Unraveling the Scott Pilgrim Anime Myth: Fact or Fiction?

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, a new animated series on Netflix, is based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic books. The 2010 film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, has gained a cult following worldwide. Fans were excited to see how the story would be adapted into an animated series, but some questioned its classification. Many netizens asked if Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is an anime. The answer is yes, as it is animated by Science SARU, a Japanese animation studio.

More about Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is clearly established as an anime series, evident from various sources of evidence. The streaming giant Netflix, which helmed the production, explicitly labeled it as an anime project. This initial categorization leaves no room for doubt.

However, upon examining the visual style of the show, it becomes apparent why fans may find themselves perplexed about its medium.

It deviates from the traditional art style commonly associated with anime. The collision between two characters is portrayed through particle effects that evoke the essence of the 1950s Pop Art movement. However, the character design, especially the hair, bears resemblance to the iconic style found in anime and manga. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Science SARU, the same studio behind Devilman Crybaby, Japan Sinks: 2020, and Kimi no Iro, animated this series.

The anime series is notable for being filmed entirely in Japanese, featuring renowned industry veterans as voice actors, including those who have previously starred in popular series like Demon Slayer and Haikyuu!!. These factors unequivocally establish the aforementioned show as a genuine anime series.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off main cast, staff, and streaming details

Scott Pilgrim and Ramona Flowers in the anime series (Image via Netflix)

Japanese cast

Here's a list of all the Japanese voice actors in the show and some of their notable previous projects:

Ramona Flowers - Fairouz Ai (Cujoh Jolyne in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures: Stone Ocean)

Scott Pilgrim - Hiro Shimono (Zenitsu Agatsuma in Demon Slayer)

Stephen Stills - Anri Katsu (Chota in Dorohedoro)

Knives Chau - Aoi Koga (Yamamoto in Blue Period)

Envy Adams - Kana Hanazawa (Mitsuri Kanroji in Demon Slayer)

Wallace Wells - Masaya Fukunishi (Draken in Tokyo Revengers)

Stacey Pilgrim - Misato Matsuoka (Anzu in Heavenly Delusion)

Lucas Lee - Yuichi Nakamura (Tetsuro Kuroo in Haikyuu!!)

English cast

The voice actors for the English dub are as follows:

Ramona Flowers - Mary Elizabeth Winstead

Scott Pilgrim - Michael Cera

Stephen Stills - Mark Allen Webber

Knives Chau - Ellen Wong

Envy Adams - Brie Larson

Wallace Wells - Kieran Culkin

Stacey Pilgrim - Anna Kendrick

Lucas Lee - Chris Evans

Staff

Besides having a well-known cast, the show also boasts the following members in its crew:

Director - Abel Gongora

Art Director - Takayuki Kotani

Chief Animation Director - Masamichi Ishiyama

Sound Director - Eriko Kimura

Editing - Abel Góngora, Keisuke Yanagi, and Moko-chan

Theme Song Performance - Necry Talkie

Streaming details

A still from the Scott Pilgrim anime series (image via Netflix)

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off can only be viewed on Netflix, as it is an exclusive Netflix original series. The series consists of 8 episodes, all of which have already been released.

It is important to note that the streaming of this series is not free. Fans who want to watch the anime will need to subscribe to Netflix's paid services.

Stay tuned for more anime and manga news as 2023 progresses.

Editor's P/S

As an anime fan, I was thrilled to hear about the release of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, an animated series based on the popular comic books by Bryan Lee O’Malley. The 2010 film, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, had gained a cult following worldwide, so I was excited to see how the story would be adapted into an animated series.

Upon watching the first episode, I was immediately struck by the unique visual style of the show. It deviated from the traditional art style commonly associated with anime, with its use of particle effects and a more realistic character design. However, the character design, especially the hair, still bore resemblance to the iconic style found in anime and manga. Overall, I found the visual style to be a refreshing take on the anime genre, and it helped to create a distinct identity for the show.