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REVIEWS

• 

  Mykurr

  90/100
  Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and Leaves it to Everyone Else (Spoiler-Free Review)

  Scott Pilgrim Vs The World is my favorite movie of all time. Yeah, I don’t watch that many movies but I was just simply in love with the cast of asshole irredeemable characters and the whole unshameful nerdy fan service that felt like the most tasteful way to do it. Needless to say, I was hyped that we were getting an anime so my thoughts on this show are unabashedly biased. The short gist of it is simply that, if you loved the Edgar Wright movie, you’ll more or less like this one as it references very heavily on that and is basically written in the same tone and style. Honestly this barely functions as a review, this is really just my loose collection of thoughts as I’ll be referencing the movie a lot to highlight what this show does (Sorry for comic book readers but I haven’t read them so I can’t make much comparisons with them).

  There isn’t much I’m actually able to tell about the story without going into major spoilers, but by the end of episode 1, it already establishes how it differentiates itself from past media of the same name with a unique twist in how it adapts the story. Fans who expected a faithful reimagining of the beloved story in anime-form might be disappointed, but there’s much to appreciate in the bold new direction it went with how original events and backstories and recontextualised in a different narrative perspective, especially with how characters are further elevated in this interpretation. There are some issues towards the end where a certain conflict goes unexplained and also the epilogue feels like it tries a little too hard in giving everyone a happy ending, but it still felt like a solid conclusion nonetheless.

  Without spoiling much, this series essentially takes its time in really fleshing out the characters that originally didn’t have all that much screen time in the movie. Scott’s friends and Ramona’s evil exes were very fun in the Edgar Wright movie, but it was a shame that not many of the characters really got that much screen time and development which I’m glad this show really addresses with how many of the characters get their well deserved focus. My favorite particular standouts were Wallace and Lucas with how much of a gay gigachad Wallace was and how fun the anime presented Lucas as this goofball badass himbo just doing whatever he wants. Wish there was more for the twins Ramona dated and Knives really got the short end of the stick with how little she was focused compared to the movie. How this particular anime fleshes out its characters really drives home the message of even if people are nasty assholes, everyone is still trying to be better and it is a fruitful endeavor to do so.

  The presentation for this series is amazingly immaculate. These character designs are the perfect translation of the original comics and I assumed the simple designs really let the animators go real hard on the action be it fights, general movement and even stationary scenes. Ramona’s rollerblading, Lucas’s skateboarding, and all other manners of badass 2000s era traveling just looked amazing to look at paired with exemplary sound design that really sells how cool the overall vibe is. A personal highlight for me has to be Ramona vs Roxy fight where it was its most inventive in using different framings to portray the fight which also happened to be incredibly resonant with the narrative of their past history together. All of this coupled with Anamaguchi and Joseph Trapenese’s godlike soundtrack that feels very reminiscent to the movie’s soundtrack while also being unique in its own with adding a twist in being for animation. I am listening to the soundtrack right now on spotify as I write this.

  Scott Pilgrim: Takes Off is essentially the Eva Rebuilds/Final Fantasy VII Remake of its previous iterations. It disguises itself as what would otherwise be an updated version of a beloved classic and flips the script in turning into something that further elevates and exemplifies what makes the previous one so great by expanding on established ideas that were already done really well in the medium of animation that delivers what it can do most effectively in this format. Not everyone will be fond of this iteration in interpreting the Scott Pilgrim comics, but I very much welcome it as an interesting take of what is my favorite movie (I have only seen 27 movies).

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• 

  Wavieff

  90/100
  THE PILGRIMAGE REBORN!! (spoilers for ep one)

  spoilers for episode one below!

  ---

  **SCOTT PILGRIM IS DEAD.** That’s the end-of-episode twist for the pilot - our eponymous protagonist LOSES a fight we, as fans of the franchise, know he’s supposed to win. What turned into a potential animated recap of the story we know and love got turned on its head. Now, anything goes. Throughout Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, we bear witness to narrative upheavals that we could’ve only dreamt of, and, all the while, delve into each of Scott Pilgrim’s myriad of characters, revealing the hidden depth of each of them. But, as per the ush, I’m getting ahead of myself. Hi, I’m Javier, and I’m a BIG fan of Scott Pilgrim. It’s this quirky little Canadian comic that follows a loser dipshit named, well, Scott Pilgrim - a twenty-three-year-old directionless flunkie who’s currently dating a highschooler. We see that his life is pretty uneventful, living day by day, until he comes face to face with the girl of his dreams, both literally and metaphorically. And, in order to get with her, Scott has to defeat each of her ‘Evil Exes’, a Megaman-esque congregation of comically cocky douchebags, all with their strengths & weaknesses which Scott exploits in gamer-themed battles. To win the girl, you beat the bad - it’s a tale as old as time. So, when Scott Pilgrim Takes Off got announced, it was collectively assumed it would be another re-adaptation of this same material, a fun schlocky romp with sharp dialogue and nerdy humor extended to the length of six twenty-five minute episodes. There was always something missing with Wright’s 2010 movie adaptation of Scott Pilgrim; In spite of all its technical ingenuity, it lacked the visual cohesion with its comic book counterpart. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off would remedy that gap. And it did…while bridging many other gaps in the process. See, Scott Pilgrim isn’t what you would call ‘PC’. The age gap between Scott Pilgrim and his girlfriend, Knives Chau, is suspect, as well as many of the off-color jokes sandwiched between battles, or the implementation of the manic pixie dream girl, or the harem-esque tropes the author employed, thanks to his being a fan of Ranma 1/2 (No, I’m serious) - but it’s the out-and-out self-critique of these problematic traits that makes Scott Pilgrim such a force to be reckoned with. No one is necessarily a ‘good person’ in Scott Pilgrim, mirroring real life - we all bash heads with each other, crack snide remarks at inopportune moments, or forego communication in lieu of confrontational fear. It’s what makes us human. This was a huge huge huge part of the comics, and while it was touched upon in the movie, it was always a part that felt a little more light in its weight - the movie changed Scott Pilgrim from a fun story with emotional breadth to just a fun movie. There’s nothing inherently WRONG with that! Fun for fun’s sake is one of my favorite traits of anything, ever, but when you transform a story like that, it’s going to feel like that part is missing. Again, another gap that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off bridges. Let’s get back into that. By killing Scott Pilgrim, Takes Off has the opportunity to delve into unbridled territory, handing off the reins to the ‘Damsel’ instead of the ‘Knight’, allowing Ramona’s devil-may-care attitude to skate through the colorful world of Pilgrim and find the culprit who kill-napped her boyfriend-to-be. See, in this world, the characters aren’t so moustache-twirling. Instead, they’re characters with their own lives. Lucas Lee, the movie star, struggles to keep contracts afloat because he doesn’t read scripts…But insists on crashing and burning to the tune of “United States of Whatever”. Matthew Pattel, a “D-list theater kid”, topples another ex’s empire in a fight we didn’t expect him to win, either. That same ex, Gideon Graves, must find his self-image outside of finances or power. It’s equal parts goofy and grounded, PERFECT for a cartoon like this one, and it’s crazy just how many characters this story juggles without ever feeling crammed or heavy-handed. There are seven ‘evil exes’, six important side characters, a few background ones, two main leads, and a partridge in a friggin’ pear tree. I’m no good at math, but I’m good enough to realize that’s a LOT. > ADDENDUM: Solid nod to the myriad of LGBTQ+ rep in this one, it all felt so goddamn natural, and was so well-implemented without pointing fingers at itself, saying, “we’re doing the thing, guys! be proud of us!” > Queer culture has always been a little slice of Scott Pilgrim’s charm, so it was great not only seeing it represented, but represented front-and-center without an ounce of pretense. Good stuff. Wallace BEST CHARACTER. A while ago, I read some text on the back of an ACCA:13 Box: “SAVING THE WORLD. IN THEIR OWN TIME.” and I don’t think it could suit Takes Off any better. It takes all the time it needs to, while having a consistent sense of stakes, ramping up as each episode comes to a close. The plot follows the boss battle structure of the original, but instead of defeating them, Ramona takes the time to confront each of them on their personal issues, determining which ex could “kill-nap” Scott, and upon realizing each of them couldn’t’ve, resolves her past with each individual…To varying results. Throughout Takes Off, Ramona makes many off-handed remarks about Colombo, and the comparison is apt - a Colombo in a world of wackiness, suitors, and unresolved pasts, opposed to an out-and-out murder. Though there is that, too, in a way. Animation studio Science SARU, as expected, knocked it out of the park! This looks like the colorful spreads of the original comic given animated life, with extra expressiveness, rendering, and a heaping of visual gags so full that it bursts at the seams. Even from the production standpoint alone, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an essential work! You can go from a rollerblading scene to a character acting gag within split seconds of each other, and it never once feels unnatural. Even the video game transitions, parodying Super Mario Bros. and Pac-Man as the titles roll fit perfectly within this precious little world. Keeping with that, the sound design helps accentuate the video game feel of it all - the pacing, the boss battles, the side conversations and the little coin icons above character’s heads recalls classic arcade titles of days old, mirroring Wright’s adaptation in the smashes and bursts of true blast processing. But in some of the dubbing, you can tell things got lost in visual translation. However, a solid 95% of the time, it’s pretty damn seamless. You can tell some actors have more experience with voice acting than others, but the fact that each & every one came back to assume their original roles is nothing short of a miracle, let alone giving such passionate performances! God, what else to say…I think I’m gonna wrap up here. This shit is just everything I wanted it to be and more. I was doubtful, I was DAMN doubtful - This is coming from the kid who bought Scott’s shirts (and wore them!), who bought an X-Men First Class hoodie so I can pull the line on girls (“Clearly, one of us went to Xavier’s School For Gifted Youngsters”), who blasted the soundtrack on repeat, who carried around the hardcover in my bag for all of senior year, who arrogantly surmised all girls I interacted with were somehow into me (Good news! They weren’t). Oh, yeah, Scott Pilgrim ruined my life. But it also made it. I can look back on those times and laugh, man, laugh at how much of a nerd I was, but also realize I’m just like these dudes now. A twenty-something-year-old loser with a dream, a handful of friends, and a bone to pick with a world. A dude with a relationship, a complicated relationship, with a girl I’ll fight for the death for. In Scott Pilgrim, I can smell the stench of Mary Jane stems and hear Fugazi blaring in the background; I can see my friends and I shooting the shit, I can see my rampant brain pinballing these scenarios of what-ifs, of WISHING that I could ride my longboard on walls like Lucas Lee. For better or for worse, Scott Pilgrim is my life, man, my precious little loser life. And I fucking love it!
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• 

  heychrisfox

  74/100
  A Sequel, Not a Remake, of a Beloved Story.

  Who knew the title was literal? Not me, but it's a pleasant surprise. Scott Pilgrim, in all its forms, will always be eternal. But this is a fun sequel and rehash of what could have been if Scott Pilgrim wasn't itself. What if the series wasn't about wacky fights against evil exes? What if Scott Pilgrim, quite literally, took off?

  

  What if Scott wasn't such a butthole and philanderer? What if Ramona wasn't the manic pixie dream girl? What if everyone resolved their issues and lived happily ever after? Those are all fun questions, and the show results in some fun answers. The ability to ask those questions is fun, and allows the narrative to explore things about all the characters that can't get explored in an action movie setting, or in the framing of Scott as the penultimate protagonist. Scott Pilgrim vs The World is his story; Scott Pilgrim Takes off features Scott taking off, and leaving the story, allowing everyone else to shine. The set-up and framing of the series allows the series not to tread over already trodden ground, so it never feels like the show is being unoriginal or just going through the motions.

  

  Does that make the series good? That's harder to say. The reason Scott Pilgrim is good is because all those original facets were part of the core narrative. Scott is the hero, but he isn't a good person. Ramona is the heroine, and is also not a good person. Fighting isn't the right way to resolve emotional conflicts, but it's fun and exciting, and makes a streamlined narrative. The original narrative is awesome because it's murky, and has no clear resolutions, and the reality of having two not-great people trying to figure things out is far more compelling than a happy ending.

  Changing all the dials on the narrative makes something that is old into something that is novel again, but it also changes what made the original great and memorable. And it's fun to see. But the people who want those sorts of remakes are a smaller audience than the core, so the resulting changes will always result in something more niche. It's why this is distinctly a sequel, rather than a remake; if you haven't seen the original, the lack of the shows history will leave you confused at the pace and presentation.

  

  At very least, that presentation is a homerun. Everyone reprising their roles is STELLAR. You can really tell all the actors are having a good time. Studio Saru are a fantastic animation team, and really captured the comic book, blocky style of O'Malley while bringing their own flair to things. The sakuga scenes are beyond amazing, and blend perfectly with the naturally cartoony style of the source material.

  

  The show does drag a bit. Each of the episodes feel a bit clunky and like its dragging its heels with unnecessary dialogue that's filling time. It's usually fun, but you can definitely feel the slower pace compared to either the original film or the comics, which were much more intentioned. It's also VERY dialogue heavy, which is not something the graphic novel and film lingered on. O'Malley always prefers fun visual art over rambles, and Edgar Wright's version was known for its equally beautiful visual style and fast-paced, quippy dialogue and editing. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, by contrast, just seems a little bloated, like Scott himself, like it's still trying to be cooler than it has the energy for.

  

  But that's the core of it all, isn't it? The source material is very intentioned, but so is this weird deviation. This isn't trying to be the source, and it's not trying to be a remake. It's trying to be its own thing, and in that, it definitely succeeds. Only because it has such a fantastic pedigree is why such judgement comes into play. But how can you fault a good thing for being good simply because the things before it were great? Sometimes, things can just be neat.

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