History AndYouThoughtItWouldFail / WesternAnimation

* Back in 2015, Disney announced a reboot of ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' was in the works. Many fans didn't take kindly to this. Reboots such as ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben102016'' proved polarizing amongst fans of the original and many thought the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' reboot would be the same. But when the trailer debuted on Website/YouTube, many fans changed their minds upon viewing and when the first episode aired, fans, old and new, fell in love with the show. Many now regard it as a worthy successor to the original show, with most even viewing it as outright ''superior'', and it's viewed as an example of how to properly reboot a series.

* ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'' was pitched to Creator/{{Nickelodeon}} executives, but they lost interest in the series after network executive Linda Simensky left for Creator/CartoonNetwork. The show found its way to Creator/{{Disney}} and would go on to become a beloved, if underappreciated, cartoon series.
* Two relatively unknown animators pitched their idea for a show to network after network for sixteen years, only for them to be told again and again that its premise was too complicated to work in children's television. Eventually, on a whim, Creator/{{Disney}} picked up the show for 26 episodes. The result? Well, let's just say that after an eight-year run, ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'' [[CashCowFranchise did, indeed, do it all.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProudFamily'' was pitched to two networks (including Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}) but was rejected. A Creator/{{Disney}} representative saw the pitch and decided to show it to the Disney executives. The cartoon became one of the most popular shows in Disney, spawning a movie and SequelSeries.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' was originally pitched to Creator/CartoonNetwork with a slightly different pitch but was rejected. The show eventually shown to Creator/DisneyChannel and with some tweaks, was greenlit. It received acclaim from both audiences and critics, leading to multiple merchandises tied to the series.
* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was against the odds due to the initial AnimationAgeGhetto, being set [[{{Interquel}} in the midst of]] the divisive Prequel Trilogy, and the [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith inevitable outcome]] being that the protagonists' actions will be for naught. In the end, it became extremely popular for its action and plots and helped remedy certain aspects in the story and characterizations from the movies that were controversial with fans, and ultimately ran for seven seasons.

* Back in 2015, Disney announced a reboot of ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' was in the works. Many fans didn't take kindly to this. Reboots such as ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben102016'' proved polarizing amongst fans of the original and many thought the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' reboot would be the same. But when the trailer debuted on Website/YouTube, many fans changed their minds upon viewing and when the first episode aired, fans, old and new, fell in love with the show. Many now regard it as a worthy successor to the original show and it's viewed as an example of how to properly reboot a series.

* Creator/RingoStarr routinely mentioned in interviews that he was skeptical about narrating ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndFriends'' at first, less because the concept seemed bad (''Literature/TheRailwaySeries'' books the show was based on had been a hit for decades) but more because he felt at the time children were laser focused on sci-fi action adventure like ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse'' compared to Thomas' storybook world. He nevertheless relented and the show became a global hit.

* Before ''WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}}'' aired, many detractors expressed worry, especially considering it was advertised as being from people who worked on ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' (in reality, just the same animation development team, though Aaron Horvath is a staff member), but it has proven to be good to many people and profitable for the network.

* ''WesternAnimation/AdventureTime''[='=]s pilot was created for a shorts program meant to air on Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}. When it was decided to pitch the show for a potential series, the show was rejected for being [[RandomEventsPlot too random]], with the network demanding numerous changes for them to even consider greenlighting it. Creator Pen Ward refused and Nickelodeon eventually gave him the rights to the show back, at which point he pitched it to his new employer, Creator/CartoonNetwork, who immediately ordered two seasons. Fast-forward a few years and ''Adventure Time'' is a CashCowFranchise credited not only as being the show to rescue the channel from its NetworkDecay, but also as the genesis for more creative and serialized storytelling in television WesternAnimation as a whole, winning countless awards. This might be the reason why Nick chose to greenlite shows with "random" elements like ''WesternAnimation/{{Breadwinners}}''.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' had a lot stacked against it. To start, it was the next incarnation of [[Franchise/MyLittlePony a franchise]] that was not only viewed as the embodiment of the kind of [[SweetnessAversion saccharine garbage aimed at little girls]] that was ripe for all kinds of mockery, but a franchise that had undergone a ''steep'' slide in quality since its inception. What's more, this was to be a flagship show on the fledgling network The Hub, a channel co-owned by the toy company Creator/{{Hasbro}}. As a result, animation fans and TV critics (especially fans of the Creator/CraigMcCracken-Creator/GenndyTartakovsky group) thought it would be nothing more than a [[MerchandiseDriven half-hour toy commercial]], with some even calling it the herald of [[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/the-end-of-the-creator-driven-era-29614.html the end of the "creator-driven" era of TV animation]] and accusing its creator Creator/LaurenFaust of [[SellOut selling out]] and having no artistic integrity. Faust herself feared the show would flop and [[CreatorKiller kill her career]]. Despite this vitriol, or perhaps because of it, the show was a hit with not only its target audience, but also a large PeripheryDemographic nobody expected that broke it out of the GirlShowGhetto, boosting a dying toy franchise back into popularity and allowing The Hub (now known as Creator/DiscoveryFamily) to be seen as a real contender to Creator/CartoonNetwork and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}. Once everything was said and done, ''Friendship Is Magic'' got ''nine seasons'', a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls spin-off series]], books, and a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie theatrically released movie]] over the course of ten years and inspired [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW a comic]] and [[Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment manga]].

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': With the recent controversy surrounding League's lackluster ''Sentinels of Light'' event and Hollywood's general aversion to [[VideoGameMoviesSuck video game adaptations]], there were doubts from both fans and non-fans alike that Arcane would be able to succeed. However, since the premiere of Act 1, both League fans and non-fans agree that Riot knocked it out of the park, with some even calling it Riot Games' magnum opus. After the release of Act 1, Arcane sat comfortably at the [[https://flixpatrol.com/title/arcane/ No. 1 TV show spot]] in ''38 countries'', according to Flix Patrol's rankings.
* Many initially despised ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' for its premise alone (a future-Batman who wasn't Bruce Wayne or any of the Robins, but in fact a CanonForeigner who was in high school), and even more the notion that it was set in the continuity to ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (with many seeing TNBA as a weak follow-up and wanting a true sequel series). Instead, it became far and away the most successful [[LegacyCharacter legacy]] adaptation for DC, embraced by audiences of both the classic and new Batman, and seen to sit side-by-side with Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' as a "future Batman" story with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' in particular considered not only one of the best DCAU films (if not ''the'' best) but one of the greatest Batman and Joker stories in general, with many parts of it being adapted again in the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries''. Terry [=McGinnis=] also came to be embraced as a worthy successor to Batman in the mode of [[Franchise/TheFlash Wally West]] and [[Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner]].

* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars'' was against the odds due to the initial AnimationAgeGhetto, the ties to the divisive Prequel Trilogy [[{{Interquel}} (which the installment is set during)]], and the [[Film/RevengeOfTheSith inevitable outcome]] being that the protagonists' actions will be for naught. In the end, it became extremely popular for its action and plots and helped remedy certain aspects in the story and characterizations from the movies that were controversial with fans, and as of 2018, has been [[UnCancelled renewed]] for a seventh season.

* When ''WesternAnimation/KampKoral'' was announced, the reception was rather negative due to the perception that Stephen Hillenburg didn't want a "baby spin-off." [[https://longreads.com/2019/08/13/the-young-man-and-the-sea-sponge/ According to Paul Tibbitt here,]] Hillenburg said to him, "You know, one of these days, they’re going to want to make ''[=SpongeBob=] Babies''. That's when I'm out of here." When the sneak peek was released, many people criticized the animation for being too outdated and ugly. However, when it was released, the show garnered high ratings and was greenlit for a second season.

* Back in 2015, Disney announced a reboot of ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' was in the works. Many fans didn't take kindly to this. Reboots such as ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben102016'' proved polarizing amongst fans of the original and many thought the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' reboot would be the same. But when the trailer debuted on Website/YouTube, many fans changed their minds upon viewing and when the first episode aired, fans, old and new, fell in love with the show. Many now regard ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' as a worthy successor to the original show and it's viewed as an example of how to properly reboot a series.

* ''WesternAnimation/StarVsTheForcesOfEvil'' was originally pitched to Creator/CartoonNetwork with a slightly different pitch but was rejected. The show eventually shown to Creator/Disney and with some tweaks, was greenlit. It received acclaim from both audiences and critics, leading to multiple merchandises tied to the series.

* ''WesternAnimation/PepperAnn'' was pitched to Creator/Nickelodeon executives, but they lost interest in the series after the creator left for Creator/CartoonNetwork. The show found its way to Creator/{{Disney}} and would go on to become a beloved, if underappreciated, cartoon series.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' had a lot stacked against it. To start, it was the next incarnation of [[Franchise/MyLittlePony a franchise]] that was not only viewed as the embodiment of the kind of [[SweetnessAversion saccharine garbage aimed at little girls]] that was ripe for all kinds of mockery, but a franchise that had undergone a ''steep'' slide in quality since its inception. What's more, this was to be a flagship show on the fledgling network The Hub, a channel co-owned by the toy company Creator/{{Hasbro}}. As a result, animation fans and TV critics (especially fans of the Creator/CraigMcCracken-Creator/GenndyTartakovsky group) thought it would be nothing more than a [[MerchandiseDriven half-hour toy commercial]], with some even calling it the herald of [[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/the-end-of-the-creator-driven-era-29614.html the end of the "creator-driven" era of TV animation]] and accusing its creator Creator/LaurenFaust of [[SellOut selling out]] and having no artistic integrity. Faust herself feared the show would flop and [[CreatorKiller kill her career]]. Despite this vitriol, or perhaps because of it, the show was a hit with not only its target audience, but also a large PeripheryDemographic nobody expected that broke it out of the GirlShowGhetto, boosting a dying toy franchise back into popularity and allowing The Hub (now known as Creator/DiscoveryFamily) to be seen as a real contender to Creator/CartoonNetwork and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}. Once everything was said and done, ''Friendship Is Magic'' got ''nine seasons'', a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls spin-off series]], books, and a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie theatrically released movie]] over the course of ten years, and inspired [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW a comic]] and [[Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment manga]].

* Before ''WesternAnimation/{{Unikitty}}'' aired, many detractors expressed worry, especially considering it was advertised as being from people who worked on ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'' (in reality, just the same animation development team, though Aaron Horvath is a staff member), but it has proven to be good to many people and profitable for the network.
* Back in 2015, Disney announced a reboot of ''WesternAnimation/{{DuckTales|1987}}'' was in the works. Many fans didn't take kindly to this. Reboots such as ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitansGo'', ''WesternAnimation/ThePowerpuffGirls2016'' and ''WesternAnimation/Ben102016'' proved polarizing amongst fans of the original and many thought the ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' reboot would be the same. But when the trailer debuted on Website/YouTube, many fans changed their minds upon viewing and when the first episode aired, fans, old and new, fell in love with the show. Many now regard ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales2017'' as a worthy successor to the original show and it's viewed as an example of how to properly reboot a series.
* ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'': When the first trailer premiered, it was praised for its appealing art style but otherwise expected to be no more special than any other reboot that was capitalizing on both millennial nostalgia and "wokeness" by turning a VillainProtagonist from the '90s into a hero. Thanks to positive word of mouth about its gripping plot and excellent characterization once it premiered, it quickly became one of Netflix's most popular animated shows and is largely seen as one of the best reboots ever.
* ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'', a ContinuityReboot of the 80s cartoon show ''WesternAnimation/SheRaPrincessOfPower'', went through a similar trial. Before it first came out, many weren't thrilled about this series due to the original's origins as a spin-off of ''He-Man'' while others found the new show's aesthetic more childish than the original series, but after the first set of episodes were released, it rapidly found an audience that appreciated the more serialized storytelling and emphasis on characterization compared to the original along with a more mature tone, with many calling this new series better than the original.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' had a lot stacked against it. To start, it was the next incarnation of [[Franchise/MyLittlePony a franchise]] that was not only viewed as the embodiment of the kind of [[SweetnessAversion saccharine garbage aimed at little girls]] that was ripe for all kinds of mockery, but a franchise that had undergone a ''steep'' slide in quality since its inception. What's more, this was to be a flagship show on the fledgling network The Hub, a channel co-owned by the toy company Creator/{{Hasbro}}. As a result, animation fans and TV critics (especially fans of the Creator/CraigMcCracken-Creator/GenndyTartakovsky group) thought it would be nothing more than a [[MerchandiseDriven half-hour toy commercial]], with some even calling it the herald of [[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/the-end-of-the-creator-driven-era-29614.html the end of the "creator-driven" era of TV animation]] and accusing its creator Creator/LaurenFaust of [[SellOut selling out]] and having no artistic integrity. Faust herself feared the show would flop and [[CreatorKiller kill her career]]. Despite this vitriol, or perhaps because of it, the show was a hit with not only its target audience, but also a large PeripheryDemographic nobody expected that broke it out of the GirlShowGhetto, boosting a dying toy franchise back into popularity and allowing The Hub (now known as Creator/DiscoveryFamily) to be seen as a real contender to Creator/CartoonNetwork and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}. Once everything was said and done, ''Friendship Is Magic'' got ''nine seasons'', a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls spin-off series]], books, and a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie theatrically released movie]] over the course of ten years, and inspired [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW a comic]] and [[Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment manga]] which are both still running.

* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars''; it was expected to fail so hard due to the [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks massive amount of changes]] to the ''Franchise/{{Transformers}}'' formula, the FanDumb cry of "[[MemeticMutation Trukk not Munky!]]" is burned into all Transfans' minds. Turns out, the quality of the show probably saved the franchise from dying out and became the standard for what all future western-made ''Transformers'' would be based on.

* Many initially despised ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' for its premise alone (a future-Batman who wasn't Bruce Wayne or any of the Robins, but in fact a CanonForeigner who was in high school), and even more the notion that it was set in the continuity to ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (with many seeing TNBA as a weak follow-up and wanting a true sequel series). Instead, it became far and away the most successful [[LegacyCharacter legacy]] adaptation for DC, embraced by audiences of both the classic and new Batman, and seen to sit side-by-side with Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' as a "future Batman" story with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' in particular considered not only one of the best DCAU films (if not ''the'' best) but one of the greatest Batman and Joker stories period, with many parts of it being adapted again in the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries''. Terry [=McGinnis=] also came to be embraced as a worthy successor to Batman in the mode of [[Franchise/TheFlash Wally West]] and [[Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner]].

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of all things, started out miserably when Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone's tiny cult hit joke-animated short "The Spirit Of Christmas" got picked up for a pilot. The first episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS1E1CartmanGetsAnAnalProbe Cartman Gets An Anal Probe]]" was completed and submitted. It was pounded into the ground by test audiences who were baffled by the (intentionally) terrible animation, the juxtaposition of cute characters spewing vulgarities in steady streams (with the highlight being Kyle's [[ClusterBleepBomb heavily censored tirade]] towards the end), and the overall bizarre nature of the plot. It was deemed a complete and utter failure and Creator/ComedyCentral was very unconvinced that ''South Park'' had any future, but still encouraged Matt & Trey to create a few more episodes such as "Weight Gain 4000". These too did not impress the network, and many people thought the show was directionless. With much hesitancy and uncertainty, they aired the shows. While mainstream critics even were very slow to warm up to the show, they eventually did, and it became a more impressive hit than Comedy Central expected. However, major problems and waning fan interest after only Season 2 (a season Matt & Trey have gone on to say was their absolute worst season) they figured that ''South Park'' was all but finished. During Season 3, they produced ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', while being faced with immense ExecutiveMeddling from both Creator/{{Paramount}} and the MPAA, they figured the movie would flop miserably and would be their triumphant last hurrah. Instead, it was critically acclaimed and a box office success and brought more attention to the show. ''South Park'''s renewed contracts with Comedy Central took the series up to an unprecedented ''twenty-six'' complete seasons (and counting!).

* ''WesternAnimation/SouthPark'' of all things, started out miserably when Creator/TreyParkerAndMattStone's tiny cult hit joke-animated short "The Spirit Of Christmas" got picked up for a pilot. The first episode "[[Recap/SouthParkS1E1CartmanGetsAnAnalProbe Cartman Gets An Anal Probe]]" was completed and submitted. It was pounded into the ground by test audiences who were baffled by the (intentionally) terrible animation, the juxtaposition of cute characters spewing vulgarities in steady streams (with the highlight being Kyle's [[ClusterBleepBomb heavily censored tirade]] towards the end), and the overall bizarre nature of the plot. It was deemed a complete and utter failure and Creator/ComedyCentral was very unconvinced that ''South Park'' had any future, but still encouraged Matt & Trey to create a few more episodes such as "Weight Gain 4000". These too did not impress the network, and many people thought the show was directionless. With much hesitancy and uncertainty, they aired the shows. While mainstream critics even were very slow to warm up to the show, they eventually did, and it became a more impressive hit than Comedy Central expected. However, major problems and waning fan interest after only Season 2 (a season Matt & Trey have gone on to say was their absolute worst season) they figured that ''South Park'' was all but finished. During Season 3, they produced ''WesternAnimation/SouthParkBiggerLongerAndUncut'', while being faced with immense ExecutiveMeddling from both Creator/{{Paramount}} and the MPAA, they figured the movie would flop miserably and would be their triumphant last hurrah. Instead, it was critically acclaimed and a box office success and brought more attention to the show. Cut to today, where ''South Park'''s renewed contracts with Comedy Central will take the series up to an unprecedented ''twenty-six'' complete seasons.

* ''WesternAnimation/CarmenSandiego'': When the first trailer premiered, it was praised for its appealing art style but otherwise expected to be no more special than any other reboot that was capitalizing on both millennial nostalgia and "wokeness" by turning a VillainProtagonist from the '90s into a hero. Thanks to positive word of mouth about it's gripping plot and excellent characterization once it premiered, it quickly became one of Netflix's most popular animated shows and is largely seen as one of the best reboots ever.

* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' had a lot stacked against it. To start, it was the next incarnation of [[Franchise/MyLittlePony a franchise]] that was not only viewed as the embodiment of the kind of [[TastesLikeDiabetes saccharine garbage aimed at little girls]] that was ripe for all kinds of mockery, but a franchise that had undergone a ''steep'' slide in quality since its inception. What's more, this was to be a flagship show on the fledgling network The Hub, a channel co-owned by the toy company Creator/{{Hasbro}}. As a result, animation fans and TV critics (especially fans of the Creator/CraigMcCracken-Creator/GenndyTartakovsky group) thought it would be nothing more than a [[MerchandiseDriven half-hour toy commercial]], with some even calling it the herald of [[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/ideas-commentary/the-end-of-the-creator-driven-era-29614.html the end of the "creator-driven" era of TV animation]] and accusing its creator Creator/LaurenFaust of [[SellOut selling out]] and having no artistic integrity. Faust herself feared the show would flop and [[CreatorKiller kill her career]]. Despite this vitriol, or perhaps because of it, the show was a hit with not only its target audience, but also a large PeripheryDemographic nobody expected that broke it out of the GirlShowGhetto, boosting a dying toy franchise back into popularity and allowing The Hub (now known as Creator/DiscoveryFamily) to be seen as a real contender to Creator/CartoonNetwork and Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}. Once everything was said and done, ''Friendship Is Magic'' got ''nine seasons'', a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls spin-off series]], books, and a [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie theatrically released movie]] over the course of ten years, and inspired [[ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW a comic]] and [[Creator/SevenSeasEntertainment manga]] which are both still running.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arcane}}'': With the recent controversy surrounding League's lackluster ''Sentinels of Light'' event and Hollywood's general aversion to [[VideoGameMoviesSuck video game adaptations]], there were doubts from both fans and non-fans alike that Arcane would be able to succeed. However, since the premiere of Act 1, both League fans and non-fans agree that Riot knocked it out of the park, with some even calling it Riot Games' magnum opus. After the release of act, Arcane sat comfortably at the [[https://flixpatrol.com/title/arcane/ No. 1 TV show spot]] in ''38 countries'', according to Flix Patrol's rankings.
* Many initially despied ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' for its premise alone (a future-Batman who wasn't Bruce Wayne or any of the Robins, but in fact a CanonForeigner who was in high school), and even more the notion that it was set in the continuity to ''WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries'' (with many seeing TNBA as a weak follow-up and wanting a true sequel series). Instead, it became far and away the most successful [[LegacyCharacter legacy]] adaptation for DC, embraced by audiences of both the classic and new Batman, and seen to sit side-by-side with Creator/FrankMiller's ''ComicBook/BatmanTheDarkKnightReturns'' as a "future Batman" story with ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyondReturnOfTheJoker'' in particular considered not only one of the best DCAU films (if not ''the'' best) but one of the greatest Batman and Joker stories period, with many parts of it being adapted again in the ''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries''. Terry [=McGinnis=] also came to be embraced as a worthy successor to Batman in the mode of [[Franchise/TheFlash Wally West]] and [[Franchise/GreenLantern Kyle Rayner]].

* An [[WesternAnimation/Castlevania2017 animated series]] based on the ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' games seemed like it would be too niche to attract a sizable audience, if not suffer the [[VideoGameMoviesSuck usual reputation]] of game adaptations, nevermind that the idea had been shopped around and trapped in DevelopmentHell for a decade. To nearly everyone's surprise, the show turned about to be a notable success with that was faithful to the source material while adding its own twists, featuring violence and dark themes that not only wasn't watered down from the games but also went further than any game had previously. The only major complaint was its short length, confirmed as a pilot for a longer story. Thankfully, its strong reception ensured it a second season a day after it went up, with it later confirmed that said season would be twice as long as the first one, answering the major complaint.