Over the years different television traditions have been held in my family. These started with the show American Dreams, when my entire family would sit down on Sunday evenings and watch together. This eventually stopped when the show was cancelled, but we grew on to different shows. One such television tradition that lasted up until a few years ago was Supernatural. On Thursday nights my mother and I would sit in front of the TV and bond, as we watched demons and monsters get unbonded. While the show is still on the air, and I still watch occasionally on my own, it has since lost what it once had.
Recently a friend mentioned this peculiar find to me, and deciding it couldn’t hurt to try watching it, I ordered Supernatural: The Anime Series through the library. Not an avid fan of anime in general, or even a committed reader of Japanese manga, I wasn’t sure what to think before I began. Browsing manga based on popular American and British series, I have never been impressed, not felt the recreations were absolutely necessary. This series however, threw all my suspicions out the window, and in fact made me remember why I fell in love with Supernatural to begin with.
Set during the time of the first 2 seasons, the anime series combines remakes of the original series classics with brand new anime originals, enhancing the story with new characters and storylines along Sam and Dean’s path. As a result, some characters take on new roles, new characters are taken advantage of, and events throughout the series unravel differently than before.
Despite these changes, the new story belongs as much to Kripke as it does Takayama (the writer of the anime’s majority). Sam (once again voiced by Jared Padalecki) and Dean (voiced by Andrew Farrar, a suitable- but not perfect- replacement for Jensen Ackles, who reprises his role in the final 2 episodes) begin the series on the road searching for their dad, John Winchester, who mysteriously disappeared a trip hunting the demon that killed his wife. Along the boys’ journey, they meet up with such older monsters as shape-shifters, telepaths, and the crossroads demon, plus such new creatures as lake monsters and father and son vampires trying to live without killing.
While the stories and characters never fall far from their originals, I found more to desired from the presentation of certain characters. For instance, the following is Bobby Singer and John Winchester:
Although I admit that representations of real-life actors can never be perfect in animation, the personas of Jensen and Jared are animated well enough that sometimes I felt Bobby’s image was drawn like this to spite viewers. Why exactly, we shall never know.
Overall, the series is a must-watch for any fan of the original series, especially if you are a fan of Japanese anime. I would provide one warning before you begin: you will begin to hate Kansas’s “Carry On Wayward Son,” the theme music, played during the credits which fall directly before the final scene in each episode.
Rate: A- (For Bobby, and also I really can’t take that song anymore)
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