This Week in Anime
Reheating Anime Leftovers
by Christopher Farris & Lucas DeRuyter,
Chris and Lucas ponder how anime is rebooting old franchises like they're reheating turkey after Thanksgiving.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the participants in this chatlog are not the views of Anime News Network.
Spoiler Warning for discussion of the series ahead.
Ranma 1/2 (2024) and DEVILMAN crybaby are currently streaming on Netflix, while Cats Eye is available from Anime! on TMS Official Channel on YouTube. Urusei Yatsura (1981), Hellsing Ultimate, Berserk (2016), and Magic Knight Rayearth are available on Crunchyroll, while Urusei Yatsura (2022) and Akiba Maid War are available on HIDIVE. Lupin the 3rd vs Cats Eye is available for rent on Amazon Prime. Hunter x Hunter (2011) is available on Amazon Prime Video, Apply TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Fandango at Home, Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Tubi
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Chris
Lucas, Thanksgiving is right around the corner this week, meaning it's the perfect time to talk about one of the most consistently relevant subjects in anime: reheated leftovers.
Lucas, Thanksgiving is right around the corner this week, meaning it's the perfect time to talk about one of the most consistently relevant subjects in anime: reheated leftovers.
Lucas
Chris, please don't tell my family this, but I think I like the leftovers from the day after Thanksgiving more than the first version of that meal! When it comes to anime, though, I'm torn.
Chris, please don't tell my family this, but I think I like the leftovers from the day after Thanksgiving more than the first version of that meal! When it comes to anime, though, I'm torn.
Like, is it cool that we've got a reason to talk about Cat's Eye in the year 2024? Yeah! But this latest onslaught of remakes feels forced and more than a little concerning, even though series that many would consider "remakes" are lauded as some of the best works in this art form.
Yeah, I led with some leftover screencaps of the Ranma reboot from our discussion last week on "censorship" and it was only a little jarring that as we were mid-conversation about remakes reflecting the time and culture of their creation, a whole new Anne of Green Gables anime was announced, with Cats Eye not far behind.
It does let us reboot elements of that conversation, which will carry into this week, so at least we can confirm that the practice is economical.
Ya know what? I'm choosing to believe that we're actually pretty good writers and subconsciously set ourselves up for this seamless TWIA topic transition! Even if it didn't crystalize until this past week, remakes of older series have become increasingly common in anime as of late. After all, the Urusei Yatsura remake has quietly been one of the most fun and best-looking anime since its debut in 2022!
Though I'm still prepared to die on the hill that this should have had a British cast for the dub!
Though I'm still prepared to die on the hill that this should have had a British cast for the dub!
Between Those Obnoxious Aliens and Ranma 1/2, we're on track for an InuYasha reboot by 2030.
In terms of planning our output, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this topic is a bit of a reboot for TWIA. Steve and I discussed do-overs back at the beginning of the year, spurred by the frankly absurd announcement of a One Piece reboot while the original anime is still ongoing.
In terms of planning our output, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this topic is a bit of a reboot for TWIA. Steve and I discussed do-overs back at the beginning of the year, spurred by the frankly absurd announcement of a One Piece reboot while the original anime is still ongoing.
That conversation was more about reboots as they've been an element of anime production throughout history, though. Almost a year later, it feels like we're staring down the natural endgame of big production companies regularly returning to well-worn, uh, wells.
I'm glad you brought up that previous (and fantastic) TWIA chat! On the surface, it would be ridiculous for me, a professional anime opinion, to be worried about this influx of remakes when series like Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hellsing Ultimate are remakes/reboots/what-have-yous, and some of the most widely celebrated projects in this community.
HOWEVER! The vibes are totally different with these new remakes. While those previous champions of the anime medium are the overt byproduct of the first attempts at adapting those stories happening too early, these remakes feel more like production companies scrounging for their best bet at high-performing content.
HOWEVER! The vibes are totally different with these new remakes. While those previous champions of the anime medium are the overt byproduct of the first attempts at adapting those stories happening too early, these remakes feel more like production companies scrounging for their best bet at high-performing content.
It is admittedly hard to say how these most recently revealed projects will actually shake out—they've only barely been announced, after all. Still, it's a pretty friggin' bold move to say you're taking another shot at Anne of Green Gables, given that the original World Masterpiece Theater production is a stone-cold classic of the medium. Somehow I doubt Answer Studio will be bringing Hayao Miyazaki over to help with Anne Shirley.
Now technically this is a new adaptation of the original Lucy Maud Montgomery novel, rather than a direct remake of the old anime, but still. Everyone knows why this title is noteworthy in this medium and why a new version might be appealing to producers.
Now technically this is a new adaptation of the original Lucy Maud Montgomery novel, rather than a direct remake of the old anime, but still. Everyone knows why this title is noteworthy in this medium and why a new version might be appealing to producers.
Yeah, I'm torn. On the one hand, I'm looking forward to watching this anime adaptation of one of my GF's low-key favorite series of childhood books and movies and (hopefully) getting her more into anime in the process. But on the other hand, this anime getting greenlit feels far more like the product of people in suits who want to make money rather than a creative team feeling like this is the right moment in time to retell this story.
As previously discussed, the "right time" for a reboot can be tricky. The aforementioned Hellsing Ultimate started coming out just four years after the original Hellsing TV anime wrapped. Meanwhile, Anne of Green Gables was over forty years ago, so maybe it's more than fair that it gets another go after all this time.
That is one thing that sticks out about this recent round of revealed reboots: compared to past instances where it seemed like shows like Fullmetal Alchemist, Hellsing, and Yozakura Quartet were getting rebooted only a few years after their initial iterations, now we're getting a bunch of remakes of more classic series, such as Cats Eye.
Man, I know that theme song is iconic (and Ado is killin' it with that new version), but I can't help that it's been so thoroughly worn out for me thanks to people constantly picking it as a high-scoring metagame song when I'm in D4DJ multiplayer.
I'm going to give all of these anime a fair shake, but you raise an interesting point! What's the value in rebooting them if they still have a tangible impact on the medium and the larger culture? Even the Ranma 1/2 remake that accidentally started this convo feels a little superfluous as most of the popular "cozy anime aesthetic" social media accounts were dropping screenshots of the original at least once every dozen posts.
Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but this feels like the direct result of major production companies running out of popular anime to adapt, realizing that webcomics aren't going to be the source material cash cow they hoped for, and pivoting to previously successful/noteworthy series that they either already own or that they can easily acquire the rights to.
Maybe I'm being overly cynical, but this feels like the direct result of major production companies running out of popular anime to adapt, realizing that webcomics aren't going to be the source material cash cow they hoped for, and pivoting to previously successful/noteworthy series that they either already own or that they can easily acquire the rights to.
Am I being unfair in that hypothesis?
Aw, come on, give the industry some credit. Would creatively bankrupt producers continue to flock to light novel and/or isekai shovelware season after season in a way that tests the limits of what counts as "new" anime?
Never mind, don't answer that question.
Never mind, don't answer that question.
Seeing as we are still getting webcomic adaptations alongside all those aforementioned light-novel projects, this spate of reheated classics points to something of cynicism within the industry itself, especially as there are more and more young anime fans out there who flat-out refuse to watch anything animated more than a decade ago, never mind stuff from the '70s and '80s, regardless of its storied status.
Sure, the kids have heard of Rose of Versailles, but they were never gonna be persuaded to watch it unless it was in a modern aspect ratio with shiny digital animation by MAPPA.
Oh God, I want so badly for this new remake trend to mean that the increasingly derivative isekai Mariana Trench is finally starting to run dry, but I dare not hope for that lest the dream be stolen away from me. I've been burned too many times by things that seemed even more promising.
To your point about people, especially young ones, not wanting to watch "old" anime, I understand where they're coming from on some level. After all, licensors and rights holders have made it way too difficult to legally watch the most important shows to this medium's growth. However turns directly to the reader I promise whoever is reading this that you're not going to develop better and more informed opinions about this kind of art by only watching new and popular things.
To your point about people, especially young ones, not wanting to watch "old" anime, I understand where they're coming from on some level. After all, licensors and rights holders have made it way too difficult to legally watch the most important shows to this medium's growth. However turns directly to the reader I promise whoever is reading this that you're not going to develop better and more informed opinions about this kind of art by only watching new and popular things.
It does burn somewhat that, with the new Anne Shirley on the docket, there isn't an easy way to officially stream the iconic original Anne of Green Gables anime. Being able to compare and contrast works like the Legend of the Galactic Heroes adaptations or both versions of Ranma 1/2 is, to me, a fun aspect of having all these iterations around. At least TMS has the original Cats Eye freely available on their YouTube channel at the moment, and you can stream Rose of Versailles as "Lady Oscar" on RetroCrush.
Speaking of those shows, I do think it's kinda neat that so many of these forthcoming reboots swing more toward the shoujo side of things, which tends to be comparatively underserved. We've even got a new version of CLAMP's Magic Knight Rayearth coming soon too! But the flip side is these repeat representatives mean there might be less room for truly new shoujo anime adaptations.
Speaking of those shows, I do think it's kinda neat that so many of these forthcoming reboots swing more toward the shoujo side of things, which tends to be comparatively underserved. We've even got a new version of CLAMP's Magic Knight Rayearth coming soon too! But the flip side is these repeat representatives mean there might be less room for truly new shoujo anime adaptations.
It feels like a backhanded compliment to the genre and its fans to approve a bunch of safe bet projects rather than adapt modern shoujo titles that iterate on these past works and push the discipline further forward.
Though, for my money, I'd rather anime studios take a chance on original works if they don't like their current adaptation prospects. I think 2022's Akiba Maid War is one of the most interesting anime to come out in recent memory, and original anime make up a shocking number of the most successful and celebrated works in this medium. Unless the remakes get weird with the project, I'd rather studios make something new any day of the week.
Though, for my money, I'd rather anime studios take a chance on original works if they don't like their current adaptation prospects. I think 2022's Akiba Maid War is one of the most interesting anime to come out in recent memory, and original anime make up a shocking number of the most successful and celebrated works in this medium. Unless the remakes get weird with the project, I'd rather studios make something new any day of the week.
It's a situation where you wonder if something getting rebooted more often might let it push things further than an instance like the extremely straightforward, often shot-for-shot recreation of the Ranma remake. I feel like Cats Eye, for all the world, should've been something like Lupin the 3rd, where we got new takes regularly, constantly shifting setups and styles along the way. Instead, the most we got before this new reboot was...Cats Eye crossing over with Lupin.
Letting fresh creators go buck-wild with IP might be the more artistically interesting path, but hardly any of these reboots are going to be DEVILMAN crybaby.
Letting fresh creators go buck-wild with IP might be the more artistically interesting path, but hardly any of these reboots are going to be DEVILMAN crybaby.
This sucks because DEVILMAN crybaby should be the bar for all future anime remakes to clear!
I don't think I'm asking too much in wanting anime remakes to be a thoughtful and informed iteration of what made the original work so compelling and putting the ideas that made it great in a context informed by the world today! We live in a post-Final Fantasy 7: Remake world! If you're not putting a new spin on a classic series in your remake, what are you even doing!?? Hell, even the Urusei Yatsura remake's first opening snuck in a cheeky reference to dating apps and a lot of the related media the original work inspired!
I don't think I'm asking too much in wanting anime remakes to be a thoughtful and informed iteration of what made the original work so compelling and putting the ideas that made it great in a context informed by the world today! We live in a post-Final Fantasy 7: Remake world! If you're not putting a new spin on a classic series in your remake, what are you even doing!?? Hell, even the Urusei Yatsura remake's first opening snuck in a cheeky reference to dating apps and a lot of the related media the original work inspired!
It is odd to see these Takahashi reboots poke at the idea of modernization but still have the setting of something like Ranma remain firmly in the past.
Your invocation of Final Fantasy VII Remake does bring up comparisons with anime's video game cousins, themselves contending with wave after wave of rehashes. I got to thinking about this because I'm a huge Metroid fan, and this weekend I started a fresh series playthrough. But I didn't start with the NES original, but with Zero Mission, the GBA remake!
Does that make me part of the same problem as those kids I mentioned who won't watch the old Rose of Versailles?
Your invocation of Final Fantasy VII Remake does bring up comparisons with anime's video game cousins, themselves contending with wave after wave of rehashes. I got to thinking about this because I'm a huge Metroid fan, and this weekend I started a fresh series playthrough. But I didn't start with the NES original, but with Zero Mission, the GBA remake!
Does that make me part of the same problem as those kids I mentioned who won't watch the old Rose of Versailles?
Lmao, I totally understand where you're coming from with that video game comparison. On my end, I'm thoroughly enjoying playing Dragon Quest 3 for the first time via the "HD-2D" edition, and hope to finish my first playthrough over the Thanksgiving break.
I could make an argument that video games are a different enough medium with their own issues around preservation that make this an "apples to oranges" comparison, but you're right, lol. I'm being a basic bish by checking out this version of DQ3 instead of a fairly readily accessible previous iteration of the game. While there's still a lot of history and insight to be gained from this version of the game (and some new additions!) I'm not going to speak too authoritatively on Dragon Quest 3 or the broader franchise until I've checked out more of this historic franchise.
I could make an argument that video games are a different enough medium with their own issues around preservation that make this an "apples to oranges" comparison, but you're right, lol. I'm being a basic bish by checking out this version of DQ3 instead of a fairly readily accessible previous iteration of the game. While there's still a lot of history and insight to be gained from this version of the game (and some new additions!) I'm not going to speak too authoritatively on Dragon Quest 3 or the broader franchise until I've checked out more of this historic franchise.
Video games have more going on in terms of the tech of the time to where I can see more of an argument for playing breezier, ostensibly player-friendly versions of games like Zero Mission or the HD-2D DQ3. The only "quality of life" features something like the old Magic Knight Rayearth anime has to worry about is modern availability, and it's right there on Crunchyroll!
Though, hey, if they want to rerelease the old Rayearth Saturn game, there's precedent for that, too, with stuff like the upcoming Lunar remaster.
Though, hey, if they want to rerelease the old Rayearth Saturn game, there's precedent for that, too, with stuff like the upcoming Lunar remaster.
Oh, dude, I am PUMPED for the Lunar Remastered Collection! I know there's a lot wrong with the world today, but idk if there's ever been a better time to be a JRPG sicko!
And maybe this is me getting pearl clutch-y, but I do worry that all of these anime remakes are setting a precedent that the only classic anime worth watching are the ones being remade today. This is not accurate, and, as a rule, people shouldn't let corporations decide on what is good/worthwhile and what isn't, but other great anime from 30+ years ago aren't about to get fresh ad campaigns, and I can't blame people for coming to such a conclusion.
And maybe this is me getting pearl clutch-y, but I do worry that all of these anime remakes are setting a precedent that the only classic anime worth watching are the ones being remade today. This is not accurate, and, as a rule, people shouldn't let corporations decide on what is good/worthwhile and what isn't, but other great anime from 30+ years ago aren't about to get fresh ad campaigns, and I can't blame people for coming to such a conclusion.
We shouldn't rely solely on Discotek hyping up new releases of great old shows to get people excited about them. To that end, since it's not like I have the production power to stem the tide of reboots, the best I think I can do is hope these new announcements pique some people's interest in the originals. I'll loan anybody who needs my Fullmetal Alchemist 2003 DVDs.
And I'll be arguing until my windpipe collapses in on itself that the original 1999 Hunter x Hunter anime features an infinitely better use of color, mise en scène, and lightening than anything featured in the, supposedly, more authentic 2011 Hunter x Hunter anime.
When you're done reading this, go check out some old shit, gang! You may not even know what you're missing or, more importantly, what they've taken from us!
When you're done reading this, go check out some old shit, gang! You may not even know what you're missing or, more importantly, what they've taken from us!
They can try to recreate these dishes as much as they want, but the original recipe is often still the best. And there are still plenty of leftovers to go around the table.
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