Say what you will about the Rick and Morty creative team, but they’re not afraid to experiment—even when it seems like the odds are stacked against them. With the main show weathering public controversy and creative turnover, Rick and Morty: The Anime arrives as both a bold reinvention and a gamble. It doesn’t always stick the landing, but there’s something admirable about watching a franchise throw itself into a whole new medium with this much enthusiasm.
Directed by Takashi Sano, best known for Tower of God and earlier Rick and Morty anime shorts, this 10-episode series places the iconic multiverse-hopping duo in a stylized, often poetic vision of science fiction that feels distinctly Japanese. Gone is the cynical American sitcom cadence, replaced with the grandeur, emotional depth, and genre tropes that define classic anime. It’s not exactly Evangelion, but it’s definitely Rick and Morty through a different, more meditative lens.
The English and Japanese casts bring something unique to their performances. Joe Daniels and Gabriel Regojo do commendable work on the English dub, but it’s the Japanese voice cast—particularly Youhei Tadano as Rick and Keisuke Chiba as Morty—that truly breathes new life into these familiar characters. The language shift helps sell the tone, which swings from quiet introspection to explosive action in a heartbeat.
Narratively, the show isn’t as joke-dense as its parent series. Instead, it opts for character-driven arcs: Morty falls in love with a mysterious, time-bending girl; Rick drifts through liminal multiverses; and Summer and Space Beth get their own subplot involving rebellion and redemption. Some of the philosophical musings feel overwrought, and a few episodes border on filler, but there are moments of true emotional clarity that surpass anything in the recent mainline seasons.
The Blu-ray edition includes all 10 episodes with both Japanese and English audio tracks and English subtitles. The 207-minute runtime is spread across a single disc. Video and audio presentation is strong, with crisp animation and vibrant color grading that leans heavily into purples, neons, and the cosmic surrealism that defines the show’s new aesthetic. The packaging is barebones—no major bonus features to speak of, which is a bit of a letdown for fans hoping to peek behind the creative curtain.
Rick and Morty: The Anime isn’t for everyone. If you’re here for wall-to-wall jokes and pop culture references, you may walk away confused or underwhelmed. But if you’re open to a weirder, more contemplative spin on characters you thought you knew, this is a compelling curiosity. It’s not perfect—and some longtime fans may call it a misstep—but it’s proof that the Rick and Morty brand still has the guts to take risks.
Jessie Hobson