Springfield's most recognizable family is reimagined in an anime style in a series of new images from The Simpsons' upcoming Death Note homage from "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII." The upcoming seasonal episode is episode 6 of season 34 and the show's 33rd Halloween anthology special episode. The episode is The Simpsons' second "Treehouse of Horror" episode of 2022 and will air on October 30th.
Centered on parodying famous horror-themed literature, "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" is set to take on a wide range of genres. From Marge Simpson (Julie Kavner) being faced with an entity inspired by The Babadook to Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and the family having their perception of their world shattered in a Westworld parody. However, the episode's third segment will see the town of Springfield completely reimagined in a new art style, as The Simpsons pays homage to Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's hit anime and manga series, Death Note, in Death Tome. While The Simpsons' "Treehouse of Horror" It parody has already strayed away from the show's Halloween traditions, "Death Tome" has stood out among the show's 2022 seasonal specials for its art and animation style that is incredibly faithful to the source material. A series of new images have teased the family's anime redesigns.
FOX released the three new photos from the upcoming The Simpsons seasonal special feature Lisa (Yeardley Smith), Homer, and Marge in their anime-inspired redesigns. Alongside the show's central family, the images also feature a glimpse at the segment's version of Death Note's apple-eating Shinigami Ryuk appearing before Lisa, as well as a look at the Japanese-inspired Springfield. Check out the three images below:
The Simpsons Anime Designs Perfectly Fit The Death Note Aesthetic
While The Simpsons has experimented with art styles in the main series by inviting guest creatives to create unique couch gags in the modern era, the "Treehouse of Horror" specials allow the creative minds behind the show to drastically reimagine the show in segments, including "Treehouse of Horror XXXI "'s Pixar-homage "Toy Gory," and "Treehouse of Horror XXXII" 's classic Disney animation parody "Barti." "Death Tome" promises to continue from the previous two specials by reimagining the cast in an anime art style and a Japanese setting. The redesigns of The Simpsons cast draw heavily from the designs that were used in Madhouse Inc's 2006 anime adaptation of Death Note, with Lisa's redesign even featuring several nods to Death Note's dark protagonist Light Yagami, including Light's brown eyes and tan suit jacket. With Lisa's redesign alone featuring many nods to Death Note's lead character, it is clear the creatives behind the segment aimed to create a parody that celebrates the source material.
While The Simpsons' later seasons have faced criticism from viewers, the show has continued to experiment with its format and traditions across recent seasons. From violent Fargo parodies in season 33's two-part episode "A Serious Flanders" and the unexpected meta twist of season 34's "Lisa the Boy Scout," the series has treated audiences to drastic new takes on the show that, at the very least promise to bring a fresh new take on the franchise. And with "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII" 's "Death Tome" segment completely reimagining the world of The Simpsons as a mid-2000s anime, the upcoming Halloween special is sure not only to treat existing Simpsons viewers to a humorous twist on Death Note but capture the attention of dedicated Death Note fans and anime watchers with its' incredibly faithful aesthetic.
Source: FOX