Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness, stylized as RESIDENT EVIL: Infinite Darkness, is a Japanese horror-action CGI[4] original net animation series based on the Resident Evil franchise by Capcom. The series stars Resident Evil 2 protagonists Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield.
Produced by TMS Entertainment and animated by Quebico, Infinite Darkness was released on July 8, 2021 on Netflix.
Set between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5, the series takes place in 2006 after a hacking incident is uncovered at the White House. Leon S. Kennedy is ordered to investigate the incident, but he encounters zombies when the White House is targeted in a mysterious attack.[8] He later meets Claire Redfield, who’s been investigating a strange drawing made by a child refugee while working on a TerraSave-led mission to oversee construction of a welfare facility.
Characters
Leon S. Kennedy (レオン・スコット・ケネディ, Reon Sukotto Kenedi)
Voiced by: Toshiyuki Morikawa[9] (Japanese); Nick Apostolides(English)
Claire Redfield (クレア・レッドフィールド, Kurea Reddofīrudo)
Voiced by: Yūko Kaida (Japanese); Stephanie Panisello (English)
Jason
Voiced by: Fumihiko Tachiki (Japanese); Ray Chase (English)
Shen May
Voiced by: Megumi Han (Japanese); Jona Xiao[12] (English)
Patrick
Voiced by: Kenji Nojima (Japanese); Billy Kametz[12] (English)
Wilson
Voiced by: Aruno Tahara[11] (Japanese); Brad Venable[12] (English)
Graham
Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue[11] (Japanese); Joe J. Thomas[12] (English)
Ryan
Production
Prior to its proper unveiling, Netflix Portugal tweeted out a teaser trailer on Twitter alongside the claim that it would be a “CGI movie”,[14] but shortly deleted the tweet afterward.[15] Infinite Darkness was officially announced at the virtual 2020 Tokyo Game Show as a CGI series by the show’s executive producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi.[16] At the virtual Biohazard Showcase event in April 2021, it was revealed that Eiichirō Hasumi will serve as the series’ director and Yugo Kanno as composer.[17]
Series’ production is to be handled by TMS Entertainment, with animation services by Quebico.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the show has an approval rating of 50% based on 10 critic reviews.[19] On Metacritic, the show has a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 2 critic reviews, indicating “mixed or average reviews”.
Austin Jones of Paste Magazine gave the show 5 out of 10 stars and stated, “Infinite Darkness has a barrier to entry due to its heavy reliance on a preexisting investment in the greater Resident Evil series.”[21] Jonathon Wilson of Ready Steady Cut gave the show 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated, “Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness has some pleasures for long-time fans, but it’s inconsistent in every way and winds up feeling inessential.”[22] Grace Randolph of Beyond the Trailer stated, “It’s interesting to see this kind of animation, but the story here is just too cliche. Not as good as the other adult animated shows already available on Netflix.”[23] John Nguyen of Nerd Reactor gave the show 3 out of 5 stars and stated, “Seeing Claire Redfield and Leon S. Kennedy together is always a treat, but Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness lacks a gripping story and engrossing supporting characters.”[24] Daniel Kurland of BubbleBlabber gave the show 3 out of 10 stars and stated, “Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness doesn’t feel like it’s for those that are fans of the video game series, the zombie genre, or even the heavy-handed political thrillers that it seems to idolize.”
Sam Barsanti of The A.V. Club gave the show C+ and stated, “Nobody is going to confuse it for high art, certainly, but what didn’t really work in video games and what didn’t make sense in the Milla Jovovich-led movies surprisingly does work as a CG four-episode TV show.”[26] Andrew Webster of The Verge stated, “Some tie-ins are meant to lure in new fans, while others are designed to appease existing ones; Infinite Darkness is most definitely the latter.[27] Sam Stone of CBR stated, “Overall, the anime is a fun side story that offers a chance for Leon to jump back into the spotlight while evoking a past era for the franchise, deviating from horror to deliver global action.”[28] Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? A Geek Community gave the show 7.5 out of 10 stars and stated, “Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness is far more about geopolitical intrigue, corporate espionage, and surviving war than it is about killing zombies.”[29] Taylor Lyles of IGN gave the show 7 out of 10 and stated, “Despite predictability on who would serve as an antagonist, the bad performance and animation by certain minor characters, and the imbalance of importance and screen time for our two protagonists, Infinite Darkness is a step in the right direction.” Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky gave the show 3 out of 5 and stated, “While there are some animation and pacing issues, overall this show is not only action packed, it gives the audience a peek at what Leon & Claire were up to in between games.”
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