Rachetto To Kuranku: What To Expect In A Ratchet And Clank Anime

(Originally published on laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com on the 20th of March 2019)

Kon’nichiwa, loyal lombaxes and robotic rangers! My boyfriend and I have been fans of the Ratchet and Clank series for quite some time now. Back in 2016, we enjoyed the re-imagining of the first game [8] [9] [12]. Considering that I am highly fond of the usual art style of anime and manga and learned how to draw the basics of it back in college, I am quite fascinated to see how the cover art for some of the older games from the mid-2000s look more anime-like for Japanese gamers [13] [14] [15]. We are yet to find out if there will be a direct sequel to the re-imagining of the franchise since the developers at Insomniac Games have been too busy with Spider-Man for the PS4 [6] [9]. Aside from the lack of updates on the Ratchet and Clank franchise, I suddenly thought about the idea of the heroic lombax and his adorable robot sidekick having their own anime series, firstly for the Japanese crowd. This is not an official idea, but a fairly interesting one. Without further ado, let us discuss what aspects would make an anime based on the Ratchet and Clank franchise a highly legitimate and kick-asteroid establishment.

The Japanese cover of Ratchet and Clank 3. Yes, there is a more sensible alternative title. [15]

An anime of the Ratchet and Clank universe would definitely need to be in a traditional anime-style with outstanding animation that is as impressive as the animation of the duo from one of the Western adverts for their first game [4]. I am personally not too fond of Ratchet’s huge black eyebrows, but I suppose they could be useful due to how they enhanced the sales of the Ratchet and Clank games and manga from 2003 to 2009 in Japan, along Ratchet’s piercing anime-like eyes and the slightly increased size of his head for the Japanese fanbase [2] [3] [7] [10] [11] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17]. Nevertheless, the huge black eyebrows and anime-like eyes were not present in the Japanese dub of the re-imagining from 2016 [19]. And yes, I prefer the little yellow cutie’s smaller brown eyebrows. I can imagine an anime-style that highly resembles the artwork from the Japanese covers of Ratchet: Deadlocked, Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando and Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal [13] [15]. Ah, the naughty titles of many games about the beloved duo.

Those crazy eyebrows… [2]

Well, at least an anime art style of the duo that resembles this style would be swell. [11]

So, what could the plot of an official Ratchet and Clank anime feature, aside from possibly another cheeky title for American fans? There was a Ratchet and Clank manga that was only available to read in Japan over a decade ago [2] [10]. The first volume was released back in 2005 [2] [10]. The second volume was from good old 2008 [2] [10]. What about a third volume? Well, I suppose the anime can take place after both volumes or have a story completely based on them. Whichever way could greatly interest both Japanese fans who enjoyed the manga and Western fans who never read any of the two volumes. Some funny moments from the iconic duo and Captain Qwark should definitely occur because many of us remember the funny moments from the previous games too well [18]. Oh, and do not forget about Ratchet using his mighty variety of weapons in battle! A plot with humourous moments, along with great action scenes would truly make a Rachetto To Kuranku anime an praiseworthy part of the whole franchise and not to mention a creditable spin off.

The second volume of the Ratchet and Clank manga. [10]

Do not forget about reliable portrayal of the loveable cast of comrades and confronters. Just don’t make Ratchet destroy love letters or homework books like he did in those Japanese adverts [21] [22]. I would like to see the adorable Clank in his secret agent tuxedo as well. We all know Captain Qwark as the arrogant coward who has his funny and awkward moments. It would be amazing to see Courtney Gears return in an anime art style to sing the Japanese version of her song, “Death To Squishies” or perhaps a completely new song [20]. Hatsune Miku, eat your heart out. Aside from faithful writing, I would love the official cast of voice actors that are notable for voicing the main cast for an English dub, including:

• James Arnold Taylor, who voiced Ratchet many times [8] [9] [12]
• David Kaye, who has always voiced Clank [8] [9] [12]
• Jim Ward, the one who voices Qwark [8] [9] [12]

Some great aspects of in-character development of the galactic cast that are accurate would be needed for an outstanding anime that could possibly be an expansion of the re-imagining as if it was a sequel or another spin off.

Ratchet has always been known as a brave mechanic and Clank has always been known for his intelligence and good manners. [16]

Would you like to see Ratchet and Clank in their own official anime? I was quite gutted that their movie was a financial failure, but I can respect that not many critics approved of it after its release [1] [12]. Aside from that, I do think an anime for fans of the series around planet Earth can make up for how the film flopped, along with representing a new and refreshing interpretation of the franchise. Guess what? A few other Ratchet and Clank fans have thought about a Rachetto To Kuranku anime, so I am not the only one [5]. So ultimately, an official Rachetto To Kuranku anime should consist of:

• An interesting plot, whether it is based on the manga or not
• Clever humour
• Awesome action scenes!
• An appealing and convincing art style
• Accurate portrayals of characters

I understand that it is unlikely that a Rachetto To Kuranku anime would occur any time soon, but I thought I might discuss something a little different with my fellow readers and gamers. Yonde kurete arigatou gozaimasu.

Sayonara for now, loyal lombaxes and robotic rangers! [3] [7]

References

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2. Censored Gaming. (2018). How Ratchet & Clank Is Changed In Japan.Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZmVcotzTsk&t=254s. Last accessed 16th Mar 2019.
3. D. Art Kang. (2007). Ratchet and Clank 4 Japanese Commercial.Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U6lHApKm9A. Last accessed 16th Mar 2019.
4. DingoCrash. (2015). Ratchet & Clank (2002) - PlayStation 2 TV Commercial PS2. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O2CV5BNn-0. Last accessed 16th Mar 2019.
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15. Ratchet and Clank Wiki. (2017). Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal. Available: https://ratchetandclank.fandom.com/wiki/Ratchet_%26_Clank%3A_Up_Your_Arsenal#Gallery. Last accessed 16th Mar 2019.
16. Ratchet and Clank Wiki. (2017). Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. Available: https://ratchetandclank.fandom.com/wiki/Ratchet_%26_Clank_Future:_A_Crack_in_Time#Gallery. Last accessed 16th Mar 2019.
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20. tbirds99. (2006). Courtney Gears' Song Japanese. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-ewEw62wiE. Last accessed 18th Mar 2019.
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