Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is a cult classic, but Netflix’s upcoming Scott Pilgrim anime has a few key advantages over it. The Scott Pilgrim story exists across a variety of mediums, including the original comic, the video game, and the 2010 film. The original comic is visually rich and cleverly written. The story translates well to the screen, but Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World falls short in some striking ways.
A new adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim story, however, is on the way. In January, an anime series based on the original comic series was revealed to be in development, with original creator Bryan Lee O’Malley writing and executive producing. While the series does not have a series order yet, it has some big names attached. Edgar Wright, who directed the movie, will be executive producing the anime series.
Netflix’s anime series has every opportunity to correct some of the film’s mistakes while acting as the ultimate adaptation of the original comic’s story. Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World fails the comic’s original story in a few key ways, especially because of the format to which it’s confined. It’s a lively, captivating film, but the Scott Pilgrim anime series has the potential to surpass it. There are three key ways Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim anime has the potential to beat the film adaptation that precedes it.
Netflix’s Scott Pilgrim Anime Can Be More Faithful To The Comics
The comics have a manic, bizarre energy that live-action adaptations can have difficulty capturing. The anime series, in comparison, will be able to adapt that same energy from the comic book series much more effectively. As the comic itself already has a lot of visual Japanese anime influence, the anime will be able to better translate the comics’ art style and fast-paced action a lot more effectively than the movie did. Netflix’s animation shows tend to have visual flair and their Scott Pilgrim project is no different, as it’s slated to be animated by Science SARU, the anime production studio behind other visually rich projects such as Ping Pong The Animation, Devilman Crybaby, and two episodes of Star Wars: Visions.
The Scott Pilgrim Anime Has Room To Grow
The anime series has another distinct narrative advantage over the movie. It’s episodic, so it has more room for background lore, side plots, and deeper dives into character relationships. In contrast, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World squeezes a year’s worth of narrative into a little over two months, which throws off the story’s pacing. With more room to grow, the anime will be able to, for example, devote more time to Ramona Flowers’s arc. As a lead character who doesn’t have much time devoted to her in the film, it made the Scott Pilgrim movie’s alternate ending the better one. More importantly, however, the anime will be able to develop some storylines the film didn’t have room for, like Scott’s River City Ransom-inspired rescue of Kim Pine and Scott’s friendship with Lisa Miller, a character who is cut out of the film entirely.
Scott Pilgrim Anime Has Worked Well Before
The anime already has a framework to work with. The property has been animated before in the form of segments titled Scott Pilgrim vs. The Animation, which on Adult Swim to promote the movie. The segments follow Scott’s blooming relationship with Kim Pine, as well as what led to their breakup. The live-action cast lend their voices to the segments, and some performances are elevated by the medium’s exaggerated style. Wright’s film has no qualms about being weird and faithful to the comics’ tone; in some ways, Scott Pilgrim vs the World surpasses the MCU in terms of faithfulness to comic book wackiness. Despite that, Michael Cera seems more at home delivering a rowdy vocal performance than his awkward live-action portrayal in the film. The upcoming anime series could borrow Scott Pilgrim vs. The Animation’s strengths to its own advantage.
The Scott Pilgrim anime’s greatest strength is that it has incredibly creative, energetic projects that precede it that it can draw from. Both the movie and the comic are held back by their mediums, but the anime could effectively surpass both iterations. By taking inspiration from both Scott Pilgrim vs. the World’s magnificent soundtrack and energy as well as the carefully paced story and vibrant world of the original comic, the Scott Pilgrim anime series could serve as the ultimate adaptation of the story.
