Anime that should become live-action series (and anime that shouldn’t)

My Hero Academia

Like Hunter x Hunter and Demon Slayer, My Hero Academia is a shōnen series that deserves all its hype. The 2016 anime is one of the few titles out there that have the potential to knock one of the Big Three from their perch.

This anime lets anyone watching know that they can become a hero so long as they have grit. The series is about the power of community and the strength of love, themes to move the soul of anime lovers. My Hero Academia is just about perfect, which is why it should never receive a live-action adaptations.

That said, if there was a live-action version, everyone would watch it, even those who weren’t particularly into anime. But much like Cowboy Bebop, My Hero Academia is a masterpiece that may not translate well. Fights that pop in animation may not provide the same level of spectacle in live-action, and our favorite U.A. heroes could be mishandled.

Nevertheless, a live-action version of the show is confirmed to be on the way. “This has to have the same production as the Marvel movies or this isn’t going to work.” a fan said after the announcement. “It’s not going to work in general,” another replied. “Anime adaptations never work.”

Only time will tell whether the producers made the right choice.

Fate

The Fate series is an astonishingly difficult anime to follow, second only to the Monogatari series. Some believe Fate/Zero is the best place to begin watching the series, while others think newcomers should start with Unlimited Blade Works, made nearly three years after Fate/Zero. Some don’t think either are good starting points.

The Fate series is a puzzle only a chosen few can decipher. Because of this, a live-action series would likely either get things wrong and anger the fandom or get it right and confuse novice watchers.

Of course, there is a possibility that a live-action adaptation would succeed in telling a clear, concise story acceptable to all. After all, at the heart of Fate are themes of good vs. evil, faith vs. doubt, and inner strength vs. outer strength, all of which people can relate to.

But even if the themes are approachable, the lore is not; it can be very convoluted and gate off newcomers. It would be best to leave it to the anime series to parse it out.

“Anime adaptions never work” is a sentiment that’s both true and false. There are some anime that would thrive in a live-action format, while others would fail terribly. Despite this, we’re sure anime fans will watch live-action adaptations no matter what, so producers might as well pick the right ones.

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