10 Worst Live-Action Anime Adaptations Of All Time, Ranked

Anime is often defined by its animation style and choices, so undertaking a live-action adaptation of a beloved piece of art can easily go wrong, even with the best intentions. Translating the artwork to real people and set pieces is hard work, and it’s no wonder that the result of live-action can often be cartoonish, and not in a good way. The fantastical elements of magic, monsters, or stylized physicality that anime often employs are difficult to recreate in real life and leave lots of room for error.

There are many reasons that certain anime series get chosen to be turned into live-action, and a driving force is usually the popularity of the work. While this might mean that many people will flock to watch the adaptation, it also means that there are just as many critics with high expectations for what the live-action version has to offer. Though visual failures are usually the first sign that the adaptation won’t be a good one, what these films and series often forget the most is the tone and essence of what made the anime great.

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10 Parasyte: Part 1 (2014)

Based on Parasyte: The Maxim (2014 – 2015)

In a tale of possession, Shinichi Izumi has his right hand taken over by a parasite, one of many who have come to Earth to take control of their hosts. Though Izumi and his parasite, Migi, end up working together, other hosts are not so lucky. The manga and the anime are known for depictions of body horror and fantastic fight scenes. Parasyte: Part 1 is not the absolute worst when it comes to anime adaptations and works hard to stay true to the story. It has some of the elements of a successful film, but the effects do fall flat and the action comes nowhere close to the anime.

9 Devilman (2004)

Based on Devilman (1972 – 1973)

The premise of Devilman revolves around Akira, a shy high school boy who is soon transformed, body and mind, by a demon. Though he takes on the physical traits and skills of the demon, he still retains his humanity and joins the fight against evil. This may sound like a straightforward enough concept to grasp, but Devilman failed just about everywhere possible. Character choices were confusing because the pacing was rushed, and this was not helped by performances that didn’t live up to the voice acting of the anime. All of this was cemented by the obvious CGI that didn’t look good at the time and hasn’t aged well.

8 Black Butler (2014)

Based on Black Butler (2008 – 2011)

Black Butler has some of the aspects that made the anime so successful, but not enough to justify the film being made. It seems that rather than being a direct adaptation of the anime, the movie takes elements and translates them into a new narrative. Some of the biggest changes are the origin story of how The Earl/Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian meet and come to strike their deal. In both, Sebastian is a demon who does the bidding of his master in exchange for their soul. However, the film loses some of the most compelling plot points from the anime, and all the physical combat feels choppy and forced.

7 Attack On Titan (2015)

Based on Attack On Titan (2013 – 2023)

Attack on Titan is considered one of the greatest anime ever made and one of the most popular. Attempting to translate that impact and popularity into a new set of actors and circumstances was always doomed to fail. In the 2015 film iteration, the story tries to cram in an enormous amount of the complicated plot and ends up leaving the viewer uncertain about what took place in the movie. It’s not entirely the fault of the film, as the anime and manga are painfully complex, and without full knowledge of the motivations of the characters, their actions can seem corny and overwrought.

However, the over-reliance on green screen and CGI to try and capture the terror of the Titans just made them look ridiculous, not scary. Without the horror of the anime and manga being fully communicated, Eren and his friends’ reactions to the events of the film seem over-the-top, and the stakes are much lower. For anyone interested in, or devoted to, the original story, the live-action adaptation is not the way to go.

6 Cowboy Bebop (2021)

Based on Cowboy Bebop (1998 – 1999)

There were high expectations for Netflix’s recent attempt at adapting the iconic Cowboy Bebop, but the stylization, plot, and overall quality didn’t live up to the achievements of the anime. As Spike, the infamous space cowboy bounty hunter, John Cho is charismatic, as are the other actors, but they aren’t the central problem, everything else is. The iconic mixture of Western and film Noir esthetics that the anime utilized felt empty in the live-action, as did the action sequences that Spike and his gang were known for. Additionally, as with almost every live-action iteration, the effects only served to take the viewer out of the world.

5 Ghost In The Shell (2017)

Based on Ghost in the Shell (1995)

For the 2017 adaptation of the sci-fi hit Ghost in the Shell, visual effects and action sequences were the smallest problems. The film fell victim to the offensive Western tradition of whitewashing and cast Scarlett Johansson as Motoko Kusanagi, instead of a Japanese actress. Though she does a fine job portraying the cyborg, she never should have been cast. Overall, the film does take some liberties with the plot and Westernizes it, which pushes it further from the source material. Unlike other anime adaptations, the film had a blockbuster-sized budget, but the sharp look of the film could not save it from missing the heart of the anime.

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4 Death Note (2017)

Based on Death Note (2006 – 2007)

Also produced by Netflix, 2017’s Death Note made one major mistake: it needed to be darker. In the anime, Light is a cruel and uncompromising villain, and even though he’s the protagonist, he’s also supposed to be irredeemable. The Western version of the story that the film created doesn’t have the stomach to reckon with the twisted morality of Light or the intricate game he plays with L. Though Willem Dafoe as Ryuk is a bright spot and captures the dark comedy of the god of death, it’s not enough to make up for the tonal failures of the film.

3 Fullmetal Alchemist (2017)

Based on Fullmetal Alchemist (2003 – 2004) & Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood (2009 – 2010)

The magic system of Fullmetal Alchemist involves lots of highly specialized art and visuals that are difficult to portray outside of animation. Though the live-action movie struggles with these aspects, it fails to capture the complete character arcs and Ed and Al. It’s a sprawling story, and trying to condense a series into the limited time frame of a film is a downfall of many live-action adaptations. In leaving out certain aspects of the original anime, the big reveals don’t carry the same emotional weight. Additionally, though Ed and Al are still likable, and their journey engaging, they’re not as compelling as the characters from the anime.

2 Ouran High School Host Club (2012)

Based on Ouran High School Host Club (2006)

The original Ouran High School Host Club has many fantastical elements and larger-than-life characters because this is the style of storytelling. Unfortunately, when translated to live-action acting, the performances become melodramatic and borderline impossible to watch. Most of the fun events that take place over several episodes are cut for time, which rushes the slow-burn romances that are a hallmark of the anime and manga. Additionally, when the love confessions do happen they don’t feel earned because the audience has barely seen the characters get to know each other and fall in love.

1 Dragonball Evolution (2009)

Based on Dragonball Z (1989 – 1996)

Though there have been many iterations of the Dragon Ball manga, the Dragonball Z series is considered the definitive adaptation. Despite this, a live-action film was made in 2009 which cast predominantly white actors and made little to no sense. Though there are plenty of story arcs to choose from, the movies didn’t faithfully recreate any of them and instead made the adventures of Goku and his friends into a caricature of the source material. The film might have been saved by the actors if the performances had been good, but they reflected the overall quality of the film, a disappointment to everyone.