Animation Domination: Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off follows the adventures of Scott Pilgrim, a couch potato from Canada as he seeks to date a girl he saw in his dreams, Romona Flowers. While the first episode is mostly a genuine recreation of the first Scott Pilgrim book by Brian Lee O’Malley, it ends in a way that sets the series off in an entirely new direction. For the uninitiated, the original comic series followed an epidotic pattern that saw Scott fighting each one of Ramona’s evil exes across each book. Because of the way the first episode of this new series ends, that formula is practically thrown away, opting to focus more so on the lives and backgrounds of Ramona’s exes while also putting Ramona in a role that gives her a lot more nuance and agency.

A lot of people watching this series may also be familiar with the Edgar Wright film Scott Pilgrim vs The World which served as the live action adaptation of the original comic series, following the original concept in a more, by-the-numbers format. Fans of either the comics or that film will be able to jump into this with a ton of familiarity, as well as find that point of divergence immediately. Additionally, most of the voice cast from the film return here. Because of this, this version of Scott Pilgrim truly comes across as a spiritual successor to any prior form of entry to this franchise.

For the completely uninitiated, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is still a completely manageable entry point to the franchise, retelling the original story in a way that requires no prior knowledge. That being said, the series does have a lot of jokes and nuanced segments that are directly meant to appeal to those who are familiar with the brand, opting to reward those who are returning fans. While your mileage may vary, it is important to know that this series is trying to be a lot of things and manages to excel in most of those endeavors.

The series’ animation is directly inspired by O’Malley’s original art, capturing the nuance of the book in a way that many would argue the Edgar Wright film was unable to do. This manga inspired art style pairs well with the type of humor used throughout the series, creating a fully realized take on the original concept like it’s never been done before. This art direction’s hand drawn nature also adds a level of authenticity that will make viewers miss the days where animation felt more alive.

The tone of this series is also most immediately a carryover from the source material, which makes sense seeing as though it was co-written by O’Malley himself. This level of comedy, over-the-top action, and science fiction concepts will definitely lend well to a very specific audience group, and mileage definitely will vary. This tone takes a lot of inspiration from the series’ anime influence, which also will dictate if this is the kind of show you would prefer to watch.

One aspect of this series that may be hard for new audiences to grasp is the idea of the unconscious mindscapes that Ramona travels through. This highly unexplained concept is very important to the overall narrative of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off more so than the source material and is also very indicative of the kind of storytelling that one would be getting into by diving into this series. It’s a concept that is explained briefly, requiring audiences to accept it at face value rather than offering a higher form of explanation. Much like the other insane concepts that arise throughout the narrative, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off expects you to just accept it as is to move on. This may appeal to some more than others; however, it also may be a major point of contention to those new to the series as a whole.