‘Blue Eye Samurai’, ‘Pluto’, and ‘Scavengers Reign’ – Is this the dawn of the Golden Age of animated shows?

Disney has almost monopolised the animated film market over the years with several commercially successful films. However, in terms of animated shows or animated content aimed at a more mature demographic, Disney appears to be reluctant to veer away from its successful formula of profitable family-friendly releases. While the Japanese anime industry has thrived with adult animated content over the years, American animated shows catered for a relatively older audience have been few and far between. This could primarily be attributed to the fact that premium cable TV in America with players like HBO would rather invest in live-action stories, while legacy network television in the US with players such as CW are constrained by various broadcast rules. However, the emergence of streaming platforms over the past decade has presented a unique opportunity for filmmakers, showrunners, and writers. They are no longer shackled creatively, as broadcast laws do not apply to streaming platforms. They are free to push the boundaries of storytelling with R-rated content.

Mature themes, featuring HBO-esque violence and sexual content, are not a novelty to American animation, considering cult classic animated films like Heavy Metal released in 1981. However, such films never pierced the general consciousness like how Japanese anime found immense popularity in the West. For instance, the 1996 anime Ghost in a Shell became so popular in America that they decided to remake it into an ill-fated live-action film with a white actress (Scarlett Johansson) in the lead. It appears times are changing in terms of how content is consumed on a global scale, with Netflix spearheading an era with compelling animated TV shows. When Castlevania, the video game adaptation, debuted its first season in 2017 with just four episodes, it was reflective of a time when studios were reluctant to fully invest in American animated shows featuring thought-provoking themes, grotesque violence, and nudity. However, Castlevania became the first video game adaptation to garner universal acclaim. It went on to last for four seasons with the number of episodes increasing to eight in the second season and to 10 in seasons three and four. It is a clear indication of Netflix firmly backing its product to succeed. Another factor that may have worked in Castlevania’s favour, apart from its compelling story and characters, is the fact that they leaned on the familiar Japanese anime-style animation.

The series that truly revolutionised R-rated American animated shows is the 2021 Netflix series, Arcane. Adapted from the League of Legends video game, the series is arguably one of the best, if not the best, American animated shows of all time. It features groundbreaking art style and animation style featuring cell-shading, 2D, and 3D animation – in addition to its gripping story. It paved the way for another acclaimed animated series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners in 2022, a spin-off animated series to the hit video game Cyberpunk: 2077. There was plenty of discontentment when Netflix announced the cancellation of several animated shows, but it appears they may have opted for quality over quantity, considering the release of the Japanese anime Pluto and the American production Blue Eye Samurai. Warner Bros and Max have released an acclaimed animated series, Scavengers Reign, in an attempt to compete with Netflix. And Scavengers Reign is more than capable of taking the title of the ‘best animated series of 2023’.

Pluto, which was released on October 26 on Netflix, is adapted from Naoki Urasawa’s manga series of the same name. Unlike the aforementioned titles, Pluto is a Japanese anime, and as what one would expect from the adaptation of an acclaimed manga, Pluto excels in terms of storytelling with its ‘whodunnit’ murder mystery set in a dystopian outer space setting against the backdrop of a fractured peace between humanoid robots and humans. But it’s the release of Scavengers Reign and Blue Eye Samurai that has taken fans of anime and animated shows by surprise. Scavengers Reign is also a space exploration series that relies on an animation style reminiscent of an ‘80s graphic novel. It has taken inspiration from Moebius aka Jean Giraud and Hayao Miyazaki for its art style and has borrowed elements from David Cronenberg’s body-horror films and a few Lovecraftian monsters. It delivers an engrossing tale of survival on a dangerous planet. Created by Joseph Bennett and Charles Huettner for HBO Max or Max (available on JioCinema in India), the series is a testament to the incredible evolution of animated shows on streaming platforms in a relatively short period.

Both Pluto and Scavengers Reign are slowly gaining recognition, but the series that truly left an indelible mark is Blue Eye Samurai. Set in Edo period Japan, the story follows a mixed-race Samurai who is on a quest to exact vengeance. The series is helmed by Amber Noizumi and Michael Green, who is credited with writing Logan and Blade Runner 2049, and it features an incredible voice cast. But what sets Blue Eye Samurai apart from the other recent releases is its stunning animation, art style, and action sequences, which are second to none. The story being set in the picturesque landscape of 17th-century Japan adds to the aesthetic of the series. Coincidently, it was released on the same day as Invincible Season 2, which has also received significant praise from both fans and critics. And with the upcoming release of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off on November 17 on Netflix, it might not be too unrealistic to refer to this period as the dawn of the golden age of animation.