Rick and Morty: The Anime Creators Talk Introducing New Characters, Morty’s Love Life, Future Plans and More

Rick and Morty: The Anime has officially premiered with Adult Swim, and we got to talk with the creative minds that helped bring the new spinoff to life! Rick and Morty is currently one of the most popular animated series running today, and Adult Swim surprised fans with the announcement that the franchise would be branching off with a full anime series of its own. After its previous experiments with anime, Adult Swim teamed up with a legendary creator for this brand new anime take on the wider Rick and Morty multiverse first seen in action in the original animated series.

With Rick and Morty: The Anime now kicking off its planned run of ten episodes through the rest of the Summer, ComicBook got the chance to speak with writer and director Takashi Sano (who previously directed both the Rick and Morty vs. Genocider” and “Summer Meets God (Rick Meets Evil)” shorts) and executive producer Joseph Chou about the new series. There’s quite a lot to discuss as Rick and Morty: The Anime has introduced its own multiverse within the multiverse too. 

Opening up about the new anime’s multiverse, introducing new characters, giving Morty a new love story, potential future plans and more, Sano and Chou (who provided both English translation and additional insights) revealed some of the inner workings behind the Rick and Morty: The Anime process. Read on below for our full interview, which has been edited for length and clarity. 

Creative Freedom in Rick and Morty: The Anime

How much creative freedom did you have when crafting Rick and Morty: The Anime’s new story? Did you have to worry about what’s happening in the current episodes of the main series?

TAKASHI SANO and JOSEPH CHOU: It was kind of a given a blank check. So meaning, as long as we don’t double up for what we’re doing currently, go do what you do, and play with these characters. And so he was given a complete blank check, which is great.

What’s something that the two of you have learned from collaborating on those first Genocider and Summer Meets God shorts before that you brought into this full Rick and Morty anime?

From his perspective, when he was first given the couple of shorts, especially the first one, he had to do the dance. The movements were definitely different because it’s something that he kinda brought from his old days. I recognize what he’s done before where a lot of these, like, very, fast, obscure, and free moving animation. He brought that to the table and also how the screen layout is composed, the composition has been changed, because that’s something that he knows he could do. So he brought it to the table and was really kinda nervous. But actually he was, kind of involved to do that just because it was short. It was just not gonna be on TV, or it was just gonna be short. 

And so for him, trying it once, trying it twice, and then being allowed to take on the series, it sort of gave him confidence that he that that he could do this, that he could push a little bit. That he’s confident of what he was about to take on in terms of trying to do this long form. So that for him was actually something that he really was able to compensate. “Oh, this is okay, this is accepted, and I’m okay doing this.” And because, initially, you’re told “Go,” but you’re not quite sure.

Also how the fans will react to it, that’s also a big deal to him because he’s a fan himself. So that’s something that he was able to gather from the short. And from my perspective, I’ve done another short with a different creator as well. Either it’s kinda like “Give us a pitch” or “Hey, can you just put a robot in and do something?” So that’s just one thing or that’s being “I wanna do something like this.” And then, just being able to take that on and then try to move the location. Introducing Japanese elements were fine. 

I think part of the reason why that’s okay is also because it’s Rick and Morty. Just knowing that we have that support, and understanding from Adult Swim, and from the original show’s creators, and also the fans, it was very encouraging. So taking on series, we were fine. We weren’t as scared going into it, but we were kinda intrigued by the challenge. So yeah, it’s a wonderful experience.

The Anime’s Place in the Multiverse

Speaking to that actually and to the fans, where where do you view Rick and Morty: The Anime within that wider multiverse? The Rick here, is it the same Rick as the other show? Is this another Rick?

I mean, this is obviously the natural question that kinda comes up a lot. And, so the way the he initially sees it is it’s a multiverse within [a] multiverse, because the anime itself is also [a] multiverse. So it is within this huge tent of Rick and Morty. But in terms of how he approached the show was, it’s the real original Rick and Morty that you see in the original show and how they get to meet with a different multiverse Rick and Morty, and they get to interact. So you could actually take your Rick and Morty as, like, the original Rick and Morty. How they’re thrown into this world and they get to meet different versions of themselves, how do they change or how do they react? And that’s how I wanted to create this new multiverse within this multiverse. 

Introducing New Rick and Morty Characters

Speaking to that creative freedom to just do a multiverse within a multiverse, this show introduces new characters too. You you have Frank. You have Elle. What goes into introducing new Rick and Morty characters for the anime, but also making sure they fit within Rick and Morty? 

I think there are two things that he really wanted to do taking on a series. And one was I wanna do a sci-fi, a new type of sci-fi that that he could use this canvas for. And then also he wanted to do a little love story for Morty. But the one thing that almost feels like a taboo in the original show was the concept of time, you know? So if he did too much in that, he just felt like he was violating some things that just not is quite deeply done in the original show. How do I not break that barrier too much that without that? If I’m doing that, what can happen here? Maybe introducing a new character from a different dimension might create a different dynamic. So, okay, what kind of character is this? Oh, I wanted to do a love story. So then the character kind of organically has grown and been created.

Once that character was created and put into context with this, faced with this Morty, that relationship and how they interact. Because once the characters were set, and then the new sci-fi theme that he wanted to explore has been set, they drove the story forward. So rather than him setting up a big story template to try to do this, he just let the characters take the story in his head, and that’s how, he was able to create a plot line, a 10 story plot line for this series.

The love story is super interesting too because that’s not something we see a lot of in the original. Was that something that you wanted to explore that in particular, that you noticed was missing too? 

You’re right. I mean, there’s comedic love stories. But he hasn’t really seen a serious, like, full on little love story, and especially for a nice kid like Morty. So he really wanted to see if he can bring that to the table, and what can happen from there. Because that can also drive a story forward. And, it’s not a one episode story [where] all the story is finished. He was able to create a bigger story doing that because there’s something driving them forward. And he thought this might be a good thing to tackle.

Rick and Morty: The Anime Season 2?

As a final question, I do have to ask. I know a lot went into making the 10 episode arc itself, but is there any potential if this is successful, if this is a hit with fans, that he has more ideas to explore in the future?

Oh, yeah. Yeah, he has a lot of things that he actually wants to do, if he’s given the opportunity to do another one. So [the] hard part is not what to make, it’s like, what to do. Like, what can I do? It’s really hard part is what do I choose in terms of the things that I wanna do? Because it’s just the kind of freedom that’s given to do the show. It’s just incredible. So yeah, he would love that opportunity. Hopefully, fans will love it and we’ll get the call to do another one.