4.5/5
By Sebastian Ching
With author Bryan Lee O’Malley, director Edgar Wright, and the entire film cast returning to develop Scott Pilgrim into an animated series, I fully expected Scott Pilgrim Takes Off to be a charming, funny, and heartfelt adaptation of the graphic novels. What I didn’t anticipate was a complete retelling of the story; it struck a perfect chord between originality, hilarity, wry self-awareness, and emotional depth. Diving further into the characters of Scott, Ramona, and her seven evil exes with gusto, the show is a perfect example of how to update and expand upon an established franchise. In addition to standing firmly on its own merits, it also marries the best elements of the original graphic novels and film adaptation, and confidently addresses previous criticisms of both. The experience is made complete with faithful artistic direction, a stellar soundtrack, and a voice cast of A-list actors gleefully letting loose in the sound booth.
