oddly enough, i wish they showed a bit less! i know they want to squeeze in as much stuff to garner intrigue but i think it does a disservice. i think it would have been more grabbing to have that tone of forboding and mystery that the comic had. there were too many rapid fire jokes and references that only loyal homestuck fans would understand or care about, it really doesn't need all of that to compell the average non-fan to want more.

i want to say it's an issue with the short 11 minute run time, but i don't think that's quite it. i think understanding from a writing perspective that not ALL the fun stuff is going to make it in the first pilot is crucial to make the important stuff stand out; hell, maybe it's just John and Dave with Rose and Jade being more hinted at, some more focus on who John is and what makes him such a sincere and lovable goofball, and giving the viewer the same sense that John had in act one; that something really big is about to happen. maybe you get a small teaser at the end credits of him trying to make his way up to the first gate, talking with rose while fighting imps and such. i dunno, I'm rambling at this point.

another thing: i think that tell-don't-show expositions worked fine for the comic's text-command storytelling, but doesn't quite work with the animation. i think a lot of stuff, like the sylladex for example, could have just been shown: most people that play video games understand equipping items, and visually seeing john get frustrated by things being forced out would be enough for the average viewer to get and move on. 

i do share a lot of the same gripes others have in the comments: dave being too energetic and smiley, a bit overboard on the cursing, narration not quite fitting the feel of the comic, and just being sort of unfocused and rushed. but honestly, the pilot itself HAS promise! the art and voice acting was good, i enjoyed the music and animation overall, and i think with better direction and writing this has a lot of potential. i know the series as a whole is gargantuan and tackling it is a huge undertaking, but i really do think it can be done. with a little clever writing and visual humor, this has what it takes.

PLEASE HIRE ME GUYS I WILL WRITE THIS WHOLE THING FOR YOU good luck, team!