The trailer and release date for the Nier: Automata anime has been released, but game director Yoko Taro has hinted the story will be different from the game.
During the Aniplex Online Fest, it was confirmed that the Aniplex anime adaptation of the critically acclaimed role-playing game from Platinum Games will premiere in January 2023. Named Nier: Automata Ver. 1.1a, the anime will star protagonists 2B and 9S and looks like a pretty faithful adaptation.
In a talk between animation director Ryoji Matsuyama and game creator and director Yoko Taro, Yoko Taro commented on the announcement saying, “When I actually heard about making an anime version, I thought, ‘What? This late?’” (via PCGamesN).
You can check out the Japanese subbed trailer below:
Yoko Taro also said that due to the fact that the anime will be a direct adaptation of the game, it wouldn’t work so he wanted to change the storyline. “Nier: Automata was a story we created to be a game, so copying it as-is wouldn’t make an interesting story for an anime,” he explained.
However, the producers at Aniplex were reluctant to the idea and wanted to stick closer to the story of the game. This is also why the name of the anime is different. Yoko Taro also commented on Masuyama’s respect for the game and went on to apologise in advance for any discrepancies between the two versions because he is the one that wanted them.
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“I’m the one going around and breaking things for them, so if anyone is dissatisfied, it’s likely to be my fault,” he said.