The Witcher’s Anime Earns Comparison to Dragon Ball Z by Writer Beau DeMayo

The Witcher has become one of Netflix’s best original series, so fans were not surprised when it was announced an anime inspired by the show was in the works. Last year, it was confirmed an anime film titled Nightmare of the Wolf would expand The Witcher‘s canon, and writer Beau DeMayo was tapped to pen the project. And thanks to a recent chat with the writer, it seems this Netflix anime has looked to Dragon Ball Z for some inspiration.

Not long ago, ComicBook.com had the chance to speak with DeMayo, and it was there the writer opened up about his love of anime and animation. When asked which series he used as inspiration for Nightmare of the Wolf, DeMayo said the sheer spectacle of Dragon Ball Z kept coming to mind.

“Some of that stuff, like I said, was really baked in my DNA. The Sailor Moon of it all, Dragon Ball Z, big spectacle action that… Like a Dragon Ball Z-type action scene looks goofy in live action. But it looks bad-ss in the animation,” the writer shared.

“When you’re approaching an action scene in anime, it was just like, what is something that we could only animate that we couldn’t do in the live action show, so that it feels of its own world and it feels earned?”

Of course, a comment like this will have Dragon Ball Z fans fired up given their passion for the franchise but don’t expect anyone to go Super Saiyan in this anime. The thing which DeMayo tapped into was the scale of Dragon Ball Z which other series like Sailor Moon and even Naruto have created. Nightmare of the Wolf intends to evoke such a spectacle upon its release, and anime lovers can get behind that sort of desire.

“I think, with the live action but also with the anime, was just so important that it not just be an action fest, that there be a story there. That there be emotion there that’s really sincere,” DeMayo stressed about the balance of anime action and storytelling. “A lot of people underrate animation, especially anime sometimes, for being able to deliver emotion, really poignant emotion.”

For now, fans will have to wait and see what this anime will hold for The Witcher, and there is even more coming to the franchise. The second season of Netflix’s original series is now underway, so audiences can expect Geralt to stay on their queue for some time to come.

What do you think about this surprising comparison? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!