tomes, she's a beautiful mix of heart, determination, and humor. Although she's a bit of a coward and crybaby, which let's all be honest if the majority of people went through what she did in the pilot they'd quit on the first day, when things look rough and her friends are in trouble she comes in clutch and does what she needs to. Her design is simple yet memorable, large locks, a causal dress, and the fingerless gloves are a nice touch. Well written and unique but not so overpowered and fantastic that the audience can't relate to her.
Sia is Tammy's best friend, although they don't have any powers of their own they're no slouch in a fight. The swing their metal baseball around with a strength that comes from the need to protect their friends. While Sia has their own charm they don't steal the spotlight from Tammy which is the best thing a supporting character does. They SUPPORT the main character. Often times series fell like each character needs to so amazing and strong, it can become confusing who the main character is. The three tomes doesn't have this problem thankfully and that makes it all the more enjoyable.
If Tammy's the heart and Sia's Muscle, Shirley's the brains of the trio. The resident witch helps Sia and Tammy on their adventure, explaining the world, assisting in battle, and training them. Not just a mentor but also a close friend as they help each other navigate the other's world (She didn't know what Pizza was! Travesty, glad that was rectified immediately). She's funny, kind, and has fluffy hair; What's not to love?
Although most would complain about the storyboard-style animation, I thought it added charm to the pilot. Not everyone has expensive animation software, backup from sponsors, and a thousand-dollar budget. Storyboard animation like this shows you don't have to make every single scene a PC wallpaper worthy piece of art. Animate so it's clear what's happening, and then put the majority of your effort into one or two scenes.
The fully animated scene was beautifully done, respect to Breana and her team on that front. It was fluid, funny to watch, and gives a glimpse as to what the series to look like with a full budget and team.
The vision behind The Three Tomes is clear; the heart is there, everything but the execution, in my opinion. The plot is hard to follow and the audio, especially when characters are speaking seems to fade in and out. I'd love to see a second episode to get more information. This animation is a 8.5/10 if I'm being strict.
But that's just my opinion, go and watch it for yourself!!!
