I've yet to see a live-action adaptation of anime that I think needed to exist. I'm not saying there haven't been good ones, mind you. Netflix's "One Piece" is practically the gold standard of live-action anime remakes, while others like "Parasyte: The Grey" and "Yu Yu Hakusho" are solid watches despite being on the shorter side. But for every surprising hit, it feels like there are at least three or four duds that make you wonder, "Did this really need the live-action treatment?"
On the other hand, Netflix continues to knock it out of the park with its anime remakes of popular series. While watching the latest, the terrific action-thriller "Terminator Zero," I was amazed at how much it sucked me even as someone who's never seen any of the "Terminator" movies (practically sacrilegious, I know).
From the first episode, its DNA clearly pulls from the pantheon of anime sci-fi hits that came before it like "Ghost in the Shell" and "Neon Genesis Evangelion." Which makes sense given that it's from Production I.G, the Japanese animation studio behind the critical darling spin-off "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex," widely regarded as a milestone in the cyberpunk genre for its impeccable world-building and breathtaking animation.
This show has 92% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason.
The argument for anime-fying more series
As I binged all eight episodes of "Terminator Zero" earlier this week, I was amazed at how Netflix seems to be batting a thousand when it comes to anime adaptations. Last year, "Scott Pilgrim Takes Off" cleverly addressed the biggest complaint fans had of the original comic series — Scott Pilgrim himself — by shifting focus to the charming ensemble stuck playing second fiddle to Scott and Ramona's love life.
Then you have "Cyberpunk: Edgerunners," which not only earned a rare 100% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes but virtually revitalized "Cyberpunk 2077" and shifted public opinion in the wake of its terrible launch. "Castlevania" helped usher in a veritable golden age of good video game adaptations with stunning fight scenes, a sharp script, and, in the later seasons especially, political intrigue to rival "Game of Thrones."
Compare that to heavily panned live-action anime adaptations like "Avatar: The Last Airbender," "Death Note," "Cowboy Bebop," the "Fullmetal Alchemist" movies ... I could go on and on. Notably, the "Cowboy Bebop" series bombed so hard that Netflix canned plans for a second season just one month after its release.
Meanwhile, all of Netflix's anime versions of popular series are sitting pretty at a 90% critics rating or above on Rotten Tomatoes. It's also worth mentioning that it's finding success with a wide range of source material, including video games ("Cyberpunk" and "Castlevania"), decades-old action series ("Terminator"), and cult classic films ("Scott Pilgrim" — yes, I know it was a comic first, but let's be real, the 2010 movie is what catapulted it to its popularity today).
Looking back even further, I think of other examples of series getting the anime treatment that were warmly received, from kids shows like "Powerpuff Girls Z" and "Stitch!" to ones for older audiences like "The Animatrix" and "Supernatural: The Animation."
As far as I'm concerned, for every live-action anime adaptation, we should be getting at least one, if not more, anime version of movies, shows, video games, what have you. From both a critical and financial standpoint, it just makes sense. So I say: Hey Hollywood! Anime-fy all the things!
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