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'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' creator BenDavid Grabinski's controversial opinion on Netflix sparks debate

'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' co-creator BenDavid Grabinski garners contrasting reactions after his comments on Netflix's release strategy

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: BenDavid Grabinski, co-creator of 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off', has voiced his strong disapproval of Netflix's binge-watching release strategy for the animated series.

Five months after the release of his anime on Netflix, Granbinski took to his official X handle on April 11, criticizing the full series drop approach as "the dumbest sh-t ever," stating that "there's literally no upside" to it.

He cited the success of Marvel's latest animated series, which follows a weekly release schedule for each episode. In a thread, he remarked, "Imagine if the entire season of X-MEN 97 was released all at once!"

Fans disagree with BenDavid Grabinski's opinion

Despite the deep admiration fans have for BenDavid Grabinski's work, they opposed his recent tweet. Numerous fans expressed their discontent, mentioning that they often don’t watch shows that release weekly episodes until the full season is available.

A fan expressed his opinion in a tweet that reads, "Personally I get turned off having to wait week by week for a show. I'd rather just watch the whole thing at once. it's why I haven't gone into shogun yet."

"The same could be said to both scenarios. You can wait and watch one a week yourself. you can wait and watch everything at once when everything's released," another fan countered Grabinski's controversial remark.

Talking about the advantage of releasing the entire show all at once, an X user emphasized, "If the show ends up being dog then I didn’t waste a month or two waiting around for it just so someone’s coworker has something to talk to them about for a while."

Another fan added, "Consumers deserve to indulge in the art they are paying for however they want."

Despite several fans opposing Grabinksi's opinion, some have extended their support as well.

Jonathan Ealey, a Tokyo-based talent manager and film producer said, "There’s an ecosystem generated by a weekly releases. It makes space for think pieces that build hype, and allows for fun speculation. It can’t be artificially generated. You can binge after the full release. Artists deserve to have their work savored. Not consumed and forgotten."

Why did Netflix drop all the episodes of 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' simultaneously?

Netflix has long been at the forefront of the full-season release strategy. Although Grabinski wanted two episodes to be released every week for four weeks, Netflix stuck to its standard policy of dropping all the episodes of 'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' at once.

The full-season drop strategy is being gradually adopted by other OTT giants as well. Recently, Prime Video released 'Mr and Mrs Smith', 'Fallout' and 'Red Queen' in one go, while Disney+ did the same with 'Renegade Nell'.

The success of shows like Prime Video's 'Fallout' and Netflix's 'Ripley' indicates that the full-season drop model doesn't hinder a show's success.

However, the popularity of series such as 'X-Men '97' and 'Shōgun', which opted for a weekly release format and achieved significant success, shows that there isn't a single right way to release a series.

In today's times, viewers crave a variety of viewing experiences. While some prefer the convenience of binge-watching at their own pace without waiting for weekly releases, others enjoy the anticipation and speculation that come with a weekly release schedule.

'Scott Pilgrim Takes Off' is available for streaming on Netflix