After watching the Marvel Comics movie, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer last weekend (hated it) and discussing the upcoming Suck-Party that will be the Neon Genesis Evangelion live action movie (Shinji might be renamed Shawn, WTF?!), a group of us discussed which anime or manga would actually translate well into film. I went through a list of anime in my head that I really love and came up with a few that I thought would, not only stand out as excellent translations to the anime world, but would also appeal to US audiences.
Hellsing
Hellsing is an anime/manga that would make good watching as live action. It has over-the-top action, gore galore and a horror/sci-fi/fantasy flavor that most American viewers can relate too. Not only that, but there isn’t anything that would need to be changed to suit foreign tastes.
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion, for example, has far too many aspects that wouldn’t click with American audiences. Americans understand robots, but not necessarily giant robots. Nor do they really respond well to 15 year old saviors, as a matter of course. The rumors that surround the Evangelion movie all point to the movie being tweaked beyond recognition from its original source. Why pick a series to make into LA (live action) that needs that much work?
Back to more fertile possibilities:
Ninja Scroll
Ninja Scroll (the movie) is another anime that could possibly make the cut. It’s a fantasy taken from feudal Japan that would appeal to younger audiences – thanks to movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that blazed a path for Asian fantasy to become a little more main stream in the US.
Cowboy Bebop
Cowboy Bebop appeals to many Americans who’ve watched it. Would it make a good live action movie? I think so. Spike Spiegel (the hero) is a 27 year-old chain smoker with an unassuming demeanor. He idolizes Bruce Lee, and happens to kick much ass. The future is portrayed in one of many possible lights that could be stomached by theater-goers. It tells a compelling story that I think can be readily related to by those same movie-goers.
Hayao Miyazaki
Then there are anime films and series that should never be made into live action. I feel that Miyazaki’s films should stay animated and never go LA. So much would be lost in the telling, I believe, if it made it’s way into the “real worldâ€.
All ‘lighter’ anime should stay animated. While I enjoyed the Cromartie High School movie, I don’t think it was necessary to make. Only anime that’s heavy on story should be made into live action in my opinion…but that’s just me.
Which anime do you feel would make a great live-action movie and why? Which aspects of anime do you feel are necessary to be a success as a movie and also appeal to audiences outside of Japan? When anime is made into live action, should the producers use Japanese or Western actors for the parts? Should Westerners have any part producing or directing live-action anime movies? Should anime movies even be made to appeal to a wider audience outside of Japan to begin with?
What are your thoughts on anime going from television to live action?
As mentioned in another post in another anime blog, I thought I heard rumours of Blood the Last Vampire and Ghost in the Shell getting movie versions in Hollywood.
I actually think giant robos is a universal thing, just look at Transformers, Star Wars etc they all have giant robots.
For a live action, we need something easy to understand. Look at FF: the Spirits Within. I thought the storyline was awesome but nobody else in my non-anime friend group who saw it understood what was going on. Catering to wider audiences means a dumbing down is necessary for the most part.
Speaking of which, there’s going to be a SlamDunk live action drama by Taiwan lol. Not a good thing.
I’ve always thought Rurouni Kenshin would make a good Live Action. Not only because I’m a huge fan of RK but also RK has a very good story with historical account.
Another anime that is live-action-able is Black Lagoon.
Let’s not forget that not all movies have to be big explosion things (… as a guy, I’m slightly disturbed that I just wrote that…).
Anyways, things like AIR or Kanon would make good dramas, and something like Manabi Straight, Hidamari Sketch or Hitohira would make a good slice-of-life live tv shows for the teenage crowd…
@tj han
You are correct. Blood The Last Vampire is in production, though not with a Hollywood studio. Here is a link to an ANN article with the announcement about the deal between Production I.G and French Pathe:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-11-03/live-action-blood-the-last-vampire
Here is a link to an ANN article about unofficial photos taken during production of Blood The Last Vampire:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-05-03/unofficial-blood-the-last-vampire-photos-appear
As for Ghost in the Shell, according to this ANN article, it is still in the negotiation and development stage. Production I.G is looking for a Hollywood studio for this film:
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-01-18/production-i.g-enters-negotiations-for-live-action-ghost-in-the-shell
Here are a few popular anime titles that I thought of that have either been attempted, are in production or have already been done:
Speed Racer
Status: In Production, Hollywood
The creators of ‘The Matrix’ are directing the live-action Speed Racer film.
http://theanimeblog.com/2007/06/05/speed-racer-live-action/
Battle Angel Alita
Status: Pre-Production, Hollywood
James Cameron of Terminator fame is directing this mix of live-action and CG.
http://www.aintitcool.com/display.cgi?id=20955
Tetsujin 28
Status: Now on DVD, Japanese
The live-action version from 2005 – Link
Akira
Status: Probably Dead, Hollywood
Hollywood was working on a live-action Akira a few years ago, but I haven’t heard anything in forever.
http://movies.ign.com/articles/373/373990p1.html
There are lots more but I wanted to mention these while I was thinking about them.
Of the ones listed, I’d like to see “Cowboy Bebop” made into a live action, but I think it would really be wild if someone made a live action or CGI “Trigun” movie
A couple that I think could make decent live action movies.
Black Lagoon – If done right it could be made into a nice summer action movie. C’mon we all know this has Bay and Bruckheimer stamped all over it.
Gunsmith Cats – Its story takes place in the US and would not suffer localization problems that a lot of anime and manga would suffer from.
So some of the write-in candidates for ‘live action anime’ are:
– Blood the Last Vampire
– Ghost in the Shell
– SlamDunk
– Rurouni Kenshin
– Black Lagoon
– AIR
– Kanon
– Manabi Straight
– Hidamari Sketch
– Hitohira
– Gunsmith Cats
– Cowboy Bebop
– Hellsing
– Trigun
– Ninja Scroll
What else would you like to see and why?
There are three anime which come to mind for me:
- Monster is a good psychological thriller. However, it is too long to be made into
a single movie…perhaps a series or several movies.
- 52cm Per Second looks like a good candidate. I have only read about this, but
it is from the creator of Voices of a Distant Star, Makoto Shinkai. It is a series
of three connected vignettes and has been recently licensed by ADV.
- Hataraki Man follows a Japanese salary woman…the series could probably be
edited down into one or two movies.
I’d say Rurouni Kensinh
Trigun
Cowboy Bebop
Theose seem like the most reasonable to me at least.
NINJA SCROLL LIVE ACTION MOVIE.
Threshold Entertainment’s Larry Kasanoff is planning to turn Ninja Scroll into the big
screen with a budget of $60 million,the movie is dead at the moment but it will be in productio
in the future if they still get the project back on track,Kasanoff will produce the film alone
with Joshua Wexler,George Johnsen and Alison Savitch.
Josh Wexler and Sean Catharine Derek would write the script down as they will work on the story
from the anime and Kasanoff will direct the movie,Christopher Faloona will be a photography
director and Jonathan Sloate as the film’s music composer and the special effects will be created
by Threshold Digital Research Labs.
Threshold could work on another video game movie with Capcom’s Darkstalkers turning it into movies and TV.
Madhouse and Threshold will work on Ninja Scroll if they ge the project back on track.
Thank You.
BRUCE ACOSTA
AUSTRALIA.
I’ve been wanting to see a live-action Dirty Pair for years.
@tj-han, I think autonomous robots are easier to swallow for Americans versus mechs that are piloted by whiny teenagers. A trash talking robot that can turn into a jet (thinking Starscream) is more familiar to us than a giant bionic hybrid organism descended from the first man and woman and are piloted by “special” teenagers. I’m just saying…
@Kenshin, I agree that’d Rurouni Kenshin would make a decent LA. I imagine it could be done in a two hour (and some change) long movie.
@Kidan, but big explosions and giant boobs are the bricks and mortar of the anime foundation! No, no. no, I kid. Seriously, while I agree that there are some excellent dramas out there, from a producer’s stand point, the things that get asses into seats are mainly the costumes, the visuals, the actors/ actresses, and sometimes, the plot. The anime you’re talking about might have a better chance to get made if they were produced as “indie” films.
@ralahinn1, Cowboy Bebop; Yes, Trigun; No. IMO, the studio would change too much of the story for Trigun so as to make it easier for a more diverse audience to swallow. If I spent as much money as it would probably cost to do Trigun decently, I would make damn sure that it appealed to as many people as possible. Having said that, they’d probably cut out a ton of backstory, make Knives and Vash not related, not have the cool baddies, and generally slaughter all that makes Triguyn quirky and fun.
After all would be said and done on a LA Trigun, it wouldn’t be the Trigun we know and love; it’d be something all the people who loved X-Men 3 would go ga-ga over, i.e. craptacular eye-candy.
@ nooneofconsequence, haven’t seen the two mentioned series, Black Lagoon or Gunsmith Cats. Are they “quirky” anime or are they more doable?
@Zack, My votes go for RK and CB.
@ Bruce Darren Acosta, Thanks for the info!
@Rikchik, that’d be awesome!
Wouldn’t it, though?
I know Gunsmith Cats, I haven’t seen Black Lagoon but I’ve heard about it. They’re both modern, non-fantasy/non-SF action crime dramas. GSC is set in Chicago and is about a female bounty hunter with a deep love of 70s muscle cars and expensive firearms. Lots of fancy driving and ridiculously good aim.
Rachel – I agree with what you’re saying there. For a summer blockbuster, the explosions and what not are part and parcel of the movie experience.
Frankly though, I think it would do anime as a genre more good for a drama to be produced, especially if it does half decently at the box office.
If what is produced is a traditionally male movie (action, explosions, violence, blood, skimpy clothes, etc) then it will be viewed as just an extension of the same audience.
What’s more, is that those movies are scorned by critics nearly as much as anime itself is. Consider, when was the last time you saw an action flick make it to the Best Picture category of the Oscars?
They don’t.
Neither do super hero movies, science fiction movies, or cartoons.
Yet, if we could get a movie made, based off an anime, that makes it to the Best Picture category of the Oscars, then that would shift attention back towards the Source material, and hopefully drive it through at least one person’s head that animated is not necessarily the same thing as children’s. (and maybe even mean that we can get a decent voice dub on this side of the pond)
I see it every day with my wife. In fact, as I sat down to watch Noein last night, she asked me how could I watch it, implying that the show was less worthy than something like Law and Order, merely because it was animated. (Here’s to hoping that Kanon makes it to DVD on this side of the pond, so I can show her a good anime that she’d like)
But I agree that actors and effects get people into the seats at the theater. Yet there’s nothing saying that high profile actors/actresses couldn’t be associated with such projects. Frankly, I think Orlando Bloom would be good in the Yukito role from Air.
You guys might want to check out Kunoichi: Lady Ninja. It’s not an anime adaptation, but it’s got a bit of a ninja-scroll vibe. In fact, there are a lot fo supernatural ninja titles. See Shinobi, the live action version of Basilisk. Such an awesome film. There’s also a rather strange hong kong version of Wicked City, and a totally vapid US version of Fist of the North Star.
As for ones that aren’t live action already, I think it might be cool to see Goldenboy as a live action series, or Dagger of Kamui. Maybe Gantz, or Ergo Proxy? Those might be better left in their anime incarnations though.
U guys are forgetting Fullmetal Alchemist i mean come on it would be perfect (if it’s done
right) the series was popular in the US and the special effects that they could use to display
the alchemy would attract viewers and just transmitting a story like that to the big screen
would be great (and then i could shove it in the faces of all the harry potter fans that think
that harry potter is the most original greatest story ever told) MWHAHAHAHA