The current state of the TBATE anime has earned the disappointment of dedicated fans.
The current state of The Beginning After the End (TBATE) anime has drawn widespread disappointment from its dedicated fanbase, so much so that a Change.org petition has been making rounds online to demand for its cancellation and redo. The petition now has over 41,000 signatures as of the time of writing.
The disappointment stems from the animation quality of the series, which fans have deemed subpar and of poor quality–something that they have found to be disrespectful to the original work and its dedicated fanbase.
The ongoing criticism surrounding The Beginning After The End anime adaptation has prompted the author of the original webnovel series, Tae Ha Lee (known as TurtleMe), to issue a statement on the official TBATE novel subreddit.
“It’s very rare for the creator to have a say.”
TurtleMe starts off the statement by expressing why he came forward, and that it was because he felt that it was necessary for him to speak up “in hopes to quell any misunderstandings making their rounds.”
He goes on to thank the community, even in spite of the backlash regarding the anime adaptation, for the heartfelt messages he has received. He acknowledges the passionate fanbase that TBATE has found in the near decade he has been working on the webnovel series, although he also notes that he is now not only responsible for himself, but for his team members, partners, and readers.
TurtleMe cites the anime adaptation for TBATE as a “huge learning experience” and expresses that although there will always be creative differences, he believes that everyone involved is coming at it with best effort and intentions.
In regards to the challenge of collaborating with so many key people for the anime, TurtleMe only had this to say:
“I learned in the anime industry, it’s very rare for the creator to have a say in deciding the ins and outs when it comes to the inception of an anime. This was a growing point for me since I was so used to having control over everything regarding The Beginning After the End. After all, for the novel I am the one writing it. For the comic, I oversee every single round. When TBATE was optioned for an anime, I realized there were millions of moving parts before production could even begin. Oftentimes the best products are an amalgamation of passion, hard work, and luck from a strong and dedicated team.”
TurtleMe also seemingly acknowledges the Change.org petition, telling his fans that “you don’t wish for it to be gone and have a do-over. You support it through difficult times and push it up.”
In spite of the controversy surrounding the TBATE anime, TurtleMe entreats his fans to continue supporting him and his work, to be respectful, and “set an example in the vast ocean that is the internet.”
While the TBATE anime’s reception remains divisive, TurtleMe’s message calls for unity, resilience, and continued passion from the fandom. Whether or not the series course-corrects, one thing is clear: the community’s voice is being heard loud and clear. In the meantime, TBATE continues on its scheduled course, with an English dub coming to Crunchyroll on 16 April.
