At this point, the news that Netflix will be funding and distributing a live-action adaptation of a beloved manga or anime elicits more frustration than excitement. Every project is different but does the failure of several previous attempts at hit series mean fans shouldn’t even tune in, or is there something about the new recipe that could elevate the material?
Everyone already knows the tragedy of Netflix’s previous attempts at adapting anime to live-action series.Cowboy Bebopis one of thehighest profile streaming disastersof the previous year, and its failure was bolstered by the marketable name that should’ve made it a success. It’s hard to tell if anyone has learned anything, but it’s easy to tell that more attempts are on the way.
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Yoshihiro Togashi’s 1990 manga seriesYu Yu Hakushois one of the most beloved and influential pieces of art in the medium. The tale of Yusuke Urameshi, a high-school student and Underworld Detective, gradually shifts from supernatural horrorto martial arts tournamentwhile nailing both. Unlike many other extremely popular shonen anime series,Yu Yu Hakushohas the courtesy to tell a complete story and reach a satisfying conclusion. 19 volumes of manga or 112 episodes of anime tell a stellar winding tale of power, responsibility, and friendship. Younger anime fans who started with stuff likeBleach, Naruto, or evenMy Hero Academiawill find a lot of the DNA of those series originated or evolved in Togashi’s first hit series. Anime fans might also know Togashi’s name because he’s also themind behindHunter x Hunter, making him one of the biggest figures in the genre. And now, almost 30 years after the original series' run concluded, Netflix unveils a live-action adaptation and is met with a defeated sigh.
While anime fans are still dreading the eventual releaseof Netflix’sOne Piece, the company stepped up to announce thatYu Yu Hakushois next to attempt the leap to live-action. On the list of anime that would be tough to translate into Netflix’s streaming series format,One Pieceranks pretty high.Yu Yu Hakushodefinitely comes across as a shorter row to hoe, but it’s still not going to be particularly easy. Togashi’s series is a little more grounded when it comes to most of its character designs and more simplistic in its depiction of superpowers, both of which will lighten the load on the VFX team. While it’s not the hardest anime one could adapt, Netflix has done less with more.
When compared to some of the other subjects,Yu Yu Hakushooffersseveral benefits to the team setting out to adapt it. The show takes a ton of inspiration from other works of fiction that a live-action adaptation could more closely emulate. The early arcs of the series are heavily inspired by horror films of the era. The opportunity to create a horror series that gradually evolves into a martial arts epic would be an inspired piece of filmmaking. A ton of anime adaptations suffer from the inability of their adaptors to find the spirit of the original work. If the new team can’t figure out what made the source material beloved, they’re stuck either meaninglessly recreating popular moments or slapping a marketable name on an unrelated product. Where many live-action adaptations fail to translate the material from the medium in which they worked,Yu Yu Hakushofeels like it could work as a live-action series.
It’s also worth looking into the team charged with this adaptation. The director set to take over this project is Sho Tsukikawa. The director is likely best known for another anime adaptation, the 2017 filmLet Me Eat Your Pancreas. Despite the unnerving title, the film tells a beautiful story of a girl’s magical final months after a tragic cancer diagnosis. Tsukikawa also adaptedMy Little Monster, which didn’t fare quite as well. Tsukikawa has a history with anime adaptation, but no notable experience in the action or horror genres. A portion of the cast has also been revealed, and it’s primarily made upof anime adaptation veteransincluding Takumi Kitamura, Kanata Hongo, and Jun Shison.
It’s worth noting the cultural discrepancy between this work and the other Netflix entries in this medium.Cowboy BebopandDeath Noteare American adaptations, made by primarily American showrunners, crew, and performers. Adaptations from Asia have a generally better history. Netflix’s adaptations ofRurouni Kenshin, Bleach,orFullmetal Alchemistaren’texactly transcendent, but they are perfectly serviceable as both adaptations and standalone films. Netflix isn’t the sole purveyor of dreadful live-action anime,Dragonball Evolutionpredates the streaming service. With veryfew exceptions, American takeson anime are typically abysmal from every angle. The fact that a Japanese director and a majority Japanese cast will be taking on this material should provide some hope to fans.
Anime adaptation is always a shaky business, but the fact that a culturally appropriate team of seasoned professionals is working with good material should provide a bit of hope.Yu Yu Hakushoisn’t dropping until next year, so fans will have to wait and see.
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