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Live-action anime adaptations must stop

Live-action anime adaptations must stop

There are a variety of live-action remakes of various popular anime series. Death notice, One piece, Cowboy Bebopand many others have given audiences real insights into their favorite anime worlds. However, none of them seem to be able to live up to the hype surrounding the originals.




Live-action remakes add little to no value to the original film adaptations. They also reinforce the offensive theory that a story is only valid when it is adapted into live action. Some live-action adaptations are really good. But no matter how faithful they are to the story, they never surpass the originals in any meaningful way.

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What is the reason for live-action remakes?

The reasons for live-action remakes are money and “relevance”

John Cho as Spike Spiegel in Netflix's Cowboy Bebop.

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Live-action remakes have one goal: to make money. No matter what reason is given for a live-action remake, the bottom line is always to make a profit. Some claim the reason for live-action anime remakes is to make them more relevant to today’s audiences. However, the live-action remakes never seem to reach as many new viewers as one would like to believe and almost always disappoint fans of the original anime.


Furthermore, the idea of ​​making an anime more relevant through live-action is a slap in the face to all the animators, voice actors, and other creators who worked so hard to bring the show to life. Live-action remakes reinforce the false claim that a show is only valuable if it is based in reality. This mindset continues to undermine the anime industry (and the animation industry as a whole). Remakes are made under the guise of “upgrading” the show in order to gain acceptance among people who believe that animation is not a legitimate medium for creating deep, emotional stories.

Why should studios stop making live-action remakes?

Live-action remakes never do justice to the originals


title

IMDb

Rotten tomatoes

Metascore

Netflix Death notice

4.5/10

36%

43

Dragon Ball Evolution

2.5/10

14%

45

M. Night Shyamalan’s the Lord of the elements

4.0/10

5%

69

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Whenever a live-action show or movie comes out, there always seems to be something missing that stops them from surpassing their original shows. While some live-action remakes are really well done, the main reason they don’t surpass their predecessors is the effects. Whether computer-generated or practical, they have to adhere to real-world physics and the capabilities of computer simulations.


Anime and animation have no such limitations. Animators can create any kind of world or creature they dream up. Even anime hair defies all the laws of physics and hairspray. The only limitation is the skill of the creators. Live-action anime simply cannot match the magic and wonder that many of these creators have created. There is also a certain kind of whimsy in anime that cannot be replicated in a live-action setting.

Some examples are live-action remakes like Netflix Death notice, Dragon Ball Evolutionand M. Night Shyamalan’s the Lord of the elements. All three stories feature magic of some sort, but the magic in each live-action remake is completely flat. Some aspects of the magic systems are completely changed, destroying the fundamental cores of these iconic worlds. Shyamalan’s the Lord of the elements is particularly guilty here. The entire world of the story revolves around humans’ ability to control the elements, but Shyamalan’s adaptation makes everything seem completely lackluster and even changes the way firebending is supposed to work. User image also makes the serious mistake of changing the pronunciation of many names in the film, which angered many fans. In the meantime, Death notice and Dragonball Evolution have changed so many things that the properties are barely recognizable as remakes of the source material.


What makes remakes acceptable?

Good effects and faithful writing make live-action anime remakes passably good

  • Daniel Dae Kim plays characters in Avatar: The Last Airbender,The Legend of KorraAnd Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024)
  • Eiichiro Oda announced the cast of Netflix’ One piece custom shirts with their characters drawn on them.

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Still, live-action remakes do have some benefits. The most important of these is for the actors and creators who make them. When the people working on a remake truly love the source material, their performances and their work are that much more entertaining for audiences. Because viewers can trust that the creators know what they’re talking about. And the genuine joy on the faces of the actors and creators when they talk about being part of a work they love can put a smile on anyone’s face.

Live-action remakes can also have really good scripts. Examples like Netflix’s One piece And Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) prove that. Viewers can tell that the actors in both series are true fans of the original anime. It’s obvious that they know the main traits and motivations of their characters, but at the same time they put their own spin on their characters. Both series also stay as close to the source material as possible – at least where it matters.


One Piece from Netflix And Avatar: The Last Airbender (2024) also have mostly decent effects. They still don’t measure up to the original series where characters like Luffy and Aang can zip around the screen. However, the live-action effects are passable enough that the series can be enjoyed by fans of the original series. And finally, a good script can go a long way in making a live-action remake. There are moments when writers and directors decide to change parts of the story.

However, only when the story of a remake is written with a bona fide adaptation can the core points of the original story shine. There are some advantages to changing something when adapting a work – especially if there are outdated aspects. Therefore, it is incredibly important that the script is spectacular. This way, the writers can change the story elements they need while keeping the heart of the original intact. Only then can a live-action anime adaptation even compete with the original.


What should be done instead of live-action remakes?

Live-action remakes should be replaced by animated remakes

  • Fruit Basket (2019) has an audience rating of 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
  • Natsuki Takaya, the author of Fruit basketwas instrumental in the creation of the 2019 anime.

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One might wonder what companies and filmmakers are supposed to do with old works if live-action remakes are out of the question. The short answer is: nothing. Fans of almost any work will say that the original anime are fine as they are. There is no real reason to change them or adapt them into reality, as they should always exist within the magical boundaries of the anime genre. However, if there must be an answer to the desire to expand or reinterpret a show, there is only one solution.


Animated remakes should be the only acceptable medium for rebooting an anime. This allows creators to update a story with modern animation styles while also completing an anime or fixing problematic aspects of its story. A great example of this is the 2019 remake of Fruit basket. The original Fruit basket The anime was very popular with fans, but the story was never finished. It ended practically as quickly as it began, leaving much of Natsuki Takaya’s story in print. However, the 2019 remake not only updated the art style, but finally concluded the story.

Some fans may not have liked the artistic change, but there’s no denying that seeing the full story on screen was priceless. Plus, many of the same voice actors returned for this remake, which fans of the original series also enjoyed. The result was that a beloved work finally came to life in all its glory after so many years of waiting. There’s no real reason for a live-action remake. The originals are almost always better. Even the best remakes are outshone by the originals. Anime can create fantastical worlds full of magic and wonder. Live-action remakes just can’t match the splendor of an animated series.


If there are reasons for an anime remake, such as completing the story or changing problematic moments, the best course of action is an animated remake. This way, all the whimsy of the original can be preserved while still updating the show for a modern audience. The creators simply need to respect anime and animation as legitimate mediums for powerful storytelling and not diminish their contribution just because they aren’t filming the actors’ movements live in the studio.