An annual Halloween-themed anthology special centred on The Simpsons known as the Treehouse of Horror is broadcast each year. In these one-off episodes, the long-running animated sitcom transforms into a Halloween-themed anthology of eerie and offbeat shorts that are meant to capture the spirit of the holiday. In most cases, the names that appear in the film’s closing credits are altered to fit the atmosphere of a horror movie.
This year’s Treehouse of Horror takes things to a whole new level, which is fitting considering that the show is currently airing its 34th season.
The Treehouse of Horror XXXIII anthology, similar to its predecessors, includes three brand new short films. One of them is a spoof on the long-running and critically acclaimed anime series Death Note. This parody takes things to the next level by totally reimagining the programme in the style of Japanese animation, which is a surprising turn of events.
‘the Simpsons’ Parodies the ‘death Note’ Anime in a Love Letter to the Classic Series.
In case you need a reminder, Death Note is a legendary anime series that began airing in 2006 and is an adaptation of the manga written by Takeshi Obata, who won multiple awards for his work. Light Yagami is a clever high school student who happens to find the “Death Note,” a mysterious notebook with the capacity to kill anybody whose name is written on its pages. The story recounts his adventures when he comes into possession of the “Death Note.” Light, who is aided on his journey by a Shinigami (god of death) named Ryuk, makes an attempt to wield the Death Note to rid the world of evil and establish himself as a deity in his own right.
The most recent episode of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror series goes above and beyond to make fun of the anime series Death Note by re-imagining some of the show’s most iconic characters in an anime style.
The series executive producer, Matt Selman, discussed the lengths they went to in order to make this parody in an interview with the Simpsons fan podcast Four Finger Discount.
He informs the podcast that “It is legitimate anime.” “[It is] animated by this wonderful animation firm called DR Movie, who executed the Simpsons universe in pitch-perfect Death Note anime style,” DR Movie is responsible for the animation of “[it].”
According to reports, DR Movie was responsible for the animation work on the first Death Note anime. Avatar: The Last Airbender and the second season of The Rising of the Shield Hero are also important works. Other notable works include the following:
DR Movie spares no expense in transforming the town of Springfield into an anime that appears to be drawn from real life for the sake of this short.
The name “Death Tome” given to the short film itself is an obvious reference to the original series. In this short, Lisa Simpson finds the item that gives the short its name, the Death Tome, and quickly learns that it has the ability to kill whoever’s name is written into it. After getting a taste for it, she comes across a Shinigami by the name of Steve Johnson, who urges Lisa to make more frequent use of the item.
When it comes to making fun of anime, The Simpsons has never been one to shy away from the challenge. A number of prior couch gags, as well as past episodes of Treehouse of Horror, have included references to anime shows such as Sailor Moon and One Piece. However, even among episodes that parody other works, few few have gone so far as to fully redraw the series in a new graphic style to imitate the work that inspired the parody.
Whether or not you enjoy this, you cannot deny that it is an improvement over the version that was released on Netflix in 2017.
This Sunday, October 30, at 8 o’clock PM Eastern Standard Time (EST), Fox will air The Simpsons’ most recent Treehouse of Horror episode.
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