Why The New Rick And Morty Anime Short Has Fans Divided
"Rick and Morty" is not afraid to push the limits as far as plotlines go — and fans are seeing this especially clearly in the current season. Known for its explorations of science fiction and philosophy, "Rick and Morty" has covered everything from time travel to alternate realities, and Season 5 is no exception.
Unfortunately, even some of the most seasoned "Rick and Morty" fans — who are typically used to the no-holds-barred series — are disappointed with Season 5, for the same reason the show has gained popularity in the first place. Some think the newest season is a bit too out there, especially regarding Episode 4, which featured Morty (Justin Roiland) and his sister Summer (Spencer Grammer) having an unfortunate government-created incest baby.
While Season 5 has been weird enough up to this point, a new short just premiered on the Adult Swim YouTube channel that also has fans divided. It features the usual cast of "Rick and Morty" but in anime form, and the plotline is just as unexpected.
The newest Rick and Morty short is out there
The anime short "Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)" is taking the internet by storm, thanks to both its interesting visual style and of course, its eccentric plotline.
It centers around Summer (voiced by Japanese voice actor Akiha Matsui), who starts dating a god-like being named Delta. The almost-deity takes the form of Summer's phone and other technological devices. Delta decides to inhabit a human form so he can be closer to Summer — her dad, Jerry (Chris Parnell), whom Delta forces to pilot a mecha robot. Rick (Yohei Tadano) and Morty (Keisuke Chiba) mostly watch from the sidelines, giving the usual philosophical anecdotes.
On a "Rick and Morty" subreddit thread, fans are discussing the anime short with befuddled reactions. Much like Episode 4, this new short gives off incest vibes, as many fans noted. A Reddit user named u/jazzypants posed some good questions: "So.. this is set in an alternate, future universe? Were the otherworldly entities behind the culling in the first place? Did Rick know about them? So many questions!"
Meanwhile, another user named u/ThorsHammeroff wrote what many of us are thinking: "the f***?"
Some fans enjoyed the anime short, and others weren't impressed
The reactions to "Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)" are fairly split, as some fans were left unsatisfied by the short, while others enjoyed the anime stylings. One Reddit fan named u/astro_scientician wrote, "this video is Japanese/R&M incest baby! I love it!" while another user agreed that it's the "best episode of Season 5 so far."
On the other hand, a fan with the handle u/mangAcc commented "Honestly I thought it was ass. Just boring, super generic sci-fi s*** with an incest subplot, and for anyone who hasn't seen [Neon Genesis Evangelion] it's not even interesting as a reference." While "Rick and Morty" has riffed on tons of huge movies including "Jurassic Park," "Total Recall," and "Ocean's Eleven," it does help if fans are familiar with the reference material, so the mecha fighting anime may be too obscure for a mainstream audience to catch right away.
Despite its split reviews, "Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)" is definitely worth watching for "Rick and Morty" fans who can't get enough of the show.