The Simpsons Season 34 will continue the show’s custom of airing a Halloween-themed episode, as fans of the animated series are well aware. However, the producers this year went all out and made the horror celebration a two-part affair, with the first half airing last week and being a full-on, episode-long spoof of Stephen King’s It. However, The Simpsons also did the unexpected for the usual “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII,” opting instead to go anime-style in order to parody the immensely famous anime series Death Note. FOX has released photos showing the Simpsons’ regular cast members (including Dan Castellaneta’s Homer, Julie Kavner’s Marge, Yeardley Smith’s Lisa, and Nancy Cartwright’s Bart) in their new animated forms, complete with the trademark spiky hairstyles of Japanese animation.
Marge’s blue hair doesn’t stand out because it’s not unusual for anime characters to have unusual hair colours, and Homer is obviously drinking sake instead of Duff beer so he can go blind drunk. In this parody of “Death Note,” Bart assumes the role of a mischievous god of death while Lisa Simpson plays the role of protagonist Light Yagami, who discovers the mysteries of a deadly notebook. Matt Selman, the long-running series’ executive producer, spoke with Entertainment Weekly in July about the forthcoming Treehouse of Horror and hinted that the popular episode tends to become bigger and more ambitious: The episode [“Treehouse of Horror”] has been our most watched show this year by far. When combined with football supporters, they make for some terrifying violence. The limitation of the six-minute story is becoming old as well. It’s tough to capture all that happened. In fact, we barely fit the “It” spoof within the allotted half hour. Since those are so well-received, why not build on the “Treehouse of Horror” name?
The “Treehouse of Horror” episodes are certain to be the most popular of each season, and they are what keep longtime and new viewers of The Simpsons checking in each week. Disney hasn’t officially ordered Season 35, but it’s a reasonable guess that the programme will be renewed in honour of its 35th anniversary. Matt Groening’s The Simpsons debuted in 1989. Already the longest-running animated series, the new season will bring the total number of episodes to 750. Numerous horror and thriller films, from old classics like Frankenstein and The Exorcist to recent critical darlings like Paranormal Activity and The Shape of Water, have been lampooned in “Treehouse of Horror” episodes.
This coming Sunday, October 30th, FOX will screen “Treehouse of Horror XXXIII” from The Simpsons.