When it comes to live-action anime movies, the results are often less than stellar, bordering on atrocious. Most of the time it's that directors and producers fail to understand the true message being conveyed through the anime. Even those that try to remain faithful run into the issue of trying to cram 15-20 hours of content into two hours. It's a reason why most manga shouldn't be converted into a movie in the first place.
That said, there are some that end up holding their own and a rare few that even exceed the anime they are based upon. There are also plenty that are so atrocious that we don't even know how they got greenlit in the first place, to of which every anime fan looks down upon with disgust.
10 Better: Alita
This is truly the new gold standard when it comes to adaptations and one no one was clamoring for. Most didn't even know it was based on a manga until after the fact. It's proof that it's better to adapt lesser-known properties because you are never going to appease the fans of greater ones.
As for the movie itself, Alita is one of the more visually stunning films of the past few years, one anchored by the great performance of Rosa Salazar. Given that the film only broke even in terms of cost and the ongoing Corona outbreak, there's no telling when a sequel may reach us.
9 Worse: Death Note (2017)
This was an instant laughing stock in both the anime community and with general film watchers. There's so much wrong with this film that we don't even know where to start. First, they somehow managed to make Light, the psychopath who oozed charisma and likability in the series, into a whiny teenager. A big part of the reason Death Note worked was that you could see Light's point of view and it made the ensuing cat and mouse with L that much better.
This movie had none of that and even replaced Misa with a girl named Mia, who seemed to have no motivation in helping him whatsoever. It's a true shame since Willem Dafoe was the perfect casting for Ryuk and the sole positive of the film.
8 Better: Bunny Drop
Bunny Drop is a heartwarming anime (for most of it) about a 30-year-old single playboy who takes in his grandfather's illegitimate six-year-old daughter. It's very much a coming of age tale for both, as Rin grows up and Daikichi begins acting like an adult, cutting out many of his bad habits from his life.
The film follows all of this and even remedies the one large mistake the anime made in having Rin fall in love and eventually marry Daikichi. Mana Ashida is also incredible as Rin, a rare great performance by a child actress.
7 Worse: Kite
Kite is a cult classic for many, serving as inspiration for more films than people realize, chief among them being Kill Bill. Quentin Tarintino even had the actress who played Gogo watch the series to better understand her role. It's strange then that the film could completely butcher the series.
Kite is about an orphaned girl (Sawa) who is forced into being a child assassin by her caregivers, as well as used for sexual favors by one of the said caregivers. The movie washes that all away, giving us a very dull and generic revenge film instead. The source material is very controversial and, as such, shouldn't ever be adapted. This film is a reason why.
6 Better: Orange
If there's one type of anime that can actually excel in the live-action format, it's Slice of Life or High School anime. The shorter run time allows them to cut out a lot of the fluff that a series can add, focusing solely on the type of story they are trying to tell.
Orange is a perfect poster child for this. This is one of the few that came out before the anime did, by a year. It tells about a girl receiving letters from herself, 10 years into the future, urging her to change her biggest regrets. It's a great tale of friendship and the depths of depression. If you've never seen it, we certainly recommend both.
5 Worse: Fist Of The North Star
Hoo boy, this film was an utter mess, made even worse by the fact that Fist of the North Star is up there with Dragon Ball in terms of influential anime. This film is the equivalent of what Super Mario Brothers is to video game fans, a film so utterly awful that it can be enjoyed, due to its cheesiness.
That doesn't make it good by any means, however, as the movie changes numerous things from the anime. Some of them are small, like more modernized names, and others are big, like the blatant omission of other characters. The biggest strike is just how cheap it looks and feels, with many of the main cast having zero acting ability.
4 Better: Your Lie In April
Your Lie In April is one of the best anime many may not have heard of, not to mention one of the saddest endings in anime history. The story is about former piano prodigy, Kosei Arima, rediscovering his love for music thanks to the help of Kaori Miyazono. It's a great tale of rediscovery and what an impact others can have on your life. More than just that, the musical numbers in both the show and movie are top-notch.
As with the Orange, the movie lets them focus more on the main storyline with a little less fluff. While the anime is amazing, they do linger on concerts for four-plus episodes.
3 Worse: G-Saviour
It isn't just America that can make awful adaptations, Canada is more than up to the task as well. G-Saviour is a live-action Gundam movie made in 2000, yet it looks like it was made in the 80s. It feels like a Toho Godzilla film without any of the charm attached to it.
They make poor attempts at CGI that make the Phantom Menace look like a cinematic masterpiece. The acting is equally as poor and none of the actors have any grasp on how to convey emotions. All around, it's an atrocious film and one that's too awful to even enjoy in its cheesiness.
2 Better: Rurouni Kenshin
Rurouni Kenshin is a unique shounen series, much in the vein of Trigun, where the main character refuses to take another life. The entire series has plenty of great action to it, but at its core, it's about atonement and becoming at peace with yourself.
This is a theme the movie respects, while also infusing it with greater intensity, pushing away some of the more goofy portions of the anime and manga. The fight scenes in the films are incredible, as well. There's a reason why it's often regarded as the best anime adaptation ever released.
1 Worse: Dragonball Evolution
You knew it was coming, no list about live-action can ever be complete without this royal turd of a movie worming its way into view. Anyone who likes Dragon Ball in any sort of way has pure vitriol for this film and for good reason. Nothing is redeeming about this film, though we do respect Chow Yun Fat for actually giving it the old college try. None of the characters look anything like they do in series, besides Mai, who isn't anything like her anime counterpart.
They even changed the story completely, only staying true to the names and the fact the Dragon Balls were in it. What's worse is they easily could have just created a modern take on the Red Ribbon army or a goofy adventure, like the original arc in the series. Instead, we got this garbage.