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With Netflix’s adaptation of One Piece on the horizon, fans are clamoring for something to watch before the series drops. The good news is there’s no shortage of anime adaptations out there. The bad news is most of them fall far short of the originals. These anime might not be about pirate life, but they’re some of the best and most interesting live-action anime adaptations around. Whether you’re looking for a way to kill an afternoon or a couple of weeks, here are some of the best live-action anime adaptations to watch before Netflix’s One Piece finally drops, in no particular order.
Inuyashiki
Robots, cyborgs, and the transformation of a normal human into a mechanical super soldier are all common in anime. Some treat cybernetics as the last goal of a sci-fi utopia, others as straight-up body horror. Inuyashiki’s live-action adaptation gives this familiar formula a fascinating twist. Crash-landing aliens accidentally kill a man, and to make it up to him they resurrect him and outfit his body with advanced technology. Inuyashiki is the kind of superhero film that only anime could inspire. For fans waiting for the new One Piece series to drop, this isn’t a bad way to go.
Bleach
Anytime someone tries to adapt a sprawling anime into a movie or series, there’s a lot of nervous energy in the fan community. It’s just so easy for things to get lost in translation, sometimes literally. The story of Ichigo Kurosaki and the Soul Society is one of the biggest and most popular in anime, so the concern over its live-action adaptation was palpable. The 2018 adaptation of Bleach isn’t perfect, but its flaws don’t prevent it from being a fun, if strange, rework of the source material. Tite Kubo’s characters aren’t as colorful in this adaptation, but otherwise, they fit the part.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Courtrooms and dramatic finger-pointing have been a match made in anime heaven since Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney first debuted. Whether it’s being adapted into a movie or a video game, Phoenix Wright always retains the same bizarre intensity. The live-action adaptation is fiercely silly, but then again, so is the original. Phoenix Wright deserves every comeback it gets. While the live-action version isn’t the franchise at its finest, there are worse introductions to everyone’s favorite and most melodramatic lawyer.
Assassination Classroom
A smiley-faced tentacle monster blows up most of the moon and then becomes a teacher. That sentence would make the premise of Assassination Classroom wild enough, but the anime (and its live-action adaptation) go further. Koro-sensei isn’t teaching any ordinary class: he’s training a group of deadly assassins with the hopes that one of them will eventually be able to kill him. If they can’t murder their teacher before graduation, Koro-sensei will destroy the world. An anime has to be pretty strange to stand out, and Assassination Classroom absolutely is. While the anime may be superior, the live-action version retains enough of the original’s bizarre imagery and story to warrant a view.
Blade of the Immortal
Takashi Miike is a legendary director and screenwriter best known for hyperviolent horror movies like Ichi the Killer and Audition. Over the course of his long career, however, the director has explored a huge range of subject matter. Blade of the Immortal is one such outing beyond the realm of horror. A samurai’s mission of revenge is a time-tested anime plot. What matters here is that the subject matter is executed so well. Takuya Kimura and Hana Sugisaki steal the show as as the adaptation’s leads, flourishing under Takashi Miike’s direction.
Death Note
Light Yagami gains possession of the Death Note, a notebook that can kill anyone whose name is written inside. Light, being the brilliant sociopath that he is, immediately sets to work murdering criminals by the dozen. Stacking up a body count like a zombie anime unsurprisingly attracts the attention of enigmatic detective L who agrees to catch Light. Death Note is one of the best cat-and-mouse thrillers around, and fans are very possessive of the story and its characters. Just as the anime differs from the manga, the live-action adaptation differs from the anime, but all of them are good in their own way.
Alita: Battle Angel
Robert Rodriguez has directed everything from Spy Kids to From Dusk till Dawn, which says something about his range. Rodriguez has an eye for action, but also one for heart and humor. His movies don’t feel like the soulless cash-grabs that so many directors produce. The live-action adaptation of Alita: Battle Angel makes the most of its director’s talent and its excellent cast. It’s not Rodriguez’s best, but it’s a fun ride. With James Cameron as co-writer, it’s no surprise that the film is also a special effects extravaganza. Overall, Alita: Battle Angel is easily one of the best adaptations to watch while waiting for One Piece.
Rurouni Kenshin
Samurai and ninja are some of the most popular subjects in anime, giving fans plenty of quality shows to choose from. Rurouni Kenshin ranks among the best samurai anime around. What makes Nobuhiro Watsuki’s story so memorable is more than just its unforgettable characters. It’s the way the series explores themes of peace and atonement instead of just violence and revenge. The live-action adaptation takes some liberties but overall pays faithful homage to the original. The original is a beautiful blend of action and comedy with some serious themes beneath it, and the live-action adaptation does its best to meet that high bar.
