ERSATZ (pilot) (2026)

A kinda puppetry-esque CGI animation set in a hyper-nationalistic, yet alienated war. A numbing haze smothers the first half and its tendrils still curl round the more varied terrain of the second; very little happens, the central mystery's never quite compelling, and the dialogue never quite hangs together (a lotta modern indie shows and games have the cadence of discrete ADR lines instead of real conversation… probably because they are all ADR). On the upside there's some fun imagery and a few striking character designs, and the main character's semi-justified petulance leads to a few interesting moments. Ultimately, I'd really have to see another episode to know if this was for me.