Live-action anime adaptations are becoming a hot ticket item for the entertainment world, with both Japan and North America routinely transforming anime franchises into “real-world” projects. Outside of movies and television, Japan has even created live-action stage plays to bring some of the biggest stories from the anime medium to life. While some anime franchises like My Hero Academia, Naruto, and One-Punch Man have live-action movies and television shows in the works, there are some stories that might never be brought into this form of storytelling. Luckily, we have seven entries in mind for this list, as there are some anime that might be impossible to adapt to live-action.
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7.) Berserk
Despite having a decades-long history thanks to both its manga and anime adaptations, no studio or production house has attempted to create a live-action take on Berserk. This might come as a surprise considering the story is close to that of Game of Thrones, HBO’s killer franchise that continues to make waves for the streaming service. On top of the blood and guts that permeate the story of the Black Swordsman, the demons that routinely attempt to take Guts’ life would be a difficult ask for any live-action adaptation to properly portray. As of the writing of this article, Berserk hasn’t confirmed that a new anime series is in the works, so expecting a live-action adaptation is that much less likely in the near future.
6.) Dandadan
Dandadan has become a heavy hitter in the anime world since its first two seasons introduced us to the supernatural stories of Okarun and Momo. The twisted love story isn’t just fit to bursting with supernatural and extraterrestrial entities; it sees both of its protagonists demonstrating wild abilities to stay alive in their no-longer mundane lives. While Chainsaw Man, a shonen series similar to Dandadan, did receive a live-action stage play, the work of Yukinobu Tatsu might have a trickier time doing the same. The supernatural shonen series might only be properly portrayed in both manga and anime when all is said and done.
5.) Kill la Kill
Ryuko Matoi doesn’t fight ghosts or demons during her misadventures in Kill la Kill, but the reason why this probably won’t get a live-action adaptation isn’t related to production. Quite a few characters in the Studio TRIGGER production are scantily clad, and bringing this to a television series and/or movie might be tough for audiences to swallow. TRIGGER’s animation is also so electric and fast-paced that it might prove totally impossible to imagine this world translated to our world. Ironically enough, Kill la Kill isn’t the only entry on this list from the prolific anime studio.
4.) Akira
Of the many entries on this list, Akira is the anime franchise that had the most brushes with live-action. Various attempts at bringing this sci-fi dystopian future to the “real world” failed to land, with the most recent even seeing director Taika Waititi taking the helm. While Kodansha announced last year that it is working to bring anime properties like Akira back to the silver screen, the property simply seems beyond cursed when it comes to creating a real live-action adaptation of its story. At this point, anime fans have soured so much on the idea of live-action Akira that it might always remain out of reach.
3.) Neon Genesis Evangelion
Much like Akira, there was a planned Neon Genesis Evangelion live-action film that had been discussed and nearly came to fruition. In the mid-2000s, Hollywood tried to make a movie that would give a Western take on Hideaki Anno’s beloved franchise. The project even went so far as to have the special effects artists at WETA Workshop create art for the live-action adaptation. While this year will see the release of a stage play in a kabuki format for the story of NERV, we don’t think that we’ll be seeing Shinji Ikari’s life brought to our world any time soon, if ever.
2.) Made in Abyss
To start, there isn’t a human being alive that could portray the tiny stars of Made in Abyss, to say nothing of the difficulty of any production house attempting to properly portray the terrifying creatures from this anime world. Aside from the dark subject matter that is featured in the popular anime series, the lush, eye-popping environments would be tricky for any live-action production to replicate. Made in Abyss might potentially one day receive a live-action adaptation of some sort, but it would have to change quite drastically from its source material.
1.) Gurren Lagann
Much like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Kill la Kill, it’s almost impossible to wrap one’s mind around what a Gurren Lagann live-action adaptation would look like. With the mech-based series traversing the stars and seeing some of anime’s biggest battles, bringing the high-flying story to the “real world” seems like an impossible task. Simon and Kamina’s story is one of those anime series that is perfect for the medium, though it’s a story that we believe simply can’t even be adapted properly, despite the success of live-action adaptations like One Piece.
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