A few months ago, Netflix revealed a new anime adaptation of Tekken, Bandai Namco’s most esteemed 3D fighting game franchise. Although this new series, titled Tekken: Bloodline, does not represent the first anime adaptation the series has received, it nonetheless came as quite the surprise. Making a TV series out of Tekken makes perfect sense, though. The franchise boasts a popular cast of characters as well as lore that remains easy to become lost in despite how absurd it can get. As it turns out, fans will not have to wait long to see how well Tekken: Bloodline translates all this into a TV format, as it has an official release date of August 18.
Tekken: Bloodline essentially serves as a reimagining of the events of Tekken 3, which saw protagonist Jin Kazama avenging the death of his mother Jun at the hands of Ogre, the god of fighting. Of course, Jin has to participate in The King of Iron Fist Tournament to do so. Heihachi Mishima, Jin’s power-hungry grandfather who possesses inhuman proficiency in martial arts, aggressively pushes his grandson to abandon the relatively peaceful Kazama-style of fighting in favor of the more brutal Mishima-style.
Plenty of faces to recognize
The newly-uploaded trailer for Tekken: Bloodline depicts the series’ eclectic cast interacting in ways not often seen in the games. Notably, Leroy Smith’s inclusion firmly establishes Tekken: Bloodline as a reimagining rather than a one-to-one depiction of Tekken lore, as he only debuted in the seventh mainline game. Experienced Tekken players will no doubt recognize many of the moves and techniques used by the characters, including the iconic Electric Wind God Fist executed by Jin at the end of the trailer.
Once the release date arrives, it will be interesting to see if Tekken: Bloodline can truly capture the spirit of the games. If it doesn’t, then at least we can opt to watch through Tekken’s often entertaining story mode ending sequences yet again.
