Final Fantasy IX Animated TV Series - What are your hopes?

[Dionysos]

For those who do not yet know, it was announced today that Square Enix have teamed up with Cyber Group Studios to create a Final Fantasy IX animated series. Details surrounding episode length and number are unknown.

Square Enix Reportedly Co-Developing a Final Fantasy 9 Animated Series - IGN

Cyber Group Studios reportedly co-developing an animated series based on Final Fantasy 9 with the help of Square Enix.

www.ign.com

Final Fantasy IX animated series announced, production planned to end around end of 2021/early 2022

Square Enix and Cyber Group Studios announced today that a Final Fantasy IX animated series is underway! French production team...

finalweapon.net

Now one thing which is a little strange is that it is apparently aimed at 8-13 year olds. While that game might look like a fairytale setting, that is only a mask hiding some of the darkest and heaviest themes in the entire franchise. So my guess (and hope) that this isn't actually retelling the entire game, but is just set within that world. This would enrich the world of FFIX without just repeating the story of the game in watered down form. I want to see more of the minor characters. Puck. Ruby. Sir Fratley, etc.


Sure, an animated form of the original plot could be cool too, but there's so much potential for some original stories with the characters we love here.

What are your hopes for this? Do you think this is a good idea? Excited/interested in it?

 

[Vivi-Gamer]

So is it an adaptation or a spin-off series? Must admit this is very left field! Of all the FF games that needs expanding I never considered Final Fantasy IX to be one of them. If it's an adaptation/re-telling the content of the main story I'm not that bothered but it it takes the spin-off approach and tells a separate tale then yes that could be interesting.

In regards to picking Final Fantasy IX to translate to an Anime medium - I think it's a great idea! the chibi visuals and diverse races will be well suited to animation.

 

[Miko]

I'm so excited to see this! I'm just happy to see something FFIX related.

Really the only thing that I could anticipate disappointing me is that they make their own story just based on the world of FFIX and just have the main cast make special appearances only. I don't want a slew of new characters, especially when this is targeted to kids 8-13 & they just make up 'relatable' characters. I don't want it being a blatantly obvious kid's show I guess.

When I think about a kid's show that myself (as an adult) enjoyed, I think about Avatar: The Last Airbender & The Legend of Korra (Of which the target audience was about 9–14 years old). I think the content of FFIX would fit nicely if done with the same comedic humor of the Avatar series while maintaining a serious tone with the conflict of the plot. That's really how FFIX was in general anyway. I think characters like Vivi, Eiko & The Moogles would appeal to the younger targeted audience while the actual storyline & character growth would keep the older aged kids interested. That said, I don't really know anything about Cyber Group Studios, so I guess that should be taken into consideration as well.

Plot / Concept ideas:
Vivi the main focus of the series based on various adventures.
Exploring Fratley's storyline.
A new storyline for main cast on what happens after the game.
Retelling of the original game story.
Moogle Adventures / A Moogle or Eiko as main character
Eiko's life as a Princess / Continuation of the story after the game
Tantalus Adventures
Life of the Genomes/Black Mages

Also, I can see them doing a series of episodes where each episode focuses on one/two characters individually and how they're doing after the game.


Of that list, I think I'd be most excited to see life after the game for either Zidane/Dagger and/or Eiko. I think Eiko adjusting to her role would be interesting, as she'll be learning an entirely new lifestyle (also her age meets that target audience) but watching Zidane possibly adjusting to castle life (or not?) would equally be interesting. I'd also love to see some more of Mikoto!

Not sure how they'll go about it though. I'm not even sure if Kuja's choice of attire would really work for that age demographic? Let's be honest, we all had a giggle when we were kids, and sometimes still do.

Whatever happens, in the end, I just hope kids are able to fall in love with this game like I did. It'd be great to get the community back to this story and revive it. Such a great game in my opinion, and I hope I can share this with my child in the future.

 

[Dionysos]

Thinking about the age thing again, I was within 8-13 years old when I played the game Final Fantasy IX for the first time, and the game landed well enough with me, despite the dark themes. Some of the dark themes became more apparent as I got older, but even as a child and young teenager I wasn't oblivious to them. I think myself and a number of people saw the age range in this recent animation announcement and immediately associated it with children and got scared, but it isn't as if it is aimed at pre-school children or anything. There is still room for depth with this age range without dumbing it down too much.

I looked into Cyber Group Studios and it seems like they have a fairly diverse range of animation styles, and a number of their properties focus on anthropomorphic animals. It could well be a good fit for FFIX.

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The last image in particular reminds me that I'd love to see a story about Hippaul and Hipplady (and maybe Hippaul's unamed father who will remain in my mind Hippopappa until he receives a canon name). I think that would be cool.

Puck also deserves an episode. Plenty of scope for Shakespeare allusions for the adults to pick up on, whilst the kids will enjoy a playful rogue of a prince.

This really also depends on whether this will be isolated episodes focusing on different characters (like the Matrix's Animatrix, or Black Mirror, and so on), or if it is a single storyline spanning a season. Or, as might still be on the cards, a simplified retelling of the core plot.

I would rather the story be somewhat original, but also not detached from the original. I'd like to see the characters I love, including minor characters that are under-utilised in the game itself, but in original situations. Prequels, sidequels and sequels, essentially.



[18/07/22 EDITED TO FIX BROKEN ZHOU IMAGE]

 

[ComplexityBrit]

I'm quietly excited, I know that at the age of *checks notes* really, really old I shouldn't care too much about something purported to be a children's program but I was about 9 or 10 when I played Final Fantasy IX for the first time, and it's remained my favourite game since then. I have spent more hours playing Chocobo's Hot and Cold since I was 9 than any other amount of time I've poured into FFXIV, Skyrim et al.

Like everyone else, I'm curious at how they'll go about presenting this: there's definitely a lot of untold stories, but I'm not sure how many of them would be suitable for children; the largest untold story would be related to the events of the war on the Mist Continent. We know that it was close to a genocide given the amount of deaths that are implied between Burmecia and Cleyra and the language used by Brahne certainly suggested that was the intent (that was the vibe I get anyway).

Could also be a post-story story, showing Alexandria and Lindblum after the events of the Iifa Tree - families getting back on track, lost family members returning from where they were deployed, rebuilding their homes?

Honestly, I can't decide what I'd like to see more... and that's probably a bad thing since I'll get disappointed if this eventual show doesn't live up to my internal expectations xD

 

[Mister Goober]

I feel like God is teasing me. First there's the FF7 remake, and now all of a sudden an FF9 show?? Whatever happened to FF8??

But anyway, there's something that doesn't sit right with me. First, I was glad they added Rinoa into the Dissidia NT roster, but I did not appreciate Square Enix altering her appearance in NT. She's still pretty in NT, mind you, but not as pretty as the PS1 version. To all Garnet fans, I am hoping Square Enix doesn't mess with Garnet's appearance too much. FF8 and FF9 are not pixel-FF7. The characters were realistically drawn, and the way the original players see the original characters will be something special always. If you alter that, there's gonna be resentment. Case in point, me. I do think Square Enix created a beautiful Dissidia NT Rinoa, but she is no longer the FF8 Rinoa. She's basically just a long-lost sister of the FF8 Rinoa.

With that said, I don't give a rat's behind however they handle the male characters. I only like the girls, man.

 

[Dionysos]

I feel like God is teasing me. First there's the FF7 remake, and now all of a sudden an FF9 show?? Whatever happened to FF8??

But anyway, there's something that doesn't sit right with me. First, I was glad they added Rinoa into the Dissidia NT roster, but I did not appreciate Square Enix altering her appearance in NT. She's still pretty in NT, mind you, but not as pretty as the PS1 version. To all Garnet fans, I am hoping Square Enix doesn't mess with Garnet's appearance too much. FF8 and FF9 are not pixel-FF7. The characters were realistically drawn, and the way the original players see the original characters will be something special always. If you alter that, there's gonna be resentment. Case in point, me. I do think Square Enix created a beautiful Dissidia NT Rinoa, but she is no longer the FF8 Rinoa. She's basically just a long-lost sister of the FF8 Rinoa.

With that said, I don't give a rat's behind however they handle the male characters. I only like the girls, man.

Being an animation (possibly even a cartoon), they wouldn’t need to update the character designs too much to make them more realistic or anything. I should hope that the designs would be pretty similar to the designs in the game and also Toshiyuki Itahana's artwork, which were quite cartoonish on the whole.

There shouldn't be too much of a pull towards creating more realistically rendered models or anything, such as what happened with Rinoa in Dissidia NT. To change Garnet too much would no longer suit the aesthetics of FFIX's world and could be a big mistake.

This FFIX project and FFVII Remake project could be a good sign that they are revisiting the worlds of the PSX era. Hopefully FFVIII will have its turn one day too. There are a lot of people who love the game (many even prefer it over FFVII) so hopefully they are taking notes.

Could also be a post-story story, showing Alexandria and Lindblum after the events of the Iifa Tree - families getting back on track, lost family members returning from where they were deployed, rebuilding their homes?

I would like some expansion on this, yeah. There must have been a lot happening in these locations post-game. Or even in the period of Zidane's absence.

Burmecia too must presumably have attempted to pull itself together again after being decimated in the war. I doubt Puck, Freya and Fratley would give up on their home that easily.

Like everyone else, I'm curious at how they'll go about presenting this: there's definitely a lot of untold stories, but I'm not sure how many of them would be suitable for children; the largest untold story would be related to the events of the war on the Mist Continent. We know that it was close to a genocide given the amount of deaths that are implied between Burmecia and Cleyra and the language used by Brahne certainly suggested that was the intent (that was the vibe I get anyway).

Yeah, it is definitely suggested (quite heavily) that a lot of Burmecians died off-screen. And then at Cleyra, plenty on-screen.

I believe there is a scene early on where Steiner and Garnet learn about attacks on Burmecia and Steiner is in denial that Brahne would be ruthlessly and pointlessly embarking on such a violent campaign and thinks it must be a tall tale. Unfortunately, the reports were true.

Probably not fit for a kids show. But, as we've both said, the original game was dark and we were both kids when we played that. They might not shy away from dark themes entirely.

 

[Belle T]

My main hope for this series above all else is just that it's actually finished. I still have emotional scars from Namco releasing the Tales of Symphonia OVA's unfinished and then leaving the project by the wayside. Please don't hurt me again, giant corporation designed to sucker me out of my money with overpriced electronic entertainment.

 

[Jmariofan7]

My hopes are that it will fix a lot of IX’s problems, like the poorly done love story of Zidane and Garnet that the game pretends is a bigger deal than it really is, and actually having Garnet stay by Zidane’s side instead of drugging and abandoning him first chance she gets in Lindblum to runs back home like an idiot and renders the whole beginning of the game and all of Zidane’s efforts completely pointless and all the destruction that is caused as a result.

 

[Jmariofan7]

Being an animation (possibly even a cartoon), they wouldn’t need to update the character designs too much to make them more realistic or anything. I should hope that the designs would be pretty similar to the designs in the game and also Toshiyuki Itahana's artwork, which were quite cartoonish on the whole.

There shouldn't be too much of a pull towards creating more realistically rendered models or anything, such as what happened with Rinoa in Dissidia NT. To change Garnet too much would no longer suit the aesthetics of FFIX's world and could be a big mistake.

This FFIX project and FFVII Remake project could be a good sign that they are revisiting the worlds of the PSX era. Hopefully FFVIII will have its turn one day too. There are a lot of people who love the game (many even prefer it over FFVII) so hopefully they are taking notes.




I would like some expansion on this, yeah. There must have been a lot happening in these locations post-game. Or even in the period of Zidane's absence.

Burmecia too must presumably have attempted to pull itself together again after being decimated in the war. I doubt Puck, Freya and Fratley would give up on their home that easily.



Yeah, it is definitely suggested (quite heavily) that a lot of Burmecians died off-screen. And then at Cleyra, plenty on-screen.

I believe there is a scene early on where Steiner and Garnet learn about attacks on Burmecia and Steiner is in denial that Brahne would be ruthlessly and pointlessly embarking on such a violent campaign and thinks it must be a tall tale. Unfortunately, the reports were true.

Probably not fit for a kids show. But, as we've both said, the original game was dark and we were both kids when we played that. They might not shy away from dark themes entirely.

The “Dark” bits were kind of overdone, IX isn’t “dark” so much as it’s edgy for the sake of trying to have a dramatic moment, Brahne is an over the top cartoon villain, same with Kuja (until the game forcefully tries to make him “sympathetic and complex”), IX suffers from a lot of mood and tone whiplash.

 

[Darky1600]

Personally cannot wait, big fan of the game. Just hoping it doesn't get cancelled or anything.