5 anime adaptations to celebrate the release of ‘Knights of the Zodiac – New England Center for Investigative Reporting

The Knights of the Zodiac, by Tomasz Bagisk, is the most recent classic anime adaptation in. live action. The film summarizes the popular television series of the 1980s and falls into a common plot error. That of simplifying a complex story that stretches across dimensions, experiences and dozens of different characters.. The result is a feature film halfway between an epic adventure with adolescent overtones and a nonsensical drama.

Of course, this is not the first time that Japanese animations have proved attractive to Hollywood. Over the past two decades, several of the genres most famous stories made it to the silver screen with mixed results.

In some cases, as a sweetened and superficial version of deeper plots. In many others, without the characteristic elements of Japanese series and films. Whether due to the change of scenery, context or language, the result is so little like the original that it is disappointing.. Thus, more often than not, adaptations of classic anime are either failed experiments or simply polemical homages to a larger work.

All in all, we leave you with five classic anime adaptations that generated great curiosity at the time of their release. A few failed to emulate the narrative strength of the original, others achieved interesting results, but without transcendence. In the end, each is an example that Hollywood does not always have the ideal formula for storytelling on the big screen.

In 2017, Netflix sought to explore the complicated universe of anime Death Noteby Tsugumi ba, adapted by Tetsur Araki. The plot tells the story of Lighta teenager of privileged intelligence and psychopathic tendencies who gains access to the curious power of killing at will. By chance, the character obtains a notebook that causes the death of anyone whose name is written on its pages.

In the mythology of the story, the so-called Death Note belong to the shinigamiJapanese spirits of death. Therefore Lightnot only comes into possession of a fearsome magical artifact. At the same time, he enters into a tense relationship with a mysterious entity that has no choice but to obey him as long as he is the owner of the enigmatic object.

The plot of this classic anime seemed ideal for adaptation as a psychological thriller with supernatural overtones. Netflix promised to do it faithfully and bring to the platforms catalog the best-known arc of the extensive narrative. As director, the renowned Adam Wingard was chosen. A team of screenwriters, headed by Vlas and Charley Parlapanides, would be in charge of reinventing the story. The intention was to develop a production that could engage both fans and audiences unfamiliar with the story.

But the result was an almost ludicrous combination of black comedy and fantasy adventure. In its attempt to make the original manga and anime more commercial, the script evaded its moral debates and the cold personality of its protagonist. Nat Wolffs performance as Light seemed even parodic. Willem Dafoe himself, who played the shinigami Ryukleft aside his intense performances for a superficial image of a fearsome creature. The adaptation ended up being a failure both critically and among fans of the classic anime from which it came.

Mamoru Oshiis animated film is a foundational classic of contemporary science fiction. A great work known for its brilliant blend of existentialism, philosophy and debates about the human mind in a dystopian setting. So the possibility of an adaptation in live action worried genre and history buffs.

The project, moreover, was controversial even before it was shot. The decision to have the iconic Cyborg Motoko Kusanagi was played by Scarlett Johansson was surprising. Also that the context of particular relevance to the story was moved to a neutral future, set in a lackluster version of Japan. But the real problem came when screenwriter William Wheeler explained that the story would be abridged. Which made it clear that, in all likelihood, the adaptation of the classic anime would ignore the deeper, harsher ingredients of the narrative. From the concept of posthumanism, to collective dehumanization through technology.

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That was precisely what happened. The feature film, directed by Rupert Sanders, avoided the geopolitical context of the anime and replaced it with a futuristic aesthetic without depth. It also avoided touching on any of the harsh topics about segregation, rootlessness and modern loneliness. Instead, the adaptation of the classic anime became a sophisticated production with great digital effects devoid of meaning. A disappointment for fans of the original story and science fiction in general.

Yukito Kishiros cyberpunk manga has the honor of being one of the few works in the genre to achieve a classic manga adaptation up to expectations. It is a good example of how to transfer a complex story from one medium to another and carefully narrate the emotional and intellectual growth of its character.

Director Robert Rodriguez and screenwriter Bill Pope spent time and effort delving deep into the original work. They also found the right balance between digital and practical effects to achieve the look and feel of the film. astonishingly realistic appearance of its protagonist. But the adaptation is more than an homage, it is an intelligent and accomplished revision of the original manga classic, which ties in a transcendental idea of hope, life and the desire to strive for good.

The Cyborg Alita (Rosa Salazar) wakes up on the medical table of Ido (Christoph Waltz) with no memory of his past. He is not even aware of his mechanical nature. Gradually, however, he will begin to remember, until he discovers that his origin is far more mysterious and frightening than it seemed. The film adaptation celebrates the best of the classic manga and adds considerable personality to it. One of the strongest points of this live action of high quality. You can watch it on Disney+:

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Nobuhiro Watsukis manga, adapted to anime by Kazuhiro Furuhashi, is one of the classics of the genre. It is also one of those that has received the best treatment on the big screen. The plot, which follows the life of renegade samurai Himura Kenshinis a combination of epic and drama. Based on the figure of Kawakami Gensai, it is an exploration into the culture of Japanese warriors from a sensitive point of view and a journey of redemption that reaches its best moments. by delving into the enigmatic personality of its protagonist.

The plot was adapted to the live action for the first time in 2010. The film, titled Samurai X and directed by Keishi Ohtomo, was praised for its attachment to the work from which it comes. It is an adaptation of the classic manga into anime, of the main arc of the character and his spiritual and moral evolution. In the same way as the story from which it comes, it analyzes how its enigmatic protagonist evolves from a ruthless killer to a redeemed man.

In 2014, its sequel was released. Samurai X 2: Kyoto in Flames. and also the closing of the trilogy, Samurai X 3: The Legend. The films narrate the long arc of Kenshins redemption and his turbulent past. Later, two complementary adaptations to the already classic anime would follow. Samurai X: The End debuted in 2021, along with Samurai X: The Origin. Both add data to the central story and expand the manga universe. Each of the feature films is considered a stand-alone storyline that does not imitate the original, but explores its most emblematic elements.

Akira Toriyamas story of battles and fights is one of the most popular and beloved the world of classic anime. And it has an extensive mythology that extends through multiple characters and scenarios, all of them interesting. So it is inexplicable that its 2009 adaptation, directed by James Wong, is unanimously regarded as one of the worst live action in the history of cinema.

Not only does it detract from the central plot of the anime from which it comes, but it also turns it into. an almost parodic version of an ingenious and well-constructed universe.. And if that were not enough, the plot has none of the elements that identify it in animation. The sum of such errors created an enormous nonsense, in which no aspect is salvageable.

A cheap and lousy mise-en-scene, a flat direction and characters played without much depth. This adaptation of the classic anime is an example of all the mistakes that can turn a production of this nature into a failure. As, in fact, the forgettable and controversial film is reminiscent of.

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5 anime adaptations to celebrate the release of 'Knights of the Zodiac - New England Center for Investigative Reporting