5 Dark Fantasy TV Series That Would Have Been Better As Anime

Dark fantasy has flourished on television for decades, offering a range of haunting worlds filled with cursed heroes, brutal violence, morally ambiguous conflicts, and the occasional monster (or several). Including elaborate creature designs, death-defying action and surreal supernatural imagery, these shows made their mark on pop culture while simultaneously limiting themselves in terms of VFX, choreography or production budget.

By comparison, anime thrives on limitless creativity, allowing even the most ambitious visions to be realized without the restrictions of live-action. Stylized animation perfectly complements the hyperbole of dark fantasy, from larger-than-life battles and grotesque horrors to the gruesome richness of visual storytelling. All things considered, there are a few dark fantasy TV series that would have been far better as anime.

One of Netflix's most imaginative series, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself deserved better than its premature cancellation. Adapted from Sally Green's Half Bad trilogy, the story follows Nathan Byrne, the illegitimate spawn of the notorious Blood Witch Marcus Edge, whose very existence threatens the delicate balance among various magical rivalries. The magical system appears in the form of individualized gifts, with the show's biggest criticism being its relative lack of visual emphasis on the powers.

Anime could encode these abilities into extensions of personality through symbolic imagery, color language, and perhaps an experimental approach that would work even better with the show's restrained attempt at body horror. Animation offers the texture and depth necessary to fully embrace the surreal mythology of The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself , consequently realizing the boundless imagination that made Green's trilogy such a wonder.