Anime has grown in popularity over the years, from the time of just having a niche audience to today, where we have big corporations getting involved in the creation and distribution of anime and Manga. With so many parties getting involved, it would also make sense that Hollywood would also become a piece of that puzzle. Per Anime News Network, many big-name directors and writers, like Zack Snyder, have expressed an interest in the world of anime and even have titles they have spoken highly about in the past.
Indeed, there is a lot of anime being made today, more so than ever before in history. Knowing this, there are a lot more options for anime in the West to be adapted to make really solid films that a mass audience could get some enjoyment from. This can already be seen in the James Cameron filmAlita: Battle Angel, which managed to make over $400 million worldwide and thus became a very successful live-action adaptation. With the amount of money that other Japanese anime films have brought in, it is easy to see why Hollywood has taken such a strong interest in anime. It is for this reason that it is important to figure out which anime would make the best live-action fare. Here’s our list of anime we think would make great live-action Hollywood films.
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8 Yasuke
Netflix
The story of Yasuke is made for a live-action adaptation as it tells the true story of a Black samurai from Africa. A man who started as a slave eventually became a well-regarded warrior under Nobunaga. This series, per HITC, was originally set to be a live-action film before it was turned into an anime for Netflix. The series was not highly well regarded by anime fans, however, with many fans criticizing the supernatural elements not being well intertwined with the story being told. With a series such as this not being as highly acclaimed, a live-action feature has the potential to strengthen the brand and go into new creative directions that could be more faithful to the essence of what Yasuke is meant to be.
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7 Vinland Saga
Witt Studio
Another anime based on a true story, Vinland Saga, tells the story of the Vikings in the 11th Century, with its main character being Thorfinn and Askelad. The series is loosely based on the true events of these characters, and a live-action movie could take the story in very new directions while remaining true to the characters that the anime managed to craft. Vinland Saga is also a grounded enough story that even adapting the anime faithfully wouldn’t be too complicated of a task. Considering Hollywood’s history of movies about Vikings, The Northman being its latest success, Vinland Saga would fit right in.
6 Black Lagoon
Madhouse
One of the strongest animes to ever be made is Black Lagoon. The series is a crime thriller filled with blood and action, and has always felt like it has had an American influence with how the characters all interacted with each other throughout the series. The series is very crass and loud, with lots of guns being used throughout the series. It is easy to see how this show can make for a great Hollywood blockbuster.
5 Berserk
Dark Horse Comics
Berserk is an iconic Manga series that has never had the best track record when it comes to great anime adaptations. The strongest adaptation is the 1997 Berserk series, which is well-loved for its beautiful but somber score that many people have gone back to over and over. Beyond this, however, no other Berserk anime adaptation has been able to live up to the legacy left behind by the Manga. This means that Berserk would be prime material for an epic fantasy story done in a live-action setting. The world of Berserk is so vast that an adaptation on the big screen would only get Berserk in the eyes of more viewers, while also giving fans of the franchise another chance of getting a perfect adaptation.
4 Trigun
Another series that has been well received by most anime fans is a sci-fi Western in the same vein as Cowboy Bebop: Trigun. This would be one of the series that probably would have been a shoo-in if Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop was better-received than it had been. Instead, that series was criticized for being overly campy and having an overly complicated plot that wasn’t accurate to the original anime. That being said, a live-action adaptation of Trigun could still work if given the right creators and a strong budget.
3 Speed Grapher
Gonzo
The story of Speed Grapher isn’t as well known and, as a result, would have a much easier time getting an adaptation that the majority of audiences could accept. Many anime series have a strong audience that will be very critical of any live-action adaptation. However, a series such as Speed Grapher doesn’t exactly have that same level of cache as most. Speed Grapher tells the story of a young photographer who, while investigating a death in a club, meets a girl who gives him a special superpower that allows him to kill anyone he takes a picture of. Speed Grapher is a dark, sophisticated world filled with depressing themes that could make for an interesting live-action film.
2 Stein’s Gate
White Fox
The strange time-traveling show Stein’s Gate would make for a really interesting Back-to-the-Future-esque film with its weird and strange concept around a microwave. This beloved anime series has a lot of potential to be a lot of fun if made into a live-action film. It is also a film that would be strange enough that it could get people who enjoy more independent fair into the story if given the right amount of time and would have a strong creative direction to go along with the story.
1 Gundam
Sunrise
After the success of Ready Player One, this became an immediate possibility. The Steven Spielberg film gave us the first glimpse of what a live-action Gundam had the potential to be. Gundam is an amazing franchise with multiple series under its belt, with different characters in each, meaning a live-action Gundam movie has the potential for plenty of sequels. With Spielberg proving that these giant mechs could be made into real, tangible machines, it just gives more proof to why Gundam would be a great source for an adaptation.
