Anime, be it original or a manga adaptation, is a unique and thriving genre. Certain traits and styles are particular to the genre and are next to impossible to replicate in any other medium. However, many creators have taken up the uphill battle of adapting anime into live-action movies and series.
While some viewers applaud creators for attempting to adapt anime into live-action, most agree that they don't do a decent job. Fans have heavily criticized a majority of the live-action adaptations. From storytelling and character descriptions to special effects and music, some live-action adaptations enrage fans to no extent.
10 Lack Of Character Development (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Netflix produced a live-action movie adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist in 2017. While they tried to do justice to the series by including the first four volumes of the manga, they fell short of the spectacle the anime provides its viewers.
Trimmed for time, fans felt the movie's events were compressed a bit too much, leaving no room for the characters to explore and grow. This lack of character development pushed away anime fans who have already watched Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood in its entirety.
9 Cheap Production Values (Devilman)
The live-action film Devilman is an adaptation of Devilman Crybaby. Despite the bizarre source material, Netflix produced a perfect anime adaptation of the series. Unfortunately, however, the creators of this live-action piece of media did such a shoddy job of it that they ended up disappointing even non-anime film aficionados.
While cinema blockbusters were battling it out at the box office, displaying their CGI skills, the film in question offered terrible acting, horrible CGI, and an inconsistent plot. The cheap production values infuriated fans and critics to no end.
8 The Characters Run Out Of Time To Grow (Gantz)
Gantz is a grotesque anime with dark and twisted themes. It thrives on shady characters who grow on the viewers rather than make them fall for them instantly. Unfortunately, while the anime did an excellent job of portraying the many intricacies of the plot, the live-action two-part film couldn't do it justice.
Despite extending the movie, the creators could not allow the characters enough time to develop and grow on the audience. Along with this, plot inconsistencies and loose ends were the failing points of this two-part film.
7 The Creators Disregarded Goku's Mythology (Dragon Ball: Evolution)
Dragon Ball: Evolution is a 2009 live-action film based on the Dragon Ball franchise. Apart from the scriptwriter, Ben Ramsey, treating the film as a mere profit project, they cast a non-Asian actor, Justin Chatwin, as Goku. Dragon Ball: Evolution disregarded the world-building, and character development fans enjoyed in the manga and anime.
The creators cut out Goku's origins, and how he gained his abilities and became a Saiyan. In addition, the Dragon Ball franchise predates the Big Three, further increasing the backlash the film faced.
6 Attack Of The Green Screen (Attack On Titan)
A modern classic, Attack on Titan deals with complicated themes of war, politics, and morals. Doing justice to an anime with such broad ideas is a Herculean task. Casting Japanese actors for a movie about Germans was the least of the live-action film adaptation of Attack on Titan's problems.
This live-action film downplays the characters' complex natures, portraying them as shallow, self-centered teenagers. While the CGI was pretty decent, fans felt the film was a little too dependent on special effects, especially for the Titans, who didn't look half as terrifying as they were in the anime.
5 Same Name, Different Story (Black Butler)
The live-action adaptation of Black Butler is all over the place. Set in the 2000s instead of the 20th century, this film tweaked some major plot points and character descriptions. Ciel Phantomhive became Ciel Genpo, a young girl instead of a young boy. The charismatic demon Sebastian became a blithering idiot not worth his salt.
In this movie, Sebastian also disregards the Faustian deal Ciel made with him. Instead of devouring Ciel's soul, he falls in love with her. Regardless of how strongly one shipped Ciel and Sebastian in the anime, this turn of events in the live-action adaptation was unacceptable.
4 Terrible Action Sequences (Parasyte)
Parasyte is a body horror-thriller-sci-fi anime of great renown. Unfortunately, the live-action film has some of the worst CGI ever. Apart from questionable special effects, the film fails to capture the true essence of the series. The characters, in design and personality, differ substantially from the source material.
The battles between humans and aliens were underwhelming. The poorly choreographed action sequences and the muted responses of the parties engaged in battle immensely disappointed fans. While it may not be the worst of the worst, the live-action film is a flop.
3 A Choppy Plot Pressed For Time (Ouran High School Host Club)
Like most live-action adaptations of anime, the live-action film for Ouran High School Host Club was an unsatisfying flop. Some anime are better as animated series, and creators should, at all costs, avoid adapting them to a live-action film or series. Ouran High School Host Club is one of many such anime.
Over-the-top acting aside, the film tries to fit 20 episodes worth of content in a mere 105 minutes. This makes for rushed storytelling, underdeveloped and shallow characters, and overcompensation on the actors' part.
2 Changing Locations Destroyed The Story's Charm (Death Note)
Netflix's Death Note live-action film was a tremendous disappointment for fans globally. The only high point was casting Willem Dafoe as Ryuk. It was a flop. The creators changed the location from the Kanto region in Japan to Seattle, Washington.
Apart from this uncalled-for change in location, they changed the rules of the Death Note to solely further the plot. They also tweaked Light's personality, portraying him as an emotional teenager rather than a sociopath with a God complex. This 2017 film taught fans to lower their expectations regarding live-action adaptations of anime.
1 Fans Don't Talk About This Film's Existence (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
The 2010 Avatar: The Last Airbender live-action film was a grade-A disaster. A running joke in the fandom is that the movie doesn't exist. Fans blatantly deny the existence of this film since they consider it a dark spot on their beloved franchise.
From irregularities in casting to discrepancies in the overall plot of the series, this live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender enraged fans. The actors' performances fell short of fans' expectations, appearing dry and bland. Apart from being a disastrous adaptation, it is also terrible as a film.