(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] |
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