Live-action adaptations of anime have always had a shaky reputation from fans and critics. Anime’s over-the-top story beats and costume designs have always made transitions from the medium into live-action difficult. How can anyone adapt something like Fullmetal Alchemist and deliver the same pathos that animation or a drawing can convey? On that note, Netflix has fared better with its catalog of live-action anime, providing fans with a solid live-action version of One Piece. The streaming program has now collected another live-action adaptation for its service, announcing the live-action series based on Golden Kamuy will make its way onto Netflix on February 6.
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Anime News Network confirms the Golden Kamuy -The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido series will be streaming on Netflix. The show is based on the Golden Kamuy manga and is a direct follow-up to the Golden Kamuy live-action film from 2024. The film sold 356,000 tickets in its opening weekend in Japan, accumulating the equivalent of $3.69 million. Netflix released the Golden Kamuy film on its streaming service on May 19th, 2024. The Golden Kamuy film has been one of the more popular live-action adaptations, with fans appreciating the authenticity of the costumes and several key performances. The Hunt of the Prisoners in Hokkaido TV series retains the same cast and crew from the film, including Kento Yamazaki and Anna Yamada, the actors who play the two leads. There will be a sequel film that will pick up where the TV series leaves off.
[RELATED – Golden Kamuy Live-Action TV Show Announced]
Why Netflix Is Pushing Live-Action Anime
Golden Kamuy -The Hunt of Prisoners in Hokkaido isn’t Netflix’s first foray into live-action adaptations of popular anime. The streaming company has been pushing live-action anime for years, investing millions of dollars in distribution rights for Japanese adaptations and producing its own live-action anime. This led Netflix to create the ill-fated Cowboy Bebop live-action series with John Cho, which faced trouble in production and was canceled after only one season. Netflix also helped release the divisive live-action Death Note film in 2017, with the company set to make a follow-up show. The One Piece live-action series is one of the few Netflix-produced live-action anime shows that proved popular among fans, quickly achieving a second season order.
Anime has always been a big aspect of Netflix’s strategy, being one of the most popular mediums on the streaming service since the program’s inception. However, while Netflix has always had a leg up on anime distribution, other companies are now following suit. 2025 is set to be anime’s biggest year, with companies like Sony investing more money in the medium in hopes of catering to the growing anime fandom. Gaining overseas streaming rights to the Golden Kamuy live-action show is only a small part of Netflix’s attempts to seize the anime medium internationally.
H/T: Anime News Network
