Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Considering the countless times and ways that Scott Pilgrim's story has been told over the years, you might think that Netflix getting its grips on the tale to create an anime version is a bit too far, overkill even. I won't lie, after seeing some of the trailers, and despite the fact that the all-star cast from the 2010 live-action film are reprising their roles here, I have been sceptical about the existence of this series. But boy, I was wrong.

You see, even though there are clear similarities between this anime show and Edgar Wright's live-action film, it is also a completely new and unique take on the Scott Pilgrim story, mainly because it's not even really about Scott. This anime series follows a completely new plot where instead of Scott fighting Ramona Flowers' seven evil exes, he's instead abducted leaving Ramona with the task of finding out what happened to him. What this ultimately leads to is a tale full of intrigue and mystery, and thanks to its longer run-time, one where the creators have been given much more time to grow and develop the characters that we've become so familiar with.

Where the majority of Scott Pilgrim adaptations revolve mostly around the fights and the almost white knight character of Scott, here, it's a very different angle. Each of the episodes are dedicated to the different evil exes and explores their dynamic with Ramona and how they were connected and why they now are so hostile to one another. While Michael Cera's Scott's name is in the title of this series, it's really Mary Elizabeth Winstead's Ramona who is the protagonist this time, and this makes for a much more complete tale crammed with emotional and deep arcs, while still preserving the absurdity of the whole Scott Pilgrim dynamic with a truly bizarre ending and fight scenes that break and shatter reality.

When looking at the 2010 movie, one of the biggest downfalls in my eyes was how each character never really got much screen time. These influential figures popped up, stated their intentions, fought, and then left, and that was that. Here, the characters remain for the entire series and have chances to interact and bounce off one another in ways that we've not seen before. Considering the talent involved in this anime series too, this means you give stars like Chris Evans, Brie Larson, Aubrey Plaza, Jason Schwartzman, Kieran Culkin, Brandon Routh, and Mae Whitman the chances to embody their roles like never before, all while Cera and Winstead lead the more regular character cast with excellent performances to boot.

Since this is a Netflix series of a graphic novel that has essentially become best known for its space in the games sector, you can also expect plenty of geeky nods. Scott's an unapologetic nerd who constantly references Nintendo and Sonic the Hedgehog, the fights truly buy into the retro beat em' up and 2D fighter style of the past, and there's even a ton of references to the live-action film too, including seeing a certain and hilariously named Edgar Wrong directing a movie in this series. Then there's a whole slate of A-list cameos on top of that, which make you constantly question and ponder where you've heard that notable voice from before. This is a series that doesn't skimp or lack in any sense in a fan-service mindset, and yet is so unique to what we've come to expect from Scott Pilgrim that it doesn't bore you with familiarity.

It's also a beautifully animated series. The characters feel truly authentic to their graphic novel roots, the environments, especially some of the more supernatural ones like the Subspace highway, is vibrant and overflowing with colour, and the fight scenes allow the animation team to really let loose and show their creative talents.

I've said before that Netflix, despite its faults as a production company, has become the gold standard for adult animated works that lie in or adjacent to the gaming sector, and Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is just further confirmation of that. If you love the graphic novel, the live-action film, the countless versions of the game, and so forth, you will undoubtedly fall for this anime series too, because it's exactly what Scott Pilgrim needed: a fresh and lovingly produced new take on the iconic and timeless tale.