Originally published from 2004 to 2010, the Scott Pilgrim series of graphic novels was a phenomena. Written and drawn by Bryan Lee O’Malley, the comic started out as a typical coming-of-age romance. It evolved into a complex satire of gamer culture. It also had a surprisingly sophisticated story, with unreliable narrators that called much of what the reader saw into question. The ultimate moral was that we aren’t always who we think we are, but we have the power to be better.

Not bad for a comic about an idiot man-child who has to fight seven evil exes to win the indie girl of his dreams, eh?

The 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World offered a largely accurate, if somewhat shallow, adaptation of the books. While the film bombed at the box office, it developed a cult following in the years after its release. This is partly due to the comics and partly due to the cast, which featured a number of actors who became far more famous for other works since then. Nearly all of these actors have come back to voice their original characters for the anime adaptation, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

One might wonder how Netflix was able to get the likes of Brie Larson, Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza and Anna Kendrick to return to what were relatively minor roles. One might also wonder how, even with the huge cult following Scott Pilgrim has inspired, Netflix could justify remaking a story that has already been adapted into live-action, board games, and video games?

The answer is that Bryan Lee O’Malley (with co-writer BenDavid Grabinski) has moved beyond the source material to tell an entirely new story with the same beloved characters. In doing this, he has gone behind the scenes, developing the one-note villains and supporting cast of the original comic into fuller characters. We get to see behind the scenes of the League of Evil Exes, and learn just how it benefits them to harass Ramona Flowers at the behest of her most recent ex, Gideon Graves.

Scott Pilgrim Takes Off also addresses most of the complaints fans of the book had about the film. Chief among these is film’s failure to develop Ramona Flowers beyond a damsel on a pedestal. The series has Ramona take center stage, and we get more insight into her past than in the movie. This is a welcome change, as the comics were just as much about her journey as Scott’s.

The voice acting and animation are both excellent. Director Abel Gongora and the animation team perfectly captured the look of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s art style and breathed life into it beautifully. The only real flaw is that, in making Scott Pilgrim Takes Off into something that wouldn’t be repetitive to established fans, I fear it may be inaccessible to newcomers.

With that caveat, I have no qualms about saying that this show will be a hit with established Scott Pilgrim fans. Scott Pilgrim Takes Off may not be the totally accurate anime adaptation they’d been dreaming of for years. It will, however, be a pleasant surprise, if they put aside their preconceptions and see it for what it is.