Top 10 Live Action Anime Adaptations That Are ACTUALLY GOOD
best anime adaptations, best manga adaptations, best anime live-action adaptations, anime live-action adaptations, best adaptations, best live-action adaptations, animation, cartoons, TV, series, streaming, film, movies, death note, one piece, one piece live action, one piece netflix, rurouni kenshin, pop culture, manga, Anime, Action, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, mojo, best anime, best anime to watch, watchmojo anime, top 10 anime,
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Live Action Anime Adaptations That Are Actually Good.
Honestly, we would’ve thought adapting Bleach to live action would be an impossible feat. But to our surprise the 2018 adaptation actually did a damned good job of reconstructing the substitute shinigami’s earlier exploits. Bad boy Ichigo Kurosaki is portrayed to near perfection by actor Sota Fukushi, as he gets involved in some soul reaper and hollow action that really nails how these battles would look in real life. It’s honestly quite a shame this film didn’t see the success it deserved, as we would have welcomed a few sequels!
We’ll admit we’re absolute suckers when it comes to a nice bit of shoujo romance. And if that’s your cup of tea too, then you can do no better than Hana yori Dango. Tsukushi Makino is just an average girl, but she finds herself caught up with her school’s big 4 - a set of intelligent, rich, and absolutely stunning lads. While she at first shrugs them off as being pompous, she slowly learns to appreciate their true natures. But when push comes to shove, which of these handsome chaps will she fall in love with? While many are attached to the Korean adaptation of this show, we simply adore its Japanese counterpart.
People took one look at those ginormous eyes in the trailer and said “no thank you”. But honestly, they missed out! While Battle Angel Alita has yet to get the full anime adaption it deserves, the OVAs took a pretty good jab at it - as did director Robert Rodriguez with this American live action. When a scientist fixes up a scrapped female cyborg, she must face all manner of new challenges - including other enemy cyborgs. From its fight choreography to its solid casting, Alita: Battle Angel is well worth your time if you’re into cyberpunk action!
Tokyo Revengers is white hot in Japan right now, so it should come as no surprise that on top of its anime adaptation, there’s also a series of live action movies coming out as well.
Yes indeed, it appears the time traveling capers of Takemichi as he attempts to fix the trajectory of the Tokyo Manji gang, have truly got a choke hold on the Japanese populace.
And the box office numbers don’t lie, this is a solid set of movies that are getting progressively better with each release - and we can’t wait for what they’re cooking up next!
You will be forgiven for writing off Death Note live action adaptations if you had to witness the absolute travesty that was the 2017 Netflix film. We get nightmares just thinking about it. However, if you want to see Light Yagami’s exploits done right then look no further than the original flicks from 2006. Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara of Battle Royale fame as Light, this adaptation is presented with the tone and suspense that the manga perfected - and even has some changes to the source material that are down right satisfying. They were held in such high regard that they even got a spin off movie two years later!
You’d think Yorozuya’s crazy antics would be impossible to adapt to the silver screen, however these two adaptations proved that sentiment wrong. Based on the more serious Benizakura and Shinsengumi Crisis arcs, the Gintama films are a perfect blend of comedy and action. The casting here is perfect, with Shun Oguri’s performance as Gintoki standing out. If you’re a fan of the Gintama anime series we recommend you try out these films!
Death game anime and manga are a dime a dozen, but few quite have the seriousness or unique flare that Alice in Borderland has. Suddenly transported to a setting where games are mandatory and failure often means death, Ryouhei Arisu must go through some of the most nail-biting scenarios ever put to screen. Though it wasn’t until the rise of Netflix’s Squid Game that people really started to appreciate this gem. The live action was so well received in fact, that it actually got a second season and has broken further into the manga source material than the anime adaptation did!
When series creator Eiichiro Oda announced back in 2020 that Netflix had ordered a live action One Piece series, many of us were incredibly skeptical, and even more so after the disastrous “Cowboy Bebop”. Thankfully all of our worries were put to rest when “One Piece” released to both critical and fan acclaim. Though the series does its own thing in many instances, it’s incredibly faithful to the source material. The casting is absolutely on point and some of the set pieces are incredible. The episodes are chock full of references big and small, and we absolutely cannot wait for more!
With such an incredible source material that’s pretty grounded in reality, it would be very hard to botch a GTO adaptation. And still, this series absolutely excels at what it does and adds its own personal charm. While not covering every story beat of the anime, GTO still delivers on its most dramatic and emotional moments. And yeah, Takashi Sorimachi may not have the bleach blonde hair, but he embodies Onizuka’s badass nature in every way. But we can’t talk about the 1998 GTO without mentioning it has one of the best opening themes of all time.
What makes the Rurouni Kenshin films so good? Well one of the main reasons is that its original source material is perfect for live action. Set during the Meiji era in Japan, this film series follows the story of the wandering Himura Kenshin, and is perfect for those looking for a more modern samurai action-drama. With five films released over the course of almost a decade, this series was so popular that it adapted more of the manga than the original anime series ever did. Whether you're an anime fan or just looking for some incredible sword action, we recommend you seek this one out!
Which Live Action Anime is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
#10: “Bleach” (2018)
Honestly, we would’ve thought adapting Bleach to live action would be an impossible feat. But to our surprise the 2018 adaptation actually did a damned good job of reconstructing the substitute shinigami’s earlier exploits. Bad boy Ichigo Kurosaki is portrayed to near perfection by actor Sota Fukushi, as he gets involved in some soul reaper and hollow action that really nails how these battles would look in real life. It’s honestly quite a shame this film didn’t see the success it deserved, as we would have welcomed a few sequels!
#9: “Boys Over Flowers” (2005)
We’ll admit we’re absolute suckers when it comes to a nice bit of shoujo romance. And if that’s your cup of tea too, then you can do no better than Hana yori Dango. Tsukushi Makino is just an average girl, but she finds herself caught up with her school’s big 4 - a set of intelligent, rich, and absolutely stunning lads. While she at first shrugs them off as being pompous, she slowly learns to appreciate their true natures. But when push comes to shove, which of these handsome chaps will she fall in love with? While many are attached to the Korean adaptation of this show, we simply adore its Japanese counterpart.
#8: “Alita: Battle Angel” (2019)
People took one look at those ginormous eyes in the trailer and said “no thank you”. But honestly, they missed out! While Battle Angel Alita has yet to get the full anime adaption it deserves, the OVAs took a pretty good jab at it - as did director Robert Rodriguez with this American live action. When a scientist fixes up a scrapped female cyborg, she must face all manner of new challenges - including other enemy cyborgs. From its fight choreography to its solid casting, Alita: Battle Angel is well worth your time if you’re into cyberpunk action!
#7: “Tokyo Revengers” Series (2021-)
Tokyo Revengers is white hot in Japan right now, so it should come as no surprise that on top of its anime adaptation, there’s also a series of live action movies coming out as well.
Yes indeed, it appears the time traveling capers of Takemichi as he attempts to fix the trajectory of the Tokyo Manji gang, have truly got a choke hold on the Japanese populace.
And the box office numbers don’t lie, this is a solid set of movies that are getting progressively better with each release - and we can’t wait for what they’re cooking up next!
#6: “Death Note” Series (2006-16)
You will be forgiven for writing off Death Note live action adaptations if you had to witness the absolute travesty that was the 2017 Netflix film. We get nightmares just thinking about it. However, if you want to see Light Yagami’s exploits done right then look no further than the original flicks from 2006. Starring Tatsuya Fujiwara of Battle Royale fame as Light, this adaptation is presented with the tone and suspense that the manga perfected - and even has some changes to the source material that are down right satisfying. They were held in such high regard that they even got a spin off movie two years later!
#5: “Gintama” Series (2017-19)
You’d think Yorozuya’s crazy antics would be impossible to adapt to the silver screen, however these two adaptations proved that sentiment wrong. Based on the more serious Benizakura and Shinsengumi Crisis arcs, the Gintama films are a perfect blend of comedy and action. The casting here is perfect, with Shun Oguri’s performance as Gintoki standing out. If you’re a fan of the Gintama anime series we recommend you try out these films!
#4: “Alice in Borderland” (2020-22)
Death game anime and manga are a dime a dozen, but few quite have the seriousness or unique flare that Alice in Borderland has. Suddenly transported to a setting where games are mandatory and failure often means death, Ryouhei Arisu must go through some of the most nail-biting scenarios ever put to screen. Though it wasn’t until the rise of Netflix’s Squid Game that people really started to appreciate this gem. The live action was so well received in fact, that it actually got a second season and has broken further into the manga source material than the anime adaptation did!
#3: “One Piece” (2023-)
When series creator Eiichiro Oda announced back in 2020 that Netflix had ordered a live action One Piece series, many of us were incredibly skeptical, and even more so after the disastrous “Cowboy Bebop”. Thankfully all of our worries were put to rest when “One Piece” released to both critical and fan acclaim. Though the series does its own thing in many instances, it’s incredibly faithful to the source material. The casting is absolutely on point and some of the set pieces are incredible. The episodes are chock full of references big and small, and we absolutely cannot wait for more!
#2: “GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka” (1998)
With such an incredible source material that’s pretty grounded in reality, it would be very hard to botch a GTO adaptation. And still, this series absolutely excels at what it does and adds its own personal charm. While not covering every story beat of the anime, GTO still delivers on its most dramatic and emotional moments. And yeah, Takashi Sorimachi may not have the bleach blonde hair, but he embodies Onizuka’s badass nature in every way. But we can’t talk about the 1998 GTO without mentioning it has one of the best opening themes of all time.
#1: “Rurouni Kenshin” Series (2012-21)
What makes the Rurouni Kenshin films so good? Well one of the main reasons is that its original source material is perfect for live action. Set during the Meiji era in Japan, this film series follows the story of the wandering Himura Kenshin, and is perfect for those looking for a more modern samurai action-drama. With five films released over the course of almost a decade, this series was so popular that it adapted more of the manga than the original anime series ever did. Whether you're an anime fan or just looking for some incredible sword action, we recommend you seek this one out!
Which Live Action Anime is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
Have an idea you want to see made into a WatchMojo video? Check out our suggest page and submit your idea.
Step up your quiz game by answering fun trivia questions! Love games with friends? Challenge friends and family in our leaderboard! Play Now!