The Anime That Adapts The Greatest Video Game Of All Time Is Now Streaming
The enigmatic Yoko Taro made a video game masterpiece when he teamed up with PlatinumGames to make the inimitable Nier: Automata. If you haven’t played the game yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice, but it’s worth noting that there is also an awesome anime adaptation based on the game as well. You can stream it in its entirety on Crunchyroll if you haven’t checked it out yet.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a adapts the best-selling video game into an anime, but while keeping the same themes, it twists the plot in interesting ways.
If you haven’t played Nier: Automata or watched the anime, you definitely won’t want to have the plot spoiled for you. With that being said, the basic synopsis is that Earth is invaded by aliens and their machines in the year 5012, leading humanity’s survivors to take refuge on the Moon and deploy the elite YoRHa android unit as their last hope. Amongst this unit are 2B and analyst 9S, who uncover mysterious phenomena on their mission to take back Earth.
If you’re a fan of the game worried that the anime is just a cash grab off the popularity of the Nier: Automata game, there’s no need to worry. The anime is co-written by Yoko Taro, the director and co-writer of the game, and he worked closely with director Ryouji Masuyama to make sure the adaptation would be a worthy adaptation of the video game. Monaca also returned to rearrange earlier pieces from the game and make new, original pieces specifically for the anime.
To top it all off, Nier: Automata Ver1.1a (the full name of the anime) even brings back the original Japanese and English voice cast for the anime and the dub, respectively. So, whether you play the game in English or Japanese, your favorite characters will have the same voice actors. The anime was announced a little while ago but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s awesome that it’s finally available to see in 2023.
The creator and writer behind Nier: Automata, Yoko Taro, also wrote Nier: Automata Ver1.1a.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a also announced a second cour recently, so it’s a good idea to catch up now since there will officially be more of the anime coming in the future. Also, you don’t have to necessarily worry about the anime being a 1:1 adaptation of the original game. Without spoiling it — because, again, it’s well worth playing — the game didn’t necessarily have a straightforward path to the ending, so it’s no surprise that the anime adds its own flavor to the events.
Interestingly, there was some heated debate behind the scenes about the Nier: Automata Ver1.1a anime, as Yoko Taro originally didn’t want to retell the game’s story in animated form, instead wanting to change things up to better fit the anime medium. This led to some back and forth between Taro and Masuyama, with a compromise eventually being reached that would make both parties happy. Game fans will surely notice how the series deviates, which makes it even more interesting to check out if you’re a fan of the game.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a is perfect in this way because if you watch the anime and haven’t played the game, the anime will likely inspire you to do so. And, while you may understand the story from a certain perspective, you’ll still have a unique experience when you play the video game for yourself. Overall, the themes of the game and the anime are the same, so you’ll still get a similar feeling and tone between the two of them, but it’s cool to see the story explored in different mediums in this way.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a is perfect in this way because if you watch the anime and haven’t played the game, the anime will likely inspire you to do so.
Nier: Automata Ver1.1a got great reviews from casual fans and video game fans alike. If you enjoy the anime, the good news is that there will be plenty of content for you to dive into elsewhere. Of course, an ideal place to start would be the game the anime is based on, but you can also play the 2010 game Nier, which Nier: Automata is a sequel to.
Nier itself is actually a spin-off and sequel to the Drankengard franchise, which also has its own series of games. These games all have the creative throughline of Yoko Taro working behind the scenes, so there’s a good chance you’ll like them all if you like Nier: Automata. But whether you play the games or not, make sure to check out the anime now on Crunchyroll.
