Ask John: Are There Any Live Action Films About Anime?

Question:
Have there been any live-action films done about anime?

Answer:
With the way you’ve phrased your question, I’m not entirely sure if you’re asking about the existence of films adapted from anime, or films that deal with anime as their subject. So, in an attempt to be comprehensive, I’ll cover both possibilities.

There have been countless live action adaptations of anime and manga including, I’m certain, many that I’m not familiar with. Adaptations of manga and anime have come from within and outside of Japan, as well. Here are just a few examples.

Hong Kong has produced films including Wicked City, Dragonball: The Magic Begins, and Dragon From Russia all based on Japanese manga and anime.

Korea’s celebrated film Oldboy was an adaptation of a Japanese manga of the same name.

Taiwan’s smash hit television series Meteor Garden was based on Japanese manga series Hana Yori Dango.

The American Fist of the North Star and Guyver movies are based on anime and manga of the same names. French director Christopher Gans helmed an America/Canadian/Japanese co-produced adaptation of Crying Freeman.

Japan has an extremely long list of live action adaptations of manga and anime- from motion pictures like Ichi the Killer, Maison Ikkoku, Blue Spring, Touch, Nana, and Battlefield Baseball, to television series including GTO, You’re Under Arrest, Aim for the Ace, and Hana Yori Dango, to live action versions of pornographic anime including Monster Classroom, La Blue Girl, and Urotsukidoji.

When it comes to films with anime or manga as their subject, America is home to several amateur produced documentaries including Otaku Unite, Otakumentary, and No Need for Cosplay. Evangelion earned a passing reference in the 2002 film One Hour Photo, but I don’t know of any American films that specifically focus extensively on anime in the way American films like Comic Book Heroes focus on American comic book collecting culture. I don’t think there are very many Japanese films, either, that revolve around anime or manga culture. The one example I can think of is the 2005 Densha Otoko motion picture and television series that tell the story of an anime otaku who learns to outgrow his hobby in order to date a successful career woman. The humorous Japanese drama Blister (2000) is about Japanese otaku who collect primarily American action figure toys. But they also collect anime capsule toys; one of them is trying to become a professional anime character designer; and the film includes several animation sequences. I wouldn’t say that Blister exactly qualifies as a live action film about anime, but I do think it deserves mention for being similar. Likewise, the main character of Mamoru Oshii’s 1992 live action film Talking Head tells the story of an anime production studio whose staff mysteriously begin to vanish. Like Blister, Talking Head is a live action film with a tenuous use of anime as a subject.

If there are Japanese films specifically about anime or manga, I’m not familiar with them. I suspect that there may not be many Japanese live action films about anime or manga culture because Japan may respect manga and enjoy animation, these topics may also be considered too fringe or too immature to serve as subject matter for live action movies. Similar to the way Disney’s animated films are very successful and respected in America, but still considered children’s animation, mainstream Japanese society generally appreciates and enjoys anime, but still thinks of it as a bit childish or frivolous.

Article updated January 12, 2006. Thanks to David M. for pointing out “Talking Head.”

Addendum added January 13, 2006:
The 2004 movie “Koi no Mon (“Gate of Love”), based on Hanyunyuu’s original manga of the same name, is about two aspiring manga-ka, who are desperately stuggling to get their work published while they fall in love. While the male lead is a strange guy who creates “rock manga”, the female is a more typical otaku, with a penchant for cosplay and a closet full of dojin. While the movie has little to do with anime, it has a lot to with manga, with the characters even going to ComiFest (or something similar) to sell their manga. Personally, I think anyone would be interested in seeing this film. Not to mention Hideaki Anno and manga-ka wife Moyoco Anno make a cameo.

Thanks for Melanie for providing the preceeding information.