Ask John: Are Video Games a Valid Source for Anime Adaptations?

Question:
Do you think popular video games would make good anime? I believe there would be enough demand from fans to see certain games made into anime. Since many games and anime share many similarities, it seems like a win-win.

Answer:
Many anime fans are very familiar with the fact that countless video games have been adapted into anime, so it would be pointless to argue the viability of video games as source material for anime. Instead of asking, “Can video games be made into anime?”, I’ll address the question, “Should video games be made into anime?” There are examples of good anime based on video games, like Fatal Fury, ToHeart, and Kanon. There are also countless examples of terrible anime based on video games, like Xenosaga the Animation, the Tekken OVA series, and the Star Ocean EX television series. The rarity of excellent anime adapted from video games and the multitude of mediocre or bad anime based on video games has caused a majority of critics and observers to oppose video game adaptations and argue that video games aren’t suitable as source material for quality cinema.

I have an opposing opinion. I don’t believe that video games are an inherently unsuitable source of inspiration for anime. I simply believe that there are few anime based on video games that expend the effort and commitment necessary to achieve high quality. In respect to providing source material for anime, video games may be classified into two categories: those with extensively developed characters and narratives consisting of conflicts and resolutions, and those without thoroughly explored characters and extensively constructed narratives. The former provides screenwriters with all of the fundamental building blocks necessary to develop an extended story. The latter provides the opportunity for a screenwriter to fill in gaps and create explanations. The danger of these situations lies in screenwriters using pre-established narrative elements as an excuse to avoid further development, or becoming so preoccupied with satisfying the expectations of viewers and game fans that the new work has no unique identity and no literary strength.

Video games naturally contain the characters, conflicts, and dynamic narrative developments necessary to the development of a compelling and involving anime. Since a visual component is a significant attribute of video games, games allow for an easy transition into the similarly graphically oriented anime medium. The vital equation necessary to effectively turn a video game into an anime is a faithful respect for the characteristics which made the game appealing in the first place, and enhancing those characteristics with psychological development. A skilled writer with a desire to compose a strong screenplay, and animators willing to prioritize creating an impactful film should be capable of fleshing out a video game story into a effective anime. However, finding that combination of devoted artists is a difficult task.

By their nature, anime adaptations of video games are perceived as marketing spin-offs instead of independent artistic productions. Sponsors and producers that finance video game adaptations don’t want masterful, fully developed cinematic works; they want quick sales and quick results. Game fans and viewers also share some culpability for the frequency of poorly developed and rendered anime adaptations of video games because game fans often insist on superficial faithfulness to the source material that obstructs the development of a natural, organic production. Fans complain when characters or storylines are excluded from anime adaptations, but including them often dilutes the narrative potency of the anime.

To put it simply, I personally think that the sentiment that video games are not good source material for anime is ridiculous. Video games can provide just as much foundation for the construction of an anime as any other medium. Regrettably, anime based on video games often suffer due to lazy screenwriters that make little effort to create involving and compelling adaptations, or suffer due to external influences that compromise the anime’s ability to tell a single, effective story. The fact that very few good anime based on video games are made doesn’t mean that good anime based on video games cannot be made.