Primal

One of the most Metal as Fuck shit I've seen in recent years. WOW.. The concept, it's execution, the Art, the score, the sound design, the humanity, the awesomeness and cruelty of nature of the era. Just mind blowingly original and entertaining as fuck. All that without a single word uttered. You have to watch it to know how metal it really is.

Fantastic show! Really loved story, art and sound tracks.

Primal is an apt title. The show depicts primal violence, primal rage, primal grief. But what I was most surprised by was its display of primal empathy. Yes, the show is gorgeously and lavishly animated. There are shots that will take your breath away, and it knows when to rev up the engine and when to slow down and luxuriate in the stillness and beauty of the environment, much like Samurai Jack before it. Yes, it is a brutal and gory show- every hit has impact, and the fifth episode is bloody enough to make Mortal Kombat blush. But the core theme running through the show is empathy. The animation pays just as much attention to the eyes as they do the action sequences, knowing that in a show without words, eyes are truly windows to the soul. A perfectly placed soft smile will melt your heart. And each episode returns to that theme of empathy. It'd be an easy excuse in a prehistoric story to say that at our primal core, humanity are monsters. But we're not- we're animals. Animals can be brutal, violent, ruthless. But they think and feel as well, and it is empathy that is the main characters' biggest strength. It is empathy that leads them to bond and grieve together. It is empathy that leads Spear, the neanderthal, to help a pack of starving humans without second thought. It is empathy that diffuses a situation with woolly mammoths who did not want vengeance but simply the opportunity to mourn and honor their fallen. Spear and Fang the dinosaur's bond is what gives them strength, and the interconnectedness of life is reinforced even in its antagonists, whether in comparison like a group of bats and a spider working together to feed or in contrast like the group of apes that brutalize each other for the chance of brutalizing strong foes for glory. The protagonists even defeat the bats by leading them into the territory of a separate pack of beasts. Nothing is truly alone. The companionship of Spear and Fang is what sets them apart and strengthens them. Empathy is what keeps them alive. And it is that heart that elevates Primal from being not only something nice to look at, but an engaging work of art.

Do yourself a favor and watch this with some really good headphones. The sound and music alone are remarkable!

Loved this so much. its raw and violent and touching at the same time. I just wish the caveman didn't have to lose every single one at the end. that really spoiled my enjoyment.

The final episode was a little silly with the Incredible Hulk drink but this show is just beautiful, one of my favorite animation styles ever, especially of the environments. And yeah, like everyone says, it's probably the most metal shit in history that isn't called Iron Maiden. Which is interesting, because the show is strongest when the characters show momentary empathy for others that are also surviving the best they can. Also, I'm kind of a sissy so some of the suffering and pain in the show was hard to watch but I also think that was the point.

MORE! NOW! Seriously intense visual storytelling. The material may be too graphic for some, but don't confuse this series for shallow and violent romp, there is depth there.

Magnificent animation series that proves good stories can be told without dialogue and within the confines of mere minutes. Primal is brutal and doesn't shy away from the hardships of life and living. This show desperately needs a second season, maybe even a third. I'm sad about how it ends and that it ends... and all of that for a mere hour of television.

a masterpiece of animation, storytelling, sound, action, violence, drama... a Masterpiece.

art/design: 10 music and sound: 10 animation: 10 story: 9.5 so different and strangely powerful. kinda wish the story was more connected instead of contrastly separate stories each episode. personal preference. each story is still so developed and you connect to the essentially mute characters. kinda reminds me of 'heavy metal'. seemed to get more trippy and less raw - love that word used by another commenter - as it continued, culminating in that nightmarish finale. and yet, it was engaging and moving throughout. not sure I've ever had a show stick with me like this before. even my uneasiness is so grounded