There has never been an official anime adaptation of Star Trek, which is a real shame considering the longevity of the franchise that has been a part of the pop culture zeitgeist for decades. Despite this fact, the Enterprise-focused series continues to this day by exploring the universe’s past, present, and future. Thanks to a passionate fanbase, many fans continue to find some eye-popping Easter Eggs from years past and one fan has done so when it comes to Star Trek: The Next Generation. In a nod to a creation of manga artist Rumiko Takahashi, one particular installment of Picard and his crew’s adventures has resurfaced.
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In Star Trek: The Next Generation’s fourth season, there was an episode titled “The Nth Degree.” During this unique installment, Lieutenant Barclay, a character who was seen as something of comic relief when stacked against the likes of Picard, Data, Worf, and Riker, runs into a wild problem. Thanks to the Enterprises investigating unique equipment, Barclay becomes super intelligent and begins using the holodeck to help him in his new quest for knowledge. In working with a digital version of Albert Einstein in the Holodeck, the Star Trek series sneaks in a hilarious reference to Takahashi’s Urusei Yatsura, written on a chalkboard as an equation.
[RELATED: Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Animated Series Imagined in New Video]
A Star Trek Anime?
Unfortunately, there’s no word as of the writing of this article of fans seeing the Enterprise explore the unexplored territory for the series in anime. Luckily, this hasn’t stopped Star Trek from making serious ground in the animation department in general. Most recently, Star Trek: Lower Decks explored a unique part of the universe, taking on a much more comedic approach to its storytelling with a style that would make it fit right into Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim programming block.
Even though Lower Decks recently ended, it garnered five seasons and has become a fan-favorite for “Trekkies” and animation fans alike. The popularity of the series even saw the voice cast brought into the world of live-action as actors Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome reprised their roles in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. It will be interesting to see if Mariner and Brad make a comeback down the line but Lower Decks impact on the franchise proves that Star Trek can conquer new mediums.
Urusei Yatsura’s Present
Urusei Yatsura returned with a new reboot in 2022 as David Production helmed the revival. After two seasons, the adaptation from the studio that helmed JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Fire Force wrapped the story of Lum and Ataru. Reaching the conclusion of the tale, Uruseia Yatsura isn’t confirmed for a third season though the revival proved that Takahashi’s works are still a part of conversation in the anime world.
Want to see how the anime world continues to find its way into pop culture? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on all things anime and hit me up directly @EVComedy.
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Image Credit: Warner Bros.
