What franchises do you want to get the Netflix anime treatment?

[Fabulously Olivier]

While video game adaptations are a mixed bag even now, their quality is certainly improving. Mindblowing adaptations like Castlevania and Arcane aren't just good video game shows - they're good tv in general. And even on the less ambitious end, we have shows like DotA Dragon's Blood and the Witcher animes that are totally worth one's time as a video game enthusiast.

 

So what should be next? What video games have both the story and the budget to throw at this sort of thing and give us the next Arcane?

Edited January 12, 2022 by Fabulously Olivier

[vanguard333]

I don't know if this would have the budget, but I would be interested in seeing a Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance anime. Path of Radiance, out of all the current FE games, probably has the easiest story to convert to an anime format, and it's one of the best FE stories anyway.

[Fabulously Olivier]

Mass Effect is already potentially getting an Amazon Prime series, so I'll take that one off my list.

 

I would love a Trails series, since it has the story in spades. What it lacks is, unfortunately, the budget.

 

Final Fantasy is one of those that just makes too much sense. Square loves their movies, and a series would actually give their stories the room to breathe that the movies don't.

[AnonymousSpeed]

Whatever would cause the most suffering for others.

[ciphertul]

After the fantastic job they did with Komi, I would love to see Hitomi is shy with strangers.

In terms of games… .Hack, while Signs was good I don’t think Legend of the Twilight and Roots did well. I think it would be great to get more fans into the series too.

[Use the Falchion]

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, so long as they give it enough time, money, resources, and seasons. The first three I'm sure Netflix can give. The last one...yeah, I'm not sure I trust them with that. 

 

5 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance anime. Path of Radiance, out of all the current FE games, probably has the easiest story to convert to an anime format, and it's one of the best FE stories anyway.

Definitely not disagreeing about the story quality, but I always felt like Three Houses would be one of the easiest ones to adapt. It has all of the anime tropes within the gameplay mechanics or story missions and supports, a neat twist, a nice amount of spin-off material (different paths, alternate storylines, and the Ashen Wolves), and some good themes. 

 

EDIT: You mean video game adaptations and not just all adaptations, my bad. Video games...honestly, I think I'd prefer Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic remade as a television show than I would the game itself being remade. That being said, I'm looking forward to the remake, but I do think a show would have been a better format. 

Edited January 12, 2022 by Use the Falchion

[Zapp Branniglenn]

Specifically an anime art style? Well my dream is a Star Fox series. And Star Fox was a 15 minute OVA (Better than the game it's marketing!). But my idealised Star Fox is made by the Jim Henson company. You heard me. Muppets. And it'd be easy to produce. Muppets in front of a green screen, cockpit backdrop, space battles play out with toy arwings being manipulated in front of a camera, and yes of course there would be singing. Star Fox's literal genre is 'Space Opera' goddamnit.

I'm not very knowledgeable about animation studios and who works at Netflix, but I am very excited at the prospect of the Castlevania writer tackling Devil May Cry. The in-universe Devil May Cry business lends itself so well to television (literally having a monster of the week!). And Castlevania has already nailed the gratuitous violence, overpowered main characters who don't work well together, and sex scenes. Oh yeah. You just know that Dante fucks.

[Fabulously Olivier]

1 hour ago, Use the Falchion said:

The Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson, so long as they give it enough time, money, resources, and seasons. The first three I'm sure Netflix can give. The last one...yeah, I'm not sure I trust them with that. 

 

Definitely not disagreeing about the story quality, but I always felt like Three Houses would be one of the easiest ones to adapt. It has all of the anime tropes within the gameplay mechanics or story missions and supports, a neat twist, a nice amount of spin-off material (different paths, alternate storylines, and the Ashen Wolves), and some good themes. 

 

EDIT: You mean video game adaptations and not just all adaptations, my bad. Video games...honestly, I think I'd prefer Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic remade as a television show than I would the game itself being remade. That being said, I'm looking forward to the remake, but I do think a show would have been a better format. 

I praise your good taste on Stormlight. It is the best fantasy series ever made. But yes, this is in regards to video games only. 

 

If anything, I'd say 3H's overambitious story and multiple paths would make it one of the hardest to adapt, and by a lot.

[vanguard333]

1 hour ago, Use the Falchion said:

Definitely not disagreeing about the story quality, but I always felt like Three Houses would be one of the easiest ones to adapt. It has all of the anime tropes within the gameplay mechanics or story missions and supports, a neat twist, a nice amount of spin-off material (different paths, alternate storylines, and the Ashen Wolves), and some good themes. 

Three Houses would be one of the hardest to adapt thanks to that very "spin-off material"; at least four different storylines would have to be adapted. Path of Radiance, by contrast, is one straightforward narrative.

 

41 minutes ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

If anything, I'd say 3H's overambitious story and multiple paths would make it one of the hardest to adapt, and by a lot.

Exactly. The only FE game that I can think of that comes close in terms of being difficult to adapt would be Fates. It would be slightly easier in having to adapt three routes instead of four, but it would also have the problem of trying to adapt three extremely terrible narratives.

[Yexin]

well, the Trails series is already getting an anime adaptation (although partial), i'm torn between Xenoblade and Kingdom Hearts

Xenoblade is already good in its narrative department, but it would most likely see some cuts here and there

Kingdom Hearts is a completely different beast, and i would honestly don't know how anyone could make anything comprehensible for someone who's not been into the series for years

[Lord_Brand]

Not Netflix per se as my family doesn't support that channel anymore, but for a similar service I'd love to see a Zelda animated series. I have my own Zelda story that would adapt to an animated series pretty well.

The basic premise is that Link, Zelda, and Impa are a trio on a quest for the eight pieces of the Triforce of Wisdom. Guided by Zelda's visions and ability to sense when the pieces are near, their journey takes them to the far corners of Hyrule, during which they meet many friendly faces and fight many formidable foes. Meanwhile, a sinister advisor to the King seeks the Triforce for himself, setting in motion many schemes from within the walls of Hyrule Castle. He's convinced the King that Zelda has been kidnapped, leading to a kingdom-wide hunt for the princess that forces Zelda to conceal her true name and status, adopting the alias of a commoner named "Lia".

A big part of the fun is seeing how our heroes get from place to place and what kinds of colorful characters they encounter along the way. An early example involves them seeking horses from Lon Lon Ranch to expedite their travels across the vast kingdom, only to learn the ranch has been having problems that our heroes must help resolve if they hope to purchase some steeds.

Naturally, there are lots of puzzles to solve, monsters to battle, and treasures for our heroes to find. The show adapts as many Zelda tropes as possible. Lots of familiar faces are featured, though there are of course plenty of new ones too.

[vanguard333]

1 minute ago, Lord_Brand said:

Not Netflix per se as my family doesn't support that channel anymore, but for a similar service I'd love to see a Zelda animated series. I have my own Zelda story that would adapt to an animated series pretty well.

There's another reason to not see Zelda get the Netflix anime treatment: Netflix apparently had a contract with Nintendo for making a live-action Zelda only for them to break the contract and predictably upset Nintendo into stopping the project, because of course Nintendo would do that. I honestly don't understand Netflix's thought process: "Yes; let's break the contract we have with a company that's famously hesitant about adaptations of their work being made because the last times they allowed it were complete garbage; that definitely won't anger them into cancelling the project."

Honestly, when I heard about this story, the only thing that surprised me was seeing all the commenters be upset at Nintendo for cancelling the project instead of being upset at Netflix for being idiotic.

 

Anyway, a Zelda anime would be really cool.

[Lord_Brand]

Not gonna lie, I'm kinda relieved that the live action series got cancelled, because I hate when more cartoony-looking series get stuck with live action adaptations. I much prefer a series that looks animated to stay animated.

This is what I want Link to look like in a TV series:

Or something like this, an animated cutscene in an actual Zelda game:

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Lord_Brand

[AnonymousSpeed]

3 hours ago, Zapp Branniglenn said:

But my idealised Star Fox is made by the Jim Henson company. You heard me. Muppets.

I actually like this idea a lot. I would prefer it not be made by Netflix, but this idea is actually great. It should be a YouTube series.

21 minutes ago, Lord_Brand said:

Not Netflix per se as my family doesn't support that channel anymore, but for a similar service I'd love to see a Zelda animated series.

Which is a good financial decision raises the question: What is "the netflix anime treatment"?

14 minutes ago, vanguard333 said:

Yes; let's break the contract we have with a company that's famously hesitant about adaptations of their work being made because the last times they allowed it were complete garbage; that definitely won't anger them into cancelling the project."

Ah yes, what a Netflix moment. If you have an article I'd like having it for reference.

[vanguard333]

19 minutes ago, AnonymousSpeed said:

Ah yes, what a Netflix moment. If you have an article I'd like having it for reference.

Unfortunately, I don't have an article; it's been long enough that I forgot/can't find where I saw it, even after searching for it. If I could find it, I'd gladly show the article.

 

@Lord_Brand I agree; I'd greatly prefer an animated Zelda over a live-action Zelda, and I'm glad the live-action series was cancelled.

Edited January 13, 2022 by vanguard333

[Use the Falchion]

4 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

If anything, I'd say 3H's overambitious story and multiple paths would make it one of the hardest to adapt, and by a lot.

I always saw it as easier since if a more...controversial route is taken. In my mind, the easiest and most comprehensive way would be to combine VW and AM into one route and have Byleth be two separate characters in order to follow both stories. VW and SS cover much of the same ground anyways. So long as Seteth is given a larger SS role and Rhea is fought after Edelgard is defeated but before Nemesis, then it would be fine. Characters from the BE class can then leave and join either class without having to die, and both the main storyline of Claude and Dimitri can be combined into one. (This also works as a bit of fanservice as well, since I've seen several people wish that Claude could have saved Dimitri after Gronder Field in VW, or that Claude joined Dimitri for the final battles on AM.) 

Dimitri steps out of the spotlight for Claude to take up the final arc with Nemesis, and then everything wraps up. 

Edelgard gets her own OVA/Movie or two exploring the Crimson Flower path, and then the creators can come up with a movie a year for other ideas and paths. (I.e. Edelgard and Rhea teaming up, with Claude as the Big Bad, or Byleth joining TWSITD, and Claude, Rhea, and Dimitri teaming up, or myriad of other combinations.)

 

3 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

one of the hardest to adapt thanks to that very "spin-off material"; at least four different storylines would have to be adapted. Path of Radiance, by contrast, is one straightforward narrative.

But the school setting and anime one-shot episode storyline for the first half would be a great way to draw people in. For most FE games, the viewer has to buy into the fantasy war setting. For Three Houses, it's the fantasy school setting they need to buy into at first, and then the war happens later. Viewers are eased into things. 

[Fabulously Olivier]

5 minutes ago, Use the Falchion said:

I always saw it as easier since if a more...controversial route is taken. In my mind, the easiest and most comprehensive way would be to combine VW and AM into one route and have Byleth be two separate characters in order to follow both stories. VW and SS cover much of the same ground anyways. So long as Seteth is given a larger SS role and Rhea is fought after Edelgard is defeated but before Nemesis, then it would be fine. Characters from the BE class can then leave and join either class without having to die, and both the main storyline of Claude and Dimitri can be combined into one. (This also works as a bit of fanservice as well, since I've seen several people wish that Claude could have saved Dimitri after Gronder Field in VW, or that Claude joined Dimitri for the final battles on AM.) 

Dimitri steps out of the spotlight for Claude to take up the final arc with Nemesis, and then everything wraps up. 

Edelgard gets her own OVA/Movie or two exploring the Crimson Flower path, and then the creators can come up with a movie a year for other ideas and paths. (I.e. Edelgard and Rhea teaming up, with Claude as the Big Bad, or Byleth joining TWSITD, and Claude, Rhea, and Dimitri teaming up, or myriad of other combinations.)

 

But the school setting and anime one-shot episode storyline for the first half would be a great way to draw people in. For most FE games, the viewer has to buy into the fantasy war setting. For Three Houses, it's the fantasy school setting they need to buy into at first, and then the war happens later. Viewers are eased into things. 

Why would a fantasy school be any more mainstream than a fantasy war? If anything, school/slice of life is niche in its own right and stands to potentially turn away as many as it attracts.

 

Also, your combined route essentially changes the source material, and explicitly de-canonizes the route that most players picked. Other more straight forward FE series don't have that problem.

[vanguard333]

12 minutes ago, Use the Falchion said:

But the school setting and anime one-shot episode storyline for the first half would be a great way to draw people in. For most FE games, the viewer has to buy into the fantasy war setting. For Three Houses, it's the fantasy school setting they need to buy into at first, and then the war happens later. Viewers are eased into things. 

Path of Radiance also eases the audience into things: the prologue & first three chapters are about Ike becoming part of the mercenary company and the company taking on various jobs. The war doesn't start until chapter 4. Something like combining prologue & chapter 1 together and chapters 2 & 3 together for two episodes total, with the second episode ending on Soren fleeing the Crimean capital, would easily be enough to ease audiences in.

Also, how is a fantasy military school setting easier to take in than a fantasy war setting?

[Use the Falchion]

2 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

Why would a fantasy school be any more mainstream than a fantasy war? If anything, school/slice of life is niche in its own right and stands to potentially turn away as many as it attracts.

Harry Potter, a fantasy school setting, is the single most popular and bestselling book series in the world, and that's NOT an exaggeration. My Hero Academia is one of the - if not the - most popular new age Shonen out there. Percy Jackson is built around summer camp settings with students going around missions. I can quote more popular school settings, and a few more fantasy school settings if you want. But the point remains the same - the fantasy school genre is fine, and it's a selling point, not a hinderance. 

But the reason to lean into this aspect is to attract people, at least early on. The War stuff will attract those who are into fantasy war stuff, but the goal early on should be to expand the audience, and a fantasy school setting can do so.

 

 

2 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

Also, your combined route essentially changes the source material, and explicitly de-canonizes the route that most players picked.

Crimson Flower was chosen as the route left out because:

1. It has the least number of levels in-game, which means less to adapt overall when you want to adapt as much as possible in a streamlined way. (No Gronder Field with her.) 

2. The least number of characters recruitable, which means a smaller cast and fewer cast interactions (great for streamling for time purposes, bad if you want to fill time and having a longer overall series) 

3.A less Lords-focused view of events and things.* 

4. Painting Edelgard as a tragic villain is far more interesting overall, at least to me. (You would do this different, if at all, and that's totally fine! I welcome the differences!) 

5. It makes sense to me, at least by sheer number of routes in the game - Edelgard is the main antagonist for three of the four routes. 

Instead, Edelgard can get an OVA or movie or two that can be dark, character-focused, and end with her and Byleth (either Byleth. Or both. I don't really care) getting together. Through this lens, Dimitri is now the tragic one because not only is he being fooled, but he is fighting someone who doesn't even carry the same level of emotion towards them as he does. It's dramatic irony. 

 

About Canon:

By sheer existence of the adaptation, someone is going to be offended because their choice wasn't made. If Byleth doesn't marry Shamir, or Marianne, or Edelgard, or Claude, or Dimitri or Hilda or Mercedes or Dedue, or any of the other characters Byleth can marry, someone will get mad about it. (Fans of Ike and Soren/Lethe/Elincia/Ranulf/etc would similarly be hurt by whatever ending PoR and RD choose if it's not the one THEY chose.) If ABC character isn't in XYZ class, someone is going to get mad about it. By choosing to adapt the game, someone is going to be ticked off. By adapting 2/3 routes into one, you can hit the most story beats in one go. 

In terms of canonicity, I disagree. In Fates, Birthright is as canon as Conquest, which is as canon as Revelation. In Three Houses, Verdant Wind is as canon as Azure Moon, which is as canon as Silver Snow and Crimson Flower. The three main routes would all eventually be adapted, and whichever the viewer chooses to believe is canon, is canon to them. 

And I understand the idea that players' routes or choices being "decanonized" is a terrible one - I'm afraid that if that Mass Effect and it follows the games show gets made, Liara will be the official love interest when I've never romanced her and never intend to. (Tali for M!Shep or Miranda on rare occasions, and Garrus all the way for Fem!Shep.) But what the show does or doesn't do has absolutely no impact on my gameplay choices or what I or many other players consider canon. THIS HOLDS TRUE TO ALL ADAPTATIONS. The show is its own adaptation and its own thing. If I don't like the changes, I have my game still. For those who watched the show first and play the game later, they'll get to experience two different yet similar stories. 

So, yeah. De-canonizing things only comes into play if one thing is officially recognized as canon over the other, like the Disney Star Wars stuff being canon while the old Star Wars stuff is now "Legends" and non-canon. Or in the case of most sequels, where one thing must be made canon for the series or story to continue. But this adaptation is neither of those things. Having a Superman & Lois show coming out now (yes, I know I'm mixing companies and examples) doesn't de-canonize Man of Steel or the 2000's show Smaillville or the '90s Lois & Clark show. Square Enix's Avengers game doesn't de-canonize the MCU Avengers or even Insomniac's Spider-Man. One doesn't affect the other outside of being a different adaptation of the same core characters, story, and material. 

TL;DR - No show is "de-canonizing" anything, unless you view the adaptation as the ultimate source of canonicity; and any alteration or change or distinction (which ALL adaptations possess) between the show and the original source material means that one devalues the other. But that view is a faulty and limiting view of entertainment and adaptations IMO, and a pervasive and dangerous mindset to have. 

 

2 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

Path of Radiance also eases the audience into things: the prologue & first three chapters are about Ike becoming part of the mercenary company and the company taking on various jobs. The war doesn't start until chapter 4. Something like combining prologue & chapter 1 together and chapters 2 & 3 together for two episodes total, with the second episode ending on Soren fleeing the Crimean capital, would easily be enough to ease audiences in.

Also, how is a fantasy military school setting easier to take in than a fantasy war setting?

There's a big difference between the 5-10 hours it takes to get to Chapter 4, if that long at all versus the 30-40 hours it can take to get to the War Arc in Three Houses. In terms of game-time, at least. For promotional material and all intents and purposes, outside of those introductory episodes - which, mind you, aren't always accurate to how the rest of the show will play out - the show is about a fantasy war. 

The above isn't bad if you're a fan of the genre, but adaptations are always trying to reach new audiences, which means appealing to things that the core audience may not entirely agree with - this is partially why the MCU movies are as successful as they are, because they reach audiences beyond the core comic-book audience. 

Also, emphasis on school in military school for an adaptation. You've got saunas, classroom shenanigans, beach episodes (conveniently set after the Flayn/Seteth Paralogue), cooking stuff, and support conversations being adapted.

Think of it like Harry Potter or even My Hero Academia - both started relatively light and pretty consequence-free. There was a larger world, but the characters and viewers didn't have to worry about it too much. The darker stuff was mixed into the school stuff. But as we got to know the characters and as the characters grew, their relationship to the world deepened, and the world itself advanced. Halfway through Harry Potter and a little more than halfway through MHA, things changed, and now the sociopolitical conflicts are at the forefront of the story. Now, had viewers jumped right into this, they would have been scared off, claiming it to be too dark or not the genre they were originally sold; but because viewers were eased into these changes and grew attached to the characters, the viewers stick around. 

TL;DR - A fantasy war story is good for fans of that fantasy war genre, but I think a Three Houses adaptation could reach a larger audience than just the fantasy war people. Fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, or those who have MHA as their first foray into the manga/anime world could turn into a fantasy school setting a lot easier than something else. 

 

 

*In Crimson Flower, Edelgard has very little attachment to Dimitri or Claude, outside of Dimitri's final moments and understanding the subtext of Claude's agreement. However, in AM, you get a lot more detail about Edelgard in relation to Dimitri which adds emotional stakes and depth. Claude gets sort of the short end of the stick, but it could still be something akin to the game, where it's more along the lines of "we want the same thing, but you don't trust me to achieve it." Once again Edelgard is layered with a sense of tragedy, which makes viewer want to see her victory, which would excite viewers for the OVA/movie

 

Edited January 13, 2022 by Use the Falchion

[Lord_Brand]

If you're gonna adapt Fire Emblem into a full-blown anime, why not go back to where it all began - the original story featuring Marth? I know they made an OVA back in the day, but it never got very far.

[Fabulously Olivier]

1 hour ago, Lord_Brand said:

If you're gonna adapt Fire Emblem into a full-blown anime, why not go back to where it all began - the original story featuring Marth? I know they made an OVA back in the day, but it never got very far.

Because a series should put its best foot forward and adapt one of its best stories, not one of its weakest/most basic. Simple as that. 

 

Plus, Marth's games have approximately zero western appeal.

Edited January 13, 2022 by Fabulously Olivier

[vanguard333]

5 hours ago, Lord_Brand said:

If you're gonna adapt Fire Emblem into a full-blown anime, why not go back to where it all began - the original story featuring Marth? I know they made an OVA back in the day, but it never got very far.

The plot of the first game is very barebones, so a lot of work would have to be done to flesh it out. Path of Radiance already has that flesh.

Also, there already was an anime that adapted the story of Marth; it lasted two episodes before getting cancelled because of the animation studio running out of money.

[Lord_Brand]

8 hours ago, Fabulously Olivier said:

Because a series should put its best foot forward and adapt one of its best stories, not one of its weakest/most basic. Simple as that. 

 

4 hours ago, vanguard333 said:

The plot of the first game is very barebones, so a lot of work would have to be done to flesh it out. Path of Radiance already has that flesh.

Also, there already was an anime that adapted the story of Marth; it lasted two episodes before getting cancelled because of the animation studio running out of money.

So, you want to adapt a game where a lot of the story is already written and known, thereby repeating what the game already did, versus one where you have the freedom to expand on the characters and plot considerably?

[Fabulously Olivier]

2 minutes ago, Lord_Brand said:

 

So, you want to adapt a game where a lot of the story is already written and known, thereby repeating what the game already did, versus one where you have the freedom to expand on the characters and plot considerably?

Yes, I want an adaptation of source material that is excellent and contains themes likely to resonate with a larger audience, versus one where massive interpretation has to be done to make it even salvageable.

 

You do Shadow Dragon/New Mystery and you have 3 outcomes:

1) Not enough is done to the source material, and you get a faithful remake ala Shadow Dragon. The adaptation is poorly received because the source material isn't strong. The show is canceled and better adaptations don't happen (this is what almost happened to the franchise itself!)

2) The source material is altered and the changes made are not well received. The show is seen as an unfaithful remake. It is canceled and better adaptations don't happen. This is what happens to MOST adaptations that liberally abuse their source material.

3) The source material is altered and the changes are generally well received (ala Shadows of Valentia). This is the only positive outcome of adapting bad source material.

[Lord_Brand]

Okay then, strive for scenario 3. Since the game is oh-so-barebones, turning it into something more fleshed out and compelling as happened with Shadows of Valentia shouldn't be that hard.

See now, you couldn't do that with Three Houses or one of the other more recent FEs since their canon is so fleshed out already (though maybe there are some glaring issues with Fates that could be fixed...). Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light being as basic as it is is a boon for writers who want to try their own take on the story. As long as they stay faithful to the basic beats, they can add on to the story and characters in any number of ways.