Top 10 Upcoming Live Action Anime That Might Suck

#10: “Death Note 2” (TBA) Yes, it’s getting a sequel. The overly edgy, critically panned, fan despised Netflix adaptation of Death Note is somehow getting another shot. On the negative side of things it means we once again have to deal with Light Bloody Turner and his high-pitched scream as he continues his crusade as Kira. But, on a more optimistic note, the sequel’s new writer, Greg Russo, appears to be an avid fan of the manga and wants to stick closer to the source material. Not sure how he’s going to manage that, considering the first film ruined everything. But hey, at least we might see more of Willem Dafoe as Ryuk! #9: “My Hero Academia” (TBA) It’s sort of a shock that they waited this long, to be honest. After all, superhero flicks of every shade have been greenlit thanks to the MCU craze, and the antics of Class 1-A certainly fit into that mould. The trouble is, with a cast this big and only one movie to establish everything, there’s a very real chance Legendary’s take on Deku’s journey could come across as bloated. Think about it, even if they’re just adapting the first season, they have to set up the world, the rivalry between Deku and Bakugo, and squeeze in the League of Villains. That said, if they cast Keanu Reeves as Aizawa and Dwayne Johnson as All Might…we’ll give it a shot. #8: “Your Name” (TBA) If Makoto Shinkai, the actual director, felt that his animated splendour still needed some polish, then what chance does JJ Abrams have at topping it?! While Taki and Mitsuha’s romance was at the forefront of this body-swapping drama, what made it a modern masterpiece is how it integrated its story with some truly spellbinding visuals, ones that you can’t really hope to replicate in live action. It sounds like they’re mixing up the story a bit, this time making it about a native American girl living at a reserve and some dude from Chicago. At best it can only hope to match some of the original’s charm, at worst it’s going to end up as a really cringey Freaky Friday remake. #7: “Steins;Gate” (TBA) Snagged up by Skydance Television along with another notable Japanese sci-fi property, it looks like Okabe, Kurisu and the rest are due to get their own live-action series at some point or another. Had this been set for the big screen, it would have been dead on arrival. There is just too much time travel, science jargon, character moments and thrills to be compacted into a feature film. A series at the very least has the chance of bringing some of the original’s greatness to life. That being said, it’s hard to say how much will be lost in translation along the way. I mean how do you cast an American as an Otaku with major Chunibyo issues? #6: “One Punch Man” (TBA) Running parallel to My Hero Academia, given the current superhero obsessed landscape, it’s a wonder Saitama and his five fingers of instant death weren’t picked up quicker. The first season completely dominated the anime scene thanks to its high octane action, sense of humour, and deconstruction of the genre. That’s a lot to juggle, and it’s hard to say if all of Saitama’s accomplishments and comedic mannerisms could be done justice in live action. Besides, can you re-enact something like the fight with Boros? It’s simply not possible! #5: “Mobile Suit Gundam” (TBA) This is either going to be amazing, or a pile of scrap. Seeing the RX78 come to life in Ready Player One was all kinds of epic, but that was only a sneak preview. That being said, with Jordan Vogt-Roberts (the director of Kong Skull Island and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid film) maybe there’s a chance it will succeed. The worst thing they could do is take it down the Transformers route and make it all beam sabers and zero substance. Our main concern here is that people have attempted Live Action Gundam in the past and failed miserably - Just look at G-Savior. Please break the curse, Jordan! #4: “Sword Art Online” (TBA) Skydance Television strikes again, only this time it’s taking Kirito and Asuna along for the ride. Polarized for its characters and beloved for its insane animation, the likelihood of this adaptation succeeding rests entirely on how well it nails the presentation. Sub-par fight scenes? It’s going to be boring. No chemistry between the two leads? It’s going to feel like a disservice. Yeah, they’ve got a real uphill battle, especially if they decide that the Alfheim arc is the way to go. No one wants to see Oberon in 3D. #3: “One Piece” (TBA) The fact that Oda is apparently involved at every stage of this project, right down to the casting, does give us some semblance of solace. Then again, this is One Piece we’re talking about. Not even the much beloved anime is spared from scrutiny when compared to its manga counterpart. It’s a daunting task to take up, given the scope of its story, the designs of its world, not to mention how insane the fights can become. With ten episodes already written, it’s hard to say how far this version of the Straw Hats will get. Unless they rush the whole thing, we doubt they’re going to leave the East Blue by season’s end. It just seems like too big a story to adapt! #2: “Yu Yu Hakusho” (TBA) This is going to be brutal. An absolute classic of the shounen scene, adapting it would be a trying task even with Netflix’s Unlimited Budget Works. Fleshing out Yusuke’s journey as a Spirit Detective not only demands that our four primary leads have to be absolutely spot on with their interactions, but it has to bring its A-Game towards the demon fights. One does not simply mess up Yusuke’s lovable punk persona, let alone the likes of Kurama’s flowery charm and Hiei’s three eyed badassery. The saving grace here is that it will actually be a Japanese cast so maybe, just maybe, it’ll pull through. #1: “Cowboy Bebop” (2021) They just can’t leave a good thing alone, can they? The original Cowboy Bebop is an immaculate and timeless show which should be admired and left untouched. It also stands as an important gateway anime to people who otherwise wouldn’t watch any. So what, pray tell, is the point of making it a live action other than to tarnish it? The cast so far really isn’t inspiring any confidence either, with John Cho of Harold and Kumar fame starring as the iconic space cowboy - alongside a number of literal whos. If you have the slightest bit of excitement for this series then that’s great - but just keep in mind it’s going to be written by the same guy who wrote Thor 2.