If there's one thing that the creator of this shorts has shown to the misplaced world of web (and exactly as Magnus pointed in his review) animation... is talent. And this guy has a lot: an imaginative and complex fantasy universe, an excellent use of the soundtrack, and above all, style. Each character of Brackenwood is unique, weird and charming in a way that only perfect timing and scripting can hold. So, if Brackenwood is defined as the gold card presentation of a talented animator, then it sure deserves a lot of recognition (one that it doesn’t have), and I mean a lot of attention of everyone who likes animation. Simply impressive.

3.5 Stars. Why?? Cause although the shorts have an undeniable quality, it's good to notice that in terms of storytelling and development the series has evolved and truly mature with time. Just check “Bigfoot" part 1 and 2 and then "Waterlilys" (one of the latest shorts) and you know what I mean, the level of experience shown in the latter it's the level of a professional director. Also and I'm very glad that the plot of the shorts has been directed to a more episodic, anecdotic style than the previous shorts. But nevertheless, any Brackenwood short is a worthwhile and surprising experience.

I think I'm going to order a Brackenwood T-shirt.

This is the first review I'm writing for any of the Web Animations, but I had to start with this one because it's the only truly shining example of quality flash animation that I can think of. The quality does improve somewhat as the episodes progress (of which there are, sadly, not very many yet), but only in the sense that just when you thought you'd seen the highest quality possible with flash animation, you're thrown into a rushing view through a fantastic twilight forest, or settled upon a quiet clifftop next to a bubbling stream and a sparkling waterfall.

There's not much to say as far as a plot...the setting is a tiny planet covered completely in heavy forest and inhabited by a wide range of fantastic creatures. Each episode investigates a different character, although the furry-faced Bitey seems to be the closest one to a protagonist. The animator intentionally avoids creating a consistent storyline for purposes of publishing, copyright, and such. Hopefully someone will offer him a contract soon, if they haven't already.

Until I saw Brackenwood (especially the most recent episodes), my faith in flash animation was shallow at best. However, it seems there is potential for visual beauty in this medium, after all.