This demo was so good??? I absolutely love the concept - reframing the story of Persephone and Hades to one centering on Demeter, and her worry and love for her daughter. I really loved her characterization - she's not delicate or weak, she's fierce and strong - yet she's also not invincible either, and her feelings of desperation feel, ironically, very human (the scene with her and Poseidon made me uncomfortable in a very good way). The other characters are quite compelling as well - even though some of them are only there for a short period, you get a really good feel for them from the strength of their portrayal. One scene that was particularly intriguing to me was Persephone's introductory scene, where she shows her mother a dead bird and they promise to bury it together - it shows off Persephone's compassion, but it's also a bit ominous - showing off her willingness to get close to "death."
The visuals were gorgeous - the backgrounds have a very ethereal quality to them, and I loved the uniqueness of the character designs. The CGs were also very well chosen and beautifully rendered, bringing the story to life in a very visceral way. The visual of the vines was such a neat way of visually conveying the difference in Demeter's choices too - seeing them progressively creep in as Demeter becomes more unhinged/aggressive was so ominous (and perfectly suits her character as well).
I appreciate how differently you could play Demeter - either as someone understanding and cooperative, or ruthlessly protective. I'm curious to see how these differences in approach pan out in the long run over the course of the full story. Fantastic work!