Broken Saints is an original web animation series in twenty-four chapters. It was created over the course of two years by writer Brooke Burgess, artist Andrew West, and programmer/Flash wiz Ian Kirby, featuring music composed by Burgess' cousin Tobias Tinker. The format is a hybrid of comic and animation formats, and is referred to by Burgess frequently as "cinematic literature". As in comics, characters remain mostly in static poses and dialogue is depicted in speech balloons, but there are a number of times when movement is used within 'panels', and the series frequently uses background music and sound effects to add to the overall cinematic effect.The story focuses on four strangers from "the quiet corners of the globe", each from a wildly different background and worldview than the others, who all receive similar traumatizing visions of impending doom, and are drawn to the same place in search of answers. Along the way, they face their inner demons and learn about The Power of Love.The story is told in twenty-four chapters, many chapters frequently sub-divided into multiple acts. The total running time for the series is ten and a half hours. The series was released on DVD with added voiceovers, plus bonus features and commentaries, by 20th Century Fox in 2006. Among the voice cast are Janyse Jaud, Kirby Morrow, Michael Dobson, David Kaye, and Scott McNeil.Brooke Burgess has stated frequently that some of his biggest influences in the conception of Broken Saints were David Lynch (specifically Twin Peaks), Terry Gilliam, The Prisoner, and Watchmen, and all of these are referenced frequently over the course of the series.This series has a character sheet.The series in its entirety can be viewed here.Best not to look at the spoilers here. Most of them relate to the last few chapters.
Anti-Hero: Raimi is Type I on the Sliding Scale, while Oran is Type III. Kamimura probably also counts as Type I.
Art Evolution: A very drastic one. In the DVD release, the first twelve episodes were completely redone to match the quality of the second half.
Author Tract: Brooke Burgess makes no effort to hide the fact that the series' inspiration was his changing worldview around the turn of the millennium.
Book Ends: Shandala's opening speech, the island Lomalagi, and the shot of the two planets which are now blue instead of red.
Break the Cutie: Shandala. The entire execution of Lear's plan relies on Shandala being nurtured and loved in a utopian environment all her life, and then promptly subjected to this treatment.
The Chick: Shandala fits this quite well, but it's easy to overlook since those stereotypical The Chick attributes are more associated with her being The Messiah.
Contemplate Our Navels: The well-done kind, in many many chapters, especially early ones.
Creator Cameo: Brooke Burgess voices Gabriel, which is considerably more than a cameo, but this is played straighter with Andrew West, who plays a street tough; Ian Kirby, who plays a Canadian soldier; and Tobias Tinker, who plays a bum.
Dream Sequence: Multiple times. Most notable, Acts 2 through 5 of Chapter 20 pretty much consist simply of revealingflashbacks told in this fashion, culminating in a final vision that spiritually unites the four heroes and awakens Shandala from her psuedo-comatose state.
Elemental Powers: Subverted in that the four heroes do not actually have the ability to control said elements so much as the elements reflect their personalities. The connection comes from the spiritual analogy in the collective dream vision sequence epiphany thing of Chapter 20, Act 5.
Locked into Strangeness: When Shandala wakes from her vision-induced coma, she undoes her hairwrap revealing that her hair has gone from light brown to pure white.
Shandala's opening monologue from Chapter 1 is repeated almost verbatim as the final lines of Chapter Twenty-Four, only there they end with an actual resolution.
Meaningful Name: Gabriel, Oran's father Osama, Mars and his henchmen Phobos and Deimos, the island of Lomalagi.
Mind Screw: The early chapters can be a bit confusing, though it gets more clear as the story goes on.
Mind Rape: The visions the four receive are traumatic psychic assaults. Shandala's left her unconscious for days and whitened her hair.
Mood Whiplash: A few glimpses of humor can appear in the most unexpected moment.
Mr. Exposition: Raimi, especially in Chapter 15, but also in general until the last chapter, when the duty falls to Lear, as Big Bad, to unveil his scheme.
Significant Anagram: (LEAR SPEC SILO / CLOSE AS PERIL / ILL SCOPE ARES / COLLAPSE RISE / A SCORE I SELL/ SOLAR ECLIPSE (which is never said, but does happen).
.Best not to look at the spoilers here. Most of them relate to the last few chapters.
1 reviews