Lord of the Rings Anime Gives Franchise An Amazing New Chance
When it was announced a new Lord of the Rings movie was coming out, I was excited like most people, but also a bit trepidatious since the story of Sauron has really been milked dry and I was hoping to hear this would be something new. So I think everyone was happy to hear The War of the Rohirrim would be set over a century before the events of The Lord of the Rings. But I think for some people, that excitement turned to confusion upon hearing this latest Lord of the Rings project would be an anime.
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim
I can admit, Lord of the Rings and anime is an odd combination that I did not know what to make of at first. The Lord of the Rings is like the quintessential fantasy story that screams being an analogue for medieval Europe. So presenting that story using East Asian animation techniques is definitely surprising.
But after thinking about it, it is also a great way to differentiate The War of the Rohirrim from the Peter Jackson movies.
It feels like ever since Jackson adapted the beloved trilogy, that all subsequent projects set in Middle-earth have been trying to recapture that style. The Hobbit films did this to heavily criticized results, taking a very short novel and expanding it into a trilogy that felt unnecessary. And Rings of Power has been relentlessly compared to the Jackson movies. But a Lord of the Rings anime is so wildly different that it avoids all such comparisons.
The Refreshing Change We Need
This feels like exactly the kind of thing the franchise needs right now. With the next major live-action movie being The Hunt for Gollum, it is just a continued focus on characters whose ultimate fates we already know. The War of the Rohirrim is something general audiences have not seen before, and the starkly different style of the Lord of the Rings being done in anime immediately communicates that.
Opportunity For A New Audience
I am not naïve, though. I am fully aware that some people simply have no interest in anime and that the style alone will repel some from even giving the movie a chance. However, that also presents an opportunity to tap into a new audience. Anime is incredibly popular and a Lord of the Rings anime could get that fanbase interested in giving the franchise a chance.
Not Making The Same Mistake Star Wars Did
One of the biggest impediments of the modern Star Wars movies in feeling fresh is that they keep tying everything back to the Skywalkers and it eventually gets boring hearing about the same characters. The Lord of the Rings franchise has started getting into that same boat, with Sauron and the One Ring becoming the center point for every story we see. But if this Lord of the Rings anime is successful, it could be the catalyst for more bold new stories in the future.
A Risk Worth Taking
Whether The War of the Rohirrim succeeds or flops, it is still interesting because it is at least different. I will absolutely commend the creators for taking a risk on something unproven rather than playing it safe. Now it is just on fans who say they are tired of the same old thing to show up and support the Lord of the Rings anime to tell creators that we want more new ideas like this.
