Given it’s now in its 33rd year, it’s hats off to The Simpsons producers for continually keeping the long-running, classic cartoon fresh.
In its latest attempt to rejuvenate the brand, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie go Japanese cartoon style in an anime special set to launch for Halloween.
The episode is called Treehouse of Horror XXXIII and continues Springfield’s favourite family’s now annual tribute to all things ghosts and ghouls.
Stills from the episode:
Divided into three parts, the latest instalment of the long-running ‘toon’s Halloween spectacular will satirise The Babadook, Death Note and Westworld.
Simpsons’ producers have even dropped an early teaser of the Halloween/anime special that shows Lisa Simpson wandering a dystopian city full of pollution and even an advertisement for eating meat.
Check it out below:
— Out of Context Simpsons Treehouse of Horror 🎃 (@OOCCouchGags) October 25, 2022
Interestingly, despite the episode’s nod to the classic Japanese cartoon form, the actual Simpsons – despite airing with subtitles – has never proven a hit in the Asian country.
In 2017, Simpsons’ animator Mike Reiss told media: “There is a funny aspect to The Simpsons in that they have a liberal stance and an anarchic stance, but they also want world domination.
“It drives some people [at The Simpsons] crazy that the Japanese don’t watch our show. We cannot get them interested. Japan is the biggest market in the world that we haven’t conquered. I think, ‘Why do you care? We’re not Alexander the Great, we’re just a cartoon show,” Reiss said.
