*This review contains spoilers for the new series “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.”*

The series “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” was released on Netflix Nov. 17 and changed the classic story around, with Ramona Flowers and friends taking the lead. 

“Scott Pilgrim vs. the World” is one of my favorite movies, so when I found out last year that the entire original cast was coming back to voice their old characters in a new “Scott Pilgrim” anime, I was ecstatic. I watched the whole series in about two days and absolutely fell in love. In the original movie, Scott Pilgrim must fight Ramona Flowers’ seven evil exes in order to date her. He succeeds in doing so and ends up with Ramona. 

“Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” examines an alternate universe where Scott does not defeat the seven evil exes. In fact, he doesn’t defeat the first one — or so we think. Ramona discovers that Scott was not actually killed but instead kidnapped through a mysterious portal. She recruits her exes to help her figure out who is behind the kidnapping. The series shows us a lot of Ramona, which is not something that is seen much in the original movie. Her character is fully fleshed — she is strong and cool but also cares about Scott and her friends. 

One episode that stands out to me is Episode 3, “Ramona Rents a Video.” Each episode of the show generally focuses on one of the seven evil exes. Episode 3 features Roxie Richter, former college roommate to Ramona and her ex-girlfriend. The episode shows a different side of Roxie, who is usually presented as angry and violent. Ramona and Roxie get to talk about their past, their grievances with one another, and eventually make up after an awesome fight scene. It is a heartwarming episode and introduces us to an evil ex in more detail. Additionally, the queer representation of Roxie and Ramona is a great instance of normalized queer relationships in media, which are often portrayed poorly or not at all. 

“Scott Pilgrim Takes Off” is less action and more drama, and I love it. If you are a fan of the comics or the original movie, I would highly recommend checking out the new series. And if you have never heard of “Scott Pilgrim,” still check it out.

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