Animators have infinitely more freedom than live-action directors when it comes to fantastical storytelling, which isn't to say that animation is easy. But intergalactic settings, horrific monsters, gravity-defying costumery, magic... anything is possible in the hands of skilled artists.
Live-action adaptations are limited not just by the capabilities of their actors and directors, but also by the exorbitant budget special effects demand. There are beautiful live-action fantasy and science fiction stories, but they come at a high price, and otaku have suffered through countless subpar live-action adaptations. Still, every so often, audiences can't help but wonder whether an anime might not only survive the live-action adaptation treatment but actually benefit from it.
10 Showa Rakugo Is a Period-Piece To Die For
In general, historical fiction hasn't been an anime go-to, but period pieces are among the best live-action has to offer. Audiences are enamored by the costumes, the convincing recreation of a world lost to them, and the deep connection felt with times past.
No anime in recent memory is as firmly grounded in the past as Showa Rakugo. The series about an older rakugo master reminiscing on his life already feels like a biopic, and revelations take place in multiple time periods over the course of the series. At times, the protagonist, Yakumo, is visibly haunted by the ghosts of his past, which gives the series a Dickensian cinematic vibe. With the right actors, preferably real rakugo performers, a live-action Showa Rakugo might accomplish even more than the anime does.
9 Violet Evergarden Is Already Cinematic
Just because a series has speculative elements doesn't mean it wouldn't make for a great movie. Violet Evergarden is a fantasy, but it's also incredibly reserved at times and fits best into the magical realism genre.
For the most part, Violet Evergarden is about a traumatized soldier learning to be human again. The magical elements of the story are all in the world-building and in the culture itself. Violet works as an auto memory doll, writing letters for those who cannot convey the messages they long to. In recent decades, magical realism has found a niche in cinema. Films like Pan's Labyrinth and Amelie prove that sometimes, a little magic goes a long way toward making a story unforgettable.
8 Yuri!!! On Ice Could Feature Real Skaters
Yuri!!! On Ice received almost universal critical acclaim and the support of the international figure skating community. It's rare to see the sport so faithfully depicted in the medium of animation. The show boasted a fantastic female director, a wonderful score, and LGBTQ themes rarely explored in anime. Given all of this, it's hard to believe a live-action film doesn't already exist.
While MAPPA did an excellent job on the series, the tight scheduling and ambitious storytelling meant that some of the skating sequences felt sloppy. If real skaters could be cast in these roles, suddenly the limitations of animating nuanced movement vanish. The skill this sport demands would be on full display, and this story will a second life.
7 Baccano! Is Already A Homage To Mob Movies
Baccano! wouldn't exist were it not for gangster films. Writer Ryohgo Narita was inspired to write about the Prohibition after watching The Untouchables, though he infused his light novels with fantasy elements to give them a unique flair. The result is a truly memorable series that Takahiro Omori later adapted into a one-of-a-kind action fantasy anime.
Mobster movies have a huge cinematic legacy backing them. Baccano!, a series so grounded in an era, could benefit from a sense of real grit, faithful costumes, practical effects, and genuine gunsmoke. This is one specific brand of magic that Hollywood knows best.
6 Magus' Bride Is A Series Del Toro Could Do Justice To
Guillermo Del Toro is a master of blending genres, limited only by his own imagination. He is known for writing monstrous characters that are simultaneously scary and sympathetic and is often considered a master of modern fairy tales. On the other side of the planet, perhaps the most celebrated fairy tale in recent years is The Ancient Magus' Bride, which has given Beauty and the Beast a timely if flawed reimagining. Given Del Toro's track record and deep love for anime, it's not hard to imagine what he could do with a story like this.
5 Megalo Box Gives Rocky The Sci-Fi Treatment
Few films were as influential as Rocky, and even decades later, sequels still earn accolades. In Japan, sports manga and anime have been equally influential over the years.
When MAPPA reimagined Ashita No Joe as Megalobox in 2018, they revived a genre that had been waning in recent years. They also brought boxing into a futuristic setting. In Megalobox, boxers are equipped with metal frames that make the sport more violent and, frankly, more entertaining. This combination of science-fiction and sports is gold-standard entertainment and would certainly be just as exciting in a live-action context.
4 Black Lagoon Is An Action-Film Opus
Mangaka Rei Hiroe wrote Black Lagoon after taking inspiration from Tarantino, John Woo, and even Stephen King. Given this, it's no wonder Black Lagoon's anime adaptation remains one of the best action anime of all time.
Featuring an international cast of lovable rogues, there are few episodes that don't end in a gunfight or a death-defying battle on the open seas. Submarines, mafiosos, child soldiers: all of these feature throughout the story and there's rarely a dull moment. In recent years, action films have felt stagnant. Black Lagoon could be a real reminder of what the genre can and should do.
3 Cowboy Bebop's Adaptation is One That Fans Have High Hopes For
Cowboy Bebop always receives a rabid outcry of support whenever a live-action series is suggested. At last, Netflix is making fans' dreams come true. But why is it that otaku, who usually disdain the notion of live-action adaptations, are so jazzed about Bebop? Shinichiro Watanabe wanted to create a "cool" cast of characters and build a story around them, and the cool factor is hard to deny. Given the success of ensemble casts in science-fiction films like Guardians of the Galaxy and even Star Wars, perhaps the model seems achievable for Hollywood.
2 Given Will Make Simon Spier Eat His Heart Out
Within the past decade, the world has seen a problematic resurgence of dying teens in young adult series. Too often, female characters die in order to propel the narratives of male characters, and even great anime like Your Lie In April are guilty of this trope. This is often the fate of queer characters, too, who frequently die for the sake of the story and are rarely depicted living happy lives.
Given abandons this damaging trope in the best way. While there is trauma in this story, its queer characters are fully realized and the central story is straightforward and evocative. These characters find each other and find solace through music. Music and film have always been a beautiful match when done right. In recent years, movies like Sing Street and A Star Is Born have proven that modern musicals can have their own identities. Given has already given the world a great queer romance story, but the world could always use more.
1 Rainbow Deserves To Be Japan's Shawshank Redemption
It's hard to overstate the impact The Shawshank Redemption has had on generations of viewers in America. On IMDB, Shawshank remains the highest-rated movie of all time. There are few settings as humanizing as a prison, and the exploration of characters in confinement has proven timeless.
Set in 1950s Japan in a juvenile detention center, Rainbow focuses on the lives of six young inmates. Unfailingly dark but ultimately hopeful, Rainbow does for teens what Shawshank did for adult characters. It deserves as wide an audience as possible.