So, There's a Pikaia Anime...

[Loon]

I was looking at images of the Favorite Co. Pikaia model on Google and found this:



It's an educational anime called Pikaia!(!). I have not watched the show, but from my rigorous Wikipedia-and-Google-based research, I have a vague idea of what it's about.

So, humanity's screwed up the earth and decided to colonize other planets (no, this is fiction). But, I guess space life is untenable. So, they have the idea to try to revert earth to the Cambrian period, so the environment would be better and they could live there again?

Ok.

Pretty dense lore for what's supposedly a kids show. But, wait there's more.



What I thought were weird robots are actually mech-suits that are worn by children.


And the kids(?) are friends with this Pokemon-esque Pikaia.


Some artistic liscense  was taken.

There's also a girl Pikaia.

They kiss.

And there's a girl who's mech-suit has cat ears, and I guess she becomes a bad guy.

I say that because she's standing with whom I assume to be the villains here.

Actually, maybe Anomalocaris and Louisella are the antagonists?


Or maybe Dunkleosteus?

You know, Dunkleosteus, that famous Cambrian animal.

I mean, it's weird and probably very, very silly; but, I kinda love that it exists? Like, how often do any of these animals get any representation?



In all seriousness, I think I'll check this out. This post was just to share the weird thing I found. Honestly, featuring Permian animals as the main prehistoric creatures is definitely commendable.

[Faelrin]

Amazing find Loon.

I particularly love that nightmare fuel Anomalocaris and Louisella making it look like those kids walked in to the wrong neighborhood. Not a style I these creatures depicted in too often. Honestly the only artwork that comes to mind is the old Yugioh cards.


Also is it just me or is that Opabinia very similar to the Favorite one, in regards to the coloration?

[Loon]

Also is it just me or is that Opabinia very similar to the Favorite one, in regards to the coloration?

From what I read, the show came out in 2015, and I believe Favorite's Permian figures came out in 2016? So, it might just be a coincidence.

[Faelrin]

Probably but an interesting one nonetheless Granted there's also quite (art, etc) a bit out there restoring Opabinia in a green coloration too, so possibly just more of the same with that.

[ITdactyl]

 
curiosity piqued.... proceeds to spend first few hours of Christmas morning watching the first season of the anime....

...much weirdness ensues....

- They even call the *female* Dark Pikaia! (somehow the name always includes an exclamation mark)
- The Big Bad went back to the Cambrian period to plant a "time drill" powered by the Dark Pikaia so that it will trigger the 6th Great Extinction.  Big Bad then expects Dark Pikaia! to guide the remnants of humanity to a new evolution.  For a kids' anime, this is #grimdark.
- The Pikaia kiss that @Loon described actually starts a new evolution process - the Good guys actually altered the timeline.
- The "soldiers" in the mechsuits are the kids, and the "adults" are mere guides... typical of anime, I guess.

Heh, that was an entertaining way to kickstart Christmas.

[Loon]

@ITdactyl now I've gotta check this out. Where did you watch it?

[ITdactyl]

Whoops... 'was using a japanese VPN service (work perks) 

Did a bit of searching, and I see that 'goanimelist dot me' has the first season.

[Loon]

Whoops... 'was using a japanese VPN service (work perks) 

Did a bit of searching, and I see that 'goanimelist dot me' has the first season.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot this week. I'm home sick this break, so it'll give me something to do. This'll be the first time I've watched an anime since, maybe 8th grade?

[Stuckasaurus (Dino Dad Reviews)]

I've been meaning to watch this myself, at some point!

[Kotori_Sonoda]

A friend recommended this to me a while back and I really meant to get to it at one point!
Its rare to see these creatures in an anime so that's really cool.

[Viergacht]

It's also available (subbed) at WatchCartoonOnline: https://www.wcostream.com/anime/pikaia-english-subbed

[Megalosaurus]

Great find! I'll check it out.