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Should anime be adapted into live-action films?
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Live-action adapations often end up being poor-quality movies

Live-action adaptations are just plain bad. Anime does not translate well into the live-action format, and producers and filmmakers really don't need to make more of them.

The Argument

It's no secret that live-action adaptations of anime are just terrible. From the infamous Dragonball Evolution to the nonsensical Attack on Titan movies, these films don't work out. No matter how many studios try how many films, the result is more or less the same. It has gotten to a point where some fans even dread new live-action releases. The biggest reason why this happens is because live-action anime is an oxymoron in the most real sense. The two media contradict and conflict with each other, such that what works for anime can't work in live-action. One can't recreate eccentric character design or unique animation in real life, because the whole point is that animation is what makes those things possible. Other tropes, like intense facial expressions and long speeches, just can't be gotten away with in real life. And the creative liberties producers take to fill these gaps make the original story almost unrecognizable to fans.[1] Many have tried to make anime into live-action, with very little success. No one has truly cracked the code for how to make these adaptations work. Nonetheless, studios churn out adaptation after adaptation all the same. As a result, fans are overwhelmed with a glut of failed copies of their favorite anime.

Counter arguments

It's simplistic to say that anime just can't be made into live-action. Some filmmakers have used anime-inspired techniques and story beats in very successful movies. The creators of The Matrix were inspired by Ghost in the Shell, and the creator of Black Swan based it on Perfect Blue. One can see very clear parallels between the anime and the films. These and other movies show how good filmmakers can translate the best of anime into the best of live-action.[2] In addition, live-action anime are starting to pick up success. 2019's Alita: Battle Angel became a modest box office success for Fox; a marked improvement over its other adaptation predecessors.[3] Alita can perhaps represent a new trend for live-action adaptations, and may be the first in a new series of great films. Only time can tell whether that will happen, but to dismiss the notion out of hand is unnecessary.

Proponents

Premises

Rejecting the premises

References

  1. https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2018-02-02/.127147
  2. https://www.looper.com/179810/hollywood-movies-you-had-no-idea-were-inspired-by-anime/
  3. https://screenrant.com/alita-battle-angel-box-office-success/
This page was last edited on Wednesday, 26 Aug 2020 at 14:20 UTC

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