SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF (LITERALLY AND WHY THAT'S OKAY) - REVIEW

Or maybe producers of TV shows should pack it in with using outrage to get viewers. It will only hurt you in the long term. But alas, here goes nothing...

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

PREFACE

As I began reading more on Twitter (sorry Elon) about the bait and switch presented in this show, much like Masters of the Universe I found myself driven to watch it. At the same time, MoU was unremarkable at best and spiteful at worst in how it handled its characters. I can’t really say the same here. It also made me realise that the culture war at its heart has poisoned us all. No matter which side of the aisle we fall upon. If this animation had been released twenty years before we all got tricked into caring more about politics and other such bullshit. I think people would have been more forgiving. However, that bridge cannot be rebuilt, too many franchises have been put to the stake for cheap outrage bait. And I say this as someone who occasionally watches the likes of Disparu, Drinker, even Az if I’m feeling it. This is not to knock them or their content. It makes them money but it also makes for easy marketing bait. Where outrage over interest is used to drive viewership but, this never really works out. At least in the long term.

The more you piss in anyone’s cereal the more likely they will turn their back on you. The bigger productions like the Marvels and Hunger Games are already feeling that. Whether it’s due to the actor’s behaviour or the decision to pick and choose what to take from any given story even down to normally immutable characteristics. The end result is often a divided mess, with a fanbase that largely ends up being checked out. I suppose this preface exists purely to vent my frustrations about that stuff in general and to suggest that going forward - is it really that hard to just give it to us straight? 

The trailer for this shows one thing but what we get is very different. It’s actually funny that much of the footage is from the beginning and very end since Scott for a lot of this story is displaced. Not dead as some will try and tell you. And if I had to recommend this to a newcomer to the series. I would probably suggest either starting with the film or the books to experience the original story as is. However, the story does do one thing that some tend to shy away from. It emphasises that relationships are a two-way street and that Ramona herself does need to undergo some introspection while Scott on a lesser note is quick to act and form conclusions that ultimately lead to his own self-destruction mentally. 

INTRODUCTION

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off as stated has been described by some as either a what-if or sequel. It’s also upset fans and interested outliers with the bait-and-switch approach mentioned above. However, to compare the show to other properties is to do it injustice. Ramona herself is far from a perfect character and ultimately has to face the fact that the evil exes are in fact a byproduct of how she took advantage of or treated them. The main stand-out thing that separates this show from the mess that is He-Man’s first season, and other franchises is that Ramona shows that despite only knowing him a short time, she is determined to discover who or what is behind Scott’s kidnapping. She in a way cares more about him than even some of his friends and the way the show is structured also in turn gives more depth to the original group of antagonists that if you’ve seen the film or read the more detailed books serve as obstacles for Scott to overcome. But now Ramona is the one forced to reckon with her past and who she will ultimately become. You know what they say about making your own monsters. 

PLOT

Instead of being a one-note villain, Matthew Patel becomes the main character in his own story. After defeating, Scott and not winning back Ramona. He goes straight to the top and challenges Gideon for control over the league and the man’s assets. One thing the show has to be praised for is the art style and animation. Not only is it fluid, but the fights are fun and unique across the board. The Patel versus Gideon fight ultimately sees the former win out and become the new head of the League with Gideon forced back to the bottom of the totem pole. From there Matthew’s power grab may have been a success but it’s clear he’s not quite as cut out for it as Gideon. 

Ramona is also forced to confront her own history with Roxie, who after falling for her would later feel abandoned when Ramona up and left to move elsewhere not taking the relationship seriously. Something that has left Roxie feeling bitter about ever since. The fight between them creatively uses various movies in the rental and ends with Ramona acknowledging she treated Roxie wrong and apologising for it. The general idea of her shirking or running from previous relationships becomes a common point of introspection across the show. But it also allows the exes to do the same, and develop their characters also. 

One thing that stood out to me was Wallace. In this show, he is not just arrogant but actually kind of unpleasant. He has a high opinion of himself and suffers very few consequences for it. It’s funny, seeing some bring up the above as a point of contention when what Wallace does to Todd Ingram is arguably not just worse but just as evil, if not more so than the exes, Ramona or even future Scott himself. He basically takes advantage of the man discovering a new part of himself, then dumps him to the curb when it’s convenient. This inevitably leads to Envy and Todd going separate ways with her becoming a solo act and Todd becoming a bit of a wreck. It’s even played off in a later episode as a joke too with Ingram becoming derailed from his vegan lifestyle but obsessed with Wallace. With how the plot developed to reveal that Old Scott kidnapped his past self in order to save him from the future heartbreak of losing Ramona. I honestly, thought the husband reveal would have been Scott and Wallace. It wasn’t - but with how Wallace generally came across even compared to the exes, it really made me think. And like I say, the lesbian debacle above was handled with much more care and attention as Roxie proposes a kiss to Kim Pine but nothing really comes of it and she takes it on her chin with Ramona later realising she has to deal with Lucas Lee next. 

One thing I think the show did well was develop relationships with the league members themselves. When Gideon and Lucas experience their fall from grace they end up becoming good friends and Gideon himself reverts back to his prior self as Gordon Goose. He’s also the ultimate winner of the show bagging Julie Powers who is drawn to him for his evil ambitions and the two are seen together in the end credits hinting at future shenanigans. 

The two evil exes that get the least development are the twins but they are there for the final parts of the show, and it’s kind of amusing seeing the exes encouraging Scott to be with Ramona in contrast to how they are shown in the books and movie. 

Ultimately the story presents the importance of introspection, accountability and responsibility, whether it’s Ramona realising she can’t just run away from her problems when things go south or Scott learning not to take everything he’s told literally and allowing his own feelings of abandonment to utterly consume him. It presents a rather optimistic ending overall. With some new relationships forged going into the next season, if there is one.

Overall, I give the show a four out of five for the animation, music, and style presented in the fights alongside the various shots used throughout that end up creating a fairly unique and ambitious piece of animation. The story is more of a three however, it’s passable but only the established fans serve to get anything out of this with the bait and switch being something that has left people divided. However, I would recommend the show for the visual presentation and especially with how strong future Scott is depicted. He is an absolute powerhouse by the end and the only thing that left me disappointed was that for all the references. They didn’t reference FATE/ Unlimited Blade Works due to the Archer/Shirou parallels and defeating your future self to potentially become better for it. 

Still, the show is very enjoyable with some of my favourite moments being the Gideon v Patel fight, Patel in general alongside his demon harem, and the friendship formed between Lucas and Gideon that leads to Julie’s home being damaged. The VAs also clearly enjoyed revisiting their roles and the jokes themselves are all pretty decent. It’s just a shame that the show didn’t come out before all the culture war bullshit.  

RATING: 3/5