Netflix's Tekken Anime Trailer Is A Welcome Surprise

Popular video games have often had difficulty in being adapted successfully for the screen. While fighting games such as "Street Fighter" have had their fair share of adaptations, many of these films do not always prove to be a hit with audiences. The fighting game "Tekken" has had some of the same luck. The 3D game was first released to audiences in 1994 on the original Sony Playstation. Though the games were successful enough to get numerous sequels and spin-offs, the same cannot be said for the onscreen adaptations. "Tekken: The Motion Picture" came out in 1998 and currently has a meager 5.2/10 on IMDb. Regardless of how the past attempts have fared, though, there is some good news on the horizon.

"Tekken" is subject to a new adaptation, this time an anime series for Netflix. Entitled "Tekken: Bloodline," a trailer was just released for the new story. And in stark contrast to its previous attempts at narrative storytelling, the short teaser looks quite promising.

While this is not the first time the "Tekken" games have gotten an anime adaptation, the upcoming Netflix series "Tekken: Bloodline" looks to be something else altogether, and some fans are already getting excited by what they have seen in the new trailer. In the YouTube comments section for the trailer, user nub exclaimed, "as a person that's been playing tekken back on the old PlayStation ... I'm hyped." Similarly, Ibraheem Aljomah commented, "As a passionate Tekken player, I'm really loving this."

"Tekken: Bloodline" follows the protagonist from "Tekken 3," Jin Kazama, as he seeks retribution for the death of his mother. To do this, he enlists the help of his powerful grandfather, Heihachi Mishima. Though they are family, Heihachi does not seem to have any familial concern for his grandson, stating that he will train him "even if it kills him." This may have less to do with tough love as Heihachi's villainous side is well known to anyone who has played the games. Though it is only a teaser, Netflix appears to have a good thing going. The platform is capitalizing on the success of anime series, as well as staying true to what originally drew so many fans to the games. Fans are no doubt anticipating what comes of the series when it premieres on Netflix later this year.