Anime Nier: Automata works best by tweaking the game’s story content and allowing plenty of time for accurate retelling.
Kodoani.com – Nier: Automata is one of the best and most critically acclaimed JRPGs of the previous generation of video games, and things are not slowing down for the PlatinumGames franchise. Five years after the game was first released, it was recently announced that Nier: Automata would get an anime adaptation. Given how epic and epic the game’s story is, it would certainly be interesting to see it get an anime adaptation, although it also comes with some issues.
Anime adaptations of video games can generally be hit and miss, and much of this comes down to how accurate the anime has to be to the game’s story. This is further complicated by the game’s multiple endings, making the story potentially even harder to adapt. This is how anime Nier can do the right thing for the fans of the game while also being a good anime in general.
As mentioned, many video game adaptations struggle because of the inability to find a level of fidelity to the game’s story. This is not necessarily a problem for games with less linear or lengthy stories, as writers can have more freedom with the direction of the narrative. However, in the case of anime for games like Persona 5, the developers are caught between a rock and a difficult place. If they get too close to the game’s plot, fans of the game may feel that they’re simply watching what they’ve been playing. Likewise, if they get too creative with everything, it raises the question of why they even bother tweaking the game.
Automata has multiple endings, and while only some of these are actually main, it’s very different from a story with a more dry conclusion. That’s not to mention all the philosophical and deeper themes present in the plot, making Nier: Automata more than just a mere action/adventure JRPG story. While this can make doing justice a big challenge, the anime’s developers can still easily succeed by recreating and supplementing what already works.
The best course of action would be to have the Nier: Automata anime adapt the game’s plot directly, adding plot additions here and there while making sure it doesn’t conflict with what’s in the game. Since the game’s director Yoko Taro has signed on to many side projects such as stage shows, all of which are considered canon, it is likely that this is also the plan for the anime. This way, the anime will be guaranteed to capture much of the magic of the game and accurately tell its story.
For what feels like a re-read for those who’ve played the game, the simple fact that it’s transitioning to a new and much different medium should limit that. After all, broadcasting a story in an interactive fashion is much different than watching it broadcast in TV show form, so what was once old memories will soon return.
The story should also have adequate time to tell itself so that it doesn’t feel rushed or cut short. This is part of what ruined the Persona 5 anime, although that story also features more characters. Simply telling the same story the game did, while adding a few extras here and there and doing so at a good pacing, the Nier: Automata anime is sure to come off as godlike when aired on TV and anime streaming platforms in the “Future” section.
Theo: Kodoani.com