Anonymous;Code Anime Adaption Highly Desired By Creator, But Admits It’d Be Considerably Challenging

Recently, MAGES chief creative Chiyomaru Shikura was interviewed by the Japanese publication Animate Times regarding the recently released Science Adventure visual novel, Anonymous;Code.

• Anonymous;Code Japan Launch Trailer
• Anonymous;Code Celebratory Launch Illustrations

One of the particulars discussed was a potential Anonymous;Code anime adaption, which provided intriguing responses. Science Adventure fansite, Kiri Kiri Basara, translated and summarized specific segments of the interview correlating to this subject matter, quoted below:

• MAGES. labels Anonymous;Code a “Meta Science Adventure”; the player themselves, and specifically their collaborative relationship with Pollon, is crucial to the game’s progression from start to finish.
  • Shikura admits this unique characteristic of the game would make an anime adaptation a difficult undertaking.

 

• At one point, he proposed an alternative approach to his staff: an anime adaptation where the viewers, who themselves do not “participate” in Anonymous;Code, instead watch the story play out between Pollon and the “player.”
  • Essentially, “meta within meta.”

 

• Shikura is not new to this sort of adaptation dilemma. He has previously been through similar situations where a visual novel he worked on made heavy use of a unique gimmick that could not be adapted into the anime format.

 

• Shikura: “There have definitely been times when these sorts of projects just won’t pan out right, or even end in failure. But I never quit—I keep on trying to tackle those unique challenges anyway. I feel it’s my life’s purpose to. Which is why, someway and somehow, I still do want to have Anonymous;Code adapted into an anime.”

 

• Shikura closes the interview out by encouraging readers to play Anonymous;Code, to see what makes it so unique that it “can’t be adapted into an anime”—all while looking forward to the day an announcement of an anime adaptation is made.

Personally, I don’t really see an anime adaptation of this visual novel working well at all. Then again, I haven’t played it. For those unaware, the player of Anonymous;Code is essentially a character who interacts with the protagonist, Pollon Takaoka. The prospect of that facet being adapted would be…interesting.

Moreover, Science Adventure adaptions sans Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 aren’t exactly all that great. Well, Robotics;Notes was pretty alright. Regardless, I’m definitely interested in seeing if an Anonymous;Code anime truly does happen with these unique hurdles in place.

We have provided extensive coverage regarding Anonymous;Code’s Japanese release, with our latest instance of it being an avenue to each article doing so.

• Check out our beginner’s guide to the Science Adventure series.
• Anonymous;Code is Coming West in 2023
• Why Chaos;Head is my favorite visual novel of all time.
• Chaos;Head Noah is Coming West to PC via Steam October 2022
• Chaos;Head Noah / Chaos;Child Double Pack is Coming West to Switch October 2022
• Check out the Steins;Gate x Hello Kitty Visual Novel that received a fan translation.
• The Origins You Never Knew About Steins;Gate Protagonist Okabe Rintaro: Chaos;Gate
• The Steins;Gate Sequel You Never Heard Of: Steins;Gate: Variant Space Octet
• Robotics;Notes 10th-anniversary illustration.
• Robotics;Notes Manga Coming West 2023

In 2037, the protagonist Pollon Takaoka and his best friend Cross Yumikawa work as hackers for Nakano Symphonies following the “Sad Morning” disaster from 2036. However, during one such seemingly ordinary day, Pollon encounters a girl named Momo, who is on the run from the authority for unknown reasons.

After failing in his task to protect her, he utilizes a new app he receives, which allows him to Save and Load in real life, akin to a video game. With his save data viewable via the game’s UI, Pollon ends up interacting with the player moving forward as they both attempt to uncover the mysteries of this program and several other events.

Anonymous;Code is releasing in the West for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam in 2023. The title is now available in Japan for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.