5 Live-Action Anime Adaptations That Didn't Quite Hit The Mark

Adapting anime into live-action movies and series is a challenging endeavour due to the unique traits and styles inherent to the genre. The decision to adapt certain anime works is often driven by their popularity. While this can attract a large audience, it also raises the bar for expectations. Unfortunately, some live-action adaptations fail to meet these high expectations.

‘Attack On Titan’

Adapting ‘Attack on Titan,’ renowned as one of the greatest anime ever, into a live-action film faced inherent challenges. The attempt to capture the impact and popularity of the anime with a new cast and setting proved to be a challenging task. The 2015 film adaptation struggled to condense the intricate plot, leaving viewers uncertain about the events depicted. The complexity of the original anime and manga, coupled with the challenge of conveying character motivations adequately, contributed to the film's difficulty in maintaining the depth and intensity of the source material.

‘Cowboy Bebop’

Netflix's recent adaptation of the iconic ‘Cowboy Bebop’ faced heightened expectations, but unfortunately, the stylisation, plot, and overall quality failed to match the achievements of the original anime. While John Cho delivered a charismatic performance as Spike, and the cast showed talent, the central issue lay in other aspects of the adaptation. The iconic blend of Western and film noir aesthetics that defined the anime felt lacking in the live-action version, as did the action sequences that were a hallmark of Spike and his gang. The adaptation struggled to capture the essence and impact of the beloved source material.

‘Death Note’

Netflix's 2017 adaptation of 'Death Note' faced a significant challenge as it failed to capture the dark and uncompromising tone of the original anime. In the anime, Light is portrayed as a cruel and irredeemable protagonist, and the film version struggles to reckon with the twisted morality and intricate game played between Light and L. The adaptation fell short of delivering the darker and morally complex elements that were crucial to the success of the anime.

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‘Fullmetal Alchemist’

Adapting the intricate magic system of 'Fullmetal Alchemist,' which relies heavily on specialised art and visuals, proved challenging for the live-action movie. The film struggled to convey the complete character arcs of Ed and Al, as the original anime (horror anime)has a sprawling story that is difficult to condense into the limited time frame of a film. The intricate details of the anime, including its unique visuals and character developments, were not fully captured in the live-action adaptation.

‘Black Butler’

'Black Butler' attempts to capture some of the successful elements from the anime, but it falls short of justifying its existence as a film. Instead of serving as a direct adaptation, the movie incorporates elements from the anime into a new narrative. One significant departure is the origin story of how The Earl/Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian meet and strike their deal. While both versions involve Sebastian being a demon serving his master in exchange for their soul, the film fails to retain some of the most compelling plot points from the anime. Additionally, the physical combat scenes in the movie feel choppy and forced.

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Credits: Youtube