Let me break the news to you: Hideo Kojima is again the talk of the town. The legendary game designer, who time and again confuses gamers with his complex narratives, is now hoping for an unequal experience in animation. The series Death Stranding Isolations, about which the director would be one of the main creators next to the protagonist, is a little known to the world. In fact, this very series has already been scheduled for airing on Disney+ in 2027! That’s correct! Disney+. The link here is that the same service, which enchants the American public with the world of Mickey Mouse and superhero Leonards, is going to be the place for Kojima’s signature existential vacuum and delivery of philosophy. The stunning visual that was associated with the announcement has created a worldwide buzz among the players, and the reactions on the web are … well, to say the least, pretty mixed.
So what really is the issue with Death Stranding Isolations? It is the new-age anime which directly comes from the mind of Hideo Kojima, thus taking the universe of his 2019 game Death Stranding to another level and beyond. The game itself polarized the players’ opinions It was like a hike in the middle of nowhere with no packed food or drink or anything, just the beauty and eeriness of the near future-all deeply and profoundly Kojima’s! And now he is attempting to transfer that rare atmosphere to animation!
The key image that was shared along with the announcement teems with a character whose hair is at an incredibly high level of detail, which led to the speculation that it might be the skilled Ilya Kuvshinov, whose style is so recognizable, that he has already drawn some characters from the story. One user only @buzz_95b wondered, “Is the artist of this key art Ilya Kuvshinov?” And another user @Cluetube, just simply commented, “oh wow, I recognize this artist!” Yes, the visual certainly stands out, it communicates sadness intermingled with beauty—the aesthetic that the game has always been connected with.
The discussion, however, that has caused the most talking and also misunderstanding is the platform choice. Disney+? For a Kojima project? The original game was rated M for Mature and dealt with very dark topics such as death, isolation, and the supernatural. The thought of it being shown on a platform that is so kid-friendly with Frozen and The Mandalorian has confused a lot of gamers. The comment section was full of disbelieving reactions. @Real17Iz commented, “Disney+ really 😐”, and @Oouchus was even more direct, ‘On Disney+? Then it’s a no-go for me!’ This was echoed by @TheFireFoxFFC who sounded really confused, “Hold on… Disney+… Is this game rated? M… I mean, yes Disney does R-rated stuff because they own Fox now… But, this… this is way too crazy… I uh… I don’t agree with this 😐”
This made the comment thread a full-blown debate about what should and shouldn’t be available on Disney+. @TheBlackMajima jumped in to provide the necessary context by remarking, “I will never get the idea people have that Disney has never released adult-focused films and shows… They owned Miramax and Dimension Films for 18 years.” Another user, @alexxxjhhh, raised the practical side of the argument, claiming that the gradual closing down of Hulu means really all adult and anime content, including this new Death Stranding series, should be under Disney+ banner. So, yes, brace yourself for Baby Yoda and BT (the game’s sentient backpack) possibly competing for a streaming home. These are indeed crazy times.
Naturally, the announcement of Kojima was met with proposed parallels by some fans to his past works. @DamageInc35 articulated a widely-felt desire: “Why couldn’t he go all out with metal gear instead of freaking fedex simulator, like who cares?”. This was promptly challenged by another user @Crystal_Descent, who reminded everyone that He’d need approval from Konami to do that, he might have been the mastermind behind Metal Gear, but Konami holds the IP. Therefore, a Metal Gear anime is not happening anytime soon, regrettably. Others, like @Trendnipotent, were lamenting the loss of another classic and commented, “Should have been Policenauts 😢”. It seems that no matter what Kojima decides, a segment of his audience will forever fantasize about what might have been.
Then there is the constant doubt attached to video game adaptations. @Crystal_Descent straightforwardly stated in another comment, “Don’t have high hopes for it, not because it’s on Disney+ (though that is a minus), it’s because it’s a video game adaptation, and those have a reputation for being mediocre at best. This is especially true for PlayStation and Xbox titles.”
