If you haven’t heard, the Japanese animation studio “Madhouse” has previously sparked a deal with Marvel Entertainment to create adaptations of Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men and Blade. Iron Man and Wolverine have already finished broadcasting in Japan which is now being followed by the X-Men anime. Recently our Editor in Chief featured posted a glimpse of what the X-Men adaptation would be like via a teaser trailer.

Madhouse is most famous for a range of Japanese animated series which include titles such as Trigun, Ninja Scroll, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust. Here I’ll be giving the rundown and my verdict on the first 2 episodes of the series.

The Plot

The anime is set a year after the demise of Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix due to the work of a group of antagonists called the U-Men. The setting mirrors elements from Grant Morrison (New X-Men) and Joss Whedon’s  (Astonishing X-Men) run on X-Men. The first few episodes focus on the regrouping of the X-Men team and the kidnapping of a Japanese student Hisako (known to fans as Armor). Hisako serves as the anchor to the series to newcomers alike to Jubilee’s role in the 90s series and Kitty Pryde in X-men Evolution series.

Art style and Characters

In contrast to the recent “Wolverine” anime the X-Men adaptation has a more western style with less emphasis on features such as the eyes and exaggerates other areas such as body proportions making it more reminiscent of the 90s American series. I am a fan of this approach as it is highly nostalgic and shows Madhouse’s appreciation of the target audience. The colour pallet used in this adaptation largely resembles a post apocalyptic setting which indicates the overall serious themes in this anime. However we are not without some more bizarre moments and perhaps comedy which may seem a bit ill placed in the context of the overall show, one such event stems from a talking squid.

The team introduced in this anime consists of Scott Summers (Cyclops), James Howlett AKA Logan (Wolverine), Ororo Munroe (Storm), Dr Hank McCoy (Beast) and Charles Xavier (Professor X).  The opening and closing themes indicate that  Emma Frost (Ice Queen) and Hisako (Armor) may well be added to the squad.  The team roster is somewhat compressed but I believe with the limited 12 episodes it may be for the better than worse as it allows relevant character development. In my ideal roster I would have loved the addition of Nightcrawler, Shadowcat and Colossus.

I was somewhat impressed by the way they approached Cyclops, as he is no longer the work by the books control freak but in fact his personality resonates his persona that he develops after merging with apocalypse. One can say he rocks the angst and Emo movement to much annoyance, but it is fair to say that it is used in the right context as the series is based in a time where he mourns for the loss of his wife, Jean Grey.

While all forms of media have milked Wolverine to their economic advantage, I am happy that he plays a secondary role as part of the team. Within a team environment is where Wolverine shines, the feral anti-hero with a heart that is guaranteed to crack some one-liners from time to time.

While the other characters are pretty sub par, I can’t help but feel that the portrayal of Storm is somewhat degrading. The attempts to establish a strong independent woman archetype feels a bit forced but perhaps with a few more episodes they will establish the character more.

Themes

Everyone is now used to the anti-mutant themes stemming from racism. I feel that in this adaptation, the X-Men are more a team of superheroes rather that outcasts of society. In fact it is not until the latter act which involves a relocation to Japan do we experience any anti-mutant attitudes. It seems the use of mutants as the main antagonists underwhelms this whole Human/Mutant conflict but can provide conflicting ideologies between the mutant race.

Verdict

I will be following this anime as a fan of X-Men and anime. In comparison to the disappointing  American series “Wolverine and the X-Men”, this is definitely a breath of fresh air. I am impressed by how much Madhouse have stuck to the original material and the art style they chose to go with. This series starts off strong and I hope it doesn’t fall flat in its 12 episode run.