Game of Thrones Fans: Would you be Interested in an Animated Game of Thrones Series?

[Mr. Mask]

If they announced an animated Game of Thrones series, would you be happy for it? Or perhaps you would find it pointless or a waste?


How would you feel if there was such an announcement? Would you be more or less excited for it than the live-action show?

If they made such a series, what would you want it to be like? As bloody and gruesome as the original, or perhaps even more extreme? Or, would you prefer a more child-friendly, Saturday morning cartoon style, like Prince Valiant?

What would you want the series to be about? Would you want it to follow the books more closely than the live action show did, going into more detail and taking its time traipsing the plot from start to finish? Or perhaps you'd prefer a more streamlined approach, to see the main details play out in fast-paced action with others being glazed other for the pacing? Would you want to see new content, new characters and a new plot, based off the same world?

As a bonus question, what art style would you want the animated series to have?


For me, I'd be interested in an animated series, and might even favour it over a live-action one (assuming it's of the same quality). I'd be interested to see details about the world which get skipped over in the live action series. I can see appeal in both a milder Saturday morning cartoon style, and a gritter, more book-accurate style (though certain details would probably best be glazed and hurried over).

[Hyena]

Since the series seem to be diverging pretty far from the books right now, I would like the cartoon to come out after the books are finished and be more faithful to them - with all the best parts, like LS. Bonus - since in a cartoon, you don't need to pay actors, you don't need to kill of characters you have no use for - they just can hang around in the background, as silent cameos.

Such as Grenn and Pyp. Or Barristan.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

If they made such a series, what would you want it to be like? As bloody and gruesome as the original, or perhaps even more extreme? Or, would you prefer a more child-friendly, Saturday morning cartoon style, like Prince Valiant?

The latter would be so hilariously inappropriate it would be amazing. :smallbiggrin:

[Kantaki]

An A Song of Ice and Fire Cartoon? That would be great. But please without the changes that were made in the live-Action Version. As long as it isn't turned kid-friendly because of it this would work great. Possibly even better than GoT does.

Aunt Edith says: Prince Valiant? I think I remember that one. Even as a kid I was annoyed when that guy tried to solve a Problem by talking or otherwise peacefully (as far as I remember it has been a few years) when he had a freaking sword. Why are you talking so much? Take your weapon and stop the bad guy. If you are not willing to use your sword don't wear it. Unless the villian is family or an old friend or something don't bother with the blabbering.
In the case you didn't notice: I would not make a good hero. Nor would I be a good (bad) villian because pointless acts of evil for the sake of doing evil seems just as dumb to me.

But a faithfull adaption of ASoIaF would be a great Cartoon.

[Aedilred]

As Kantaki says, I'd have differing opinions depending whether it was an ASoIaF cartoon or a Game of Thrones cartoon, I think.

An animated version could avoid a lot of the problems that have bedevilled the live-action show: the scale, which has sometimes been wanting, could be restored, and the supernatural elements and monsters could be a lot more present than they have been at times. There'd presumably also be less motive to include so many gratuitous nude and brothel scenes: such elements could be retained where actually plot-relevant without taking over the show in the way that it has occasionally in "Game of Boobs" style. That said I think there are inevitably trade-offs that have to be made in translating a book to screen and some of the frustrations - shortcutted plots, a smaller cast of characters, absence of internal thought-processes meaning that either such thoughts must be spoken aloud or scenes must be changed in composition.

It would, or, rather, could, answer some of the criticisms of the Game of Thrones show. But whether it would do so enough to appease the book readers who won't accept any changes whatsoever to GRRM's glorious masterpiece (even where he's written them himself) is debatable. It would also likely bring with it a whole bevy of new issues, such as frustrations over the animation style. Given that the live-action show still seems to be popular, there probably isn't a lot of reason to go the animation route.


since in a cartoon, you don't need to pay actors, you don't need to kill of characters you have no use for - they just can hang around in the background, as silent cameos.
You do need to pay voice actors, of course, and if that character needs a speaking role again it's probably best to get the original actor back if possible. But it's still rather easier to manage than in live-action, certainly.

[CWater]

As Kantaki says, I'd have differing opinions depending whether it was an ASoIaF cartoon or a Game of Thrones cartoon, I think.

An animated version could avoid a lot of the problems that have bedevilled the live-action show: the scale, which has sometimes been wanting, could be restored, and the supernatural elements and monsters could be a lot more present than they have been at times. There'd presumably also be less motive to include so many gratuitous nude and brothel scenes: such elements could be retained where actually plot-relevant without taking over the show in the way that it has occasionally in "Game of Boobs" style. That said I think there are inevitably trade-offs that have to be made in translating a book to screen and some of the frustrations - shortcutted plots, a smaller cast of characters, absence of internal thought-processes meaning that either such thoughts must be spoken aloud or scenes must be changed in composition.

It would, or, rather, could, answer some of the criticisms of the Game of Thrones show. But whether it would do so enough to appease the book readers who won't accept any changes whatsoever to GRRM's glorious masterpiece (even where he's written them himself) is debatable. It would also likely bring with it a whole bevy of new issues, such as frustrations over the animation style. Given that the live-action show still seems to be popular, there probably isn't a lot of reason to go the animation route.


You do need to pay voice actors, of course, and if that character needs a speaking role again it's probably best to get the original actor back if possible. But it's still rather easier to manage than in live-action, certainly.

I agree with you on most points here, however, there has been plenty of pointless sex and sexual violence in the books themselves. In Dance with Dragons, I don't think Martin managed to get through a single chapter without referring to genitalia in some way. I personally hope that the story (that is otherwise good and has some great characters and world-building) would not have this overabundance of that stuff, but it seems to be Martin's style of writing (and most people don't seem bothered by it). In this regard, I've actually found the tv series less disturbing than the books.

[Legato Endless]

As Kantaki says, I'd have differing opinions depending whether it was an ASoIaF cartoon or a Game of Thrones cartoon, I think.

An animated version could avoid a lot of the problems that have bedevilled the live-action show: the scale, which has sometimes been wanting, could be restored, and the supernatural elements and monsters could be a lot more present than they have been at times. There'd presumably also be less motive to include so many gratuitous nude and brothel scenes: such elements could be retained where actually plot-relevant without taking over the show in the way that it has occasionally in "Game of Boobs" style. That said I think there are inevitably trade-offs that have to be made in translating a book to screen and some of the frustrations - shortcutted plots, a smaller cast of characters, absence of internal thought-processes meaning that either such thoughts must be spoken aloud or scenes must be changed in composition.

It would, or, rather, could, answer some of the criticisms of the Game of Thrones show. But whether it would do so enough to appease the book readers who won't accept any changes whatsoever to GRRM's glorious masterpiece (even where he's written them himself) is debatable. It would also likely bring with it a whole bevy of new issues, such as frustrations over the animation style. Given that the live-action show still seems to be popular, there probably isn't a lot of reason to go the animation route.


You do need to pay voice actors, of course, and if that character needs a speaking role again it's probably best to get the original actor back if possible. But it's still rather easier to manage than in live-action, certainly.

This. While I don't see an animated series being quite as necessary here as say, Dresden files (whose television adaption was just crap, compared to Thrones' complaints which are more nit picky to obnoxious), an animated version would have several advantages. Scale and effects wouldn't need to be worried about. Let's be honest Show lovers. The conclusion to the Season 2. Compared to what the book gave us, was that even a tenth of the grandeur it should have been? The Stark scions could you know, actually have their dire wolves with them. Consistently.

More importantly, some of the live action sins with TV contracting, such as needing to up themselves and shock viewers wouldn't need to be so prevalent. And we wouldn't have to be dragged into Game's' occasional filler of watching Jon Snow wander into the Wilderness or a failed Theon rescues and the like, because acting contracts wouldn't be so restrictive for VAs. And I'd like to see the Others as actual Winter Sidhe. The Fair Folk. Inhumanly elegant and lovely. Not the albino orcs we got saddled with in the series proper. Also, as great of the scope as the show has, can one really say the various locations have been perfectly believable? And if we nixed all the nudity entirely, I wouldn't cry frankly. The omnipresent threat of sex and violence filters through enough as it is without seeing it.

Still, inevitably we'd run into three issues. First, the show is already so popular an animated series won't happen. But let's ignore that. First, any second adaptation would probably be ripped apart by the more shameless Show lovers for anything the animated series changed. Second, book purists would never be happy, because like all die hard purists, it must be understood that when anything is adapted to another medium some things must change, and others don't need to, but are better for it. So you'd still end up with griping. But screw both those groups, I'd watch it.

[Killer Angel]

By itself, the idea is great.
But i don't think would like it... the problem (at least, for me) would be the same: the original source is still unfinished, and frankly it's becoming too much gigantic and convolute. A gigantic cartoon, that still must wait for Martin to put an end to the Story, could easily become a stagnant show.

[An Enemy Spy]

I think a tongue in cheek kids show in the vein of Saturday Morning Watchmen could be really funny. Heck, Sesame Street managed to do a GoT parody that was very funny.

[Legato Endless]

By itself, the idea is great.
But i don't think would like it... the problem (at least, for me) would be the same: the original source is still unfinished, and frankly it's becoming too much gigantic and convolute. A gigantic cartoon, that still must wait for Martin to put an end to the Story, could easily become a stagnant show.

This is also an excellent point. I think to get an adaption to really gel, the original has to be completed so the adaption can be crafted holistically. Compare The Lord of the Rings to Harry Potter as films. While Potter does well enough on a lot of fronts, it really doesn't coalesce into a narrative whole. Someone who's only watched LOTR is on roughly even footing with a book reader in understanding the narrative fundamentally, even if their knowledge of the work isn't as expansive because a film must be more streamlined than a novel. The Potter films as a series don't form a complete whole, something which is painfully evident if you watch them in a short time span of each other with someone who doesn't know the novels. And you can't entirely blame the script writers on this, because they didn't really understand what would and wouldn't matter later on since the series hadn't wrapped up in dead tree form yet.

[Aedilred]

Yeah, I think it's pretty much a given that any such effort would have to wait until after the books conclude. I think it's telling that even on the show we have, it has gradually moved further and further away from the book material as it's gone on. If you don't know where you're going (or have the wrong idea about where you're going) it's hard to know what's important or to tell a consistent story. The Harry Potter comparison is appropriate, I think: I remember that they were originally going to cut Kreacher from the fifth film as superfluous (as much of that book was) and JKR had to step in to tell them that he actually had an important part left to play (albeit not quite as critical as, hearing that, I had anticipated, and it could surely have been worked round).

(That said, given some of the decisions made about what to cut/change on the show I don't think that's the only problem with it.)

On the sex scenes, there certainly is a lot of that in the books (and it's something that seems to be getting worse both in quantity and quality as the series continues) and obviously any faithful adaptation of the books would have to retain a sexualised element. But I think the show has got fixated on that element of the books to an extent that it's become a problem: at times it's like the writers start the conception of every scene with "so is there any reason this can't be set in a brothel?" It's telling, I think, that for the first two seasons (when the show stuck rather more closely to the book material than it subsequently has) the only original character introduced was a prostitute. I think there would be less incentive to go down that road to the extent they have if the show's animated, and so there's less titillation and implied subversion involved in the depiction of nudity.

[Dienekes]

Cartoon Dunk and Egg would be pretty nice.

[Seerow]

But a faithfull adaption of ASoIaF would be a great Cartoon.


God no.


I mean, sure, we all have issues with the HBO Adaptation. But any adaptation of ASOIAF needs some actual adapting to be done. Even if it pisses off the super fans. Especially if it pisses off the super fans. Books 4 and 5 are exceedingly boring, padded, and uneventful. A faithful adaptation would have us with 2 seasons worth of buildup to a climax we still haven't even seen yet after 10 years of waiting. Any 100% faithful adaptation of the book would be a disaster.

[Killer Angel]

God no.


I mean, sure, we all have issues with the HBO Adaptation. But any adaptation of ASOIAF needs some actual adapting to be done. Even if it pisses off the super fans. Especially if it pisses off the super fans. Books 4 and 5 are exceedingly boring, padded, and uneventful. A faithful adaptation would have us with 2 seasons worth of buildup to a climax we still haven't even seen yet after 10 years of waiting. Any 100% faithful adaptation of the book would be a disaster.

Eh, books 4 and 5 would need some serious sieve's work...

[Velaryon]

Cartoon Dunk and Egg would be pretty nice.

This right here is a fantastic idea.

As for an animated adaptation of the main series, I don't really see a need for it. I would absolutely watch it if they came out with one because I love the books and love the show, but the live-action version does a good enough job for the most part of keeping to at least the spirit of the story (even if certain details change) that watching it over again in animated form would feel pretty repetitive to me.

[Legato Endless]

Cartoon Dunk and Egg would be pretty nice.

The comics for them are pretty solid, unlike the abomination the Game of Thrones graphic novels ending up being.


This right here is a fantastic idea.

As for an animated adaptation of the main series, I don't really see a need for it. I would absolutely watch it if they came out with one because I love the books and love the show, but the live-action version does a good enough job for the most part of keeping to at least the spirit of the story (even if certain details change) that watching it over again in animated form would feel pretty repetitive to me.

I agree with everything you say sir...if for no other reason than your name being the most fitting thus far for a discussion of this topic. :smallcool:

[Kantaki]

As for an animated adaptation of the main series, I don't really see a need for it. I would absolutely watch it if they came out with one because I love the books and love the show, but the live-action version does a good enough job for the most part of keeping to at least the spirit of the story (even if certain details change) that watching it over again in animated form would feel pretty repetitive to me.

I have to disagree. Mostly because I don't like the live-action adaption very much. It is not bad and had I not read the books last year I most likely wouldn't mind it as a fantasy series, but now I would like a closer adaption (at least Asha is Asha in the german version). An animated series could give me this. And some of the more fantastic elements of the book look a bit mundane in the TV-version. The Wall excluded, it looks amazing on screen.

[JustSomeGuy]

I'm not sure any adaptation would be truely accepted by most fans, because the books seem to be written in a way to provide such variance in interpretation of so many characters that any adaptation that leaves room for all these interpretations is likely to give very little actual detail. For example, how many characters are argued life-and-death over whether they're stupid selfish bullies or whether they're the best fighter/leader in the series trying their best to do some good by their own methods? I think each reader effectively has a different story going on, and because of the sheer vastness of the litetature it is pretty improbable that any semi respectable cartoon, show or comic will match very well with what you individually know to be true in the books.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Now I'm picturing the Carnival Phantasm version of GoT.

[gomipile]

I didn't want to start a whole new thread for this, so please forgive me for the off topic, but Game of Thrones related question:

Why isn't there a currently running thread about the HBO show like there is for Marvel's Agents of Shield, etc.?


On-topic, if an animated ASoIaF series was made, I would want it to include all the memorable events and characters of the books, and not include any events that change series continuity away from the books' storyline. It would be fine if they sped things up and streamlined them a bit to get past book sections that would be boring on TV, but I'd like to see at least one visual adaptation where the same people are alive, in the same places, and doing the same things as in the books at each point in their story arcs.

[Legato Endless]

I didn't want to start a whole new thread for this, so please forgive me for the off topic, but Game of Thrones related question:

Why isn't there a currently running thread about the HBO show like there is for Marvel's Agents of Shield, etc.?

Because you haven't posted it.

:smalltongue:

There's been threads on it before, although only one specifically dedicated to the series itself based on a quick search. As to why there isn't a full dedicated one currently, it's probably just lack of interest. Although...I might also speculate that, combining the fact a lot of the fandom by nature of playground demographics are book readers with HBO's subscription nature, at least some of us simply don't bother watching each episode as it releases, which is something of a factor for most television threads.

[Psyren]

Since the series seem to be diverging pretty far from the books right now, I would like the cartoon to come out after the books are finished and be more faithful to them - with all the best parts, like LS. Bonus - since in a cartoon, you don't need to pay actors, you don't need to kill of characters you have no use for - they just can hang around in the background, as silent cameos.

Such as Grenn and Pyp. Or Barristan.

All of this. Plus some of the changes they're making seem extremely gratuitous/shock-driven, but I won't elaborate here.

[Kato]

Now I'm picturing the Carnival Phantasm version of GoT.

Not sure of this idea is epically awesome or epically stupid... :smallbiggrin: But I'm sure I would watch it.


More in general... I would watch it if it was done well? Especially if it didn't diverge as much from the books as the series does now, so it would probably need to be done after the books are finished (so never). But as an avid fan of pretty much all kinds of animation I don't have any problem with a show being animated. Though, I guess it would be rather... uh... experimental for western animation to not turn down a few parts of the books. But most of them are required for the narrative. So either we need a pretty bold studio or it must be made in Japan :smalltongue:

[Velaryon]

The comics for them are pretty solid, unlike the abomination the Game of Thrones graphic novels ending up being.



I agree with everything you say sir...if for no other reason than your name being the most fitting thus far for a discussion of this topic. :smallcool:

I remember the Dunk & Egg graphic novels being a lot of fun, and feeling consistent with the Westeros we know from the books while still providing a very different tone in the story. I haven't read the graphic novel adaptations of the book themselves because, well, I don't see the point.

About my name - I needed a name for a D&D character once and I cribbed it from ASOIAF back when there was no TV show and most of my friends hadn't read the books. It was one of my favorite characters for awhile and so ended up becoming my forum handle when I signed up here. I had nearly forgotten it was related to Game of Thrones!



I have to disagree. Mostly because I don't like the live-action adaption very much. It is not bad and had I not read the books last year I most likely wouldn't mind it as a fantasy series, but now I would like a closer adaption (at least Asha is Asha in the german version). An animated series could give me this. And some of the more fantastic elements of the book look a bit mundane in the TV-version. The Wall excluded, it looks amazing on screen.

Changing Asha's name to Yara is one of the dumber and more pointless changes they've made, I agree. My understanding was that they thought it sounded too similar to Osha, the wildling girl who escaped Winterfell with Bran and Rickon, but if that's the case they should have changed her name instead because she's a less important character.

Which fantastic elements do you feel aren't fantastic enough in the series? It's been three or four years since my last reread of the books, but I can't think of any that I think they're really doing a disservice to.

[Kantaki]

Changing Asha's name to Yara is one of the dumber and more pointless changes they've made, I agree. My understanding was that they thought it sounded too similar to Osha, the wildling girl who escaped Winterfell with Bran and Rickon, but if that's the case they should have changed her name instead because she's a less important character.

Which fantastic elements do you feel aren't fantastic enough in the series? It's been three or four years since my last reread of the books, but I can't think of any that I think they're really doing a disservice to.

Its nothing I really can put a finger on. But some things „feel” to mundane. The dragons for example look to much like large lizards and the white walkers to... worldly for lack of a better word. But it has been a while since I last watched. (I only watch a bit GoT when the new season runs in Free-TV and nothing else is worth watching) The few things that look halfway good are the Wall, I really can believe that this monstrosity was partially created with magic and is meant to hold of more than just barbarians, and Mellisandres magic, even if I imagined her shadow-things less physical.

Re Asha: When I first heard that they changed the name in Game of Thrones I was pretty sure that she was called Asha (in the german version). Then last year I read the books and then rewatched GoT during a rerun and indeed in both versions its Asha. I think that says a lot how the TV-Stations see their audience. I thought it was really funny.:smallamused:

[Velaryon]

Its nothing I really can put a finger on. But some things „feel” to mundane. The dragons for example look to much like large lizards and the white walkers to... worldly for lack of a better word. But it has been a while since I last watched. (I only watch a bit GoT when the new season runs in Free-TV and nothing else is worth watching) The few things that look halfway good are the Wall, I really can believe that this monstrosity was partially created with magic and is meant to hold of more than just barbarians, and Mellisandres magic, even if I imagined her shadow-things less physical.

The white walkers look pretty different than I imagined, I'll admit. I pictured them as more translucent, only roughly in the shape of a man, and almost made of ice. It's been several years since I last read any of the books, so I can't remember whether that's at all close to how they were described. As for the dragons... large lizards is pretty much what dragons are usually described to look like, isn't it?



Re Asha: When I first heard that they changed the name in Game of Thrones I was pretty sure that she was called Asha (in the german version). Then last year I read the books and then rewatched GoT during a rerun and indeed in both versions its Asha. I think that says a lot how the TV-Stations see their audience. I thought it was really funny.:smallamused:

The whole thing reminds me of when the Star Wars EU authors were told by George Lucas to kill off Anakin Solo during the New Jedi Order series, because he was worried that fans would confuse the character with Anakin Skywalker. Really tells you a lot about what they think of their audience.

[Lord Raziere]

....I would be interested in this, but only if its like, A Song of Ice and Fire Abridged Series or something.

like, the books are already long, boring reads and not that exciting to be honest. if your going to animate it, at least make it more funny.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Not sure of this idea is epically awesome or epically stupid... :smallbiggrin: But I'm sure I would watch it.

You know what Carnival Phantasm Caster is like? Yeah, now picture Melisandre with that treatment. :smallbiggrin:

[Aedilred]

like, the books are already long, boring reads and not that exciting to be honest. if your going to animate it, at least make it more funny.

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdd6_ZxX8c).

As mentioned before I think any adaptation is going to have to be, well, adapted, and that's almost inevitably going to mean cutting things out. But the sloggier sections of the latest too books aside I don't think they're boring, at least not if you're actually invested in the story and characters in any sense.

Besides, there's already a dumbed-down slimline version of the series on the go, called Game of Thrones; I think the OP's idea was to try to avoid those pitfalls :smalltongue:

[Lord Raziere]

Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdd6_ZxX8c).


Hell yeah its my opinion. :smallcool: You don't do anyone favors by stating the obvious! What, you have an opinion my opinion? I'm getting the feeling that your opinion on my opinion is that my opinion sucks. Because my opinion on my opinion is that my opinion is awesome. which is a disagreement as to how awesome my opinions are, and I think you should respect my opinion on my opinion. because I'm not feeling respect for my opinion on my opinion, and I feel hurt.

So I suggest that you apologize before I go deeper into my metapinion. :smalltongue:

[Hazzardevil]

I'm imagining some sort of long running series like Legend of the Galactic Heroes. From what I understand it was made in the off-time of various studios and then released direct to DVD all at once. No irritating cliffhangers and you can just sit down and watch it in large chunks if you want to, without any awkward season endings.

I also am not overly fond of some changes, I was looking forward to Jaime leading an army in the books, but instead he is getting arrested in Dorne after a fairly good and then fairly awkward pair of fight scenes.