Maria Tobias | The Observer Editor’s Note: This review contains spoilers for “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.”
What is the point of remaking a movie that only came out 13 years ago? In 2010, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” was released, adapting the “Scott Pilgrim” graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O’Malley. The film was directed by Edgar Wright and featured an all-star cast of actors. Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth-Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Brie Larson and Jason Schwartzman all starred in the film. In 2023, the cast reunited with Wright producing to remake the movie as an animated series.
Animated by Japanese studio Science SARU, “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” had high expectations to live up to. Both the comic and the film have become cult classics, breaking into the mainstream despite independent publication and low box-office returns. Fans knew what to expect from the story, either from the books or the movie, and the show’s first episode leans into this entirely. The debut episode is close to a shot-for-shot remake of the film’s opening scenes, leading into the story’s first big fight. It’s a great place for an episode to end. It sets the tone for the series and shows that the story has more going on than it appears. Scott wins the fight and learns he has to win more to get the girl, Ramona Flowers.
We see the first fight start, and when we expect Scott to win … he doesn’t. In the first episode’s final moments, the show turns itself on its head. Episode two begins, and Ramona goes from love interest to protagonist. The show positions itself perfectly, paying homage to the various source materials while remaining its own work. The story is wholly fresh and original while being fundamentally “Scott Pilgrim,” even if Scott himself is not present for most of the story.
I hate spoiling elements of stories when I write reviews. If I have to reveal specific story elements to sell a point, I feel I’m not making the point well enough. I can see no way to discuss the series without mentioning the twist. As a fan of both the original comics and the film, it was the moment when Scott lost that sold me on the show. While I would have enjoyed a straightforward adaptation of the books, the show did everything a normal retelling would. Side characters received more focus than their movie counterparts, creating some of my favorite moments from the show. A particular standout from the series is Young Neil, played by Johnny Simmons. As a wonderfully unaware character, Young Neil brings some of the series’ funniest jokes.
I want to take a brief moment to talk about the show’s music. Music itself is a core part of the franchise’s identity. The show’s score and music, composed by the band Anamanaguchi, features some beautiful pieces. A standout is an electronic, video game-like cover of the Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows.” Another highlight is Emily Haines of the band Metric, who provides the singing voice for Envy Adams, performing a cover of Sarah McLachlan’s “I Will Remember You.”
The show’s strongest quality is its stance on remakes themselves. In the show, we see the story of Scott Pilgrim get adapted into a film, book and off-Broadway musical. While this allows for little callbacks to the source materials, their presence and importance within the series is itself a statement on remakes. All that being said, the show itself is not a remake. It’s hard to define what it is, to be honest. Retelling feels inaccurate, implying the story structure is roughly the same.
The most fitting way to describe the show is “reinvention.” The characters are undeniably the same, and the story has the same feeling and vibe as the original. But it is something completely distinct. And that’s why I like it.
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