Rick & Mortyis more than a show — it’s a litmus test. It’s the kind of signifier that reveals personalities, psychological profiles, and beliefs. If someone is a little too into the show (the kind who went to McDonald’s to try and get Szechuan sauce), you might (rightly or wrongly) assume they’re a bitter online troll and an incel. If someone likes the show but thinks Rick is actually the villain and a terrible person, you might think they have a good sense of humor but also a strong moral foundation. If someone hates the Adult Swim show, fans might consider them a feminist or ‘woke.’ And on and on.
Similar assumptions and stereotypes apply to anime and otakus, which makesRick & Morty: The Animeseem like an oddly organic evolution of the series. It actually began back in March 2020 with some Japan-centric shorts, and now it’s a 10-episode series (which premieres Aug. 15 at midnight on Adult Swim, with the subtitled version in Japanese to follow on August 17 at midnight). There is surely a big crossover between fans of both anime andRick & Morty, which makes this a highly anticipated release. Unfortunately — andI really hate to say this — it’s a bizarrely incoherent disaster and a staggering disappointment.
Rick & Morty Abandons Humor and Coherence in This Anime Mess
Rick and Morty: The Anime
Rick and Morty: The Anime is an adaptation of the popular American TV series. Directed by Takashi Sano, the series explores new adventures between the eccentric scientist Rick and his good-hearted but easily influenced grandson Morty. Set in a stylized anime world, the show promises to bring fresh cultural nuances while maintaining the essence of its original interdimensional escapades.
First off, if you haven’t seen basically the first six seasons ofRick & Morty, literally nothing will make sense inRick & Morty: The Anime. Understanding the backstory of Space Beth, the complete character arc of Tammy and her betrayal of Birdperson, Rick’s history with the Galactic Federation, and many other storylines and characters is crucial to at least some comprehension of what’s happening inRick & Morty: The Anime, even right from the beginning.
Related:10 Best Rick and Morty Episodes for People New to the Show
The show blasts off with action right from the start with characters and storylines brought in without any exposition, establishing nothing beforehand. Rick is hunted by the Galactic Federation and saved by Summer, while Morty is busy with a VR headset that Rick made him. It’s honestly hard to discern what’s even happening in Morty’s story; he appears to be living in a multiverse where he either bonds with an older man, is in love with a girl his age, or becomes aCitizen Kane-like politician.None of it seems to connect with anything, it’s very confusing, and there’s practically no humor whatsoever.
That’s a big surprise about this show — it’s all action and drama. What often makes the originalRick & Mortywork is the comedy (when it’s not cynically robbing the show of any meaning), and it’s not just the jokes. It’s the fact that the show doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it makes fun of its own tropes and lapses in logic; otherwise, the show would be ridiculous. Unfortunately, that’s what happens with Rick & Morty: The Anime. By removing all the comedy, it all feels like a cheap and poorly executed space opera.
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Coming off of a mixed seventh season, the new Rick and Morty: The Anime has a huge uphill battle ahead.
Fast, Ugly, and Out of Control
They say ‘show, don’t tell’ in art, and whileRick & Morty: The Animecertainly doesn’t ‘tell’ (there’s little dialogue beyond archetypal phrases and quips that are meant to be dramatic or cool), what it ‘shows’ is a sloppy mess that clarifies little to nothing.It’s colorful at times but feels low-budget, and relies heavily on one’s knowledge of the original show, which limits the imagination of the animation.It’s too much like anime to feel likeRick & Morty, but it’s too much likeRick & Mortyto feel like anime. It’s the worst of both worlds.
Related:Ricky and Morty: Funniest Episodes of the Series (So Far), Ranked
With such short episodes (barely 20 minutes), the animation doesn’t have the time to show the details and specifics that make a scene work. This also compromises the pacing as well. Paradoxically, everything moves too fast without being at all exciting. When the episodes end, you don’t really know why, or even what meaning the preceding story had. Anime can be quirky, and things can get lost in translation sometimes, but that doesn’t seem to be the case here, it’s just incomprehensible.At its best,Rick & Mortyconverts chaos into ebullient fun;Rick & Morty: The Animeembraces chaos, but there’s no fun to be had at all.
The English Dub Premieres Aug. 15. The Japanese Version Premieres Aug. 17.
As such,Rick & Morty: The Animemight pass for eccentric fan-fiction to some diehard completists, but for newcomers, the show is a disaster; for fans, it’s a big disappointment.The opening theme song slaps, though.If you choose to watch the series, the Japanese subtitled version is less embarassing.
The English-language version is set to premiere Thursday, August 15 at midnight on Adult Swim, with the subtitled version in Japanese to follow on August 17 at midnight on Adult Swim’s action/anime programming block, Toonami. New episodes ofRick and Morty: The Animewill be available tostream on Max (below)and purchase on Digital the day after their Adult Swim debut. Japanese encore airings of new episodes will debut the following Saturday at midnight on Adult Swim’s Toonami block.Rick and Morty: The Animeis written and directed by Sano and is produced for Adult Swim by Sola Entertainment with Jason Demarco and Joseph Chou serving as executive producers.You can watch it on Max through the link below:
