The Garden - Warriors OC PMV

Content warning for blood, violence, and animal death
The next chapter of Mudpaw's story!
I think I'll update this description when my brain's a little less fried. This video's been in the making since August of 2021, and I'm so happy to finally have it done!!
The song in this video is called The Garden, from the band The Crane Wives. Their music is so so beautiful, you should definitely give their other songs a listen!!
Here's the link to their channel: / thecranewives
EDIT: Ok, here's the basic storyline! This will include details from previous videos, as they provide some pretty important background info for the characters and their motivations. The video centers around a young apprentice named Mudpaw, and his rather... complicated relationship with his mentor, Wrentail.
See, Wrentail isn't exactly the warm-fuzzies kind of guy; he is verbally, emotionally, and physically abusive toward Mudpaw (for reasons which will be explored in the future). Mudpaw, in turn, has no idea how to handle the frustration and fear this abuse causes. Often, he ends up taking out his aggression on the prey he catches, particularly birds.
The video opens on Mudpaw surveying the Clan's camp. He sees this community of cats he lives with, but believes--knows--he is not a part of it. When he catches sight of his mentor, Wrentail, surrounded by clanmates who offer him respect and admiration, he leaves in frustration. Now alone, he snarls at the birds that seem to follow him everywhere, but soon after seems a bit regretful of his outburst. The birds are both a distraction and a lie, a symbol of all his troubles. They mock him and he hates it, but then hates that he hates so much. He doesn't know what to do with all his anger.
Flash forward to later, in combat training with the other apprentices and their mentors. Mudpaw sees what a mentorship is supposed to be like, contrasted to his own strained relationship with Wrentail. He is desperate for someone to notice him hurting, to notice how alone he is; he doesn't know what he's doing wrong. All he knows is that the little ball of hate in his heart grows each time his mentor looks at him in distain.
Clan life continues. At a clan meeting, tasks are divided up, and Wrentail is tasked with taking his apprentice hunting. No One Is Happy With This Arrangement. On the hunt, Mudpaw catches a sizable crow, but Wrentail ignores him, offering only biting comments about Mudpaw's hunting. Mudpaw feels blood sticking to his paws, and wonders.
Walking down an old deer trail near the cliffside, Mudpaw walks in his usual place, just behind Wrentail. He has been thinking and contemplating and dreaming--for once, just once, he wants Wrentail to know how it feels. To know how it feels to be attacked when you're supposed to be safe, to be betrayed by a clanmate you're supposed to trust.
So, Mudpaw leaps at his mentor.
They scuffle about, and its clear that Mudpaw is not winning this fight that he started. Wrentail is older, more experienced, and more bulky than his wiry apprentice, but Mudpaw is just so angry, he continues the fight anyway. They bump their way down the hill and into a stream that ends in a waterfall. Mudpaw is ready to face his mentor, his tormenter, he is--but. But Wrentail has been knocking him around for nearly half his life, and Mudpaw, in fear, takes one step back. Just one.
It's enough to make him slip. Mudpaw clings desperately to a rock at the edge of the falls, sees Wrentail approach, and knows that this is the end. This will be the last time Wrentail pushes him, and it will be the last thing Mudpaw sees. He closes his eyes.
But its not the end. Wrentail, spitting mad, soaking wet, and ready to tear his apprentice a new one, hauls Mudpaw over the edge of the waterfall. What was his idiot apprentice thinking, pulling a stunt like that?
Mudpaw stares up at Wrentail from the water. And he sees an opportunity.
He reels back
And sends Wrentail off the edge of the falls.
Mudpaw looks down from the top of the falls. He's finally in a position of power, he's finally not the one being hurt, he's finally gotten his revenge. But why doesn't this feel like victory?
Night falls. Mudpaw brings a few senior warriors down to where the falls lead, and shows them Wrentail's body. They drag the body to camp, where the Clan mourns the loss of a powerful senior warrior. Cats offer comfort to the apprentice who has lost his mentor, and Mudpaw doesn't know what to do with it. He's lied about what happened, and everyone is finally looking at him, seeing him, but they aren't seeing what's really there, are they? They sit vigil.
The next morning, they bury Wrentail. Mudpaw is helping to dig. The same way he dug graves for all the small birds he mutilated before; burying his shame.

[@RileyG]

Thanks to everyone who could make it to the premiere!!! Seeing all your comments has seriously made my day!!! Edit: ok I’m planning on writing out a sort of summary for the video in the description soon, so check back later for that if you want any clarification on events/character motivations! For now I’m gonna eat dinner and finish cleaning my fish tank :) thank you all so much for your thoughts and kind words, I hold each comment to my heart and imbue it with love ❤️ Edit 2: Summary in the description is done!! It actually turned into some kinda narrative/prose so that's exciting. give it a read if you want any clarification on the events in the video!

[@wrenswrath1348]

This is incredible, I’ve rewatched it 3 times now and I can’t wait to see what you make next

[@saagabragi6938]

What kind of fishes do you have?

[@RileyG]

@@saagabragi6938 I’ve got a betta and a few ghost shrimp!

[@suburito5370]

I looked at your style and it's hard to recreate (my presonal challenge to see how good I am)

[@RileyG]

@@suburito5370 It's sort of hard to describe how I go about drawing, I try to use lots of simple shapes, and then connect them to sort of 'build' my drawings, if that makes sense? I think I'll try making a tutorial video in the future :) Good luck in your art journey!!

[@Majcam]

I love how the mentor gained pupils when he saved Mudpaw from falling, almost as if he began to seem less like a monster and more like an actual cat or mentor. You can also notice how mudpaw hesitates for a moment, before following through with pushing the mentor off the cliff. He didnt think about killing him, but acted on the fact that this mentor had been abusing him for so long. Nice details, I love Mudpaw's tale so far. Edit; Grammar and adding more insight. Nothing has been deleted. Edit no.2; THIS MADE IT TO THE TOP OF MY YT MUSIC RECAP XD OUT OF 100 SONGS?? GG

[@RileyG]

thank you!!

[@JustAWinion]

When I first watched it, I didn’t even notice that!

[@Majcam]

@@RileyG Ma'am, this is my 30th time watching and I still live for it. Mudpaw my beloved, lmfao.

[@Daaaredevild]

Finally, a warriors OC who doesn’t easily overpower much older and more experienced cats. Mudpaws story feels so much more complete and unique then many others I’ve heard, it’s great!

[@Splatter20143]

While i agree to be fair it's like that nearly all the time in the books

[@PlagueDoctor-rv9pd]

@@Splatter20143that’s why it’s nice to advert it for once

[@Splatter20143]

true that @@PlagueDoctor-rv9pd

[@D1zzySpell]

Fully agree, kits don’t just pop out being able to take down the whole dark forest

[@amoixtlapaltic4690]

maybe I'm thinking too much or reaching too far from the actual story but man I can only imagine the pain/hate Mudpaw held of wanting to be seen and wanting for someone to be by his side while he suffered and then his mentor dies and he is finally seen as a member of the clan and they finally aknowledge he has some kind of struggle but is not about him, it's about his mentor, no one knows what he actually suffered they don't see Mudpaw suffering they just see the mentor's apprentice just lost his mentor, it's not about Mudpaw, it's about him

[@RileyG]

that is NOT a reach, you’ve hit the nail on the head here!

[@Maplekittycity]

I loved that despite the mentor saving Mudpaw and gaining pupils (therefore redeeming himself) Mudpaw still decided to kill him (or at least try to harm him). It was very unexpected and I love it!

[@RileyG]

The mentor proved that he wasn't a total monster, but in the moment, Mudpaw wasn't really thinking of that. Afterward, though? Oh yeah, he was Thinking. I'm glad you liked it!!

[@EllesGhost13]

It puts into perspective just how abusive his mentor must have been, for mudpaw to see and take the opportunity to end his own pain, his mentor saving his life doesn't erase everything he's done, it doesn't heal the trauma, and imo that 1 act doesn't redeem him

[@mataschmata]

This has such a fascinating storyline and characters with a lot of depth. I didn't expect the clearly antagonistic character to save Mudpaw, nor did I expect the protagonist to take advantage of that and kill him anyway. The expression on Mudpaw's face afterwards does an incredible job of illustrating the internal conflict he's having in that moment--I don't know how you managed to combine both pride and regret into one expression, but you did so amazingly. As a smaller detail, all your shading is so onpoint and your lineart style is lovely.

[@RileyG]

Aaa thank you for sharing your thoughts!! I really wanted to go for characters that couldn’t just be put in a box of ‘good’ vs ‘evil’. Real people (cats???) contain multitudes!

[@Squishy_Seal]

Yes I truly apreciate the complexity of the characters.

[@averypolitecat6843]

I love how Mudpaw's mentor is portrayed without pupils until he saves Mudpaw. The symbolism is really cool; I can't wait to see more of your work!

[@RileyG]

Thank you!! I can't wait to expand on the story!

[@snowscapeddreams6300]

I like how at 0:50 the crows form to look like a halo! Might've been an accidental, but nice, detail. And when the mentor saves him, they gain pupils!! This is stunning.

[@RileyG]

Oh cool! definitely an accident, but a cool accident!! pretend it was intentional HAHA Thanks so much!!

[@snowscapeddreams6300]

@@RileyG Ya 👍

[@Tagtot]

I love how the characters aren't black-and-white "Good Guys" or "Bad Guys". It makes everything seem so much more realistic.

[@lucid2957]

Just coming back to say that I can't help but empathize with Mudpaw. Especially at the end, with him finally getting some kind of comfort, but for the wrong reasons- so of course he's shocked by it, and probably upset and resentful that this was what it took for them to care about him. Plus with everyone not knowing about the abuse Wrentail put Mudpaw through- hearing them talk about how great he was must be so painful and frustrating for him. I could be totally wrong about all that being how he felt, I'm just speaking from my own similar experiences

[@bugforabrain]

Mudpaw’s mentor saving him definitely got some shock out of me… I love the storytelling and complexity of the characters! It’s awesome to see your improvement :-)

[@RileyG]

Thank you!! Working on this project has been a great growing experience for my art :)

[@Nxkova]

This was so well done, been following this OC's story since the first animatic and slowly seeing his development through these animatics has been an absolute blast. The end definantely caught me off-guard was expecting some other outcomes but I was definantely surprised by where the story went. Turned out amazing great work!

[@RileyG]

aaaa thank you for sticking around!! I’ve had a lot of fun developing these murder cat ocs :’)

[@Pigeocore]

I feel so awful for Mudpaw. His mentor has been nothing but awful to him and I hope he'll be albe to find some peace in life (Probably not tho). This video is great and I loved every second of it!

[@newtsinsuits237]

I like the little detail of wren having pupils right after he saved protag! For a split second it showed a side to the character that makes you bitterly feel sympathy and show him less as a monster.

[@razmerry]

This series really is one of the most compelling Warriors OC stories I’ve seen. Your usage of storytelling simply through boarding and pacing is incredible! Not to mention the gorgeous use of shadows, form, and motion in these videos. Wonderful job!!

[@Platypi_ART]

I love these videos, I’m really interested in the future of Mudpaw’s story because he didn’t seem to enjoy killing his mentor, just in shock or still filled with rage just a bit.

[@RileyG]

who knows what he’ll do now!

[@illuxtre]

OHHH Okay first off: It is incredible to see more of this OC after a long wait! (Totally worth it too please!!!) You have one of my favorite art styles for sure, and the improvement is so impressive!! The atmosphere is flawless and how nicely both pmvs fit together, the pallet here, the pacing, the backgrounds,, I just adore this a lot!! Definitely on my inspirations playlist!! Now on to the story: this is one of the most interesting I have seen!!! I love how we actually got to meet Mudpaw here, while Johnny mostly introduced us to him! The moment with the apprentices and other cats - once again excellent job and showing the dynamics without saying a word! I can feel how awkward and lonely Mudpaw is I have to shout out to how you made clear Mudpaw wouldn't have been capable of actually murdering his mentor because he is still a small apprentice! Their struggle was so well done! And oh my LORD I was actually dumbfounded about The Moment. The pupils. The pupils!! Suddenly the mentor was a reachable character!! And Mudpaw's move really caught me off guard too - it was just such a good scene! And lastly but not least - how Mudpaw reacted to what was supposed to be a comforting touch! The wide thin eyes! The ending is so ominous and curious, I love it sm I got clearly carried away here sorry I just really loved your Johnny pmv and it's amazing seeing more of this vibe and story!

[@RileyG]

Thank you so so so much for your thoughts!! Every time I saw a comment from you on my updates it brightened my day :’) I’m so glad that everything really Hit, you know? especially The Moment as you called it!! my brains a lil scrambled from the excitement of reading everyone’s comments so I can’t really explain but like. thank you SO much for sticking around to see this story’s making

[@illuxtre]

@@RileyG OF COURSE!! It is my pleasure to stick around to see more!! Your art and story telling is really inspiring, might as well say it

[@Starrykitkat1]

I love this so much, I had watched Johnny and adored it This is fantastic! I love the slow build of Mudpaw being upset by rejection from his fellow clanmates, and him finally getting tired of his mentors bs. The way crows follow around as if they are haunting Mudpaw is also very very cool, almost as if they sense the killing about to take place. I think the pupils appearing in his mentors eyes after saving Mudpaw is an amazing detail, showing maybe his mentor has a tiny bit of humanity. Then the final push off the edge by Mudpaw is just so dramatic! I also love the shock and conflict Mudpaw seems to feel when one of his clanmates gives him sympathy for the death of his mentor, it's like he was not only shocked by the attention but as was conflicted since he didn't like his mentor and was the one who killed him. Edit: sad I lost the heart, but I felt bad about mis-naming the oc, so I fixed it aaah, Dirtpaw is a different oc story I'm following.

[@RileyG]

thank you!! yess the DRAMA

[@RileyG]

the heart is back I love your comment too much for you to lose it

[@backupthing]

This is unbelievably well done; the way you plan scenes and where the “camera” should be is some of the best I’ve seen. It’s not too jumpy and feels super dynamic and not flat at all. Also like a lot of other people have said, the emotion and storytelling are both very clear and impactful. What program(s) do you use for your animatics? I’ve been trying to find good ones but I haven’t had any luck :)

[@RileyG]

Thanks so much! As for programs, I use Procreate to draw the frames, which I highly recommend, and I use iMovie to create/edit the video, which I would only recommend if you don’t want to spend money on editing software like me lol. Editing with iMovie is. A chore. But it IS possible!!

[@backupthing]

@@RileyG thank you!! I had no idea you could even really edit in iMovie lmao but I’ll give it a try :)

[@turtlepancake09]

@@RileyG I've been wanting to use procreate for the longest time, but sadly I only have android devices. So I'm stuck with ibasPaint :')

[@RileyG]

@@turtlepancake09 we do what we can with the materials we have! I’ve known people who make incredible art with even MS Paint and a computer mouse!

[@randomrat5616]

I can understand how mudpaw feels, it’s like your crying and your begging for someone to see and ask you what’s wrong, yet you don’t want to tell anyone, so no one sees, and no one will come.

[@darkninjafirefox]

I love his face when a clanmate finally offers him some support it's only when his (tor)mentor is dead.

[@wouldyoueven]

Dude I seriously adore this animatic, the twist of the mentor gaining pupils, and actually (be it in his own twisted way) caring about Mudpaw, And mudpaw still kicking him off the waterfall was so good. The emotion was beautifully conveyed and I love your characters and background designs so much

[@RileyG]

thank you so much!! I love making characters that are Bad but not Completely Cartoonishly Evil, you know? its a complex situation lol

[@wouldyoueven]

@@RileyG same, honestly. I’d love to learn more about these characters omg

[@RileyG]

@@wouldyoueven I’m gonna keep working on exploring their story through PMVs/animatics in the future, so keep an eye out ;)

[@wouldyoueven]

@@RileyG do you have reffs for these characters? I would love to do my own animatic on them in the future!

[@RileyG]

@@wouldyoueven OOP I never got a notification for this; yeah I’ve got some refs up on my tumblr!! It’s @rileys-battlecats :D

[@meowowowowowoosxkddsfsdeg]

3:41 Is that ROBINSONG comforting Mudpaw? That just makes me even more interested how she would react if the truth got out that Mudpaw was the one behind her brother's death!

[@leothelionstar4809]

Boy howdy I can’t express my amazement with this in simple words but I’ll try. The scariest thing about this story is how realistic it is. I’ve been watching since Johnny and the continuity you’ve portrayed is spot on. We got a good look of how scared Mudpaw is of Wrentail in Johnny(especially considering where that scar came from.) So it made sense that when Mudpaw almost fell, he fully expected Wrentail to kill him. It would have been terribly easy to get away with. He was shocked when his mentor didn’t but as soon as Wrentail became aggressive again, boy went into fight or flight mode.(a very accurate portrayal of trauma, well done!) And that face he made after watching him fall was perfect. He wasn’t happy about it, he didn’t do it cause it would made him happy, he did it cause he was scared and hurt and wanted it to stop. The build up of frustration and helplessness making you do something stupid, the fear that comes after, and the cold, cold anger that freezes you when someone finally shows support, but you can’t help but think “why now…? Why not sooner? Why did it have to get this far before you gave me what you have freely given others!?” And wondering if you should feel grateful because…finally… or angry because now ,in a way, it’s too late.💔 he’ll never be the same. I may or may not have just revealed much of my own life experiences by expressing how much this reached me and preaching on how accurate it is, but that’s fine cause I love Mudpaw. He’s my little sckrungly buddy and whether or not he ends up the villain or the dark horse hero, I’ll love him still.💗

[@RileyG]

Oh my goodness, this comment means so much to me

[@leothelionstar4809]

@@RileyG your very welcome, friend😊 It’s rare to find an artist who can portray all these things in such beautiful and accurate ways, you’re quite talented and I’m delighted to see where you and your little emo cat go from here!💖

[@Dark-nd4wx]

You are so fantastically good at expressing what a character is thinking and feeling. Every small movement and expression perfectly conveys their thoughts. Beautiful art as well, you draw your characters with such nice form, they really look 3D

[@RileyG]

Ahhh thanks so much! One of my favorite parts of doing this PMV was trying to convey those complex emotions through body language/expression, so it’s really nice to hear that it worked :’)

[@animalanimatesthings]

This is absolutely stunning! The backgrounds and designs are fantastic! The story is super interesting too. I like how Mudpaw's mentor is given pupils once they save him, kinda showing that they have a small amount of humanity in them (once again, it's a v e r y small amount, bc of..y'know the abuse and Mudpaw's scar) I also like how Mudpaw reacts after his mentor is dead. He seems surprised, unable to really let the fact that he just killed someone, as well as the fact that one cat showed him sympathy, sink in. All of the characters are so interesting! I can't wait to learn more about them

[@RileyG]

this this this this you get it you GET IT. I was so worried that I wouldn’t get that across so I’m so glad you can see it!! It’s a complex situation!! And thank you for your kind words :’)

[@animalanimatesthings]

@@RileyG you're welcome! I expected Mudpaw to be feeling relieved that his mentor is gone, and would kinda be evilly smirking to himself when nobody is looking, but I really like how shocked he is! It's super interesting, and honestly makes Mudpaw feel more human (even though he's a cat lol)

[@mobiusghost]

THIS IS SOOOOO GOOOD i love how this story is turning out so much. the song choice is perfect and it's good to finally see Mudpaw get the uperhand. LOVED how for most of this vid plus the other few the mentor had no pupils but once they saved Mudpaw from the fall they had them just for a second, as if there was a glimmer of "humanity" (so to speak) in there. very tasty

[@RileyG]

YOU. YOU GET IT.

[@RileyG]

(also thank you for your kind words :D)

[@Ksend]

I really like this!! The small animated part looked really smooth, especially with the background moving in tandem. And I especially liked the part at 3:41 where the main character gets comforted, and their reaction/facial expression just shows the irony of the other cats finally giving a damn after someone "close" to them dies, much less them being the killer.

[@anjahcharles5201]

What I find interesting is how the crows behave around him. I mean, I know it's symbolism (indicating death and misfortune and all) and it gives the story a consistant theme, but it's not like they're JUST flying above or sitting in the trees. From the very start of the story they are watching him, following him around, sitting beside him. In the first part, one is literally flying up to his paws, looking up at him, pretty much LETTING him kill it. And after him killing and mutilating all those birds, wouldn't normal behaviour be to avoid him? Seeing him as a threat? But no, even after all that they are still following, even sitting close to him as if they are familiar with him. Interacting with him. Which just isn't normal. I find it fascinating and can't help but think there's something more behind the symbolism.

[@infographic89]

AHH! YOU'VE LITERALLY OUT DONE IT WITH THIS PMV!! I love the crane wives and seeing your art style with it is such a cool experience. Much love from a fellow artist. ❤

[@RileyG]

THANK YOU!! bro the crane wives are literally so good they need more appreciation

[@yoursavior154]

Another thing! Mudpaw's mentor's humanity returned to his eyes after he saved Mudpaw, so Mudpaw knew he had some good in him, but still killed him! Dang Mudpaw.

[@SHR00M1E]

Random thing that might not be intentional, I really like how in some of his mentors kinder or more humane moments, you can see his pupils, which kinda remind you that he is a living being, while in his meaner and more abusive moments, you don’t see his pupils, so you don’t think of him as a rea person, but a monster or a creature of sorts.

[@Lofaiaajpw]

MudPaw is just angry RavenPaw i swearrrr

[@akirathebird]

I know I'm late commenting (I have seen this video right when it got out) but I just saw something. So, many people are commenting about how Wren gains pupils when he saves Mud, symbolising his sympathy and humanity, BUT! I havent seen anyone talking about how Mudpaw's pupils gets thinner as we evolve in the video. In this case, symbolising his loss of humanity and sanity. Now I know this may be a coincidence but it's still fun to point out!

[@teatimeclem]

you know what? I was watching this and it reminds me of omori a little bit about how the story line goes with pushing his sister down the stairs like how Mudpaw pushed Wrentail.

[@n0brainjustvibes]

Oooh, I can't wait for this video! The Garden is one of my favourite songs, so I'm SUPER excited to see it animated - and your art style and palette for this video looks absolutely gorgeous!

[@RileyG]

It’s such a beautiful song!! I was looking for a good song to tell the story with and when I first heard The Garden my heart was captured!! I hope you enjoy the video :) (also the video itself is in greyscale to match a previous video, I only have the pretty color palette for the thumbnail :( rip sepia tones I love them)

[@n0brainjustvibes]

@@RileyG Just watched the video, and it's every bit as amazing as I hoped! I love the tension throughout the whole animatic. Mudpaw's, ah... decision at the waterfall really caught me off guard! Poor kid, I still kind of hope he gets some sort of redemption, but whichever direction you take the story I'm sure I will love it!

[@hotdog2611]

AAHHH this looks so lovely! It was worth such a wait your expressions are so nice to look at too. Also the crow symbolism is *chef kiss* im a sucker for corvids overall so its an added bonus for me in all honest, especially with a murder of them always following Mud around even after him constantly killing them. Mudpaw in this is interesting. We know how badly he wants some sort of notice and praise that the other apprentice gang is getting but is left out, even still wanting the mentor to despite the very clear dislike and distrust between the two and even after scaring him. Its really saddening honestly.. just this kid wants attention, doesnt get it because the adults around him dont notice or just plain up ignore him (like that one cat did, v rude) and then finally gets attention once his abuser is dead. I do think Mudpaws shocked he did it, but maybe its just me but hopefully he doesn't regret it.

[@RileyG]

he really is just a kid :( thank you for taking the time to comment, I loved reading your thoughts!!

[@Littlepup93]

Between this and your Johnny PMV, I am in love with how expressive you draw these cats. You tell so much without overloading details, it can be as simple as how Wrentail had no pupils for most of this video up until he saved Mudpaw, or the way his scowl comes on. The story's such an interesting concept, and I look forward to seeing where you take it!

[@LizBizBean]

Fun thing, this introduced me to Crane Wives. Without this, I never would've looked them up. Me and my sister were sharing videos and I showed this one, she realised that it was the same singer as in one of her videos(that song was curses). I got curious and looked them up, now I'm hooked XD

[@gladeseason3462]

this was absolutely amazing wow, the moody colours were so immersive… I love your lineart and your shading sm, and the framing of the animatic was just so good. your ocs are so intriguing I was so excited to see more of them. and the crane wives????? the garden was a perfect fit for this!!! thank you for sharing this it is truly beautiful

[@RileyG]

Ahh thank you so much for your kind thoughts!!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the video!!

[@gladeseason3462]

@@RileyG of course!!

[@ANALBONES]

i love how his mentor's pupils are visible after he saves him from falling off the waterfall

[@RileyG]

when you realize your mentor isn’t just an embodiment of evil but is actually still capable of some form of compassion 😳

[@ANALBONES]

@@RileyG YES that detail was so cool, I could feel the realization and shock your oc had cause I didn't expect him to be saved

[@aria5981]

What a fantastic story telling pmv!!!! I especially loved the climax, whete we could see Wrentail actually worried, but then reverting back to yelling at mudpaw, and mudpaw just... snaps. Its realistic in a scary way. This is beautiful.

[@raiiven5268]

hi hi hi can i just say that as soon as I started playing this video I audibly gasped cause the frame at 0:20 already looked so good and I did *not* expect to be thrown into such high quality art from the get go this PMV just straight up floored me cause the whole way through I could feel my brain going error.101 Your use of greyscale is impeccable in the sort of way that you make everything so cohesive and pleasant to look at and your characters and backgrounds work so nicely together just aaa Also your linework?? Hello??? The thicker lineart of the characters as opposed to the backgrounds and OHH my god just the line weight of the lines in general??? It is so so nice to look at I have no idea how you do it but the thin/thick line variation is simply chef's kiss And also the way you give distinctive face shapes and appearances to all the cats!!! Wrentail (?) lacking pupils is a nice touch and I really like Mudpaw's character design (funnily enough he vaguely reminds me of a really old OC I had years ago???) I'm so sorry for the wall of text but needless to say I'm so in awe of this PMV and thank you for introducing me to a wonderful song too :]

[@RileyG]

do NOT apologize I LOVE walls of text!!!! Thank you so much!! I spent a lot of time on this project so your words mean a lot :’) and I love doing chunky lineart haha it reminds me of using an ink brush pen :D And don’t we all make a dark-furred broody warrior cat oc at least once in our lives?

[@1Sariat5]

Your anatomy, the angles, the environments, the lines aaaahh man this is SO GOOD

[@RileyG]

Thanks so much!! I feel like I improved a lot throughout the process of making the vid :)

[@illuxtre]

HELL YEAH!!!! I'm so excited to see what else there is to his story!!! Johnny still lives on my brain rent free I'm sure this will be the same :DDD

[@RileyG]

AAAHH I hope you like it!!

[@charredlatte-gq7zr]

Funny thing is- maybe he got in an argument with his mentor, slipped in the river, was saved, and then his mentor slipped, and this is just him blaming himself in greif

[@RileyG]

Interesting interpretation!

[@charredlatte-gq7zr]

@@RileyG ive probably watched it too much, it so good!

[@vulpixtrainer12]

Would like to learn more about Mudpaw. Seems like an interesting cat.

[@HelloFellowFriends]

This is what happens when you don't wanna test fall damage in MineCraft so you make your friend do it. Jokes aside though, the art is really, really pretty! I love the tails especially, they just flow so well! And that water it gorgeous!

[@RoseOak]

Bro- this is way to good for you to only have 20K subs, so imma add to that number! Also I have to go back and look through all the animatics and lore because this is way to good to miss out on⭐️!

[@elsajanot6510]

I love the shot where he's walking behind his mentor ! his eyes are really full of emotion and it's so pretty ! Also I love your style especially your lineart it's amazing

[@fox-hen]

Oh my god. I'm your biggest fan now. This was amazing. It's like you could hear the characters thoughts, the shock, pain, emotions, the reactions! I felt so shocked when mudpaw struck their (mentor?) Of the fall, even after they had just saved them! The lyrics suits this story, and every action follows the lyrics so exact!!! I love the brushes you used as well! They are perfect for anatomy!! Can i give you a hug? This is amazing!!!

[@RileyG]

aaaa thank you so much!! virtual hug (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ ♥ (also if you use procreate and wanna know the brushes I used, I downloaded the 'jingsketch basics' brushes and used those for this video :D)

[@fox-hen]

@@RileyG Omg!! Thank you so much!! You saved my life!! ^^

[@quackhh]

why am i all of a sudden so invested in this story this is great

[@dpeterson5630]

This is so, so gorgeous. The cinematography, the expressions, the way it goes with the music... I had to go back and watch Mudpaw's walk on the deer trail a couple times just because of how good it was!

[@yoursavior154]

YAAAAS! Oh my GOSH Mudpaw's mentor was awful but atleast didnt want him dead, but the Mudpaw killed him anyways!!! I wonder if Mudpaw will become the crazed serial killer that I theorized him to be before or what. Cuz he looked pretty shaken up after the death but the crows were still around him soooo... Great vid as always! ❤

[@RileyG]

Thank you for taking the time to comment!! Who knows what he’ll do next 👀

[@pictureframe8989]

Dude, wow!!!! So good!! How you draw the backgrounds is something to be beheld, I love how the camp is consistent in each shot, that’s hard to do! And the way you can draw the cats at a bunch of different angles! I am so invested in the dark cat’s story, and this is another awesome installment. A neat detail I noticed is the dark cat’s mentor(?) didn’t have pupils until they rescued them from falling off the water fall. Super cool stuff you’re making dude, you’re an incredible artist

[@RileyG]

Thanks so much!! Yeah I’ve actually got a map of the camp that I made for the video 😅 Overkill? Maybe. But it made the backgrounds consistent!!

[@Drago0025]

Your animatic style is amazing. It may be black and white, but it is SO good with emotion portrayal. I can see the fear in this cats eyes and the absolute... confusion, when he makes a decision to kick his mentor away. I love it. Not to mention the song choice? The breaks inbetween lyrics are perfectly timed. Keep it up.

[@RileyG]

Thanks so much!! I tried my hardest to convey what Mudpaw was feeling in that moment and you got it spot on! I spent so long just listening to different music by a bunch of different artists, just trying to find one that had lyrics and tune that fit the story. When I listened to The Garden, I just KNEW it was the one, so I’m glad you think it fits well!

[@A1esanaa]

Ive honestly watched this so many times i couldnt count; most of the time it plays while i am working on art, but its gone to the point ive memorized the frames. This PMV is and will continue to be absolutely gorgeous, i hope you make another one with mudpaw very soon.

[@user-pm5hs5qt8o]

After watching your "Able" video, the first quote that came to mind was "follow your dreams" lol Love ur artstyle and vids!

[@YourBrothahDoggo]

The way that the song "garden" fits so much with this animation and the story is just..like this song was organised completely only for the story lol,im a new subscriber btw so i don't rlly know the story but it looks very unique and interesting to me :3

[@nill3544]

this gives me chills every time. the plot, the imagery, the song choice. its all perfect. great job!

[@crowborn666]

This is probably my third time watching this in the last two days, but omg I’m invested!!! The mentor gaining pupils after he saves Mudpaw? Love that touch! Not to mention the art itself and the way you’ve paced the video too! Inspires me to work hard on my own animatics for my clans that I started a bit ago!

[@holly205]

The way I physically gasped when mudpaw kicked the mentor 😭😭

[@uhoh2017]

I'M SO EXCITED to find a map to the Crane Wives!! seriously perfect warriors music, this is so good and very inspiring! I hope I can make something like this some day

[@artistic.unreliably]

i love the story and animation/animatic and its wondeful!!! and also, thank you so much for introducing me to the crane wives,,, i love them so much now hwhahah

[@user-xh1gp3cv8y]

I really liked your style and the anatomy of cats made by you. Although after he pushed another cat into the waterfall, my respect for him dropped dramatically

[@woogusboogus9947]

Ive looked through the videos and I love how crows are always involved even in the songs, mudpaw is such a dynamic and interesting oc and his story is pretty sad, his mentor obviously didnt like him and abused him knowing that no one would believe him- since the clan loves his mentor so much. Im interested in the other apprentices as well

[@ExtraGreedy]

This was soooo good, I wish you had so much more attention on you as an animator and storyteller! Can't wait to see the next video!

[@RileyG]

I can’t wait to expand more on the story! Hopefully it won’t take as long as this video did HAHA Thank you for your kind words :’)

[@cobalt_king]

1:31 I think we all felt this part on a personal level

[@suburito5370]

I love how storytelling and animation are comlpementing this song. You can clearly tell that relationship beteen the two are complicated, tense and hateful. Black one is realy good written, it shows him difrent hiding himself and filling up it's anger to put it once and for all on this one moment. I need to expole this au

[@deadlyfarriswheel]

Omfg I've been looking for where i heard this song cause looking up "the devil knows my name" just brings up curses by the crane wives which has a similar lyric of "the devils after both of us" so glad i finally figured it out and now know which song it is by them

[@ShadowEvertide]

The thing I don't get is did no one at all question the injury on Mudpaw's eye? Like he's got slashes across his eye did he not get any treatment, did no one care to notice? did his mentor just explain it away and Mudpaw couldn't speak up?

[@RileyG]

Yeah, it was basically explained away as a training accident, and mudpaw never felt like anyone would do anything/anyone would believe him if he spoke up :(

[@ShadowEvertide]

@@RileyG Poor kid, it's sad to think of the clan not protecting this baby

[@elknspire]

I have become so invested in Mudpaw's story now. Your animatics are all so incredible, I can't wait to see more of your work ✨

[@giddy3798]

This was a really interesting story. I felt it when they killed the cat that saved them. Also love the monochromatic work here.

[@Vivi-Xing]

I just wanted to say that this is an amazing pmv! It’s very inspiring! In fact, I actually started making pmv after watching this! I don’t know when I’ll finish it though.

[@productions6961]

This is just simple gorgeous, the art, the storytelling, the music, and the well thought out characters. It's all just amazing, I can't wait to see more!

[@JayJayHorray]

This is absolutely stunning! It feels like I'm watching a movie! The compositions are amazing and your artstyle is so pleasing to the eye!! Great work!! 🥰

[@RileyG]

Thank you so much :’)

[@miaperry1834]

Thank you for putting that summary in the description!! It gave me an idea of what was happening. This story was really good and thought out. Amazing job!

[@wilczus222]

The storytelling in this was phenomenal!

[@CASEF1LES]

this is so so cool!! The story is really unique and i love the symbolism. the way you show emotion in the characters mixed with the surroundings in the background all looks wonderful together!!

[@questionablekumquat4484]

I love your animations. I find Mudpaw’s story very interesting, and the way it unfolds over your animatics is really unique and cool! I love your art style as well, it looks amazing and I’ve been inspired by it in my own art :D (Also, this video happend to introduce me to my now favorite band!)

[@animatorireenie8319]

This is so beautiful! The angles and movements are so well done and I love how you drew the characters, the anatomy is really well done. The environment looks very pretty, too.

[@somefellow7440]

so wonderful to see this lovely song being used for something so incredible! well done!!

[@wandererdoodles]

oh my, that was beautiful and stunning. I couldn't look away from the video, everything is just done so wonderfully. One of the best video i've ever seen, can't wait to see what else you produce!

[@vulturepaws]

God I love this. Love Mudpaw's story so far, love your art style, love the way you compose your shots and portray the acting and emotions of your characters. Absolutely phenomenal.

[@dodo2944]

this is incredibly cool, the music choice and artistic style/symbolism and the creativity of the story?? absolute genius, you’re very very talented in your gifts

[@rosegoldsyoonfoo39]

Your art style just looks so anatomically correct oml, I just found you on my FYP, this is stunning

[@itzme1302]

I love how much effort you put into this! Especially the story! Every single time when Mudpaw kicks Wrentail off the waterfall top I get chills! I love this sooooo much!❤❤❤

[@daisypage9394]

This is so good!! From the pacing to the angles and expressions!! The animation is super smooth too!!! I can’t wait to see more :D!!

[@buhbuh5635]

Your color and shading style is so wonderful! I loved the story and the art. I’m excited to catch up on what I’ve missed this summer!

[@sammytheeggdemon7435]

I know I'm like- 3 days late to this, but oh my GOD this is beautiful. The art is so pleasing to look at. Great job. Can't wait to see more from you.

[@SheepDeprived]

Omg, I’ve watched this twice now. This if amazing. Mudpaw’s story deserves a fan book!! I love Warriors and this makes me so happy!! The way you draw cats is just amazing. I’m subscribing immediately.

[@Polar_Hmm]

This is so good, I saw your video on my reccomends and I'm already into the lore of it. The job you've done is amazing, continue the good work

[@charitacucharita7038]

No words, its just a Perfect Masterpiece!!! My respect. 💮♟️☁️

[@DrifterNox]

I adore how much depth you give your ocs with just a few instances! from the flash of "humanity" when wrentail saves mudpaw to the quiet but undoubtedly panicked look mudpaw has when his clanmates comfort him. You can see each action having a consequence and where that weighs for them. Love nuanced looks at characters where they and their actions are both complicated, where someone good can do something bad and someone bad can do something good! The ties into "Johnny" and how this expands on both mudpaw and wrentail is really neat.

[@Floofy_Fox_Gal]

Don’t know anything about Warriors, but I love The Crane Wives, and your artwork is very pretty

[@SSquidFishh0]

This looks so awesome! I love the designs and the storyline so much!

[@olivurrs]

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH AND I LOVE MUDPAW???? HIS STORY IS SO AMAZING AND I JUST LOVE IT. YOUR SKILLS ARE REALLY GOOD

[@euphratesleap6008]

HELLO?? this is so sick !! i adore the style choice here with black and white/grays, and the moments of animation and movement and RR the camera/movement matching the beat of the song when it needed to. the extra frames for the scene in the stream for little paw steps back or shift in position … they add so much character 😭😭!!! i don’t think i’ve seen a ‘toss off cliff/height’ portrayed that way before either altogether this was so enjoyable to watch!! looking forward to what you make next :D

[@Felix-jo7nj]

been following mudpaw’s story since i saw johnny and then able, i’m very interested in his character and those around him and this pmv is SO well done. absloutely enjoy your content

[@Sleepygal_]

I love the story lines and characters you just earned yourself a new subscriber✨