I love the fact that when the prince asked Skylar if they would miss anything, they said "there's nothing to miss", and he says he'll miss them, implying that he wanted to know whether Skylar cared to miss him or not.

I would see an entire series based on these two growing up and writing to each other over the years, the shenanigans they get into growing up and as the years pass, writing letters to each other about it all the whole way through (although some details can be left out of stories they share with one another), all the way until they’re young adults- where he becomes king, and she eventually coming back once he’s sorted out everything he needed to.

The fact he said " demoted" at the very end, when it could so easily have been dismissed, exiled, imprisoned or even executed. It shows he will grow into becoming a much, much greater king than his father is 🤩

The little “if you will have me” she added at 4:03 made my heart squeeze. It shows that she cares for him too, but because of her circumstances she has to prioritise her escape before anything, which obviously doesn’t make anything less painful.

being able to establish a complete world and dynamic characters in 5 whole minutes is already amazing, but the art is the cherry on top. didn't think I would be crying over characters I knew for a couple minutes haha

That last shot, of the mage's light sparkling their path as they flee, is especially well done. Plus the watercolor palette really sells the "fairytale" feeling, which with the excellent musical direction reminds me of the Howl's Moving Castle film in all the best ways.

Nah this is too good for a student film. you gonna be a director some day I can see it clearly. The subtle pauses between words, how some scenes linger on adding some more tension, the shot framing, the writing being conveyed easier through movement, and how everything isn’t directly stated but told easier though the scene itself, you got some crazy good intuition of this stuff already. Can’t wait to see what you produce in the future.

I love the tone shift after Aries proves that he understands- that he isn't blind to his father's opression by helping Skylar. But what makes it amazing bcs it is also a tone shift for Skylar. Skylar sees their country as doomed bcs of the tyranny and can't quite see their friend Aries as a seperate entity from the people upholding that tyrany. And how could they? Aries is the heir. They could just keep doing the same. But when Aries says "I'll miss you" Skylar realises that he DOES understand. And he might be even more trapped than they are- he is the hope of this country. He is the only person that actually has a chance of chancing things. The film is just a moment stolen from a beautiful, vibrant world. But I could see so many possible futures for it, just from this one tidal moment in their lives.

That long, long pause as she realizes he's stolen her wand...all the ramifications of what could happen to her, if he decides to be selfish, play out in the excruciating silence of that moment. For him it would just be a moment of being a brat, but for her, it could mean imprisonment, or death, humiliation, her life ruined, her freedom gone. Both the deep affection and the deep imbalance of power between them, so perfectly portrayed. This is both a fantastical story and a story so very relevant to today's society. Incredible. She is a very strong person and I empathize with her. I teared up.

For a moment when I saw the empty wand box, I thought Aries would be keeping Skylar from leaving. I'm so happy that wasn't the ending, but it's still so bittersweet. I love it so much! Brilliant idea that was brought to life in the animation. The emotions and expressions and the sparkle effects, both in animation and sound, are gorgeous.

This is SO good. No matter how many times I watch this, the silence at 3:15 is still palpable. It makes my heart skip a beat, like I'm watching it again for the first time. I actually have a fan theory that Aries messed with the keys to give them time to talk, because how can they not know the exact key to a room they use so often? There is so much to dissect in this five min. film (short of five if you exclude the credits), so I won't start, because I might not be able to stop. I will say, however, it is my literal dream to write a story so beautiful and simplistically intense, which still touches a person's heart every time they watch it, no matter how many times they have already. So, genuinely, thank you

pure magic. i’ll be thinking about this for days 💛

I am in absolute awe... Every part of this film is so incredible! The detailed backgrounds, smooth animation, interesting characters and their designs; I could go on and on! I admire your work so much, thank you for inspiring me and so many others

I can't put into words how special this feels. It deeply touched me. You did something incredibly special here. This short movie is so much more than the sum of it's parts; you've made the music, the art style, the rhythm of the animation and movement, the delicate world building and storytelling - which are already beautiful on their own, but have all been done before - into such a compelling, new thing. I'm crying real tears here only partly because I'm sad about the characters living through such painful events and decisions. A big part is just how many emotions this made me feel overall, from pure joy and delight about every single choice you made in order to convey the world and these wonderfully rounded characters, to the aesthetics and sound design. It takes so much skill, labour and love to make something this "simple" but have it be deeply compelling and impactful. You took the simple art style, restricted colour pallette and limited scenes and dialogue and made it ... *refined*. It feels like i got to watch something very important. It feels like you made something truly sublime, in the original meaning: making the viewer feel terror and delight, and painful awareness of their own human limits by confronting them with something bigger, beyond their everyday life experiences. I'm so grateful I got to see this. Thank you for enriching the world with your art.

I love that this whole comment section is immediately fans of this piece. It's always a treat to see an Oscar-worthy short film on a public space like UKposts.

This a masterpiece. The colors, the unique tone. But I must say my absolute favorite part was on 2:46, when Prince Aries asks if Skyler would miss anything and she simply says "What's there to miss?" I could FEEL the hurt he must have felt. And if he so decided, he could hide her wand. Keep her with him. But no. He just accepts it and tells her he would miss his friend. Simply beautiful.

I feel like the phrase "like a Ghibli movie" is thrown around too freely to describe animations sometimes, but this really does have all the little details that truly gives it that Ghibli feeling. I like the subtle worldbuilding through sound design (such as with the military planes), the voicework isn't over the top, and the music was beautiful and used perfectly. And there's something about the animation at 2:00 that really sticks to me how the mage slows down to look at the guard and then goes on her way which has the same sort of cadence as a Ghibli film. What an amazing piece of work!

You have the responsability to make 3 movies and 10 season series about this.

The world-building in this is insane. At the end when the gold thread linked to a star I gasped; it's so cool. The colors too! The tapestry alone is amazing. It's definitely it's own wonderful thing, but it also kinda reminds me of ghibli, mixing pretty magic and beautiful art with deeper themes like war and enduring friendship. I rewatch this all the time.

oh my goodness the watercolour backgrounds are really pretty - and the world building and characters are so well done ?! I love this so much

The colors… the visuals..! THE VA all of this is absolutely amazing and I’m so in love with your work and in love with this animation ❤️

FROM EMILY: "What happened to the animatics on my UKposts channel: They're unlisted. They featured snippets of Catechism characters and plot very early on, when we just started to develope the project. I did them as concepts that I thought had potential to be fun, and also just to take a break from my schoolwork. I understand that the animatics are what sparked many’s interest in Catechism, and I am beyond grateful that they brought people together, however this story has changed SO MUCH since then, and barely anything about those snippets are still true. Since opening the discord I saw that a lot of the people gathered here have certain outdated assumptions and expectations for the project and for the characters, which were derived from the animatics. The damage has already been done, but I wanted to remove them to prevent any future confusion. We hope that audiences can walk into this comic with fresh eyes. (And also honestly I've been wanting to remove the videos for a while just cause I don't think they're very good boards and I can hopefully do much better now. Overall they just no longer accurately represent either me or Catechism) I’m still thankful for all the support the animatics got, and I learned a lot and had a lot of fun making them, but I hope you guys can understand the decision. They will not be made public again."

I wish this were a full movie. It’s so magical and really makes me think of Studio Ghibli movies but with its own unique take. It’s so magical. The music, the characters, the plot. I love everything about this and want to see more of this world.

I came from Spotify. I heard the soundtrack and I was obsessed with it. Wonderful music

This is so beautiful and enchanting ! I was smiling during the whole thing. I'm gonna be thinking about the these magicians for a while XD

God, this short captures the atmosphere of wartime so brilliantly, the characters don’t even have to mention it directly. The rumble of planes, the unsettling military presence in the building, the stricter rules about wands, all communicated in the first minute of the short! It supports the vibe set off by the enlistment flier hitting the window so well. You have a really refined taste for storytelling/worldbuilding!

Dear Emilymio, you dont know me - dont think you ever will. But i am sending this comment in hopes that you will read it, someday. I wish to firstly congratulate you on your thesis, and how far you seem to have moved in the world of art to becoming a storyboard artist. I wish to say thank you, for the inspiration that you have given me and hopefully many others with your previous works animatics of the pasts which now you have privated. I still remember first seeing "What a Waste of Lovely Night" and "The Other Side" Animatics in a dark part of my life and becoming truly facinated by the OC universe that you seemed to have created alongside your great artstyle and style. I am now pursuing design, no small part to you and the inspiration youve given me, and many other works in youtube and other media, while hoping i can one day get to instead move to visual arts or similar if my family gives me the chance for it. I dont know what else to say, Thank you, i suppose, for all you inadvertedly helped me with, and i truly, truly hope you live the best life that you can live. Sincerely, a quiet fan. PS: Forgive me for my bad english, it is not my first lenguage.

I cannot describe how much i love the colors, animation, story, voice acting and everything. It all just fit with one another. I will honestly pay to see a whole movie based on this with the exact same animation and style, says just how much i love it.

I just started but the colors have caught my heart, and I'm so in love with the voice acting,the music and the animation already.

This short animation has such a fairy tale vibe. The simple character designs, the color pallet is all aesthetically pleasing. This reminds me of howls moving castles storyline for some reason. I would love to see more content from you or this story

Your animation feels larger than it's budget despite it being a student work. The micro-expressions, the colours, voice acting, music filmmaking techniques like holding a shot. (which is basic but wow is it effective) I got immersed and invested into these characters and their world for 5 minutes. Glad to see strong animators like you amongst us! o7

The film is really beautiful, just like the style of Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and Little Witch Academy.

Can we give a round of applause to the voice acting? The volume was just right and not overpowering the music, the sfx were really well done, I LOVE the small details in expression change- Everything made this animation so beautiful... I love that the stars were a source of magic for the mages It's incredible

This is a very short story, but the two characters already go through their own arcs. Aries is in a bit of denial regarding how badly the citizens are being controlled, and just wants to hang out with his friend, but sees that “they’re confiscating wands now” and “editing records more and more”. Skylar sees the situation as hopeless and just wants to run away, but seeing the support of Aries gives her some more hope. So impressive, so cool~ lovely, charming world and story

A year later and, no exaggeration, this might be one of my favourite pieces of art ever. I can't convey how much I adore, and continue to love, this short film. Thank you so much for sharing your work!

I like everything of this animation I think I'm really in love with it... I especially loved the emotional shift in the silence between when she realizes her wand is gone and when he says "I'll miss you". This is SO good..

There's so many clever things, like the record snipping at 1:20, the "rope" connected to the star at 4:20, and the twinkling of the lights at the end signifying Skylar's trail. And underneath all the glittery stuff, there's themes of a stifling government. This world you've built is so beautifully creative that it feels like the possibilities are endless.

The girl's "Oh, but I worked so hard on that part" on 1:21 is the saddest, gentlest and most sweetest thing I've ever heard.

Pretty masterful storytelling, nothing overly complex but it's amazing with how naturally it explains the world in a tiny amount of time with zero narration or awkwardly expository dialogue. Within the span of less than 2 minutes we already know basically all we need about the setting and the characters without feeling pandered to.

i love emily's work, she has such a style and neat ideas, she really has a keen eye for animation and drawing. i can best describe her style as sophisticated, and i just wanted to say that here. there are so many styles out there and hers is just really elegant and pretty.

incredible.... i'm in love w ur work....

The designs for the faces are simple, but they perfectly express the many emotions of the characters. @1:40 The Prince looks on with concern, then down with sadness, then upon hearing the scissors clipping again, they look back at Skylar, the eyes and brows soften slightly at the realization of how serious Skylar is about this and knowing that this may be the last time they see each other.

anyone else wondering where the other animatics went? They were the reason i started animating and im disappointed they were deleted aa

I want to forget this so that I can watch it again as if it’s the first time. It is one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. It’s giving Howl,s Moving Castle with all the magic and the war going on. The style the story the music everything is fantastic!❤

Still not over how awesome the final film looks! It was an absolute pleasure to voice act for, and to watch everything come together!!!

im constantly awestruck by how much story you can pack into such a limited timeframe. i love the unique style of magic (thread connecting to stars!!!), the way the dialogue never infodumps but gets everything across smoothly, the subtle yet powerful emotions each character portrays, and of course the beautiful art!! tysm for sharing this

How the wand is connected to a different star for every different person is just beautiful

You could make an entire Studio Ghibli film out of this. And that is my highest compliment for any animated story. Well done! In less than 5 minutes you built a world and a pair of characters I care about and made me wonder what happens next. Great work!

i saw this the instant it was uploaded, but had to wait till i was fully done with my day so i could unwind with this and im so glad i did :") the overall childlike feel of this film's aesthetic with such a bittersweet ending (full of sm potential! who knows what will happen next!) really touched my heart. im just a lil viewer of many who has been following your work for a good while, your art and storytelling evolving over time, and you never fail to take my breath away. from your older work like "across the torii" to this piece, there has always been an unyielding creativity and passion that shines through each and every work which, as an artist who has been trying to find their feet again, has been so inspiring. and now here you are! story artist at disney with a comic in the works! this short film is both a wonderful ending and beginning to a chapter and i hope to stay on this journey with you for as long as i can haha my best to everyone who contributed to this piece and as always, thank you for sharing this~

Youre my biggest inspiration 😭😭😭😭 this is SO AMAZING im just in love with EVRRYTHING 💖💖

I honestly need a sequel to this or even a full movie.

Even little details like them cutting out the people from the cloth thing that were beneath the king to make him look more innocent is so great.

The way she tries so hard to record the history from the perspective of the weak and sacrificed just makes me so sad.. and I also liked how you did not allow naive hopes about quick and instant renovation but let the heroine run away. Sometimes, for many of us, I guess, leaving the world of oppression is more urgent than changing it... we still have to live on. And it is best to have a friend who supports you despite the sadness the departure causes. Super fascinating animation. So emotional.

I like how @3:03 you can see Aries pull out Skylar’s wand from his sleeves. Small details like this is seen all throughout the animation and I absolutely love it! 💕

This feels like the start to one of the better ghibli movies

I'm not entirely sure if it's the coloring or if I'm reading into it, but at 0:08 it looks like the mage to the left with an orange bob is weaving something about bloodied hands. Love the implication that it's not just our main girl who is seeing the atrocities going on.

I just wanted to say how much this mini animation clip somehow inspired me so much today. I’m in my mid 20s now and I dropped out of college feeling discouraged and being too afraid that I probably won’t make it into the art industry. But this video gave me that excitement and showed me the joy that I used to have when I really loved doing art. I loved how amazing this video captured emotions and how magical the scenes and characters were. I think that’s one of the most important things I have forgotten about what art can really convey and why I really liked doing art in the first place. I’m so happy that I came across this video. I hope I am able to start to pick up my motivation and interest in art again and perhaps pursue into.

This is so beautiful. I love that one small scene lingering on the prince after the mage tells him that she’s leaving. The tiny shift of his expression from upset to understanding is so subtle and so well done. I love the colors and the differences between even the background characters, and the dialogue is so soft and gentle, you can really tell they’re close friends. This could be a series and I’d watch every episode. It’s so magical.

I'm so impressed by all the subtle things done in this short to tell an amazing story. The dialogue and pauses are precisely used to compliment the plot, the art style juxtaposing the setting while complimenting the characters' personalities, the plot is simple and relatable and yet feels unique, the setting is naturally introduced through subtle imagery rather than words, even the use of music and sound effects are used. All of this done with due restriction to not overshadow one another. I don't know if you put blood and sweat into this 5 min video or if you're just born with talent (or both), but I'm really impressed. Granted, I am a computer science bachelor so what does my opinion matter. 😊

This gives "We'll meet again, don't know when, don't know where but I know we'll meet again some sunny day." vibes

PLEASE PLEASE PLEAAASE MAKE THIS A SERIES, EVEN IF ITS JUST WRITTEN. THIS IS SO CUTE!!!!

This was so beautiful! I especially loved the intensity at 3:14 ; you could just FEEL Skylar's realization that Aries has their life in their hands, and the terror that came with it. It's the reminder that they're not just their friend; they are the king's child, used to wielding power over people, probably not even realizing how scary they're being in this moment. But they give it back, the hopeful sign that they're not like their father, that there likely IS an improved future for Skylar to return to. I really loved it, well done!

When five minutes are enough to make you emotionally invested, this is when you know that it was made perfectly

I've always looked at your illustrations for inspiration and was thrilled to see an animation in that style, but this is so much more. It's an incredibly captivating scene with wonderful animation and direction, wonderful sound design, wonderful music, and wonderful voice acting. I don't know anything about this world and characters but i'm tearing up just watching it

This is extremely magical and endearing. I particularly love the filament/spider silk/weaving magic that Skyler uses. Very refreshing to see new and creative forms of magic. (at first I thought they might use the sky filament to float away like some baby spiders do). Also, the timing and dramatic tension is eeeeeeeeexcellent. When the curtain is drawn on the censor's room and it just pauses for a few beats on the curtain (I palpably felt pain with the sound of the clipping scissors) and even more when Skyler realize that Eres has taken their wand without even needing to turn around. And they stair at each other with the sound of keys on the lock. Just beautiful use of the scene. And of course like everyone else is saying, all the art is just gorgeous.

Oh thank goodness i thought the whole channel was gone, i really love the music and could never remember the title snd I'd just look for the lovely night animatic to find this

This needs to be a full length film!! It is absolutely marvelous

Gosh I love this setup. In just 5 minutes, we understand the implied corruption of the people that govern the land, the grim time of war that is about to/currently taking place, and the endearing and trusting bond between two friends living through the gravity of it all. They're friends despite both being in contrasting positions that they didn't necessarily ask to be born into. One of them, a mage who is seen as a threat/enemy by those at the top, specifically the royal family, and is controlled because of it. And the other, a prince who is born into and raised by the same royal family with corrupted views of mages, but knows that it's wrong to do so and spends his time helping and supporting his friend in any way he can, even if it means saying goodbye. If this were a series, I'd want to the know the full story before and after the events here that take place. Watching this gave me the same kind of feelings I'd have if I was watching a Studio Ghibli film. It's a great short film and its lovely characters, world, and charming music makes me wish to see more of it.

When Aries had Skylar's wand, my first thought was that he betrayed her to arrest her. I am so very happy I was wrong. This story is beautifully made and narrated. I love it so much!!!

This needs to be a whole show or movie!! I'm like already obsessed with everything!! The characters, the world, the MAGIC!! PLEAAAAAAAASE MAKE MORE❤️

This should’ve had a million views already. The style,plot, everything about this is so good

2:47 him giggling a little and asking her if shes going to miss him but not getting his answer i cant yall im ripping my heart out to not deal with this

This is magical, absolutely fantastic animation, good work to everyone involved!

Oh my god, I just found this piece of art and didn't even realised you were the person who created the Other Side animatic! It gave me so much inspiration back then, and now it's the same for this video! You have made something truly special, and I hope to see even more beautiful things from you!

No matter how many times I watch this, it still has the magical fresh feeling and I love how the whole look of it feels clean and simple

I love the slight changes in expression, and the bright, watercolor feel, it feels so magical! And the voice actors did a great job, their voices sound so gentle and calm. This is amazing! 💖 I hope Skylar returns one day

It’s a pastel daydream! I love the amount of world building that managed to speak for itself like the scene where the bottom of Skylar’s tapestry got cut off, the confiscation of her wand, the editing of what papers she had. I admire your work so much!

This is so wonderful. Despite all the adversaries I’m facing right now, you let me breath into a different world for 5 minutes. This is art I want to keep in my heart forever, to remember when I forget what makes life worth living for. Thank you.

The sound effects and beautiful art and subtle stares are the cherry on top. Also the scenes without a lot of movement still having so much life and movement touches my heart. And the fact that she’ll see him when he’s king, meaning a long time hurts me. That long pause they had when he had the wand 😭

Everything about this short film is magnificent. The pacing, the music, the artwork, the movement. It has a magical sparkle. It captured my heart in a way I have not felt in a long time. You grasp the plot in an instant and immediately become familiar with who the characters are and how they feel even before the first lines are spoken. There is an elegant, even ballroom sense to the way they move through the scenes. It almost feels like I'm tip-toeing along with them. The scenery has been painted in a way that fills the eye, but doesn't overwhelm it. And the music, ah, the music. The voice acting is the final touch to the elaboration of the story, giving us an even more detailed picture of our duo. They are both genuinely kind souls. Even when one's hard work is being cut into pieces and the other must let his best friend go, they don't have a vile outburst, but rather accept reality for what it is and try to do the right thing. A splendid job!

This is so gorgeous! I love the simplicity of the dialogue from characters which aren’t the main two; and the way the main characters speak to each other is familiar yet distant from growing tensions in the kingdom. Fantastic work!!

SO BEAUTIFUL!!! THE VISUALS, MUSIC, VOICE ACTING, EVERYTHING THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS ESPECIALLY I LOVE THIS SO MUCH

that feeling of wanting to be free, of wanting to have control over your own life and circumstances, to say things and not be censored... and its' (unfortunate) conflict with the love you carry for the place you've lived, for the people you've loved, for the times you've spent on that specific part of the earth; when you have to leave your home.. this piece captures it beautifully

Absolutely gorgeous Emily!! I can’t even put into words how magical this short film is… I felt completely immersed during the entire 5:08 minutes. You truly do have a gift, thank you for sharing!! 🤍✨

I’ve been rewatching this so many times for the past few days since I discovered it- I’m obsessed with the story, the soundtrack, the characters, the art style, LITERALLY EVERYTHING BC ITS SO SO GOOD.. I need a new part Im crying

So beautiful. The style, the animation the environments, the world building and the dialogue. I would love to see both of their stories being continued

Oh I love every part of this! The story, the characters, the animation and art style! Fantastic! I’d love to see more of these characters!

I want this to be a full movie 🥺😭 you and everyone who worked on this piece of art did exceptionally well! I’m in awe and sad because how am I supposed to let go of this storyline, the characters and that attention to details. this magical little world you created enchanted me… thank you

God, the chills I got from this film. I can’t imagine the time, effort, craft, and love that was put into this.

This is so beautiful, they character designs are simple but unique, the sets are gorgeous, the sound design shows the mood well, and the voice acting fits well with the animation and the character designs!

4:19 the use of weight and color in this animation is spectacularly done and this shot is so perfectly executed it’s pure eye candy!!

I thought the Prince was going to betray her in the end, and then he helps her and that tearful expression of Skylar’s at the end just RUINED me :(

the pacing in this was phenomninal. the long pauses between characters speaking and glances. her lookings at him with the wand for a long time and saying more than just "ill write you." the walking in the hall way. her looking back before jumping out the window being held for more than just a breath. this is the power of animation. the power to make simple and mundane extrodinary and weighty.

THIS IS SO BEAUTIFUL, I NEED A FULL SERIES NOW

I can't express enough how much I loved it. Stunning art, visuals, great storytelling, and this short moment when we're not sure if Prince is still on ''our'' side, loved it, really amazing piece of work!!!

So many things about this are reminding me of Studio Ghibli, the music, the visuals, the composition of the shots. It’s beautiful!

GIVE US THE FULL LENGTH MOVIE, NOW!!! My gosh, though, your works are SO beautiful. But this is the best I've seen in a while. It's nice to see independent artists animate/direct their own works, because they are in full control, and therefore, have such a unique vision of how to portray their art and their stories. I wish animations had as much unique style and detail as that and others that I have seen on this platform. Keep going!!

this is one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. I wish this had a full series or show- the style is so mystical and lovely to watch!

That "I'll miss you," makes my eyes water. Also, I wonder what else she meant when she said "You know what it's like for people like me." :( Edit: okay now I know about the on going war and restrictions being made in the story, I definitely am in awe of the storytelling.) Really love Skylar's expression when she glances back, laughs, as a final goodbye before finally swinging to freedom.

The animation is absolutely incredible but can we talk about the MUSIC for a second??? Like oh my gosh it's so magical especially at 3:30 it's just gorgeous. Massive props to Sebastian Reuten, I've got to check out his other work!