Director Says It’s Time for a 4-Cour Rewrite Remake

Would you like a Rewrite Remake? This is one of the visual novels by Key, the same studio that created CLANNAD, Kanon, Little Busters, and many others. Between 2016 and 2017, the game was adapted into a TV anime, but with only 24 episodes, which ultimately resulted in a poor adaptation.

You see, Rewrite is one of Key’s biggest visual novels. According to VNDB, it takes 77 hours to finish the game. Meanwhile, according to How Long to Beat, it takes around 85 hours to experience the entire story.

Now imagine adapting an 80-hour game into just 24 episodes. Unsurprisingly, the anime received very low ratings from fans, but its director, Motoki Tanaka, made an interesting statement on Twitter.

Director Says It’s Time for a 4-Cour Rewrite Remake

Motoki Tanaka, the director of the Rewrite anime, posted the following on June 25:

“The Rewrite anime had a relatively short runtime (2 cours) compared to the volume of the original game, so I believe many fans of the original work wished they could have watched it at a slower pace and in greater depth.

I think it’s about time for a remake with around 4 cours. I understand that, these days, it’s difficult to produce anything longer than 2 cours. I also believe that Key’s works can still be universally appreciated by the current generation.

In that case, I would rather not be involved. If I participated, it would feel like I was denying the previous work myself. It was a project I created together with the staff at the time, so as a director, I believe that version reached its proper conclusion.

Back then, to fit everything into the limited runtime, I created a new route called ‘Kagari,’ which did not exist in the original. However, since Rewrite has many different routes and endings, I think it would also be interesting to remake it from scratch.”

I’ve never played a Key visual novel, but I’ve watched anime adaptations based on their works, and I absolutely loved CLANNAD, Kanon, Air, and others. I also watched Rewrite because everyone spoke so highly of it, but the anime was honestly very weak.

Let’s see how some fans reacted to the idea of a Rewrite Remake.

• Because Rewrite was built around completely separate routes, I always thought it would be difficult to combine everything into a single anime. So it’s understandable that opinions were divided, but personally, what bothered me the most wasn’t the story—it was the animation quality. lol
• The hype for an adaptation of Akane’s route is growing…!!
• Thanks to the success of Summer Pockets, there are fewer Key purists than there were back then, and more newcomers are discovering their works. I think Rewrite would be much better received today.
• If there’s a remake, I’d really love to see Kotarou’s struggles during the common route, as well as the Stone Town in Terra, the Guardian members, and other elements.
• If they really make a 4-cour remake, I’ll gladly donate as much as necessary to a crowdfunding campaign.
• I think the “Kagari route” he mentioned probably refers to the first season, and that’s fine. The real problem was how incredibly boring the beginning of the second season was. Couldn’t they have done something about that?????
• Just like Grisaia, I remember watching it back then and thinking, “How did they manage to adapt such a massive story with so little time?” I was genuinely impressed.
• Please remake it!!
• If they announce a remake, I’m sure I’ll cry tears of joy.

• I think the Rewrite anime became so controversial among fans because, until then, Key’s anime adaptations had been extremely faithful to the original games, and fans had grown accustomed to that.
• What about the sequel, Rewrite Harvest festa!? What do you think? 🌸
• Rewrite, Angel Beats!, Charlotte, and The Day I Became a God all deserved at least one more cour.
• Make a movie for each route.
• If you consider the anime as just one of the many branching timelines in Rewrite’s universe, then seeing a story that wasn’t in the original game actually feels like a bonus.
• Personally, I think condensing everything into 2 cours, including the Kagari scenario, worked very well. If it had been 4 cours, they probably would have had to add even more original content, which could have made the story feel stretched and unfocused.
• Adapting visual novels into anime is really difficult.
• I watched the Rewrite anime a few years ago, and I loved it so much that it still stays in my memory today. As a fan, I’m really happy to know that it’s still considered one valid interpretation of Rewrite’s story.
• Rewrite was simply too short. That’s undeniable. I really love this series, so I’d definitely like to see a remake… Kotarou is seriously an amazing protagonist.

Have you watched Rewrite?