Here at CBM, we consider ourselves pop culture junkies when it comes to all sorts of things--comic books, film, television, and of course, video games. At the same time, there seems to be a shared general feeling that video games are one of the toughest things to bring to life on either the big or small screen. Comic books seem to do okay in this respect, with series based on titles such as Mass Effect, Halo, or Borderlands proving popular. The only exceptions, at least when it comes to television animation, are the success stories when it comes to video game adaptations: Pokémon, Super Mario, and Sonic the Hedgehog.
I consider myself a fan of a small number of games, with the usual suspects of course being Pokémon, Mega Man, the world of Super Mario Bros., and certain titles based on Godzilla or Transformers. There is, however, one video game franchise I absolutely like that has both an enormous fan following AND what I believe untapped potential for television or streaming services, if in the right hands. The franchise I refer to is the long-running tactical role-playing series from Nintendo known as Fire Emblem.
Debuting in 1990 with Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, the series has gone on to comprise sixteen games, with Fire Emblem: Heroes proving to be very popular on mobile devices and Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valentia coming out this month for the Switch. (Another installment, Warriors, will debut later in the year and will be based on the game style of the popular Dynasty Warriors series.) [For more on the gameplay style of the series: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Emblem.]
Fire Emblem would not reach U.S. shores in any form until the characters of Marth (from Shadow Dragon) and Roy (from The Binding Blade) were included in the playable roster of Super Smash Bros. Melee. The trend continued with the return of Marth and the addition of Ike (from Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn) to Super Smash Bros. Brawl, and with the introduction of Lucina and Robin (from Awakening) in the Wii U and 3DS installments. It was Marth and Roy's inclusion way back in 2002 that partially prompted Nintendo to start bringing over the Fire Emblem series to the U.S.
The basic gist of the games is such (courtesy of Wiki):
"The Fire Emblem games take place across multiple unrelated settings within a Medieval or Renaissance-themed time period, with the story general focused on the main protagonist, usually a member of royalty, caught in the conflict of two or more countries across a continent and fighting for their cause before having to defeat the game's final boss.
A recurring element in the series is the titular Fire Emblem, an object with magical powers. In Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, it is a shield inset with five magical gems. Its name derives from its connection to dragons and weapons of war, being the "emblem of flame". It also appears as a family crest in the continuity of Genealogy of the Holy War, a family seal in The Binding Blade storyline, a magical gemstone in The Sacred Stones, and in the Path of Radiance world it takes the form of a bronze medallion holding a goddess of chaos. Other magical elements, including feuding gods and conflict with mystical species such as dragons and shape-shifters are also recurring elements in the series."
*Long story short, you could say it's an anime-esque Dungeons and Dragons minus the 10-sided die and the basement-dwelling nerd stereotype.*
Fire Emblem has also had adaptations in other mediums; for example, two entries in the franchise--The Binding Blade and Awakening--have had manga series.
But the one media entry that fuels the idea central to this fancast is the 1997 anime based on Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light. While it was the first anime adaptation of a Fire Emblem story, it was also very short-lived, with only two episodes being produced.
Upon seeing this recently, I realize that with how far we've come in TV storytelling and distribution, a Fire Emblem animated series would work wonderfully if produced. In terms of storytelling and viewer age, I believe it would be the perfect bridge between the styles of Avatar: The Last Airbender/Legend of Korra and Game of Thrones. So I've decided to set my fancast gears turning, and over the next month or so, I hope to unveil my idea for a proper Fire Emblem TV show. I've discussed this numerous times with friends, each offering their critique of why it'd be hard to adapt this particular franchise to TV. I've taken their pros and cons to heart and have come up with an approach that hopefully works well as an introduction to people who're just hearing of the series as they read this. In this regard, this initial overview is a sampling of things to come.
So here's how it all plays out, if the planets aligned, etc....
1. The Choice of Network/Streaming Service
In terms of where to air or stream the series, I believe Netflix would be the best place it could call home--considering their wide selection of anime titles and the development of newer material in recent years, a Fire Emblem series would be the best fit for the service.
2. Season Format
Each season of the show would be based on a different installment of the franchise, with a total of five seasons--each one based on my five favorite games in the series. I find it similar to the approach taken by shows such as American Horror Story or American Crime Story, in that while the show's title remains the same, the subject of each season differs greatly. For a more fitting comparison, think of when kid-oriented anime like Digimon and Yu-Gi-Oh! went through their seasons--both had two initial incarnations that continued from one another, but from the third version on, each featured a radically different cast of characters with little-to-no continuity with prior seasons.
When discussing how the varying sagas of Fire Emblem could be presented in episode form with a couple of friends, I ultimately decided on a two-fold approach--half the episodes would be based around the main narrative of each game chosen to be one of the five seasons, with the main lords and ladies of each saga front and center driving the plot forward. The other episodes would be smaller side-stories focusing on the characters you recruit as you play through the game, sometimes each teaming with one of the lords depending on the story. It would be a way to flesh out these additional playable characters, sort of an extension of the support conversation feature that is a hallmark of the game series.
3. Narrative Framing Device
In the same discussion I had a while ago, I presented an idea for a hypothetical Fire Emblem show to have a narrative framing device. In this case, within the context of the show, 'Fire Emblem' is a 5-book fantasy epic series, each book plucked from the shelf and read from each season by its owner, a scholar of philosophy, historiography, and other related fields, played by none other than Timothy Dalton.
Conceptually, think of it like J.R.R. Tolkein, George R.R. Martin, Margaret Atwood or Isaac Asimov doing the same with their respective works. (I also think of it akin, to a lesser extent, to the Criminologist character from The Rocky Horror Picture Show or the historian character from Monty Python's Spamalot.) As for Dalton's casting, I always felt that he'd be perfect for some sort of professorial-type role--when you hear him speak, he has a bit of a rough eruditeness in his voice. (But that's just me.) This character would appear in live-action segments at the start of each season, and would serve as narrator for the episodes focused on the main narrative.
4. Voice Direction and Casting
Taking the reins of the voice direction for this series, I can't think of two better-qualified candidates than either Jamie Simone or Andrea Romano. Simone's a veteran of many U.S. anime dubs, and has of late helmed the VD for a lot of Marvel-based animated projects. Romano, of course, is legendary for her work on a multitude of series and films based on DC properties. Closest I can think of for her doing an anime would be the third entry in the DC Universe Original Animated Movies, the anthology film Batman: Gotham Knight. Either would be very effective helming the cast for a Fire Emblem series.
In terms of my choice of talent, like my G.I. Joe: Resurgence fancast I am taking the same approach that worked with the DC Animated Universe (and to some extent, the Marvel Animated Universe)--a good mix of regular voice actors and character actors. And like that same fancast, I'm taking a page from Greg Weisman, who somehow manages to fit Star Trek: The Next Generation veterans into his projects, where you'll find a number of familiar faces from various network-based comic book shows. (To another extent, the DCAU had a similar feel with its long history with Joss Whedon show alumni.) The full casts for each season will be unveiled with each installment I post.
Now, to cap off this overview, I present to you a taste of what's in store for my fancast of:
*Season summaries taken from, and altered lightly from, game summaries via serenesforest.net*
Season One: The Blazing Blade
"The continent of Elibe was once wrecked by a fierce war between man and dragon, known as the Scouring. Almost a thousand years later, war threatens to rear its ugly head again. In Sacae, a vast grassland spreading across the east of Elibe, a traveller collapses on their journey. This traveller, a tactician, is rescued by Lyn, a swordfighter of Sacae, and the two journey together, eventually fighting to prevent the Lycian territory of Caelin from falling into villainous hands. Along the way, they meet Eliwood, a noble of Pherae, who lends them his strength. However this journey is just a prelude to a much larger adventure. Eventually Lyn, the Tactician, Eliwood and Eliwood’s close friend, Hector, must join forces to tackle a powerful enemy who wishes to bring chaos upon the continent."
Season Two: The Binding Blade
"Years after the events of The Blazing Blade, the Kingdoms of Etruria and Bern co-exist with a tender balance. However that balance suddenly deteriorates, when Bern, under the rule of King Zephiel, starts invading the neighbouring territories. Roy, son of Eliwood and the heir to the Lycian nation of Pherae, must gather an army, in place of his ill father, to oppose Bern’s invasion."
*In both of these initial seasons, the Fire Emblem is the Imperial Seal of Bern, used in the coming of age ceremonies for generations of kings of the nation. It is also used to unseal the legendary Binding Blade, one of the sacred weapons used by the Eight Heroes of the Scouring.
Season Three: The Sacred Stones
"In ancient times, a powerful demon existed at the continent of Magvel. Five heroes sealed away the demon using the Sacred Stones and built their own countries protected by the Stones. However, in the year 803, the long-lasting peace is broken when the powerful Grado Empire suddenly invades the Kingdom of Renais. Renais, a nation that has been long-time friends of Grado, is taken by surprise and is seconds away from being conquered. Princess of Eirika, of Renais, leaves her homeland to warn their ally, the Kingdom of Frelia, and to seek her twin brother, Ephraim, whom she has lost contact with. Eventually reuniting, the twins set out to investigate why their kingdom's longtime ally has chosen to invade other nations, as well as find the cause of the sudden appearance of monsters all over the continent."
*In this season, the Fire Emblem is the only one of the five Sacred Stones of Magvel to house the imprisoned soul of the Demon King; its name is derived from how it burned with the rage of the fiend.
Season Four: Path of Radiance
"On the continent of Tellius, a land blessed by the Goddess, there exist two races: the Beorc, whose appearance is close to the gods; and the Laguz, whose appearance is in-between the gods and the beasts. These two races co-exist and, after many wars and disputes, are now separated into seven nations. One of these is the Kingdom of Crimea, home to Ike of the Greil Mercenaries. Ike has been training every day to both take over the troop and for the challenges that are about to await him. Although the continent is peaceful, things are slowly changing and the continent is set to face a great disturbance that will shake the lands. When the Kingdom of Daein invades the peaceful nation of Crimea, Ike finds himself caught up in the conflict."
Season Five: Radiant Dawn
"Three years have passed since Crimea fought Daein in the Mad King’s War and both countries are still in the middle of rebuilding. However in Daein, the citizens are oppressed by the Begnion occupational army and live their lives in despair. Micaiah, a mysterious silver-haired girl and member of the Dawn Brigade, appears to help the Daein citizens. She is considered a saviour by the citizens, and eventually goes on to liberate Daein and return power to the royal family, which was thought to be destroyed. However Micaiah’s tale is only the beginning of a great war that is set to engulf the whole continent."
In these seasons of Radiance, the Fire Emblem is Lehran's Medallion, which imprisons the chaotic energies of the goddess Yune and stirs when exposed to the chaos of conflict.
Tune in next time, where my fancast proper begins with the saga of Elibe in "The Blazing Blade".