Top 10 Worst Changes in Live Action Anime
Top 10 Worst Changes in Live-Action Anime
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Worst Changes in Live-Action Anime.
For this list, we’ll be looking at the most unnecessary, ill-advised, or mind-boggling deviations from the source material in these iconic series’ leap out of animation.
To end things on a lighter note, what’s a change in a live-action anime that you genuinely loved? Let us know in the comments below!
#10: Julia’s ‘Vicious’ Change of Heart
“Cowboy Bebop” (2021)
By the time the credits rolled on this misguided Netflix series, there’s a resounding feeling of betrayal - and not just from Spike. The Bebop’s trek into live-action was a bumpy ride, and it all but crash landed in the final moments with a random twist that made no sense in either version of the story. After spending the entire season under Vicious’ thumb, Julia betrays Spike and takes over the Syndicate that had just held her captive. Yeah, we don’t get it either. In its defense, who needs foreshadowing, respect for the source material, or consistent characterization when you have a senseless cliffhanger? Really, it only proved that this was Julia in name only.
#9: Not-So Great Ape
“Dragonball: Evolution” (2009)
It may use the Japanese “Oozaru” name, but this is a far roar from the original. With menace, power, and size to spare, Goku’s iconic first transformation into a Great Ape told audiences the chipper kid was capable of a lot more than even he knew. But, it’s hard to do anything other than laugh when this sorry excuse for an Oozaru appears without any of the scale, intimidation, or character-work to back it up. It would appear his small stature was also indicative of how much they cared about the visual effects, since calling this ugly werewolf an “ape” at all is a serious stretch. At least the name change makes sense now - there’s definitely nothing “great” about this.
#8: Turning a Blind Eye to Ciel
“Black Butler” (2014)
It may share a name with a beloved anime, but this is not the faithful retelling most fans expected. After all, it’s hard to tell a similar story when the movie completely replaces one of the two main characters of the original series. Instead, it follows Ciel’s ancestor, Kiyoharu. What’s different about her, you ask? Absolutely nothing! Outside of the obvious fact that she’s a girl, Kiyoharu adds nothing that Ciel couldn’t have done better. Well, except the tasteless and obvious pandering to shippers.. Next time they want to make a romance film, they should try choosing a story that actually has love in it. Or, really, just anything besides “Black Butler.”
#7: Eyes Open
“Alita: Battle Angel” (2019)
For maybe the first time ever, the glaring issue with this live-action adaptation is that it was too faithful. Admittedly, anime is a tough medium to adapt, but choosing to translate the original work’s stylized expressions with a full CG face made us wish they hadn’t even tried. It seems Alita’s biggest hurdle isn’t recovering her past or fending off bounty hunters, but the uncanny valley. Worse, when framed by heavy greenscreen and special-effects, she practically blends into the background. Somehow, this live-action feature managed to make its title character look flatter than she did in animation. It’s a real shame, since the film isn’t half bad - as long as you don’t stare at Alita for too long.
#6: A Meet-Cringe
“Kaguya-sama: Love Is War” (2019) & “Kaguya-sama Final: Love Is War” (2021)
The only thing more difficult than getting Kaguya and Miyuki to confess their feelings is finding a good adaptation of their anime. Lacking any of the original’s wit or charm, this soulless big-screen version is more likely to make you cringe than swoon. Despite portraying one of anime’s most passionate will-they-won’t-they’s, the two leads here have utterly zero romantic chemistry. It’s impossible to buy into this already-awkward relationship when it doesn’t even seem like the performers do, even when they’re kissing! When animated characters feel more believable than real life actors, you know you’ve done something horribly wrong. Further let down by an uninspired script, and this movie becomes what the original series initially made fun of.
#5: Shikishima Who?
“Attack on Titan Part 1 & Part 2” (2015)
If you can’t fit several of a series’ most popular characters into a two-part feature, that’s a good sign you probably shouldn’t adapt it at all. Anyone who saw this movie hoping to see their favorites like Reiner, Zeke, Erwin, or Levi, will be sorely disappointed to learn that they’ve all been replaced by the composite character, Shikishima. As you’d expect, he’s an absolute mess of underwritten motivations and random plot points. His excessive screentime poses the question, why even bother making an “Attack on Titan” movie without Levi to begin with? They leave a Titan-sized hole in the cast, and no original character, least of all Shikishima, is able to fill it.
#4: Lost (Identity) in Translation
“Ghost in The Shell” (2017)
What’s offensive, pointless, and scarlet all over? This misguided interpretation of an iconic anime character, that’s what. Long before it hit theaters, this live-action movie drew justified ire for casting Scarlett Johansson as the lead. Not only did it diminish the impact of an iconic Asian character headlining an American blockbuster, but there was no in-universe reasoning for it either since Major is a robot constructed by scientists in Japan. Even worse, a third-act twist reveals that she was originally a Japanese girl before being remodeled into, of course, a white woman. Instead of justifying the controversial casting, the gross and offensive implications of this change did the exact opposite.
#3: New Gren in Town
“Cowboy Bebop” (2021)
It’s easy to miss that Gren’s even in the live-action series since they’re completely unrecognizable - and we don’t mean visually. As someone who was biologically experimented on against their will, turning Gren into the show’s only openly non-binary character is questionable at best. Of course, it’s hard to tell for sure when the series refuses to acknowledge the character’s vast lore from the anime. The near-offensive reimagining of their backstory is never elaborated on, and instead, Gren’s poignant original role is abandoned so they can make quips at Anna’s side. If the creators weren’t going to do Gren’s outstanding story justice, they shouldn’t have even bothered introducing them at all.
#2: A Dimming Light
“Death Note” (2017)
Arguably more so than even the titular note, one of the most important elements of this legendary property is its protagonist. Light Yagami is charismatic, brilliant, and terrifying in his ideological crusade for absolute justice. But Light Turner, as he’s called in the Netflix version, is practically the inverse. He’s easily manipulated, more pitiful than intimidating, and lacks any of the moral intrigue that made his animated counterpart compelling. Worse, the movie gives him a shoehorned, tragic backstory to justify his actions, which completely misses the point that Light isn’t supposed to be redeemable. Though, that kind of comprehension would’ve required an actual understanding of the character, which the creators clearly didn’t have.
#1: Goku Enrolls in Infamy
“Dragonball: Evolution” (2009)
Whoever thought of reimagining one of anime’s most iconic hero’s as a high schooler deserves a Kamehameha to the face. Instead of earnestly training, facing down unbeatable foes, or stuffing his face full of food, this version of Goku is a simple nerd who wants the girl. It abandons nearly everything integral to the character and turns him into a generic, teen-comedy protagonist - and not even a good one. It’s genuinely embarrassing that a Hollywood flick was made with such a fundamental misunderstanding of its source material. Really, the most impressive thing we can say about this interpretation of Goku is that, even compared to the rest of the film, it somehow stands out as the most disappointing aspect.
