The upcoming live-action Naruto movie is the last of the big-three Shōnen Jump anime to receive a live-action adaptation, and with the recent string of live-action adaptation successes, it’s safe to say that another beloved anime could get the live-action treatment. In the past, bad live-action anime adaptations typically damaged their source material’s reputations because of how poorly filmmakers adapted the storylines, characters, special effects, etc. However, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning and Alice in Borderland are a few adaptations that have demonstrated the proper shift in quality.
One of the greatest challenges that filmmakers face when adapting anime into a live-action form is the distinct difference between Western and Eastern sensibilities. Another element that often complicates things is the fact that anime’s style, characters, and even dialogue, don’t always translate very well on the big or small screen. Although the news surrounding the live-action Naruto movie is scarce, the positive updates regarding its production and the recent number of successes in the live-action anime adaptation genre suggest that the stage is being set for other beloved anime to make its live-action debuts as well.
Naruto’s Live-Action Movie Has A Big Villain Dilemma That Could Kill The Live-Action Adaptation
With the live-action Naruto film moving forward, the adaptation will have to solve a difficult Naruto villain dilemma for the movie to work.
A Live-Action Bleach Sequel Or Reboot Is More Likely After Naruto & One Piece
Bleach’s legendary status makes a live-action sequel or reboot possible after its first live-action success.
Bleach is one of the Big Three Shōnen Jump anime along with One Piece and Naruto, and with the 2018 live-action Bleach movie and Netflix’s One Piece adaptation, Naruto is the last of the projects to receive similar treatment. With Naruto‘s upcoming live-action movie, it paves the way for either a Bleach sequel or reboot, since the first movie did well. Although Bleach creator Tite Kubo had reservations regarding a Hollywood adaptation of his work due to the poor script, the Japanese-produced Bleach movie was a success as well as a shining example of how to do things right.
2022’s Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War also suggests the direction that studios could take another live-action Bleach movie as it is a direct sequel to the original series. Another possible avenue that filmmakers could pursue is rebooting the live-action franchise all together, and combining elements from Bleach and its sequel series. Irrespective of the decision producers make, the overall improvement in quality regarding live-action anime suggests that now is a better time than any to carefully craft engaging and well-planned stories around the beloved characters in the anime genre.
The First Live-Action Bleach Movie’s Reception Bodes Well For Future Projects
Bleach’s success has already paved the way for One Piece and My Hero Academia.
Although the 2018 live-action Bleach didn’t have the same impact on live-action anime adaptations that One Piece is having, it was still a success and arguably led to the production of the live-action One Piece. Bleach performed well among audiences and critics because it featured inspired acting performances, convincing special effects, and interesting interpretations of the source material that paid homage while also being innovative. One of the biggest issues with live-action anime adaptations is that they often feel phoned in, simply to capitalize on the hype, and deviate from their source material too much.
Bleach respects its source material and audience, which is why it did well and is deserving of either another adaptation. With anime like My Hero Academia receiving a live-action adaptation, the trend of adapting well-respected anime for the big and small screen doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Given the quality and reception of most anime adaptations, Bleach is something of a trailblazer, since it was one of the earlier examples of doing things properly. Although the live-action Naruto faces many challenges, its potential success would solidify why now is the perfect time for live-action adaptations.
Why It’s The Perfect Time For A Proper Live-Action Bleach Adaptation
The climate surrounding live-action adaptations as well as production values have improved.
Now is a better time than any other for studios to adapt anime because of the increase in production values, growing positive reception of many adaptations, and the ever-evolving arcs of the source material. One Piece is still airing, which provides Netflix with plenty of material to adapt for years to come, and with Naruto, Naruto: Shippuden, and Boruto, its live-action adaptation can also benefit from a near-endless amount of material to adapt. Bleach and Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War can expose newer audiences to the source material in an engaging way too, considering the unique world the franchise boasts.
Another good thing about live-action anime adaptations is the shift from exclusively developing them for movies to filmmakers also relying on TV as a means of telling certain stories. As seen with One Piece and Alice in Borderland, TV has demonstrated that it can handle multiple characters, arcs, etc. more efficiently than some movie adaptations can. Considering that Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece have been around for so long, the TV structure would likely suit all three best, since it provides more space and time to properly adapt the material. Nevertheless, Naruto‘s upcoming adaptation will hopefully renew interest in Bleach.
