One Piece fans are certainly looking forward to the release of the live-action series of Eiichiro Oda's work , announced last year by Netflix , but with no confirmed release date (although production is in full swing).
Adapting manga and anime with live-action characters isn't new, however. Below, we've compiled seven examples of works that have also been adapted into live-action films, both for film and television—some highly praised, others less so.
Death Note
Death Note was a beloved anime and manga, after all, it had a very short run. However, there have been a number of live-action film adaptations. The first of these was released in 2006 and titled "Death Note," starring Tatsuya Fujiwara as Light Yagami and Kenichi Matsuyama as Detective L. The film spawned a sequel that same year, "Death Note 2: The Last Name," as well as other spin-offs and a series.
Recently, in 2017, Netflix also produced a live-action Western adaptation of the work, with Willem Dafoe, Lakeith Stanfield, Nat Wolff and Shea Whigham in the cast – but the public reception was not the best.
Dragon Ball
One of the most popular animes in Brazil of all time, Dragon Ball also had its Hollywood adaptation in 2009, by Fox. Directed by James Wong, "Dragon Ball Evolution" starred Justin Chatwin as Goku, set against the backdrop of Piccolo's saga. Despite huge expectations, the film was not well received by fans or critics and ultimately never received a sequel.
What many don't know, however, is that this wasn't the only adaptation of Akira Toriyama's work. Two other live-actions have already been released, one of Taiwanese origin – Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins (1991) – and another South Korean – Dragon Ball: Fight, Son Goku! Win, Son Goku (1990). If you're curious, both are available in full on YouTube.
Bleach
A live-action film that is considered a success is Bleach: The Soul Reaper Agent Arc. Released in 2018, a few years after the end of Tite Kubo's manga series , the film was produced by Warner Bros. and directed by Shinsuke Sato. The actor chosen was Sota Fukushi, who played the protagonist Ichigo Kurosaki in his saga against reapers and hollows.
The film was very well received by fans and did well at the box office in Japan. Netflix has acquired the rights to release the live-action version of the film on its platform in the future. A sequel is not ruled out.
Rurouni Kenshin
Another successful adaptation in the live-action universe was Rurouni Kenshin – or Samurai X, as Nobuhiro Watsuki's work, published in the 90s, became known in Brazil. It's no surprise that there were not just one, but five live-action films based on the series – all produced by Warner.
The first was 2012's "Rurouni Kenshin," starring Takeru Satoh as the protagonist Himura Kenshin. The most recent film, "Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning," was released a few months ago, and is a prequel to the original story. All films were directed by Keishi Ōtomo.
Kakegurui
Kakegurui is an anime about a school where students are evaluated on their gaming skills, with numerous references to card games like Texas Hold'em poker , which is popular in Japan. The first live-action film in the franchise was released in 2017, and a sequel is planned. There's also a Netflix series with two seasons.
The main character is Yumeko Jabami, a compulsive card player at Hyakkaou Private Academy, played by Minami Hamabe. She hones her skills through poker games like Indian Poker and Choice Poker.
Pokémon
One of the most recent adaptations on the list is "Pokémon: Detective Pikachu," which brought the pocket monster universe to the big screen in a comedic yet entertaining way. Released in 2019, the film was directed by Rob Letterman and featured Ryan Reynolds voicing Ash Ketchum's faithful companion—although the "trainer" in the film is another, Tim Goodman (played by Justice Smith).
Besides Pikachu, the film features other live-action Pokémon, such as Jigglypuff, Mewtwo, Ditto, and Charizard. The film grossed over $470 million at the box office worldwide, although it's divisive among fans of the series.
Alita
Rounding out the list is another recent film adaptation. " Alita: Battle Angel ," released in 2019 by Fox and produced by none other than James Cameron, is an adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's manga, published between 1990 and 1995 in Japan.
The film, set in a post-apocalyptic future, tells the story of Alita, a humanoid cyborg played by Rosa Salazar who becomes a powerful bounty hunter. The cast also includes prominent names such as Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Michelle Rodriguez, and Mahershala Ali.
Finally, this is our list of 7 anime that got live-action .
