by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
When I was living in California after college, my roommate and I made our trek out to the movie theater at The Grove shopping center and proceeded to watch Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Not having read the graphic novel, I was struck by how vibrant the world of Toronto, Canada was, and how amazing all the characters were. To this day, it is still one of my favorite theater-going experiences, as well as one of my favorite movies of all time.
When it was announced that there was going to be an anime of Scott Pilgrim, I was a little on edge. I’m not a huge anime guy, but I loved the movie so much that I was willing to give it a shot. My biggest fear was that it was going to be a complete remake of the movie that brought nothing new to the table.
It turned out to be quite the opposite, actually. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a new take on an already great movie — it brings a whole other dimension to what a television show tie-in can do for a movie. Takes Off starts similar to the original movie: It sets up the characters and the situation, and even gets us to the first fight. Everything else from that point forward is different.
The animation style is an excellent choice. It already felt like a video game in the movie, and the anime really helps boost the fight scenes. Although I’m still on the fence about anime, I enjoyed the vibrant colors and slick action pieces. The show feels like a perfect cross between a graphic novel and a video game being brought to life.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off’s biggest draw is the return of the majority of the original cast to voice their characters. You can tell how much everyone loves these characters, because even the ones whose roles are drastically different still come back to give their character a fresh perspective. A lot of the performers from the original movie have gone on to have outstanding careers, so for them to come back to do this anime shows how much they love the property.
A lot of characters get an upgrade, but perhaps the character who gets the most to do this time around is Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). After the first episode, Ramona’s story takes a very drastic turn that helps show us how much she cares about Scott (Michael Cera), and how invested she is in their budding relationship. Winstead steps back into the role without skipping a beat, but also channels a different type of Ramona. She’s not the type of person to sit idly back like she did in the original movie, sans a few scenes. Instead, Ramona is given some much-needed agency and takes charge of her situation. Her scenes, particularly with her exes, help show her growth, and rehabilitate her relationship with most of them. I love the choices that were made regarding Ramona.
In addition, most of the evil exes have a little more spotlight on them, as they are given more time and more to do, beyond being mad at Scott for dating Ramona. All of them have a story beyond being part of the League, with Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha) getting the most new story. Matthew’s story helps set in motion the main problem with the League of Evil Exes, which is what happens if they succeed in stopping Scott from dating Ramona. Bhabha sounds like he’s having the time of his life playing this version of Matthew. Lucas Lee (Chris Evans) and Todd Ingram (Brandon Routh) both have amazing moments with Ramona, but also unexpected character team-ups with others in the show. The only ex whose story really suffers this time around is the Katayanagi Twins (Julian Cihi).
The most unexpected character expansion is with Julie Powers (Aubrey Plaza), who partners with some people who I thought make a great pairing. Knives (Ellen Wong) is more mature and does a lot more than pine for Scott. Her collaboration with Young Neil (Johnny Simmons) is an outstanding choice, and how she helps Ramona makes sense. I really like how all the side characters are treated in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, and all the voice cast is amazing.
With Scott, the lessons he learns make for a much better end product. Rather than the self-respect that he gains in the movie, Scott learns what it means to be in a relationship, while also figuring out what he needs to do to take better care of himself. I’m not entirely sold on how we got to those lessons, but it was still a great ride, and one that makes sense for this particular story.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off manages to do the impossible, expanding an already great story and making the most of the assembled talent. Other shows looking to do the same need to take note of the accomplishments that the series achieves. This is simultaneously a love letter to the movie and a critique of it, making improvements and expanding stories that helped me develop a much deeper appreciation of the property. This is definitely for the fans of the graphic novel or the movie, but it also invites people to look at everything from a new lens.
Rating: Loved It
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is currently streaming on Netflix
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