There's a certain excitement that comes with seeing a new anime intro. Maybe it reveals the entire plot in one intricately crafted sequence, or maybe it puts painstaking detail into portraying events that never happen in the show itself. Well, in preparation for the upcoming release of its Dragon's Dogma anime, Netflix just revealed the opening credits animation for the series and... yep, it's definitely a Netflix show.
Posted on Netflix's YouTube channel, the CG animation features a multitude of crusty ashen figures in various poses and in various states of decay. Skeletons, faceless humanoids, and a blackened heart get their time in the spotlight as the digital camera zooms around them, all flecked by fiery highlights. Backed by an epic orchestral score from Tadayoshi Makino, who composed the music for the game, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between the bleak vibe of the visuals and the driving, almost triumphant feel of the backing song.
Netflix's Dragon's Dogma is based on the 2012 dark fantasy video game from Capcom. The game's story deals with immortality and Dragons (it's a proper noun, which means they're very serious), though was criticized at launch for a general lack of depth to its narrative. The Netflix adaptation appears to be rectifying that, as the official synopsis states, "Resurrected as an Arisen, Ethan sets out to vanquish the Dragon that took his heart. But with every demon he battles, his humanity slips further away."
The animation in the intro, while extremely reminiscent of many Netflix shows which came before, does fit with the story as it's currently known. Mournful skeletons are displayed throughout, seemingly representing the unbidden immortality thrust upon them by one of the titular Dragons. The fire and ash motif seems to be a pretty obvious reference to the Dragons themselves, while the opening shot of a crumbling heart goes in line with the fantastical idea of immortality stemming from the loss of one's heart to a Dragon.
It will be interesting to see how the game's world and story are adapted to this medium. As an anime, surely the show will have little issue portraying the many battles one would expect. But considering how Dragon's Dogma is remembered more for its gameplay than its plot, one might be curious as to how director Shinya Sugai plans to expand on such things enough to fill a whole series.
Regardless of how the story turns out, Dragon's Dogma is sure to boast plenty of action packed battles and Dragon encounters, so it will probably be worth checking out for anyone in the mood to enjoy some big swords and bigger mouths.
Dragon's Dogma will premiere on Netflix on September 17th.
Source: Netflix/YouTube