Netflix is getting ready to release it’s much-anticipated live-action adaptation of One Piece. Based on one of the most popular manga and anime series of all-time, One Piece is an action-comedy about pirates on the hunt for a legendary treasure. It signals the latest step by American entertainment giants to pluck beloved IPs from Japanese pop culture in the hopes of gaining some of those devoted audiences.
There are certainly plenty of incredible anime series that would make for stunning live-action shows if done properly. So we've put together our list of 10 anime adaptations we would love to see brought to life on the small screen.
1. Wolf's Rain
Worked on by some of the same people who brought the world Cowboy Bebop, Wolf's Rain is a far darker and more melancholy offering. Blending dark fantasy with dystopian drama, the series follows a group of wolves looking for their promised Paradise at the end of the world.
The focus on non-human characters with a heavily philosophical bent and near-Shakespearean levels of tragedy could translate well to live-action, especially if they maintain the aching beauty of its aesthetics and score (the latter by the legendary Yoko Kanno.) Wolf's Rain was also infamously poorly paced, and left a lot of ideas behind that a new adaptation could explore.
2. Attack on Titan
It's somewhat surprising that we haven't seen someone try to make a lavish live-action series of Attack on Titan, one of the most popular anime of the past two decades. It would certainly be an ambitious undertaking, thanks to the grotesque titans who wreak havoc onto the dregs of mankind who are desperately trying to stave off extinction.
It director Andy Muschietti did sign on to direct a film of it in 2018, but Attack on Titan needs the space of TV to fully explore its sprawling narrative, dense mythos and deeply prickly political ideas.
3. Revolutionary Girl Utena
A cross between a baroque fairy-tale and feminist dissection of that very genre, Revolutionary Girl Utena has left behind an immense legacy for anime fans. Utena is a girl who dreams of being a gallant prince. She finds herself drawn into a world of sword dueling, all in the name of fighting for the hand of the mysterious Anthy, who is said to possess the "power to revolutionize the world."
The anime is stunning, heavy in ideas and endlessly romantic, but it's also a sharply subversive and queer take on well-worn territory. The fight scenes alone would be perfect for live-action.
4. Mob Psycho 100
Poor Mob is a mostly normal teenage boy who happens to possess intense psychic powers that explode out of his control when he loses his grip on his emotions. He'd rather lead a simple life but his scam boss Reigen wants to use him to make money and there are legions of powerful demons eager to get their hands on him. Mob Psycho 100 is crammed full of action but it's also laugh-out-loud hilarious, which we could always use more of in anime adaptations.
5. Baccano!
Imagine if Quentin Tarantino made a gangster movie with time jumps, alchemists and maniacal hitmen. You'd probably get Baccano! Set in a fictional America where magic is common, the series takes place over several decades and covers a sprawling cast of mafioso, thieves and magicians as they fight for dominance and the elusive elixir of immortality.
Baccano! has everything. It's so complex and detailed that you could mine it for several seasons' worth of stories. It's truly thrilling to watch a series go from funny to brutal to painful and back again with such ease.
6. Monster
Dr. Kenzo Tenma once saved a young boy who had been shot in the head, only for that boy to be the product of a Nazi experiment who has grown up with plans to destroy the world for his own amusement. Now, Tenma must kill that which he saved.
Monster is one of the most tense and ethically fascinating anime crime series ever, so eager to explore the duality of man that it goes to places many American shows refuse to. Guillermo del Toro was once attached to make it into series for HBO. Here's hoping someone else picks up the reins.
7. Steins;Gate
Starting as a visual novel, Steins;Gate evolved into one of the most popular sci-fi anime of the 2010s. A group of friends create a machine capable of sending messages across time, but the consequences are vast and cause ripples throughout the past, present and future, putting themselves and the entire world at stake.
With time jumps and a well-defined set of rules for how time travel works (a rarity in the genre), Steins;Gate could make for a striking series at a time when sci-fi adaptations are getting the budgets and creative attention they deserve.
8. Trigun
It's the 32nd century, in the middle of No Man’s Land, and Vash the Stampede is the most sought-after man on the planet, with a bounty on his head higher than any criminal alive or dead. But this so-called menace to society hates violence and has a dark past he's trying to uncover before it's too late.
There's a reason you often see Trigun listed as one of the greatest anime series of all-time: a Western sci-fi drama comedy with layered mortal depths and an endlessly compelling protagonist. What more could you possible want?
9. Samurai Champloo
Director Shinichirō Watanabe decided to follow up the massive success of Cowboy Bebop with a samurai tale that proudly spat in the face of historical accuracy. Blending hip-hop with Hollywood road movies and Edo period Japan, Samurai Champloo follows the exploits of tea waitress Fuu, vagrant outlaw Mugen and ronin Jin as they try to find a mysterious samurai who smells of sunflowers.
The blend of modern and ancient works surprisingly well, much like Cowboy Bebop's blend of jazz and sci-fi, and its themes of tolerance and the inevitability of death are always relevant.
10. Haikyu!!
Sports anime is popular for a reason and Haikyu!! is one of the best in the genre. Junior high school student Shoyo Hinata becomes obsessed with volleyball and decides to become the greatest athlete in the game, despite the fact he's below the height of the average player and nobody else in his school cares about the sport.
Even if you don't care about volleyball, the frenetic energy and pure heart of Haikyu!! will have you invested in no time. All of its most exciting qualities could easily make the translation to live-action.
Watch One Piece when it premieres on Netflix August 31. In the meantime, check out the best Netflix shows to watch right now.
