The Disney+ Cult Classic Superhero Anime Series Too Bloody For Marvel
Comic books don’t always get anime adaptations, but it’s always pretty cool when they do. The Image Comics comic book series Witchblade got its anime in 2006, and the results are a solid take on the source material. If you want to check it out for yourself, you can check it out on the Hulu section of Disney+ if you have a subscription to both streaming services.
The Witchblade Anime Adaptation
Witchblade is based on the Image Comics series of the same name and follows a woman named Masane Amaha, who loses her memories after an event called the Great Quake hits Tokyo. Along with losing her memories, she also awakes with her daughter in her arms. A secretive agency begins looking into Masane when she returns to Tokyo, but she is chosen as the wielder of a powerful weapon known as the Witchblade.
An Image Superhero
It’s kind of funny to see the Witchblade anime on Disney+ since it’s an Image Comics property, which typically has much darker characters and stories than the Disney-owned Marvel. Image Comics is best known for properties like Spawn, The Walking Dead, and the recent smash hit Invincible. While Witchblade is popular in its own right, it didn’t get quite as much love as these other Image Comics franchises.
Canon To The Comic Series
The Witchblade anime was especially underseen and underrated, which is likely in part due to the fact that the continuity of the anime is a bit confusing. While the anime takes part in the same continuity as the Image Comics series, it has a completely new cast of characters and a new story. It’s safer to say that the anime is more of a loose adaptation than a direct one.
A Fun Take On The Classic Comic
Of course, it’s pretty easy for the Witchblade anime to tell its own story, considering the titular weapon has had various wielders in the comic book series. Overall, the animation is solid, the characters are good, and it’s a cool take on the comic book series. Fans of the Image Comics story who also like anime will definitely appreciate this one.
Most Recent Addition To The Franchise
The Witchblade anime and the manga that came out a year later are the most recent takes on the comic book source material. There was a feature film adaptation produced by Platinum Studios, Top Cow Productions, and Arclight Media that was supposed to come out in 2009, but it was canceled. The most recent adaptation of the comics that was announced was in 2017, with NBC developing a TV series with Carol Mendelsohn and Caroline Dries serving as executive producers.
No News On The NBC Series
However, there have been zero announcements about the NBC series since then, so the Witchblade anime is the newest way to watch the franchise on screen. Fortunately, the anime series stands well on its own and it’s worth the watch, even if it would be cool to see a new adaptation of the source material sometime soon. In any case, you can head over to the Hulu section of Disney+ if you want to check out this underrated anime adaptation for yourself.
