It simply does not deserve it. To be clear, the creator requested fans to leave their honest praise of the program with a 1-star rating in protest to a sudden influx in bomb reviews that came long after the end of the program. While it is an absolute crime that these ratings occurred, and I sincerely hope that IMDB might eventually review and remove what is clearly an attempt to troll, I simply will not give a rating that is undeserved.
Some people might criticize Epithet Erased for its minimalist style. Those people, in my opinion, simply fail to understand that it IS a style, deliberately chosen, and with meaning behind it. Ultimately, it is a story about a game, and so it is presented in the style of that game, with tokens on a board, damage numbers being shown, and "players" narrating their characters. Moreover, in embracing a minimal style, Epithet not only finds a way to still convey all that it needs to, but also does something that it could not otherwise - make use of a dramatic shift in style to highlight and underscore certain key moments in the story, making them more impactful than they would otherwise be. This isn't a "budget" show. It's a show that demonstrates that, sometimes, less is more.
Beyond that, it is a clever and imaginative take on numerous tropes in animated media, and a loving satire that at times tips over the line to wholeheartedly embrace the style it lampoons. And, on a deeper level, it has a genuinely interesting and engaging story, told through excellent voice acting and use of tonal cues. Virtually every character feels genuine and relatable, and the both the jokes and the serious emotional moments never fail to hit their mark. Character motivations seem believable, and conflicts not forced, but the natural result of the cast being brought together. Despite a fantastical setting, Epithet's story and characters feel more believable than most popular media today.
Some people might criticize Epithet Erased for its minimalist style. Those people, in my opinion, simply fail to understand that it IS a style, deliberately chosen, and with meaning behind it. Ultimately, it is a story about a game, and so it is presented in the style of that game, with tokens on a board, damage numbers being shown, and "players" narrating their characters. Moreover, in embracing a minimal style, Epithet not only finds a way to still convey all that it needs to, but also does something that it could not otherwise - make use of a dramatic shift in style to highlight and underscore certain key moments in the story, making them more impactful than they would otherwise be. This isn't a "budget" show. It's a show that demonstrates that, sometimes, less is more.
Beyond that, it is a clever and imaginative take on numerous tropes in animated media, and a loving satire that at times tips over the line to wholeheartedly embrace the style it lampoons. And, on a deeper level, it has a genuinely interesting and engaging story, told through excellent voice acting and use of tonal cues. Virtually every character feels genuine and relatable, and the both the jokes and the serious emotional moments never fail to hit their mark. Character motivations seem believable, and conflicts not forced, but the natural result of the cast being brought together. Despite a fantastical setting, Epithet's story and characters feel more believable than most popular media today.