Canadianime. That’s the word for what’s going on in Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, Netflix’s new animated series based on Bryan Lee O’Malley’s beloved graphic novels (and Edgar Wright’s live-action film adaptation). Just how Canadian is it, and just how anime is it? It is very both. You really get a sense of the new adaptation’s vibes from its opening credits, debuting here ahead of the series release on November 17. The theme song begins as an homage to the iconic Beck-penned Sex Bob-Omb opening credits from the 2010 film with grungy visual effects, heavy drums, and Scott’s signature base.
But this new song by Japanese rock band Necry Talkie sets the show apart from the movie. “bloom,†written by Asahi, is upbeat and propulsive and fits the visuals, which combine the everyday Toronto stuff (the band piled into a booth at Sneaky Dee’s and playing on their Annex stoop) with the series’ more whimsical elements (subspace, the evil exes, and Ramona with her hammer). Put it all together and you have a perfect Michael Cera slice-of-life anime. Mostly, it’s just nice to see an actual, full, 90-second theme song again. We missed these!