The Simpsons took a left turn with its latest Treehouse of Horror episode by going full anime – and fans are loving the change.
The middle chapter of Treehouse of Horror 33 is a full-on parody of classic anime and manga story Death Note.
Entitled 'Death Tome', Lisa finds a book that lets her murder anyone just by writing down their name. The usual team of Simpsons animators even stepped aside for the spoof in favor of DR Movie, a studio that helped out on the original anime.
That attention to detail has paid dividends. One fan said it's "the best thing to come out of the show in years and I’m not even remotely exaggerating." Another wrote, "I would love to see more stuff like this from them," while one lapsed viewer called it probably the best Treehouse of Horror in years.
"I would totally watch an entire series with this Death Note style of animation," one remarked. Another even took aim at Netflix’s live-action Death Note adaptation, saying The Simpsons "showed more love and [reverence] for the property."
It’s worth noting, however, that it’s not the first time the residents of Springfield have aped the ever-popular Death Note.
Back in 2008, issue #14 of The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror included a story titled 'Murder, He Wrote'. The Death Note parody, written by Ian Boothby with art by Nina Matsumoto and Andrew Pepoy, won an Eisner award for Best Short Story.
