Ask John: Are There Live-Action Versions of Anime?

Question:
Over time I have seen many cartoons and games come to real life in movies with real actors, including X-men, Tomb Raider & Spider Man, but what about anime? Are there any anime movies like this coming out, or has there been any interest by producers to make any anime movies?

Answer:
While not excessively prolific, there are actually quite a significant number of live-action features based on anime and manga (Live-action films based on video games is an altogether different topic unto itself.) as well as a number of films in the works. Most of these films originate in either Japan or Hong Kong, but America has produced it’s share of live-action anime adaptations as well.

Japan seems to lead the pack with live-action adaptations of manga and anime titles including Golgo 13, 8th Man, Makai Tenshou, Video Girl Ai, Kekko Kamen, La Blue Girl, Yoju Kyoshitsu, Cat’s Eye, Tokimeki Memorial, Sanctuary, Otenki Oniisan, Lupin III, Teito Monogatari, Maison Ikkoku and Hana Yori Dango. The Kozure Okami (Lone Wolf & Cub) manga has been adapted into live action TV series and movies literally hundreds of times! In some cases, such as Boogiepop Phantom and Space Travelers, live action versions were created and released simultaneously with the anime versions. Japan has also co-produced foreign live-action adaptations including Jackie Chan’s City Hunter and the Sunrise commissioned, Canadian filmed live-action Gundam TV movie Gundam: G-Savior. Two common examples of “anime to live-action,” though, are actually not based on anime. The Iria: Zeiram the Animation OAV series and Gunhed manga were both created after their live-action features.

Hong Kong has produced a wide range of anime adaptations (beside obviously anime influenced films like the Chinese Ghost Story trilogy, Heroic Trio and Savior of the Soul) including the aforementioned City Hunter and its sequel, Madam City Hunter (which replaced Jackie Chan with Anthony Wong and made Cynthia Kahn star), the atrocious Dragon Pearl (AKA: Dragonball: The Magic Begins), Tsui Hark’s Wicked City, Dragon from Russia and Killer’s Romance- both adaptations of Crying Freeman, a little known adaptation of Hokuto no Ken, Story of Riki (based on the Riki-Oh manga and anime), and Wong Jing’s Future Cops, an unlicensed “Street Fighter” movie that featured a brief cameo by Dragonball Z’s Son Goku, complete with orange karate gi and pointy black hair.

America’s history of anime adaptations consists essentially of two Guyver movies and Fist of the North Star. Unfortunately, the best anime adaptation America has ever had a hand in, the spectacular American/Canadian/French/Japanese co-production Crying Freeman, has never been released in America, although it did receive theatrical distribution in Europe and Japan. But that’s not to say that there hasn’t been an interest in live-action anime in the past, and won’t be any live-action anime films in America in the future. Over the past several years there have been rumors of numerous American anime films including Gina Davis’ Sailormoon, Tim Burton’s Mai the Psychic Girl, Johnny Depp’s Speed Racer, Steven DeSouza’s adaptation of Akira, and live action/CG versions of Robotech, Gigantor and Starblazers. There are still rumors of a possible Gunnm movie in James Cameron’s future, the Astro Boy movie may still become a reality, and production seems to be moving ahead on a live-action & CG adaptation of the Kiseiju (AKA: Parasyte) manga from Jim Henson Productions.

There are probably further examples that I’ve forgotten, overlooked, or simply never heard of, so if you’d like to expand this list or inquire about any of the films listed here in more detail, visit the AnimeNation Forum.