Back in October 2024,manhwafans were caught by surprise when Crunchyroll announced thatThe Beginning After the Endwould finally get an animeadaptation. Among swarms of cheer, rising concerns began to billow as the studio was revealed to be A-Cat Studios, a smaller and lesser-known production company that many believe wouldn’t be able to deliver on a product that would do the work justice.
Manhwa often have a hard time getting a studio to collaborate for an anime adaptation, but the practice is quickly picking up pace.Solo Levelingis generating astounding levels of hypewith A-1 Pictures producing the series, andTower of Godunder Telecom Animation Film and The Answer Studio did fairly well in their adaptations. While the top-of-the-line studio may not have been picked forThe Beginning After the End,there remained a glimmer of hope in the eyes of expectant fans, but the first minute of the anime’s development may have just grounded those fleeting wishes.
The Beginning After The End’s First Look Did Not Generate Hype
Fans Remain Trepidiously Optimistic But Still Disappointed
Recently, the first minute ofTBATE’s anime was revealed at IGN’s Fan Fest, beginning with King Grey slaying a soldier before his forces demolish a nearby city. The visuals don’t look to be in poor quality when observing the characters themselves, and the first twenty or so seconds of the confrontation are well-animated if not lacking a more dynamic feel when compared to otheranime’s fight clips. It starts to lose its edge when the air reinforcements, the city, and the crumbling buildings are shown to be 3D animated. They seem to lack a quality or fully rendered appearance.
A Manhwa Considered Solo Leveling’s Successor Has Already Surpassed It In the US
According to the top webtoon app in the U.S., Tapas, Solo Leveling’s manhwa has been surpassed as the most successful title on the platform.
As the clip will pertain, this is not the final product and will likely undergo more rounds of finishing touches, given that parts of the fight are still in draftwork. But fans have not let this stop them from already thinking that the anime is going to be subpar at best and downright unwatchable in the worst-case scenario. From the moving PNG of the soldier running up to Grey to the ever-growing doubt in A-Cat Studio’s capabilities, it’s going to be a rough road ahead to redeem this initial glimpse in the eyes of the skeptics.
Will A-Cat Studios Be Able To Adapt TBATE Faithfully
Even If Visuals Are Underwhelming, Main Story Must Persevere
A-Cat Studios may not have generated a lot of faith as the production studio, but fans can take solace in having themanhwa’s author, TurtleMe, and director, Keitaro Motonaga, working on the project. While the visuals may not live up to the standards anime keeps raising with each new stellar series that is released in 2025,The Beginning After the Enddoes have its originator to make sure the adaptation adheres to the story and delivers the epic tale of the reincarnated king, Arthur Leywin.
