Sekiro Anime: A New Chapter for the Beloved Game

Crunchyroll unveiled the highly anticipated trailer for the upcoming Sekiro anime adaptation on Monday, ahead of its panel at the SXSW Festival in Austin. Based on FromSoftware’s critically acclaimed 2019 action-adventure game, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the series follows the journey of the shinobi warrior Wolf as he embarks on a perilous quest to rescue his lord during Japan’s tumultuous Sengoku period.

This hand-drawn anime is a collaborative effort between director Kenichi Kutsuna and Studio Qzil.la. The newly released “Sekiro: No Defeat” trailer (available here) offers a first look at the anime version of Wolf and the beginning of his challenging adventure.

Staying True to the Source Material

Director Kenichi Kutsuna shared with Variety that the primary goal was to “take as many elements from the underlying work of the game as possible.” He emphasized that the adaptation aims to remain faithful to what fans would expect, acknowledging the inherent difficulties in translating every detail.

“With the game, you’re playing as the character, experiencing the world from their perspective. That doesn’t translate well to anime, so we focused on adapting it as an audio-visual medium,” Kutsuna explained. “We’ve paid a lot of respect to the original game, but we’ve also taken some creative liberties with the point of view and how imagery is connected, moving away from a purely first-person experience.”

Addressing Fan Concerns

Since the initial announcement at Gamescom last year, excitement for the Sekiro anime has been high, but so have concerns about how the video game’s unique elements would translate to a TV series. Kutsuna is acutely aware of this feedback and takes it seriously.

“FromSoftware has created incredibly high-quality game experiences and fostered a dedicated global community,” Kutsuna stated. “We understand that the audience will be scrutinizing our work, and we’ve done everything we can to maintain the quality of the Sekiro brand. There were even initial concerns about the use of AI, which we’ve addressed and dispelled.”

Embracing Player Choice and Interpretation

Kutsuna highlighted the importance of replicating the player agency present in the game, where Wolf can choose from multiple paths, each with varying outcomes.

“The game isn’t forgiving, and it allows for a lot of player interpretation. We wanted the anime to be open to similar interpretation, mirroring the game’s presentation,” he said.

The Role of Music and Sound Design

Series composer Shuta Hasunuma emphasized the crucial role of music and sound design in adapting the game to an audio-visual format. “When translating a game, the role of music and sound changes significantly. It’s about capturing the period feel and conveying the character’s emotions. Music provides a greater level of nuance in guiding the audience’s experience.”

Collaboration with FromSoftware

The screenplay and storyboarding process was conducted “very closely” with FromSoftware. The anime will primarily focus on one of the three major branches of the game’s storyline, with FromSoftware providing oversight and approval to ensure consistency with the established world. This marks the first time FromSoftware has allowed one of its IPs to be developed into another on-screen medium.

Kutsuna shared, “FromSoftware was incredibly supportive, offering guidance while also trusting our creative decisions. We always looked to them to ensure we weren’t missing the essence of the game.”

Don’t miss the SXSW Festival panel where Kutsuna and Hasunuma will discuss the making of “Sekiro: No Defeat,” including an exclusive in-room screening of the first episode.