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Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#1: Mar 23rd 2018 at 5:17:35 PM

Nomad of Nowhere is Rooster Teeth's new Fantasy Western cartoon. It's about the eponymous Nomad, a magical being who is seen as a criminal and has been eluding capture for the last 100 or so years. At least until two women named Toth and Skout find his hiding spot.

First episode:

edited 23rd Mar '18 5:21:38 PM by Karxrida

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#2: Mar 23rd 2018 at 5:44:32 PM

It looks... cute. Definitely not the crude humor I'm used to from this company. I'm not really attached to any of the characters yet, and the plot could get Darker and Edgier or it could be stay light-hearted and loose

  • Skout/Toth will be a ship in due time, "Team Beifong 2?"
  • I kept saying "Toph" in my head even though I knew it was spelled differently
  • Nomad seems like a mix of Bugs Bunny and Vash the Stampede
  • "What will you do next, Nomad?" Cute
  • The animation reminds me of Johnny Test, but fortunately I don't have to watch this every afternoon or have listen to an annoying theme song
  • I can't recognize any of the voice actors and the only character design that looks familiar is Skout's. So, I'll give that a thumbs-up
  • This does seem like a step down from the sort of comedy and action I've seen in their other shows, but it's also the first episode and, like every Rooster Teeth series ever, the first episode leaves such a faint impression it's difficult to call "great" or "awful"

Time will tell.

edited 23rd Mar '18 6:18:28 PM by Soble

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#3: Mar 23rd 2018 at 5:54:48 PM

[up] Agreeing with your assessment. I didn't hate it. But I can't say i'd go out of my way to watch more either.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#4: Mar 23rd 2018 at 6:15:26 PM

It is merely... "adequate."

If the next episode ends up being 4-5 minutes total I'm going to get bad RWBY Volume 1 vibes and probably ditch this until the first season finishes.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#5: Mar 23rd 2018 at 6:15:52 PM

I didn't hate it either, but it's not very good. The VA work and writing are pretty bad (that terrible exposition dump...), the animation has issues, and it's generally just a really boring opener.

Also, the show comes across like a bootleg of Trigun.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#6: Mar 23rd 2018 at 6:26:27 PM

I could only hope it's a bootleg Trigun at least, because the idea of a Badass getting hunted down by a planet full of Bad Ass'es in a wild/space-western setting is just plain cool. If this show is about Nomad encountering new gangs of bad-asses and Skout/Toth being nearby, I'd watch that and hope the animation improves.

But right now it seems closer in tone to X-Ray And Vav than Tri Gun.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
TheLovecraftian Since: Jul, 2017
#7: Mar 23rd 2018 at 7:04:18 PM

Well, that was uninteresting. Feels like your average saturday morning cartoon to me. Anyone knows the target audience here? I'd argue something like 10-12.

So the Nomad is magic. But how is that different from Dust? Wait, no, wrong series.

In all honesty, though, the show feels very bland and unappealing. With RWBY there was some nice action in the first episode, with Red Vs Blue there was some comedy. Here, I haven't seen anything that stands out or differentiates it at all. I see no reason to stay further, so I won't. Good luck to ya'll, hope the series turns out good.

edited 23rd Mar '18 7:11:55 PM by TheLovecraftian

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#8: Mar 23rd 2018 at 8:03:27 PM

Having decided to check it out, I feel like the problem is that 1) this episode doesn't give us any real sense of the broader setting, and 2) there's no good way to do so given the nature of the show's plot (since they have to get to the title character). So it's a meh pilot, but it got the stuff out of the way it needed to get out of the way.

To me, this is a series that will really cement where it stands in the next few episodes - by 3 or 4 we'll know if it's going anywhere worthwhile.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Shaoken (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Dating Catwoman
#9: Mar 23rd 2018 at 11:25:40 PM

...well I just find the Nomad adorable and want to give him hugs and let him know it'll all be okay.

Also being a FIRST member I've seen the second episode, it's 14:01 so hopefully they keep episodes around that length for consistency. Nomad still needs hugs.

Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#10: Mar 24th 2018 at 3:00:15 PM

So what exactly is the target demographic here? The show's really simplistic and feels like a Saturday morning cartoon for kids, but it's being released as a FIRST timed-exclusive (and I doubt a lot of kids have a membership).

Also, on a rewatch I noticed this show has some RWBY Vol 5 level animation. Red very obviously teleports into the group of soldiers between cuts at the beginning.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#11: Mar 24th 2018 at 4:46:11 PM

Given the memes that RVB and RWBY have generated, the trigger warning RT posted for RWBY's third season, the existence of Achievement Hunter and all of the productions Rooster Teeth is linked to through Full Screen - we've got anime, video games, and who-would-win internet debates under the same umbrella thanks to Fullscreen.

I'd be surprised if their demographic didn't target children.

edited 24th Mar '18 4:47:39 PM by Soble

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#12: Mar 24th 2018 at 4:54:48 PM

What age range of children do you mean? I don't watch a ton of RT's content, but based on what I've seen there's no way they're going for anybody younger than middle school.

NoN doesn't feel like anything above grade school level of entertainment.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#13: Mar 24th 2018 at 6:35:11 PM

Oh. Probably whatever age range was typical for the Saturday morning cartoon crowd. I don't know what that is exactly, but when you asked what the exact demographic was I assumed you meant that it's odd to see FIRST-exclusive content that would be aimed at a younger crowd.

On a different note I need to watch the second episode.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#14: Mar 24th 2018 at 6:42:38 PM

Probably whatever age range was typical for the Saturday morning cartoon crowd.
That still seems really young to me.

I don't know what that is exactly, but when you asked what the exact demographic was I assumed you meant that it's odd to see FIRST-exclusive content that would be aimed at a younger crowd.
I think it's 12 and under. The ceiling might even be lower.

Also, the bolded part is indeed what I meant.

Shaoken (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Dating Catwoman
#15: Mar 25th 2018 at 1:37:34 AM

They cited Samurai Jack as an influence, which at the time would have been aimed at young teens but with a longer perspective is probably closer to say "All Ages."

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#16: Mar 26th 2018 at 5:17:19 AM

Watched the second episode.

...yeah, Adventure Time this is not. At least not yet. It's only two episodes and we have an antagonist now, maybe. Still too early to tell if it's going to hook me. I suspect the king is going to be an evil bastard and that might shake things up some, what with Toth and Skout being so evidently loyal.

Nomad is easy to adore though.

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#17: Mar 26th 2018 at 5:20:39 AM

They cited Samurai Jack as an influence,

I mean, some of the aesthetic (the Anachronism Stew design) shows the clear influence of Samurai Jack. Beyond that...

SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#18: Mar 26th 2018 at 10:43:05 AM

Hmm, yeah, something animation seems flash animation ish. Dunno if its shading or just not that fluid animation. But yeah, animation actually reminds me of old children's shows for some reason. Or maybe cheap newer really young kid show animation actually? Hmmmm

Anyhoo yeah it has strange mix of moodwhiplash .-. Like that forest just went alit ridiculously fast for scene that is continued with serious moments

edited 26th Mar '18 10:58:57 AM by SpookyMask

Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#19: Mar 30th 2018 at 12:59:34 PM

Episode 2.

More glaring animation errors (and generally cheap animation) and dumb writing. What's with Miles and his expo dumps?

I'm giving this one more episode to be somewhat competent, then I'm dropping it.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#20: Mar 30th 2018 at 1:05:35 PM

I haven't watched it in a week. What animation errors?

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#21: Mar 30th 2018 at 1:09:52 PM

The very beginning of the episode has continuity errors, particularly with the direction of the lighting. There's a similar error later with the location of a flying bird between cuts.

Red Manuel teleports into the shot again during the meeting with Don.

Don's throne room has waterfalls in the background that aren't animated at all. (They seem to have depth and probably aren't painted on the wall.)

Toth's scar looks like it was c/p'd onto her face due to how it goes over her eyebrow.

edited 30th Mar '18 1:13:20 PM by Karxrida

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#22: Mar 30th 2018 at 4:41:19 PM

And now having seen the second episode, and thus having a better idea of what they are trying to do, I can say...that I get the vibe they don't have a clear idea of what they are trying to do.

Like, I don't mind limited animation if more minimalist is what they're going for - but it zigzags between minimal and fairly well detailed. Errors like the above-mentioned scar are one thing, but it's this weird blend of lots of details at certain points and things like the frozen waterfalls, which goes beyond animation error and straight into "that has to be deliberate"...but why give it shading on the wall then?

Plot wise, I get the impression that they overplayed the comedy in the first episode and it's supposed to be a bit more serious. Which is unfortunate, but the bigger issue is that I'm increasingly convinced that a mime character like the Nomad can't sell himself on his own in a more serious story. Which means that whether this has a longer term hook is based on whether they give him a verbose companion to bounce off of. Obviously, Skout would have been the prime choice, but somehow I suspect that isn't going to happen soon, so...

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Karxrida from Eureka, the Forbidden Land Since: May, 2012 Relationship Status: I LOVE THIS DOCTOR!
#23: Mar 30th 2018 at 4:45:14 PM

I watched a reaction video earlier posted by FatManFalling, and the participants (or maybe a comment, can't remember) suspect that Nomand and Skout were originally supposed to be a duo before some sort of retool.

edited 30th Mar '18 4:46:57 PM by Karxrida

Emperordaein Grant us eyes from Australia Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Hugging my pillow
Grant us eyes
#24: Mar 30th 2018 at 4:58:32 PM

What gets me about Toth is that she clashes really badly with everyone else's design. The cast have old west inspired looks, but Toth looks like she's someone's Avatar The Last Airbender OC. I don't get why she looks like that.

A corpse should be left well enough alone...
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#25: Mar 30th 2018 at 5:34:12 PM

[up] Thing is, she's not the only one. Here we got an European style aristocrat with a cravate and suit, a middle eastern-looking domed fort.

Like its what I meant when someone brought up Samurai Jack, it's the same kind of "Throw whatever in" aesthetic.


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