This animated movie had potential but inevitably turned into something just mediocre at best. I was attracted by the trailer due to the dark theme of revenge along with the medieval 2D and CGI imagery. If there’s one constant and reusable theme Japanese anime and movies like to discuss and ask, it is life. What is life? What is death? How should one define it? Other than some of the most hardcore sci-fi animations, many others I’ve found provide a lackluster answer. Rather than answer, I think more appropriately it should be said that those shows don’t go deep enough to provide at least some ideas worth exploring past the end credits. Scarlet is one of those.

There are many recyclable stereotypes in the movie, and I think this is what dampened my mood during my viewing. The idea of a gracious and beneviolent king being killed by his evil brother for a pure power grab has been done countless times. Oh, and of course the princess plots revenge all the while seeing her people suffer. The transition between traditional 2D animation while Scarlet is in Denmark to the use of CGI while in the Other World was a nice touch though. I know many cringe at the use of CGI in Japanese animation but I’m okay with it as long as the colors and theme fit with the overall mood of the story.

So, the point of Scarlet in the Other World is to continue on her quest to exact revenge on her uncle. It’s hinted that she’s already dead at that point due to drinking from the poisonous cup. However, we soon learn that her uncle is also in the same world as her. So, we’re to believe that he somehow died in the real world as well and is also now stuck in this world. Mysteriously, he’s leading people to a place called the Infinite Land. I’m not sure what the purpose of this place is, but it seems everyone in the Other World wants to go there. Maybe to live better lives because the current landscape is so grim, dark, and sad?

After meeting Hajiri, it’s a given that his do-good nature will eventually rub off on Scarlet. It’s obvious that his time with her will lead Scarlet to eventually rethink whether she should continue with her hellbent quest to exact revenge for her father or learn to forgive. Once again, these are common themes that have been done countless other times. Oh, and come on, of course, and I mean of friggin course, that people the protagonists let go due to mercy instead of killing will somehow appear later on in the story to help them in the most dangerous of times. Anyway, Scarlet is mediocre all the way through. The ending was pretty laughable. We find that Scarlet wakes up only to discover that her uncle actually died due to himself accidentally drinking as well from a cup that was laced with poison! So, what exactly is the point of Scarlet having gone through that entire trial in the Other World when she’s able to just wake up to find herself as queen and ruler of her people without having to actually make any choices in the real world to deal with her evil uncle?!?!