比《龙珠：进化》强5部的真人漫改动画电影与剧集

Live-action adaptations of anime and manga have always been controversial, and there’s a major reason why. These adaptations, whether they’re fantasies or even slice-of-life about daily lives, tend to change everything from the original manga, which doesn’t sit well with many fans. There have been rarely any case throughout history in which a live-action has adapted a manga faithfully like anime series usually do. However, even in those cases, there are some that stand out above the rest. Despite featuring newer stories, these adaptations would offer exciting moments to fans while remaining true to the spirit of the story.

Not only that, but even among the most disappointing live-action shows and movies, Dragon Ball: Evolution stands out as the worst of all time. The movie completely abandoned the tone of the story while mischaracterizing the protagonist. It even followed a different setting and themes than Akira Toriyama intended. It also didn’t help that, due to a poor budget, the adaptation suffered from jarring visuals, cheap-looking sets, and countless other issues. Since this live-action has gone down in history due to the poor adaptation, the five mentioned below put it to shame. While none of the adaptations below follow the original story entirely, they do maintain the tone and setting as the creators intended.

5) Detective Pikachu

Although this isn’t an actual adaptation of the original anime, there’s no denying that Detective Pikachu had a major cultural impact on society. The Pokémon designs and concepts were adapted to perfection, which isn’t easy considering the visuals are deeply rooted in anime. Based on the Detective Pikachu video game franchise, the movie strikes a balance between a playful and inventive take on the Pokémon universe, while also capturing its charm and creativity. The movie’s strength lies in its comedy, adventure, and the layers of mystery. Each scene is carefully planned out with attention to background detail and world-building.

While a sequel was officially confirmed in 2023, years after a brief mention in the 2019 press conference, the movie’s fate remains unknown. Regardless, the first movie is more than exciting enough as it follows 21-year-old Tim Goodman, who travels to the home of his estranged father after hearing the news of his apparent death. However, he encounters a talking Pikachu, whose voice only he can hear, and learns that there’s more to his father’s disappearance than he thought. He embarks on a journey with Pikachu, who is his father’s partner, to find the answers to his questions.

4) Zom 100: Bucket List of the Undead

Unfortunately, the anime adaptation had several issues during its broadcast, even to the point of indefinitely delaying the final three episodes. While the anime released all episodes of the first season after its delay, there are still no updates on its return, even though it has a huge chunk left to adapt from the manga. Amid the disappointing updates, the live-action managed to impress many fans. The movie covers only the first couple of episodes of the anime, but it was more than exciting enough to leave fans wanting more. The juxtaposition between the intense zombie apocalypse and the carefree nature of the protagonist was adapted incredibly well, which is the reason many viewers were attracted to the franchise in the first place.

Not to mention that the soundtrack played a huge role in enhancing the impact of the scene as it perfectly matches the shift between the tense zombie mayhem and the serious moments of the characters. The movie’s visuals and the dynamic cinematography enhanced both the action and the humor of these scenes, while Eiji Asako’s performance as Akira only proved how talented an actor he truly is. He masterfully switches from an emotionally depressed salaryman to a carefree optimist in an instant. Compared to most live-action adaptations, the movie manages to stay true to the manga with occasional shifts from the story.

3) Oshi no Ko

Oshi No Ko is just as popular as it is controversial due to the many themes in the narrative. Not to mention that the ending is controversial to this day, but that hasn’t diminished the series’ popularity even now. The anime will be adapting the entire manga, but while fans waited for the series’ continuation, an 8-episode web drama series on Amazon Prime Video was released in 2024. The live-action captures most of the immense drama and intrigue of the source material with a greater focus on its emotional core. The cast delivers incredible performances that bring the highs and lows of the Japanese entertainment industry.

What truly made the adaptation stand out from the rest is the strong direction and gorgeous visuals that enhance the emotional storytelling, making it both authentic and captivating. For the most part, it is a faithful yet cinematic adaptation of the original story and respects the source material. Despite all that, the adaptation skips through the earlier parts of the twins’ lives in favor of getting further into the series, failing to leave us with the same impact as the source material. Even so, it stays true to the spirit of the story, earning its place among the best live-action anime adaptations in recent years.

2) Ruroni Kenshin

Despite the creator’s controversies regarding his arrest in 2017 due to child pornography, the franchise is still continuing with many adaptations, including a reboot and live-action movies. The first live-action movie was released in 2012, leading to several sequels for over a decade. Considering how rare it is for anime live-action to get sequels, the fact that Ruroni Kenshin releases five movies is a testament to the cast’s abilities. While the manga’s popularity plays a huge role in this, there’s no denying that fans were only invested in the story’s continuation thanks to the breathtaking sword fights, authentic period settings, and strong performances make it a massive achievement in live-action storytelling.

The pacing of this adaptation allows for both intense action and quiet, personal character moments that honor the spirit of the original story. Not to mention that the choreography is without a doubt a highlight of this film, and that’s all in part due to the director, Keishi Otomo’s previous work on historical dramas. Every action scene is fluid and makes sure to leave an impact with each frame. The costume and set design were carefully planned in accordance with the historical era, making the viewer feel immersed in the world. Each movie installment feels consistent in tone and quality, making the series a must-watch viewing experience.

1) One Piece

There’s no doubt that when it comes to live-action adaptations, One Piece is by far the most popular one in history. The series not only introduced many global viewers to the vast world created by Eiichiro Oda, but it also changed many anime fans’ perception of live-action anime. The live-action managed to reach over 37.8 million viewers in its first two weeks on Netflix, and ranked number one in 46 countries; it then managed to triple that in the coming months. Breaking such a record for any live-action series in the coming years might be next to impossible. There’s no denying that the hand-picked cast by Oda plays a huge role in the success of the series. Oda has been involved with the live-action production since the beginning as the Executive Director.

In fact, it was one of his conditions to be involved with the series and ensure that fans won’t be disappointed with the first live-action. Before 2023, for more than 25 years, One Piece didn’t get a live-action despite its popularity since Oda knew that the offers he was getting wouldn’t do justice to his story. However, this all changed when he was approached by Tomorrow Studios and Netflix. While the adaptation remains faithful to the spirit of the story, it makes significant changes from the manga, including the plot lines. Not only that, but the tone of the story is much darker, even though it manages to balance humor and action thanks to the excellent cast. However, all the changes are deliberate, as it attracts new viewers to the franchise. The series is all set to return with Season 3 next year to adapt the fan-favorite Alabasta Arc.

Do you agree with our picks – or have another live-action adaptation in mind you’d like to recommend? Let us know in the comments below.