No part of theanimefandom is more universally disliked than live-action adaptations. Most live-action anime have ruined their source materials thanks to poor visuals and terrible mishandlings of the original stories, and in the case of projects likeCowboy BebopandDragonball Evolution, they’re regarded as not just terrible adaptations, but some of the worst movies and TV shows ever made, in general.
Live-action anime adaptationsmore than deserve their poor reputation, but that has improved in recent years. Between the visual spectacle ofBattle Angel Alitaand how effortlessly Netflix’s live-actionOne Piecehandled its source material, some live-action anime adaptations have at least something that makes them worth watching, and because of that,there’s still plenty of reason for people to hope that live-action adaptations of their favorite anime will do their source material justice. That would really only apply to a select few anime, of course, and the anime that would best work in live-action are all worth highlighting.
Komi Can’t Communicate
Cast
Komi Can’t Communicate is an animated series focusing on Shoko Komi, a high school student with severe communication anxiety. Despite her social challenges, she becomes the school’s most admired figure. Aided by a classmate, Hitohito Tadano, Komi embarks on a journey to overcome her fears and make 100 friends. The series blends humor and heartfelt moments while addressing themes of social anxiety and friendship.
In OLM, Inc.’sKomi Can’t Communicate, while Shoko Komi is known as a stoic beauty, her stoicism stems from crippling social anxiety that makes it hard for her to say as much as a single word to people. By chance, the unassuming Hitohito Tadano is the first person to learn the truth about Komi, and after a friendship forms between them, they start working together to help Komi overcome her social anxiety and make 100 friends.
As a slice-of-life anime,Komi Can’t Communicateis driven more by its character work than animation, and because of that, visuals would rarely ever be an issue like they are with adaptations of more fantastical anime likeDragon BallorCowboy Bebop.A live-actionKomi Can’t Communicatewould be great as long as the cast can emulate the character work of the original anime, and overall, that would be great to see.
Azumanga Daioh
Azumanga Daioh is an anime series that follows the daily lives of six high school girls and their teachers, exploring their unique personalities and humorous antics. Based on Kiyohiko Azuma’s manga, the show delves into themes of friendship and adolescence, creating a slice-of-life narrative enriched with wit and charm. The series captures the essence of high school experiences with a blend of relatable moments and whimsical humor.
J.C.Staff’sAzumanga Daiohis a slice-of-life anime centered around five—later six—girls and their two teachers across three years of high school. Unlike other slice-of-life anime, which tend to involve romance or have some gimmick behind why the main characters associate with each other,Azumanga Daiohfeatures nothing of the sort and is focused solely on the daily lives of the cast.
Just likeKomi Can’t Communicate, the main draw toAzumanga Daiohis always more to the comedy and character work than the animation, and with how little there is in the way of continuity,Azumanga Daiohwould be great in live-action due to essentially being structured like a typical sitcom. The only issue would be casting a competent child actor for Chiyo, but even then, there should be little issue with making it work in live-action.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You follows Rentaro Aijo, who, after being rejected 100 times in middle school, is told by the God of Love that he will meet 100 destined partners in high school, with dire consequences should they fail to reciprocate love.
Bibury Animation Studios’The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love Youstars Rentaro Aijou, an eccentric young boy who’s fallen in love 100 times and been rejected every time. One day, however, the God of Love tells Rentaro that he will gain 100 soulmates during his time in high school, all of whom he must love equally or else risk killing them for depriving them of a soulmate.
While the anime tends to lean towards the absurd side of things with its comedy and visuals, it’s also a very meta story that changes its jokes depending on the medium, so100 Girlfriendswould be perfect for live-action because of how it would allow for a new style of meta comedy. The anime’s comedy and character work are already great, so with that in the mix, it would be just as great in live-action, if not better.
The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya centers on high school student Kyon, who inadvertently becomes involved with the eccentric Haruhi Suzumiya and her unusual club, the SOS Brigade, which seeks to find aliens, time travelers, and espers. Unbeknownst to Haruhi, she possesses the power to alter reality, leading to a series of strange and supernatural events that Kyon and the other brigade members must navigate.
Kyoto Animation’sThe Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyastars Kyon, a sarcastic high schooler forced to join the SOS Brigade, a club made by the eccentric Haruhi Suzumiya for discovering supernatural oddities. Ironically, all the other members are the exact supernatural oddities Haruhi has been searching for who have gathered to observe Haruhi and her godlike powers, all of which Haruhi is kept blissfully unaware of, much to Kyon’s constant frustration.
With how sharp the dialogue is and how charismatic most of the cast tends to be,The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyawould be great to see in live-action if only to see how regular actors pull off some of its iconic dialogue. Some of the supernatural aspects might be hard to pull off, but they’re fortunately in short supply, so even that wouldn’t be an issue when translating the series into live-action.
Blue Lock
Blue Lock is a sports-centric animated series based on the manga series of the same name. The show follows the Japan Football Association trying to recover from their poor showing in the 2018 FIFA World Cup by hiring a football genius, Ego Jinpachi. With his new intense training regimen, Jinpachi invites the best football players in Japan to compete to become the team’s new star player - and high school student Yoichi Isagi may be exactly who he’s looking for.
In Eight Bit’sBlue Lock, following Japan’s failure at the World Cup, eccentric sports analyst Jinpachi Ego is hired to come up with a way to push Japan into stardom. The method he came up with is Blue Lock, a grueling training regimen to turn one of 300 strikers into the greatest striker and egoist in Japan, and anyone who fails the program will be barred from playing soccer for Japan for the rest of their lives.
The grounded nature of sports stories make them very easy to portray in live-action, and with its kinetic action and intense dialogue,Blue Lock’s writing makes it the kind of sports drama perfect for a live-action adaptation.Blue Lock’s lackluster animationhas made the anime rather divisive, so with that in mind, it could be the first example of a live-action adaptation being better than the anime, as well.
Samurai Champloo
Samurai Champloo is an anime series created by Shinichirō Watanabe. Set in an alternate Edo-era Japan, it follows the journey of Mugen, a brash and fiercely independent swordsman, and Jin, a calm and skilled ronin, as they accompany a young waitress named Fuu on her mission to find a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers. The series is noted for its unique blend of historical elements and modern hip-hop culture.
Manglobe’sSamurai Champlootakes place in Edo-era Japan and opens with two swordsmen, the brash and sloppy Mugen, and the stoic and orderly Jin, trying to kill each other over a petty fight. When Mugen and Jin end up in trouble with the law, a girl named Fuu gets them out of trouble and has them repay the favor by helping her find a man who smells of sunflowers, thus beginning a journey across the country for the unlikely trio.
Plenty of live-action projects are known for having great action, and with how expressive and stylized the action inSamurai Champloois,Samurai Champloohas exactly the kind of action that would be great to see in live-action. There’s an argument that its action is too stylized to work outside of animation, but with how relatively grounded it is, it would still work far better than other anime like it.
Hajime no Ippo
Madhouse’sHajime no Ippostars Ippo Makunouchi, a shy boy who’s constantly bullied as he struggles to help with the family fishing business. One day, Ippo is saved from his bullies by a boxer from a local gym, and after discovering a hidden talent for boxing, Ippo decides to become a boxer, himself, thus beginning a long relationship with the sport filled with plenty of highs and lows.
As another sports anime,Hajime no Ippois filled with great animation and even greater drama, and as such,Hajime no Ippois an anime with the kind of writing and visuals that would be perfect for a live-action adaptation.Hajime no Ippoeven famously inspiredCreed III, so there’s already an argument thatHajime no Ippowould be perfect for a live-action adaptation.
Slam Dunk
Slam Dunk is a Japanese anime series based on the manga by Takehiko Inoue. The show follows Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent high school student who joins the basketball team to impress a girl. Over time, Hanamichi discovers a genuine love for the sport and works with his teammates to improve their skills and aim for the national championship. The series is widely praised for its character development and realistic depiction of basketball.
Toei Animation’sSlam Dunkstars Hanamichi Sakuragi, a delinquent high schooler who, after falling in love with basketball fan Haruko at first sight, claims to be a genius basketball player, despite never even touching a ball before. Nevertheless, Sakuragi joins his school’s team to further impress her, and not only does there end up being some truth to his claims of being a genius, but Sakuragi finds himself slowly growing to love the game all on his own.
The simplicity of sports anime makes them perfect choices for live-action adaptations, and with how much the choreography and character writing have madeSlam Dunkstand out compared to other sports anime,everything aboutSlam Dunk’s writing and execution makes it the best sports anime to adapt into live-action.Slam Dunkis equal parts a phenomenon for both its anime and its manga, so live-action would be the next natural step.
Monster
Monster is an animated psychological thriller series directed by Masayuki Kojima, based on the manga by Naoki Urasawa. The story follows Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon working in Germany, who saves the life of a young boy destined to become a notorious serial killer. As Tenma seeks to rectify his actions and uncover the truth, he becomes entangled in a complex web of moral dilemmas and dark secrets.
Madhouse’sMonsterstars Kenzo Tenma, a brain surgeon working in Germany who rose to success after the sudden deaths of the people who tried to railroad him for prioritizing a child over the now-deceased mayor. As it turns out, the one responsible for those deaths was that child, Johan Liebert, who has since grown up to be a murderous sociopath, and now Tenma has taken it upon himself to bring Johan to justice and uncover the massive conspiracy behind his existence.
As a grounded psychological thriller,Monsteris an easy story to adapt to live-action, so much so thatGuillermo del Toro was already developing aMonsteradaptation in 2013 before HBO passed on it. Someone as talented as del Toro taking an interest inMonstershows that it would be perfect for live-action, and with any luck, someone will try and revive the idea somewhere down the line.
Vinland Saga
Vinland Saga is an adaptation of the historical-action manga series by Makoto Yukimura. Centering around young Thorfinn, the story sees the young man on a quest for revenge following the murder of his father by the mercenary Askeladd. To accomplish this feat, Thorfinn joins Askeladd’s company to bide his time and prepare to face him in the future. The story starts around 1002 AD and revolves around fictional accounts of the Danish invasion of London.
Wit Studio and MAPPA’sVinland Sagais a fictional account of the life of Thorfinn Karlsefni, the first Viking to form a major settlement in North America i.e. Vinland. When Thorfinn watched his father be killed in cold blood, he devoted his life to killing the man responsible, and when that story concluded, Thorfinn was forced to grapple with the sins of his past and the uncertainty of what he should do next with his life.
Few anime are as great at combining intense action with philosophical drama asVinland Saga, and with how relatively grounded it is,Vinland Saga’s combination of action and drama makes it a perfect fit for a live-action adaptation. The long-running historical dramaVikingsalready proved that a Vikings show can work, so there’s no reason why, in the right hands,Vinland Sagawould be anything but thebest anime to adapt into live-action.
