Scott Pilgrim Takes Off Review: Not A Remake, But A Remix (And An Improvement)
"Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is not a remake of the 2010 Edgar Wright movie, or just another adaptation of the Bryan Lee O'Malley comic. Instead, this anime takes the same approach as the "Rebuild of Evangelion" movies, taking everything beloved and great about the source material and remixing it into an original tale that comments on, interrogates, and ultimately improves on the original. This is not the story you knew, and it is better for it.
Like the first of the "Evangelion" movies, "You Are (Not) Alone," the show starts out with an almost shot-for-shot recreation of the first volume of the comic, up until Scott's first fight with one of Ramona's evil exes. Except here, Scott loses the fight and all hell breaks loose. From there, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" tells an original story that diverges from the original timeline of the story — and there is a very good reason for it. Don't worry, though: the show still follows the basic beats of the source material, with each episode focusing on a new member of the League of Evil Exes.
As the anime moves away from Scott's original tournament arc, it gives the spotlight to other characters that the film and comic book kind of underserved — particularly the female characters. Thanks to creators BenDavid Grabinski and O'Malley himself, Ramona essentially becomes the protagonist of "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off." She is not just a manic pixie dream girl here, but someone with nuance and a character arc. Even Knives gets to shine and become her own character.
A stylized adaptation
Through Ramona, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" interrogates its source material's (and therefore, the movie's) portrayal of relationships and exes as not something to fight and ignore, but to acknowledge and accept. Like the "Rebuild of Evangelion" movies, the anime interrogates its source material and seemingly takes into consideration some of the criticisms against it. No, this isn't about Ramona delivering Netflix DVDs rather than working for Amazon, but about her character.
Ramona has made mistakes, and rather than burying it until it comes back to kick someone (else) in the face, she confronts her past and learns to take responsibility. Even the exes are no longer cartoonish villains with different powers, but actual people with their own motivations and arcs of letting go and moving on.
Studio Science SARU already delivered one of the best anime of the past decade with the bleak and rather grotesque yet profound "Devilman Crybaby," and they don't disappoint here. Director Abel Góngora (who made the incredible opening sequence for "Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken") and his team create a great blending of Eastern and Western aesthetics, with a vibrant palette and kinetic action scenes. The result is one of the most unique-looking anime this side of "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" and "Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt."
A unique experiment
Outside of diverging from the original story, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" updates some of the more dated aspects of the original, removing problematic jokes and portrayals. Other than that, however, the humor remains just as sharp as in the comic and the film. The best example of this is a standout episode that is one big meta joke about the 2010 film that also serves as commentary on adaptations in general.
Of course, a big draw of the anime is that the entire cast of Edgar Wright's "Scott Pilgrim" movie is returning to voice their characters again. Completely unsurprisingly, the cast remains fantastic. They bring the same enthusiasm and charm that made the movie so good while also building on the script to add more layers to their characters.
Just like Hideaki Anno's masterpiece, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is ultimately a big journey of self-acceptance and discovery — the final fight even takes place in an empty void reminiscent of the "End of Evangelion" beach.
"Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is not just a great anime, but one that shows the promise of streaming services in delivering global productions that put together different aesthetics and talents. It is also a fantastic adaptation that proves you can do more than just remake the same thing in a different medium.
/Film Rating: 9 out of 10
"Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" is now streaming on Netflix.