Big news out of the Final Fantasy encampment within the larger army that is known as Square Enix.
According to a report first published by Kidscreen, one of the most popular installments in the entire franchise, Final Fantasy IX, is getting a brand new animated series from Paris-based animation studio Cyber Group Studios. It will be aimed at children aged eight to thirteen. Details are a little hazy at the moment but here’s what we know for sure.
As of press time, the series has not officially gone into production but the studio is putting the finishing touches on a project bible which will be the basis moving forward. Production is set to begin in late 2021 but they revealed no episode count or release date in the report. Cyber Group is also set to handle the worldwide distribution, licensing, and merchandising for the upcoming series.
Originally released for the Playstation console in the year 2000, critics and fans have hailed Final Fantasy IX as one of the best of the series ever since it was released. In the game, the story is centered on two warring countries. The main character is a thief named Zidane who kidnaps Princess Garnet but eventually joins her and other characters to overthrow the princess’ mother, the Queen of Alexandria, who started the war between the two countries.
While I am certain that this project is going to revive the age-old “is this anime?” debate on social media (which is always so much fun to wade through), I think the biggest and most important takeaway from this story is who this new animated series is aimed at: young children. This series isn’t likely to be a gritty presentation about the horrors of war but more a story about young adventurers banding together and defeating evil with the power of friendship.
Source: Kidscreen
