It's only cryptic until you get used to it! I, for my part, would not want to go back to anything else after having used terse syntax for a while, even if it was not linked to the array paradigm.

Of course, the syntax requires a different way of reading/writing code. It is a bit like reading a math book versus reading a novel. In a novel, you can skim over a few sentences or paragraphs, in a math book you get lost when you do this. Personally, I think this is a feature. :)