Recently, Netflix has greenlighted a lot of original animated series based around video game franchises, including hits like Castlevania and Arcane. The success of these shows has encouraged Netflix to make even more animated adaptations, as evident by the recent announcement of Tekken: Bloodline, an animated series based around the fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. The anime is set to air later in 2022, although specifics are unfortunately scant.
While this isn't the first time that Tekken has received an adaptation, it is still exciting to see the series enter the sphere of anime. Naturally, many Tekken fans are excited to see the new series, and are waiting in anticipation for it to come out. While it's obvious why fans of the franchise would be excited about the new Tekken anime, those who aren't necessarily acquainted with the series may still consider it worth their while to watch it.
The Anime Fills In The Gaps
Instead of telling a story from one particular game, Tekken: Bloodline instead focuses on an original story based on information hinted at throughout the game. In Tekken's timeline, the anime seems to take place between the games Tekken 2 and Tekken 3, which is a long period of fifteen years. This gives the anime's writers ample space to work with. In the trailer for the anime, viewers can see a young Jin Kazama training with his mother, giving a clear indication that the events of Tekken 3, in which Jin is the main character, has yet to actually happen. Whether the anime will extend onwards to the events of Tekken 3 is currently unknown, but it is certainly more than a possibility.
The decision to base the anime on events between games is interesting because it means that instead of adapting the story of one particular game, Tekken: Bloodline adds to the canon by fleshing out events that occurred between games. This makes it a must-watch show for Tekken fans that love getting into the series' lore, while allowing those not familiar with the franchise to enjoy a story without worrying about understanding the events of the games. Tekken: Bloodline is certain to be an essential part of the Tekken series canon if it handles the story properly.
The Show Is Action-Packed
Tekken is a fighting game franchise, and as a result, the anime is sure to have a fair share of exhilarating, highly-choreographed fights. Tekken is known for accurately depicting martial arts moves of many styles and schools, so the fights are sure to be amazing. The trailer has already shown a teaser of the kind of fights we'll see in the series, and what can be seen is quite promising already.
The Tekken franchise is an extremely long-running series with one of the largest rosters in fighting games, so there are a lot of different characters that might be able to show up in Tekken: Bloodline, each with their own unique fighting style. Furthermore, the anime may not be limited to just characters from Tekken 2 or 3; fans of the series have already noticed the presence of Leroy Smith, a character from Tekken 7, in the trailer. With Tekken 7 being the most recent entry into the series franchise, this is a clear sign that almost any character is liable to show up in the anime. While it won't be feasible to feature every character in Tekken: Bloodline, we're sure to see a few fan favorites.
Tekken: Bloodline Opens The Gates For More Adaptations
Street Fighter had a two-season animated series in the 90s, during the absolute height of its popularity. In addition, it had an animated movie adaptation in addition to it's more infamous live-action adaptation. While many fighting game franchises (and video game franchises in general) have received several live-action adaptations, an animated adaptation is much rarer. A part of this is due to the tendency of fighting games to neglect or ignore their storylines in favor of focusing on gameplay and mechanics, making it difficult to create an animated series based around its story.
Tekken: Bloodline has the potential to change things, especially if it is successful. Tekken is one fighting game series that puts effort into its lore, and if a series based around it is successful, it may encourage Netflix to continue vying for more animated adaptations of fighting games. While not every fighting game franchise may merit such a treatment, there are some that may be very successful. One good example is Guilty Gear, whose story modes are famous for essentially being like movies. An animated series based on the storyline of the Guilty Gear series would be extremely interesting to see, especially since the franchise already sports a vibrant anime aesthetic. If Tekken: Bloodline performs well on release, it's almost certain that more video game animated adaptations are sure to come, even if they aren't based on fighting game franchises.