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If a reputable company were to produce a cartoon Warhammer40k series, would you watch it?
I'm not talking about some wonky, silly, Cartoon either, I'm talking hand drawn, frame by frame, grim, dark. The art style would be similar to GW art depictions of the Warhammer universe. If the art style was deserving of Warhammer40k, would you give it a go? If so, what would you like to see in the Series? What channel or Station do you think should host the Warhammer series among it's roster?

I watched Bruva Alfabusa's "If the Emperor had a Text-to-Speech device" series on YouTube. It was pretty great. : D

If it was a decently animated series, I'd definitely give it a chance. With the bar set so low, it's going to be quite hard to do worse.

As for what I'd like to see in it? It depends on the approach the developers decide to take. If they want to appeal to a wider audience that doesn't necessarily know much/anything about the 40K universe, that's going to be restrictive. That being said, I'd love to see Gaunt's Ghosts or the main storyline of the Horus Heresy (i.e. essentially follow Horus and other pivotal moments in the HH while excluding relatively minor things like the stories of a number of novellas). Either of these would do well in TV format.

As for what channel? I really can't say since I'm an Aussie who doesn't really watch much TV at all that isn't within my blu-ray disk collection haha

Obviously it will feature a suicidially brave guardsmen, a slow yet loyal Ultramarine, a shy but strong Battle Sister, and a comedy relief Tech Priest of Mars. (How did he even get his mechandrites tangled like that!)

They travel the Galaxy, fighting for the Emperor and learning more about what it means to be comrades in arms!

Coming up next, right after My Little Pony!

No. I would watch a funny one, though.

In a proper anime style that is made to be realistic instead of stylized, yes. But animation in the 'cartoon' sense is hard to push grimdark in, even for anime. That's such a ridiculously fine line there not helped by the fact that 40k isn't scaled realistically. Same issue I have with every cosplay I've seen of it. It just looks weird outside of models.

As all things, if there is quality-there will be fans.

 SharkoutofWata wrote:
In a proper anime style that is made to be realistic instead of stylized, yes. But animation in the 'cartoon' sense is hard to push grimdark in, even for anime. That's such a ridiculously fine line there not helped by the fact that 40k isn't scaled realistically. Same issue I have with every cosplay I've seen of it. It just looks weird outside of models.

I don't know, the dark, grimey styles of Death Note, Witch Hunter Robin and Ergo Proxy would suit 40K very nicely. Sadly however I haven't seen an anime done in those styles since they came out 10 years ago.

Yes, but nothing like the awful anime artistic direction, no "japanime" nonsense at all, dark, gritty, harsh, a animated show with a similar feel to bsg or walking dead, 15+ and not for kids, then I'd watch.

I'd rather an "anime" version. A completely tongue in cheek animated series that doesn't take the 40K lore seriously at all.

I'd rather laugh than cringe.

You guys ARE aware the dead serius anime is a thing, right?

Yeah.

An animated feature like Gotham Knight or the Animatrix would be my preference. A 'feature film' comprised of a series of shorter, self-contained stories featuring various different parts of the 40k Universe, with every army getting the limelight in at least one.

 Colbster82 wrote:
Would you give it a go? What would you like to see? What channel or Station?

Yup.
Boobs.
Babestation.

I watch 40k cartoons all the time. Never anything really too serious, the closest I got was behemoth; I prefer it as the background on the tyranids origin.

Gritty and dark are a no go in anime. There is a reason why anime is stagnating and only producing similar looking and feeling content with little real innovation IMO since the mid 2000. Nobody seems to be able to get funding for risks/creative stuff anymore.

Now, I feel like a dark gritty setting could work. Look at attack on Titan. problem is that nobody will ever take the risk in making a truly grim dark thing with brutal combat. Animation is expensive, and they'd never really risk the envestment when they could make "cute school girl love romance show with magic #2854" and make all kinds of cash back like they did the last time they made one.

An anime with a decent story and good visual quality? Yes.
A cartoon? Maybe.
A thing like Ultramarines? Hell, no!

An anime? Well, maybe as long as the anime doesn't turn Space Marines into cute teenage boys. And no sparkles!


I'd probably watch it anways though. I just love 40k that much.
But to be good, a 40k cartoon has to be dark and gritty.

I'd also watch a 40k cartoon by Genndy Tartakovsky, done in the style of Samurai Jack or Clone Wars (the original one, not the 3d one). That would be cool.

It'd have to be American or European styled drawing. Anime is a no; nobody wants a bunch of twelve year old looking emo Space Marines. Maybe something akin to GI Joe Resolute.

A Titan A.E art style series following a Magos and his retinue on a quest to uncover lost technology would be fair-doo.
Plenty of way to keep the series interesting, what with all the bizarre and fantastic contraptions that could be the basis for each episode.
(Or, ideally, like Doctor Who from way-back-when, multiple episodes around one plot)

It'd be nice to see proper advertisement for stuff that aren't Spehs Merheens.

An anime would be a laughably bad fit for 40k. For the overwhelming majority, anime and anime writers are extremely bad at dark writing (exceptions being Madoka Magica) and even what dark is there is very cliche and broody.

I would watch it if it was actually badass. If it sucked I would shake my head and never watch it again.

If it were like the opening sequence to Dawn of war the yes. If it were like the Ultramarine movie then also yes.
Maybe if it were just a little less like Ultramarines.
I'd hope Space Marines wouldn't be the central focus at all.
More like a heavy metal movie. lots of short stories tied together would be fun.

Being an anime lover, my standards for overall animation quality are quite low, so long as the story is enjoyable.

If 40K had the quality you describe, can't see myself not enjoying it. I'd be a big fan for sure!

Funny lines are all that matter.

 curran12 wrote:
An anime would be a laughably bad fit for 40k. For the overwhelming majority, anime and anime writers are extremely bad at dark writing (exceptions being Madoka Magica) and even what dark is there is very cliche and broody.

Yes, because as we all know, 40k writing, which has its origins as a dark comedy inspired by 2000AD and borrows themes from various sci-fi novels and pulp fiction around this time, is en par with Chekov. Not to mention the current writing, which is even worse as they try to take themselves seriously.

Anyway, it could work if its by Madhouse. I find they are very good at doing visceral action scenes, and are a solid company overall. See: Hellsing Ultimate, Black Lagoon.

Shaft could work if you are looking for something super abstract. Might work for the warp.

Clamp, no, unless you want your marines to look like noodle people.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Chef_of_Cadia wrote:
It'd have to be American or European styled drawing. Anime is a no; nobody wants a bunch of twelve year old looking emo Space Marines. Maybe something akin to GI Joe Resolute.

You don't watch much anime, do you?
Not all anime has bishies and is slice of life harem drivel. A 40k anime styled after something like Berserk would be pretty neat.
Hell, it could even be a sort of Cowboy Bepop thing, following the exploits of a bunch of Rogue Trader misfits.

A 40k anime styled after Jojo (pre-diamond is unbreakable) would be hilarious. See Brutha Alfabusa's series, particularly the scenes with the 3 custodes, for reference.

No, but I'd watch a 40k soap opera. Think Orange is the New Black, but on a space hulk.

Can't they just extend the Dawn Of War cutscenes and release them?
It's a start, and the work has already been done.
Add a few bit for people who know the story.

I always thought a cross between Heavy Metal artwork and Anime style action would be awesome. Imagine if the did the Horus Hersey as a series in this format.....Epic