WHY THIS 10/10 GAME SHOULD NEVER GET AN ANIME ADAPTATION

RAHM JETHANI - Editor-in-Chief, 1st Year, Japanese

“I’m a schoolgirl with a giant robot!”

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a sci-fi role-playing game that wears many of its anime influences on its sleeve. In addition to its masterful anime-inspired art style, certain plot points also reference notable anime such as Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Megazone 23, and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Despite these homages initially seeming derivative, many critics and fans have agreed that 13 Sentinels is much more than the sum of its parts, and that it easily possesses one of the best sci-fi narratives of the past few years. Even the famed auteur Yoko Taro has gone on record to praise this game for its brilliance. With all of this critical acclaim and popularity, some fans have understandably called for an anime adaptation.

This is a very bad idea.

A common problem that comes when adapting video games into anime is simply the difference in time between the two mediums. 13 Sentinels has around 30 hours of content, while a typical anime-adaptation season may only be around 26 episodes. Even factoring in reasonable parts to skip or change, the time difference suggests how unreasonable asking for a good adaptation would be. This issue can also be seen with other adaptations like Persona 5: The Animation and Nier: Automata Ver1.1a, which have both been criticized for terrible pacing and unfaithful representation of its source material. This problem is compounded by the fact that 13 Sentinels itself has an insanely complicated story, with around 250 plot-essential key terms. There is absolutely no possible way in which its narrative could be delivered within the anime medium, given anime’s more linear nature.

Another issue that comes up in the conversation of adapting 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is more central to its main selling point. 13 Sentinels is very unique, even within the realm of gaming, as it has 13 main characters. Aside from the main characters, there are also many side characters with complex motivations and backstories. Aside from the obvious pacing problems this alone would bring, this issue would also ruin the identity of 13 Sentinels. In the game, each of the main characters’ individual chapters reveal more about the overall plot, as well as uniquely connecting the characters to each other. The beauty of this game is most clearly seen when different characters interact with each other in different scenarios, because the player has insight into all of the characters’ pasts. Without spoiling, this kind of storytelling would be impossible to deliver on, even if the story was rearranged, due to the characters’ intersections and interactions being nonlinear.

Hypothetically though, if 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is adapted into an anime, there are actually many aspects of it which would translate seamlessly. For one, the initial impressions of some characters and plot elements clearly fit established archetypes, and a lot of the dialogue takes inspiration from slice-of-life anime. The game could also carry over its stunning imagery of food, lighthearted comedy, and other tropey moments heavily associated with a high school setting. Another component that would translate well is the original soundtrack of the game, due to the game composer (Hitoshi Sakimoto) drawing inspiration from his prior anime soundtracks.

As much as it pains me to say this, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim can never be a good anime. Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who has extensively and lovingly played the original game. While it has all the right aesthetics and drama, its sheer depth of storytelling would make it an impossible fit for an anime format. Furthermore, an improper adaptation would risk butchering its hard-earned reputation, and could alienate potential fans. This adaptation is simply impossible.