The animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off gets us back into the wonderful, wild and insanely colorful world of Bryan Lee O’Malley‘s original graphic novels. Our first entry point to this universe was Edgar Wright‘s 2010 film which lovingly adapted those works. It was awesome – filled to the brim with Wright’s style and charm, yet the great live-action film retained the 2D atmosphere of the books.
Now fast-forward more than a decade later and Netflix dropped this incredibly reverent and all encompassing eight-part animated series. It cherry picks the best from O’Malley’s ideas and Wright’s film (including the voice cast who return to reprising their roles) to expand/explore the mythology. To be clear, this is not just the animated version of the Universal adaptation but this does serve as an almost sequel to Wright’s film. Further, and a kind of full circle moment, it’s written by O’Malley so there is a lot of unexpected fun, hilarity, mystery, action and time travel to be had.
Let’s start with the opening – a truly make-or-break moment for any anime – which totally delivers. The song, “bloom” by NECRY TALKIE, quickly transports us and finds itself in the same lane as the Ruroni Kensin, GTO, even maybe Ramna 1/2. It’s an ear worm you won’t want to shake out. Spread throughout the show are more excellent original pieces, source music, covers, and groovy interpretations of “Techno Syndrome” and “God Only Knows”.
Helping amp up the soundtrack is the one-two punch of Anamanaguchi‘s chiptune brilliance (remember their legendary 2010 video game score?) and composer Joeseph Trapanese‘s expert ability to create atmospheric music and understated harmonies (think back to what Joe did for Arctic, Happily, and No One Will Save You…now add more color).
Capping the whole affair is the series’ build to an all-out musical resolution, but don’t forget the fights! The pieces on the soundtrack are bespoke and tailored to the show, and yet “Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Musical” is the icing on top that brings it all home thematically, narratively and, well, musically. Well, there is a little more to it, but we really don’t want to spoil anything for you.
The score, to be fair, is tied so tightly to the animation that it doesn’t quite work as a standalone listening experience. You really get the fun out of the cues and needle drop while watching it against the animation, which was brilliantly done by Japanese animation house Science SARU. It’s a smile-inducing hybrid of what’s come before, offering fans something new and innovative while retaining the quirky and beloved elements that make Scott and company so appealing.
The 2 LP Set, on Black & White Vinyl, with Gatefold Sleeve, Color Inserts & 8 Page Booklet, with Custom Art Throughout, based on the title sequence from the show!
Lakeshore Records, in conjunction with Netflix, has released this vibrant edition of the soundtrack featuring all of the works listed herein housed in a gatefold with a gorgeous inner artwork. Also included is a play bill from the above mentioned musical. As colorful as the series is, it’s odd the vinyl color is simply black and white (read: the same colors as the Sex-Bob-omb logo). It might have been so cool to see a “subspace highway” variant or even Scott’s shirt colors and one of Ramona’s many, many hair color dos.
This wonderful buffet of pieces really do cater to all audiences, and this release is a collector’s item for sure. Of all the returning talent, it’s great to have Anamanaguchi‘s eight-bit acoustic artistry sprinkled all over this world. Their contributions to this universe won over scores of fans with the excellent soundtrack to the Scott Pilgrim game from Ubisoft. High fives and golf claps to Trapanese and Anamanaguchi whose efforts help make this world so much fun to dive into with headphones or house-sized speakers.
Check out the product page for this release, (including the track list) at Lakeshore Records. And pick up some of their other amazing titles!
