L'Manberg: The Musical | Act 1: Chapter 1 [DREAMSMP]

I just. I just need to congratulate everybody who worked on this. I’ve never enjoyed myself more while watching something. There’s just so much in every bit to this, the art, the writing, the music, the voice actors, it just blends together in such an incredible fashion, I just need to share all my thoughts about why this is so special. The Art This one is a no-brainer for why it makes this so lovely to watch. The environments are so clean and fun to look at, with them varying from all kinds of locations, from caves to meadows, from towns to walkways, it feels like a real place where you could walk through and admire everything from. The character designs are lovely as well, with small details such as Tommy’s sleeves(?) giving him so much more personality. Even besides the main characters, the background ones are incredible too, all of them feeling so different, yet still fitting within the setting you’ve made for them. The addition of the bots was so unexpected, yet they had so much personality to their designs, they blended in just as well. Creativity was at its peak here, especially with the nods to future events, from Dream’s strings being visible for a split second, to Phil’s crows flying around Wilbur when he appears onscreen. The Writing Is it possible to applaud something enough? Because the writing stands out so well, it actually hurts. The characters feel real and lively, with their silly jokes, and their differing ways of speaking making them pop. Not only was their dialogue in-character though, but it was so in-character, you actually showed that there’s more to them than it appears on the surface. Tommy expressing signs that he’s not just the impulsive brash kid they know him as, Tubbo making it clear he wants to support his friends (which could even hint how later on he tends to base his self-worth on what other people see him as), Dream showing signs that he’s not always the great person a lot of people seem to see him as (George even pointing it out himself), and massive appreciation for showing that Dream and Tommy used to joke around and be friends with each other. But Wilbur. The writing was already wonderful, but I can’t believe you guys actually did Wilbur so much justice. He’s the big brother figure here, watching his little brothers get into mischief, scoffing at the idea of getting into trouble, yet he’s ambitious, and sees a chance for opportunity. You actually showed him gaining the idea for the drug empire, wanting to start a monopoly, but it’s not framed as some “evil” act. It’s Wilbur being Wilbur, being confident and willing to set an idea into motion. He came to Tommy because he’s familiar with Tommy’s mischief and knew this would work well. He never places his full trust in anyone though, being cautious in some cases. Showing Wilbur having friendships with those around him, and though he can come off as the hopeless musician type, he does very much care for his friends. When the idea of L’Manberg was brought up, it sounded so silly to all of them, but when Wilbur heard about the more restrictive laws and situations that occurred, he decided to start a country where they could live to their full potential. You captured his spirit so well, every little angle and emotion from him comes alive here, especially his charismatic nature, since that’s one of the things Wilbur is known the best for. This is the best depiction of early season 1 Wilbur I’ve ever seen, and I have so much confidence for how you’ll continue to write him in the future. The Music These songs are absolute bangers. It can be hard to write music for a musical project such as this, but you all really nailed it so hard. Each song has its own tempo, its own vibe, and they’re all songs you could listen to when you’re doing simple things, such as homework or even walking. They each have their own little charm, from the first song being a fun, welcoming one, to Tommy’s high-energy tune about his discs and the chase around them. Personally, Wilbur’s Loverboy song was my favourite. It’s enrapturing, with the tune being so calm, and the lyrics being applicable to multiple different things, such as future events, or metaphors for something unrelated. The soundtrack’s going to be so fun to listen to when I’m relaxing. The Pacing It was slow, it connected well, and it just made so much sense. There was no need to jump right into the big action scenes, with Act 1 instead exploring more of the slow, light-hearted stuff. Though it could seem unnecessary to some, it did a lovely job at establishing the characters, with them all getting enough screentime to get a feel for who they were. Small scenes such as Tubbo’s little caving song, actually are a massive benefit to this, since it shows how things go on normally, outside of conflict. You learn all you need to, and get a feel for the environment you’re going to live in for the remaining acts. I also cannot thank you enough for actually mentioning some of the more unknown conflicts, such as the jailbreak, the iron farms, etc. Those are overlooked so much, and it helps the narrative so much more. Other Things I Absolutely Adore - Making the Dream SMP populated was an excellent idea, and it was executed so well. It feels like there’s other people living here, and even though they’re just background characters, they all have their own little personalities, like they’re living their own lives behind the scenes. - Showing hints of Dream’s downfall, with him expressing a more violent side in cases, him having all these stories of grand surrounding him, and the characters mentioning that you shouldn’t mess with him, and what he says, goes. Even though they all like him and have fun with him, they’re still aware of some of his more darker elements. At this point though, he’s still just a guy. He’s kind of a jerk and uses his power unfairly, but he’s still some dude. - The establishment of why the discs were so important at the beginning. Unlike how things are currently, back then, the discs were just sought after by tommy because they were his, and he wanted to own what was his. Dream taking them was like a fun little game, and in the song, it’s constantly referenced to be a back and forth. They’re still just Tommy’s items at this point, not yet a metaphor for Dream having control. - Showing friendships, even through silent touches or just simple conversations, really makes it feel like they all have their own lives. Outside of their main character statuses, they still have friendships and a community they all built together. - The jokes were all funny, with the comedic timing being perfect. I will now be thinking of “We need an MLM.” “But you like women.” for the rest of the day, thank you. In conclusion, this was wonderful. It was a perfect blend of what made the beginning of the Dream SMP so special, even before all the grand story and conflict began. It makes the Dream SMP feel like a real place, with real things going on in it. Everybody who worked on this project, I want to give you all the biggest applause I’ve ever given. I’ve never been so hyped for an Act 2, and I can’t wait to see where your brilliant content goes next.

I love the fact that a crow is following Wilbur all this time... Philza is being a good dad

The fact that every smp member has their own personalised chat bot following them around is so cute

This project is a true testament to the power of this community! I have never seen something so impressive made by a community of volunteers! Incredible work by all! I cannot wait until the next part whenever it is ready! Thank you! <3

Wilbur: * sings and is good with animals* Me: Is there a new Disney princess??????

Ok i like that the Chats are computers, but if you don't make Philza's chat a murder of crows I WILL riot.

Now when Wilbur goes insane, we need a dark version of Lover boy. That would give me CHILLS

I love how the different chats are represented as little robots. Such a cool way to involve the people who gave them advice and helped move the story along without playing that much of a major part. I'd like if C.H.A.T stood for Computer Hardware for Automatic Talking

Anyone realize that this musical was styled like Hamilton. The opening song, the different perspectives, the different types of music. The Dream SMP was inspired by Hamilton. So I think it’s a perfect connection. Intentional or not. Good job. :)

I can't believe Alexander Hamilton's death lead to 170+ fans making a whole production of a musical about a Minecraft server, it's just amazing. You guys popped off with the voice acting, the instrumental, the mixing, the sfx, the animations, and well EVERYTHING. So proud of everyone who helped make this possible!

I can’t get over how much the Wilbur chat bot sounds like Dream-

alright, the ATTENTION TO DETAIL from the torches not being lit, to the patches on clothes, to the details on signs, the the COLORS OF THE POTIONS WILBUR SMASHED the artists here are amazing

its funny to me that wilburs chat looks all mature but in reality a lot of us are sleep deprived and mildly insane

I love how you see Chat as lil computers, and I especially love how they are all different with clothes and faces! I can easily tell which Chat belongs to which member. I am way too excited for my own good <3

The credits song being "An Ode to L'Manberg" fuckijg broke me. You guys did such an amazing job, I'm speechless.

Are you telling me you personified the chats of all the Dream Smp members? I love it, and I'm definitely looking forward to how they're portrayed later on, especially those that were already given characteristics (I.e. Techno's voices, Philza's crows, Ranboo's ender particles, etc.)

I can’t believe that the TV head chat is now more canon than ever now

Tommy: Now we need an MLM! Tubbo: But, you like women? Tommy: No! Well yes but I was thinking more of a pyramid scheme. I was wheezing so much

okay. y’all. this is insane. you took a job that usually takes like, a thousand people to make, and did it with 170. you all worked together and made friends and created a flawlessly polished project that you will have to remember for your entire lifetimes. and the best part? YOU GUYS ARENT DONE YET. when i say that this is insanely good, this is INSANELY good. never stop doing what you’re doing, because you’re all WAY too good at it. much love from me and my friends who watched this together as it premiered <3

I love Wilbur's song "lover boy" not just because the voice actor was so good at both voicing and singing Wilbur but because in the song Wilbur refers to himself as lover boy, hinting, in my opinion, at Wilbur having a crush on Sally, meaning that Fundy might be coming soon little baby fundip! And it was just so good even now, I continuously keep singing "lover boy, what are you gonna do? Lover boy, when the dogs are after you" plus the animation when when the birds came out of the woods from the camera was an amazing animation everyone did so well ❤ I can't wait for chapter 2 ~cozmo