Scott Pilgrim Anime vs. movie: Every difference, explained

An adaptation of the Bryan Lee O'Malley comic of the same name, the Scott Pilgrim anime was recently released with a lot of people giving their own take about it. While some liked the adaptation, others hated it with some liking the changes and others despising the same. However, overall, the adaptation has managed to make some waves across the internet.

In that regard, the Scott Pilgrim anime had to compete with the 2010 film, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. The film starred Michael Cera as the titular character and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Ramona Flowers. While the original comic and the movie were a superhero story gone horribly wrong for Scott, the anime has taken some creative liberties. Thus, it is interesting to see how it compares to the now-iconic film.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for the Scott Pilgrim anime.

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The Scott Pilgrim anime and the differences with the 2010 movie

The Scott Pilgrim anime (Image via Marc Platt Productions).

One of the first major differences from the movie is seen during the first fight Scott participates in. The first couple of scenes are very similar to the film, although the first deviation happens when Scott has to face the first of Ramona's evil former boyfriends, Patel. While in the movie he wins as he unlocks a secret power within, Scott doesn't fare so well here and is turned into coins by Patel.

This is a major change because the bulk of the season is spent without the main and titular character, with Ramona filling in for the remainder of the story. It is how during Scott's funeral Ramona discovers that he isn't dead and it is also when Envy Addams makes an entrance. This is another deviation from the movie.

There is also very little focus on the relationship between Knives Chau and Scott, which was initially displayed in the story in the comics. However, both the movie and the Scott Pilgrim anime seem to ignore it or at least reduce that subplot greatly. Scott's death also has an influence on Young Neil, who writes a screenplay that is the entire Scott Pilgrim vs. The World plot, which is obviously a nod to the film.

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More differences between the movie and the anime

Scott in the anime (Image via Marc Platt Productions).

There are other differences such as Knives playing herself in the Young Neil movie and having a romance with Lucas Lee, one of Ramona's ex-boyfriends. There is also the element of Todd Ingram falling in love with Wallace and likewise, which is something that happened while they were making the Young movie. Ramona also believes that one of Envy or Todd was responsible for Scott disappearing, which is one more difference with the movie since he obviously didn't die there.

The League of Evil Exes also has a lot more emphasis on their characterization and motivations since Scott is no longer part of the story. Since the Scott Pilgrim anime is not focused on him trying to defeat Ramona's exes, the latter's dynamics with her former boyfriends become a lot more prominent in the series. This is yet another difference from the movie.

The biggest difference, however, is the fact that the story focuses a lot on time travel and that is why Scott disappeared from the plot during so many episodes. It turns out that a future version of Scott had gone back in time to keep him from marrying Ramona. This then becomes the biggest plot point in the anime and separates itself greatly from the source material.

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Final thoughts

The Scott Pilgrim anime is definitely quite different from the movie and even the comics, going from the focus of the plot to some of the characterizations that are on display. This has made the series a bit divisive since it came out but it all lies in the eye of the beholder, as the saying goes.