Netflix has had some amazing adaptations of classics this year.One Pieceblew skeptics away with the live-action debut, which did indeed get a second season.Plutoadapted a mangathat no one thought could be done and the anime got critical acclaim.
Scott Pilgrim Takes Offis their latest animated adaptation. More so than anything it is a comedy series but there are some action sequences too. the action shown is less than the comic, game, and movie, but that’s because the vibes are different here. Here’s what the series' coolest fights were.
6Scott Pilgrim Vs Matthew Patel
Episode 1
This is a brief fight relative to the rest of the anime. It’s also a lot shorter fight compared to the rest of the adaptations which showcased the powers of both Scott and Matthew well. After a few exchanges of blows, there is a final conflict resulting in the exploding of coinslike in a brawler.
Unlike previous entries, this time the money belonged to Scott. Matthew won and Scott was dead. This shows the audience thatScott Pilgrim Takes Offtakes place in an alternate reality where Scott lost this initial battle. Was this truly his fate though? Mysterious aside, the animation is good in this fight despite the lack of length.
5Ramona Flowers Vs Wallace Wells Stunt Doubles
Episode 5
This is another short fight like the Matthew vs Scott exchange in episode one. However, this duel is played for more comedic effect than it is to showcase dazzling fight choreography. In episode five, there is adocumentary being filmedabout a failedScott Pilgrimmovie which is very meta.
Even more meta is that Wallace Wells is hired to play himself and Ramona is hired to be a stunt double for Envy Adams who is playing Ramona in the movie. One thing leads to another and Ramona is forced to fight Wallace’s stunt doubles for Envy. While her punches hurt, Wallace’s words hurt his staff more which is where the humor comes in.
4Roxy Richter Vs Ramona Flowers
Episode 3
Roxy Richter has to be the most feisty of all of Ramona’s Evil Exes. Unlike everyone else who has mostly moved on, Roxy is very bitter about how things ended. Even though she doesn’t have to fight Scott like in the comics, Roxy still goes out to pick a fight with Ramona in episode three. Ramona doesn’t want to fight but is forced to defend herself when Roxy is tearing up a video rental store.
The two have a good bout, going through multiple films in their blade vs hammer duel. As a fun aside, Roxy’s last name is an Easter Egg forCastlevaniafans. Richter Belmont is the star ofCastlevania: Rondo of Bloodas well as theNetflix anime,Castlevania: Nocturne. In other adaptations, Roxy is given a whip sword akin to the Vampire Killer whip inCastlevaniato make the reference more obvious.
3Matthew Patel Vs Gideon Graves
Episode 2
After winning his fight against Scott, Matthew is more than surprised. He thinks he can date Ramona now but that’s not how things work as Ramona is obviously her own person and not a piece of property. Fed up with the hierarchy of the League of Evil Exes, he challenges Gideon, the leader, to a duel. This is the first true fight of Scott Pilgrim Takes Off and the animators were not holding back which is impressive foran action anime.
Matthew is shown with the ability to summon demon girls, fling fireballs, and grow multiple arms. Gideon more than has his work cut out for him despite his blade work and technological backing. He puts up a good fight but eventually Gideon loses and thus the company goes to his rival. Matthew has never been more badass in the series than in this fight.
2Lucas Lee Vs The Paparazzi
Episode 4
The animation, including the aforementioned fight with Matthew vs Gideon, looked great up to this point. Everything was accurate to the comic’s style too which definitely has a Western anime vibe to it. However, it wasn’t until episode four that things really took a turn.
The end of the episode has Lucas Lee take on a bunch of paparazzi ninjas. He zooms around on his skateboard, punching seemingly hundreds of ninjas, doing tricks, and looking cool while doing it. It’s some of the best action choreography this year which is saying something in a year with theAttack on Titanfinalein it.
1Even Older Scott Vs Everyone
Episode 8
The original comic, and the other adaptations, had an evil version of Scott in them called Nega Scott. He was the embodiment of Scott’s toxic feelings that the real Scott had to face to grow as a person. Well, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off has another Scott as well but it’s actually just him from the future.
Eventually, it turns out that this futuristic version is bitter about Ramona and becomes a hulking version of himself in the finale. He looks a lot likeRyu fromStreet Fightertoo, which has to be the reference. He’s so powerful that all seven Evil Exes have to team up to fight him alongside Scott and several other characters. It’s an amazing culmination of the series to see everyone get along to fight the titular character albeit as a twisted version.
