Kong: Skull Island Anime

[Yojimbo]

First teaser image posted.

I think it's related to this report back in 2017:
There's a TV series in the works. Written by Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title. Explores the origins of Skull Island and will have a female lead.

EDIT: Oh, announced in January 2021.
"The plot follows shipwrecked characters desperate to survive the most dangerous place on Earth, the island that is home to colossal monsters, including the iconic “megaprimatus” Kong. “Skull Island” is set to be executive produced and written by Brian Duffield (“Underwater,” “The Babysitter”) and executive produced by Jacob Robinson under his company “Tractor Pants.” Powerhouse Animation, the studio behind Netflix’s highly-acclaimed “Castlevania” and “Blood of Zeus,” is attached to the project."

And Powerhouse! Yes!!

 

[Frontier]

Ah, Powerhouse, so this is an "anime" anime then .

Still, it's cool that we're getting a Kong cartoon. I'd love to see a Godzilla cartoon by them too .

 

[RoyalRubble]

Skull Island premiered on Netflix in June during the forum downtime.

Shipwrecked in the South Pacific, a group of explorers encounter a menagerie of fearsome creatures — including the giant ape who rules the island: Kong.

Episode 1 - "Maritime Pilot"

A mysterious castaway appears while Charlie, Mike and their dads search the ocean for mythical creatures, throwing all their plans into chaos.

Episode 2 - "The Last Blank Space on the Map"

As they adjust to wild new surroundings, Mike and Charlie realize that getting to shore was the easy part. Cap encounters another explorer.

Episode 3 - "What's Up, Croc?"

On the run from a terrifying predator, the boys glimpse an unbelievable sight. Irene leads her team deeper into the island. Mike makes a confession.

Episode 4 - "Breakfast Fit for a Kong"

Annie and Dog stage a subterranean rescue operation. Irene gets better acquainted with the island's wildlife. Cap explains an intriguing theory.

Episode 5 - "Doggone It"

A risky plan pays off, leading to a reunion — and new revelations. Stuck in a precarious situation, Charlie and Dog form an uneasy alliance.

Episode 6 - "Terms of Endearment"

Mike's injury catches up with him, while Annie and Irene unpack their complicated histories. Dog and Charlie's journey across the island continues.

Episode 7 - "You're Not a King, You're Just a Stupid Animal"

Years in the past, Kong roams the island with a beloved human friend. But when his temper gets the better of him, the consequences could be dire.

Episode 8 - "You'll Never Catch a Monkey That Way"

Charlie proposes a daring plan to defeat the sea monster and save Mike's life. But it will take all his courage — and Kong's strength — to pull it off.

Comments?

 

[Yojimbo]

I was pretty disappointed with how bland it turned out. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. Just average. Characters weren't too likeable either. Plus, their "fearlessness" towards the island and threats with the constant non-stop quips and one liners ruined the show. Voice acting felt too bland. But the blue cephalopod Titan was a good challenge and we got more glimpses of Skull Island's ecosystem. And just when it gets interesting, it ends on a time skip and she's in a city.

 

[Classic Speedy]

I was pretty disappointed with how bland it turned out. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. Just average. Characters weren't too likeable either. Plus, their "fearlessness" towards the island and threats with the constant non-stop quips and one liners ruined the show. Voice acting felt too bland. But the blue cephalopod Titan was a good challenge and we got more glimpses of Skull Island's ecosystem. And just when it gets interesting, it ends on a time skip and she's in a city.

I was similarly disappointed. The animation was nice, but the characters didn't pop like they should've and it felt repetitive because it was just one calamity after another. Definitely not as good as Camp Cretaceous, a similar concept.

Also, Kong himself doesn't appear until about halfway through the first season. I didn't expect him to show up right away, but it felt like a lot of arbitrary stalling.

 

[Gold Guy]

The show was only OK, but the King Kong flashback episode was really good. I kinda wish we got more of that.

 

[RoyalRubble]

Apparently season 2 is already written even though it wasn't confirmed yet.

 

[Frontier]

Apparently season 2 is already written even though it wasn't confirmed yet.

I was wondering if it was a classic Netflix "split up the seasons" thing...

 

[DeanBurrito25]

I do hope the second season is a step up from the first because I do enjoy the premise in concept. My biggest gripe was that the tone felt all over the place at times. The show was made for a TV-14 audience, but I forgot that more than once because some of the writing felt like I was watching a Nicktoon instead.

I also agree that the Kong flashback episode was the highlight of S1.

 

[PicardMan]

Okay, I got around to watching this. Seems like Netflix has a compromise in 2020 when it comes to American action toons. They get marketed as anime, but the intro labels it as a "Netflix series" rather than "Netflix anime." This was a pretty unremarkable adult action cartoon, and I guess that the Y-7 Camp Cretaceous was the better series. Netflix still hasn't created an absolute stinker in the adult action cartoon genre, but not all of them are the game changers Castlevania and Arcane were. As to the question is this better than the corny early 2000s Jetix cartoon, I'm not sure. The camp of the latter version was certainly more memorable (available on Roku Channel and Tubi for those with Jetix nostalgia).

 

[Yojimbo]

Duffield commented on season 2: "Scripts are all done and I hope it sees the light at some point – think we got unlucky with timing and story changes in the bigger 'Verse. But I had a great time, which is all that matters."

 

[Frontier]

Duffield commented on season 2: "Scripts are all done and I hope it sees the light at some point – think we got unlucky with timing and story changes in the bigger 'Verse. But I had a great time, which is all that matters."

Feel like if they had been renewed Netflix would've announced it by now...unless they had always planned to release it as a "season 2" that is mostly just the full episode order they requested...?

 

[RoyalRubble]

A tie-in comic series, "Return to Skull Island" debuts in June.

 

[Yojimbo]

A tie-in comic series, "Return to Skull Island" debuts in June.

Same year as the show, must be a bridge between seasons. Unless season 2 was scrapped and this comic is now the continuation.

 

[Frontier]

Same year as the show, must be a bridge between seasons. Unless season 2 was scrapped and this comic is now the continuation.

Considering we haven't heard any news about season 2 since season 1 premiered...

 

[Yojimbo]

Considering we haven't heard any news about season 2 since season 1 premiered...

3/9: True, and that is the Titan he fought at the end of season 1 on the cover. I hope it's not a comic book adaptation of season either. well, if the comic is season 2 maybe it can do better. Knock wood.

3/11: Some pages were revealed from the comic.

 

[Frontier]

Nice to see Christopher Jones' art! He matches the style of the cartoon quite well .

 

[Yojimbo]

Nice to see Christopher Jones' art! He matches the style of the cartoon quite well .

3/11are I say it looks better than the cartoon.

3/17: #1 releases June 4 with look at all the variant covers and a logline.
"After Kong’s battle with the Kraken, survivors soon discover that far worse lurks in the shadows… and that their unlikely ally may not be able to protect them from Skull Island’s horrors!"

6/26: #1 now releases July 9 and some preview pages.

12/10: Escape from Skull Island comic starts January 28.