As both a longtime fan of Bryan Lee O’Malley‘s Scott Pilgrim graphic novels and Edgar Wright’s 2010 film adaptation Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, I was equal parts thrilled and apprehensive when Netflix announced they were developing an anime series continuing the story of everyone’s favourite slacker musician from Toronto. After bingeing all eight Scott Pilgrim Takes Off episodes, the result is somewhat of a mixed bag that can’t live up to the high expectations set by its predecessors.
While the basic premise remains familiar—Scott finds himself in a battle against the seven evil exes of his new crush, mysterious American girl Ramona Flowers—the show tries to find clever ways to subvert expectations and keep the story fresh. While Scott starts things off in the same place we expect, the show manages to go in new directions in an attempt to have the characters grow in new and sometimes strange ways.
Before we go any further, I want to commend the show for how it handles Ramona, giving her new depth and agency and making her a much more interesting character in 2023. While the evil exes are all here and relatively the same, the show explores them and gives them more depth.
Also, taking the time to tackle the story over eight episodes gives the show the time it needs to delve into the source material and introduce new concepts that only add to the world of Scott Pilgrim. However, this time wasn’t always used to its full potential, with some episodes feeling like filler. I will say that the fight scenes are fast-paced and kinetic, with stunning animation from the acclaimed anime studio Science Saru.
I am also amazed that the studio has found a way to blend anime tropes with Bryan Lee O’Malley’s signature artistic flair, which works very well visually. The show manages to be a visual spectacle even when the story elements do not come together. It is just a shame the rest of the concepts did not come together as well as they could have. With the longer running time that the series allows, some episodes felt padded and did little to advance the story.
When not knee-deep in action, scenes tend to go on a bit too long, with some sections feeling more like an extended gag, doing little to really move things forward. This may work for some people, but due to how these elements needed to work for the new ideas and characters to flow together, these moments felt like wasted potential.
Staying true to its graphic novel roots, the show is bursting with video game references, cheeky gags, and pop culture Easter eggs. If you love callbacks, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has you covered, trying to bring back winning concepts that worked in the early 2000s, but some of them can fall a bit flat to new viewers. The entire cast of the film reprise their roles, bringing these beloved characters vividly to life. Michael Cera is once again perfect as the lovably aloof Scott, while Mary Elizabeth Winstead imbues Ramona with the right mix of mystery and charm.
The real problem with Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is that it wants to be new while at the same time drawing on the “greatest hits” of previous installments. It feels like the creators are grasping at straws, trying to push Bryan Lee O’Malley’s world and characters into new territory, and sometimes it works, and other times it feels like pandering to an audience that has long since moved on.
Keeping the original slacker spirit found in the comic, the show demonstrates a surprising emotional maturity. Past characters reappear in unexpected ways, and Scott must face the consequences of choices he’s made over the years. His relationships feel more nuanced and grounded in reality while still retaining the quirky humour that makes Scott Pilgrim so endearing. I always felt some beats did not work well in the source material, and with Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, they finally took the time to make the world and characters make sense beyond gags and nerd culture.
“Scott Pilgrim Takes Off retains the punk rock energy, visual inventiveness, and winning humour that has made this franchise so beloved over the years.”
As I mentioned above, my biggest issue was that the show relies too heavily on references to past installments rather than standing entirely on its own. The nods to the graphic novels, movies, and video games act as a crutch that holds it back from exploring the potential of its new world.
They had all the structure that could have rewarded longtime fans while welcoming newcomers to the wild world of Scott Pilgrim but ended up alienating everyone in the process. There is a lot of potential in the universe of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, but by trying to straddle the line, it ends up feeling like a rehash in new skin rather than something new and fresh, worthy of the franchise.
If that were not enough, the voice work, while primarily strong, had some segments and exchanges that felt incredibly stilted. It is hard to say if this was intentional or just a result of how the voice recordings were mixed, but some felt unnatural, with awkward pauses and odd back and forth that took me out of the story. Fortunately, these sections were not constant, so it does not detract from the overall experience.
With a runtime of just over 5 hours, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is one of Netflix’s shorter original anime series. And while it packs a ton of story, action, and laughs into those eight brisk episodes, it never feels cohesive. While it does not work for me, at least Scott’s latest adventure remains tight, action-packed, and highly rewatchable if you don’t think about it too hard.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off attempts to retain the punk rock energy, visual inventiveness, and winning humour that has made this franchise so beloved over the years but ultimately feels shallow. It had the chance to carve out its own unique place with new storylines and character development but is too stuck in the past to stick the landing. For this longtime fan, seeing Scott Pilgrim back in action was a joy, even if it could not live up to the expectations I had set.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Off demonstrates that this beloved fictional universe still has new stories to tell, and it is up to Netflix to explore these fully. This show has set the framework for new entries in the Scott Pilgrim universe, and if there is ever a season two, there is real potential to forge a new, exciting path. As it stands, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is a fun entry, with some stunning animation and new ideas, but it fails to live up to the true potential of the characters or world.
