Disk Wars isn't the first time in recent history Marvel's dipped their toes into the world of anime, however. Before that total train wreck they tested the waters with a handful of television series and direct-to-video films produced by the current cream of the crop of Japanese cartoons, with each of the series written be celebrated comic book writer Warren Ellis. Who presumably did not bring his A-game to penning the plots for a bunch of goofy anime, or something got lost in translation, because they were uniformly terrible. One of the worst, though, was the one which should've translated the best to an Eastern setting. After all, Wolverine spends half his time in Japan. His wife was Japanese. It was the setting for his last solo film. And yet something about the Wolverine anime simply doesn't work, despite the fact it pretty much just adapts the classic Chris Claremont and Frank Miller miniseries that made the character who he is today. What went wrong? Did the story get too mangled? Was the voice acting not up to snuff? Or was it simply that Logan looked too darn pretty? Hugh Jackman's spoilt the general perception of Wolverine, but seriously: he's supposed to be a short, angry, hairy dude. Not a beautiful boy band type with flowing locks and sweet fashion sense. He doesn't have any right to be angsty. He has the right to do a choreographed dance routine.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
