After years of enduring terrible live-action adaptation, Netflix might have found the perfect formula to give anime live-action adaptations the justice it deserves. As of writing, One Piece received a Certified Fresh score of 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. Even the audience loved this show, earning a high 94 percent average audience rating. And it doesn’t stop there, as Netflix announced last year that it will attempt to make another live-action adaptation of Death Note with the Duffer Brothers.
So, did Netflix achieve the impossible? Probably. After all, Japan has been making live-action films of popular series, and don’t get me started when it comes to international productions (e.g., the Philippine live-action adaptation of Voltes V). If Netflix truly wants to become the go-to powerhouse for adapting popular anime into live-action in the Western market, here are titles that it could pursue.
5. Vampire Knight
Netflix was able to pull off gothic horror through Wednesday. At the same time, it also has a habit of creating dark and edgy boarding school content (e.g., Winx Club). So, if it wants to cater to that audience, adapting Vampire Knight is necessary. This anime series is perfect for Netflix since it will allow the streaming giant to produce this dark and edgy supernatural story without the risk of steering away from the source material. The only hurdle it has to deal with is the incest plot that arrives later in the story.
4. Oshi No Ko
Oshi No Ko has to be the biggest anime series released in 2023, as this series addressed numerous issues that influencers and idols deal with in real life. For those who don’t know what this anime is about, it’s about the two children of a murdered pop idol, who happen to be reincarnated of people close to that celebrity’s life. It’s also a murder mystery, something that’s up Netflix’s alley. Series one ended back in June, and ScreenRant reported that season 2 was greenlit. Knowing how big this show has become in 2023, adapting it will be a giant gamble.
3. Naruto Shippuden
Netflix will favor many new anime fans by adapting Naruto Shippuden. It now has the resources to shorten the series, especially since a YouTuber managed to remove 115 hours of filler. At the same time, all the manga volumes have been released, so it doesn’t have to worry about running out of content. Remember, One Piece is part of “the big three” of anime; another group member is Naruto. If the streaming giant wants to become the anime live-action powerhouse it aims towards, this is a good place to start.
2. Demon Slayer
If creating a Naruto live-action series seems ambitious, then perhaps Demon Slayer might be a better alternative. This anime series also finished its manga run, and anime fans are still loving it to this day. One way Netflix could approach this series would be by making the English voice actors play their character’s live-action counterparts. And I’m not just saying this just so I can see Attack on Titan star Bryce Papenbrook shirtless while wearing a hog mask.
1. Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a show that remains relevant to this day since its introduction in 1995. This anime series ended in 1996 and is still receiving brand collaborations. Not to mention, Anime News Network reported that Netflix owns the worldwide streaming rights for this show, which adds to a growing list of reasons why it needs to adapt Evangelion. I believe that Netflix has the potential to give this anime the live-action treatment, and not doing so would be a huge missed opportunity.
It’s no secret that Netflix is pulling all the stops to learn from its mistakes and to ensure that its anime live-action hit the mark. This was finally achieved with One Piece, and it has other projects lined up in hopes it would be its next huge hit. If it plans to tackle another popular title, then these shows are worth considering and would excite many fans if it does come to life.