Thor: Ragnarok has already become an international blockbuster, and it will likely dominate the box office when it arrives in the U.S. later this week. However, fans in Japan are going to have to wait an extra day for Ragnarok to rain down upon them. This movie seems like the most irreverent project yet from Marvel Studios, and the film’s Japanese promotion has taken that sense of self-parody to the next level by transforming Thor and his world into a chibi anime short.
Via Anime News Network, this Folktales from Japan-inspired short isn’t an exact retelling of Thor: Ragnarok‘s story, but it does seem to keep the major beats of the script while transplanting the action to a land that resembles feudal Japan. Thor and Loki face off against Hela, and she easily destroys Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir. From there, Thor is banished to a faraway land, where he reunites with his “friend from work,” the Hulk, and meets the mighty Valkyrie. After coming together as a new team, it appears that Thor’s Revengers find common ground by mocking his haircut.
The truly inspired part of this short comes late in the video, when the Revengers confront Hela for the final battle. Suddenly, the short becomes a turn-based JRPG, in which Hela is an overpowered boss character who easily defeats Thor and his team. Hopefully they’ll have better luck in the movie!
Thor: Ragnarok will be released Friday, November 2 in North America, while the Japanese release will follow on Saturday, November 3.
What did you think about this Thor: Ragnarok anime short? Call down the thunder in the comment section below!
Images: MovieCollectionJP
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