Star Wars: Visions is the first anime to be made exclusively for Disney+. It was met with acclaim by fans and critics alike, with both clamoring for a second season. The success of this show begs the question of will there be any more anime made for Disney+? The answer should be yes. The platform certainly lacks in the anime department which is shocking as Disney’s original cartoons are the inspiration behind all modern anime. Also, with Netflix going full steam ahead with their original anime series Disney+ should expand their anime library as soon as possible if they want to keep up.
Well, there is some good news for those wishing for the streamer to add more anime titles to its library! Disney is indeed getting in on the anime game in its pursuit of becoming the most dominant streaming service. Currently, four anime titles are being added to Disney+. Not only are they adapting the hugely popular, Hogwartsesque mobile game, Disney: Twisted Wonderland into an anime, but they are also adapting popular mangas, Black Rock Shooter: Dawn Fall, Tatami Time Machine Blues, and Summer Time Rendering as well. All are expected to air on the streamer by the end of 2022.
“Disney is combining the global resources of the company with the best content creators from Asia Pacific to develop and produce original stories on Disney+. With over-the-top services going mainstream, emergence of world-class content from Asia Pacific and rising consumer sophistication, we believe that this is the right time for us to deepen our collaboration with the region’s best content creators to deliver unparalleled storytelling to global audiences.” – Luke Kang, President of Disney Asia-Pacific
– Deadline
However, what’s most surprising about this announcement is that only one of the announced series is a Disney IP. While licensing anime is an easy route to increase their offerings, Disney has a plethora of intellectual property that can be adapted into multi-season anime series. With franchises such as Avatar, Alien, and Tron ripe for the choosing. However, the best bet for the next Disney+ anime surprisingly derives from a video game.
The Kingdom Hearts franchise currently includes 10 games that have been adapted into manga and light novels. A direct or loosely based adaptation of the “Dark Seeker Saga” story arc would be easy to do as the games are the blueprint. On the other hand, the lore is so deep and rich that an entirely new anime can be created from that alone. The mobile game, Kingdom Hearts: Unchained χ and its expansions Kingdom Hearts: Union χ and Kingdom Hearts Dark Road, are also prime for adaptation as they explore the events leading up to the Keyblade War, the aftermath of the Keyblade War and the origins of Master Xehanort and his eventual turn to darkness. There is a large fan base that grew up with this series who are now adults with families that subscribe to Disney+! This should have been the first choice for an anime adaptation on Disney+ and hopefully is still on the cards for the future.
Did you like Star Wars: Visions? What do you think of the new anime coming to Disney+ in 2022? What other Disney IP would you like to see adapted into an anime for Disney+? Leave your comments below!