The influence of Western entertainment on the Japanese anime and manga world is not working in favor of the industry. This was recently proven by a preview shared by Adult Swim for the upcoming anime series based on the popular adult animated science fiction sitcom by Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon, Rick and Morty.
The series is called Rick and Morty: The Anime, and they have already released a few short films, which gives fans an idea of what the narrative of the anime series will focus on. The anime series was created and developed by Takashi Sano, who is known for Tower of God. While the original series is quite popular among fans, the anime might not get the same reception.
Anime fans are not at all happy with the overall structure of Rick and Morty: The Anime. The animation is not up to par, and even the story does not look as intriguing as fans initially thought. However, all this was already predicted by the editor of the Vinland Saga, Akira Kanai.
Anime Fans Express Their Disappointment With Rick and Morty: The Anime
The popular American adult-oriented television programming block Adult Swim recently hinted at the upcoming release of Rick and Morty: The Anime series by sharing a preview on YouTube. Although the preview did not focus on the protagonists, Rick and Morty, it showed the rest of the Smith family getting into a gang war with a group of villains.
However, the preview may not be well received by anime fans as the quality of the animation does not look great. Also, no release date was confirmed by Adult Swim.
As soon as the preview was shared, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their disappointment about the upcoming anime series. Some even went to the lengths of calling Rick and Morty: The Anime an abomination.
At this point, the term "anime" needs to be legally restricted. This is an abomination. pic.twitter.com/gAzllsFlhP
— Scratch Point (@Scratch_Point_Z) June 23, 2024
I’m not even a Rick and Morty hater but this could make me one
— Green Lantern DCU Updates (@LanternUpdates) June 23, 2024
I was excited for this, but I’m so sorry… this looks like ass 😭
— Joe (@hzjoe03) June 23, 2024
Jesus you know how hard this would of gone if they had Bones doing the animation and leaning more towards Mob Psycho 100 art style pic.twitter.com/wWffiiNZ6N
— Lee (@FilmItLee) June 23, 2024
This look so ass 💔 pic.twitter.com/32FvQBvy9r
— ETIRE (@Etireed) June 23, 2024
Adding "THE ANIME" doesn't somehow automatically make your show an anime
— Kangmin Lee | 이강민 (@kangminjlee) June 24, 2024
Although the central theme of the anime series is pretty clear, the creators might have to work a lot on the storyline, plots, twists, etc. If they want to make a successful series. However, looking at the animation, there is very little hope for the series.
Akira Kanai Already Predicted The Fall
While the disappointment with Rick and Morty: The Anime is understood, it doesn’t come as a shock to the fans. This is because anime series that are heavily influenced by Western culture are not as appealing as others. And this was already understood by the Editor-in-Chief of Kodansha’s Weekly Afternoon manga magazine, Akira Kanai.
In an interview with Manga Passion, Kanai once stated:
I don’t allow myself to be influenced by so-called political correctness abroad and design the works accordingly. I think that if it’s interesting, it will usually be understood, regardless of whether you come from Africa, Chile or Greenland. I’ve never made a big deal of it so far.
The editor of Vinland Saga pointed out that he does not let political accuracy from abroad affect his work.
He explained that the main component that fans want is for the series to be interesting in all aspects, and as long as fans enjoy the series, they don’t care much about other aspects.
You can watch Rick and Morty on Hulu and Adult Swim.
