Anime fans call for remake of classic show for 20th anniversary

Remakes are relatively common within anime. Dragon Ball Z Kai and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood are two major examples. Fans are hoping for another classic series to get the treatment — Soul Eater.

Premiering in 2008, Soul Eater was a hit anime show about a school, run by Death, for people with the ability to become supernatural weapons, and those with the talents to use said weapons properly. It’s a slightly odd, very gothic shonen anime that’s incredibly charming if you love morbid cartoons.

Based on Atsushi Ohkubo’s manga, Soul Eater’s production still holds up, but a change to the ending in the anime soured the whole project for some fans. Now that we’re coming up on the 20th anniversary of the manga, fans are hopeful for some form of remake.

“Soul Eater: Resonance,” says one fan on Reddit. “It would be my dream come true.” Others agree, but are keeping their hopes in check: “It still holds a special place in my heart but it’s not very likely.”

Ironically, fans are reluctant to buy into the idea because the original, produced by Studio Bones, is so distinct visually. ” I don’t think any current studio can do justice to Soul Eater. The animation was so unique and the consistent top-notch quality,” says one fan.

Another posits that a legacy sequel of sorts would be the better option. “Honestly if they did this I’d prefer them to do what Blue Exorcist and Black Butler did and just pretend the non-canon stuff didn’t happen and continue on from where it diverged,” says another comment. “I know it would make things confusing for newcomers, but I really can’t see a full remake being anything other than largely inferior.”

That’s a creative option, and one that’s been employed by the aforementioned, as well as Bleach, which returned with Thousand-Year Blood War in 2022, a decade after the anime otherwise concluded. In that light, 16 years or so for Soul Eater wouldn’t be so bad.

If you want to keep things on the morbid side, check out our list of the best body horror anime. We have another list of the best anime on Crunchyroll if you’d like to revisit other old-school hits.