These could actually work, unlike Death Note: just trust us.
Live action versions of anime are usually not received that well, especially in the West. That said, it’s not like they couldn’t work: here are 5 examples where live action would actually be as interesting as the anime!
Historical drama series have always been very popular. It is surprising, though, that most of the ones we see in anime don’t tend to be that long.
Vinland Saga is proving to be an exception: with two seasons and more content to cover, it has amassed a colossal amount of fans. As such, they are speculating that a live action adaptation might be possible, although we wouldn’t expect anything. It definitely could work, but it would require a lot of work to be done to make the decorations and the setting believable.
Psycho-Pass
Cyberpunk isn’t a very popular genre in anime. It feels like it is way more represented in live action movies, especially in the West. Considering this, Psycho-Pass being a good candidate for turning into live action makes perfect sense.
Nothing of the sort is announced, though, and some fans are thankful. After all, the live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) wasn’t received very well. Psycho-Pass could have fared better, but it also doesn’t need the kind of Western reimagining that was done to GitS.
Great Pretender
Heist movies are a genre that has a lot of dedicated fans. It seems like the creators of Great Pretender have also been inspired by them: the anime definitely pulls some tropes and aesthetic elements from them.
As such, Great Pretender could easily be turned into a heist movie itself. Sadly, this is unlikely to happen: it is an original series that is not based on any source material, and those usually don’t get picked up by live action producers.
Monster
Monster follows the structure of a thriller/mystery live action TV series — except in anime. Its realistic story, mature themes and slow pace all make it feel like a perfect candidate for a live action adaptation.
Even the visual direction of the anime felt like it could have belonged to one. That said, both the anime and the manga are pretty long, and this is absolutely not a story that could be canned after just one season.
Rurouni Kenshin
Okay, this one is cheating. Rurouni Kenshin live action movies actually exist: moreover, they are often held in higher regard than the anime series even by fans who usually don’t like live action adaptations.
The reason why they work so well is simple: the manga is quite grounded, and the live action retains the atmosphere of the setting fairly well. The fight choreography is amazing, and many people actually prefer the movies because of the lack of fillers, which are abundant in the original anime series (and even the manga had side arcs that went nowhere).
These could actually work, unlike Death Note: just trust us.
Live action versions of anime are usually not received that well, especially in the West. That said, it’s not like they couldn’t work: here are 5 examples where live action would actually be as interesting as the anime!
Historical drama series have always been very popular. It is surprising, though, that most of the ones we see in anime don’t tend to be that long.
Vinland Saga is proving to be an exception: with two seasons and more content to cover, it has amassed a colossal amount of fans. As such, they are speculating that a live action adaptation might be possible, although we wouldn’t expect anything. It definitely could work, but it would require a lot of work to be done to make the decorations and the setting believable.
Psycho-Pass
Cyberpunk isn’t a very popular genre in anime. It feels like it is way more represented in live action movies, especially in the West. Considering this, Psycho-Pass being a good candidate for turning into live action makes perfect sense.
Nothing of the sort is announced, though, and some fans are thankful. After all, the live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell (Koukaku Kidoutai) wasn’t received very well. Psycho-Pass could have fared better, but it also doesn’t need the kind of Western reimagining that was done to GitS.
Great Pretender
Heist movies are a genre that has a lot of dedicated fans. It seems like the creators of Great Pretender have also been inspired by them: the anime definitely pulls some tropes and aesthetic elements from them.
As such, Great Pretender could easily be turned into a heist movie itself. Sadly, this is unlikely to happen: it is an original series that is not based on any source material, and those usually don’t get picked up by live action producers.
Monster
Monster follows the structure of a thriller/mystery live action TV series — except in anime. Its realistic story, mature themes and slow pace all make it feel like a perfect candidate for a live action adaptation.
Even the visual direction of the anime felt like it could have belonged to one. That said, both the anime and the manga are pretty long, and this is absolutely not a story that could be canned after just one season.
Rurouni Kenshin
Okay, this one is cheating. Rurouni Kenshin live action movies actually exist: moreover, they are often held in higher regard than the anime series even by fans who usually don’t like live action adaptations.
The reason why they work so well is simple: the manga is quite grounded, and the live action retains the atmosphere of the setting fairly well. The fight choreography is amazing, and many people actually prefer the movies because of the lack of fillers, which are abundant in the original anime series (and even the manga had side arcs that went nowhere).
