Live-action anime adaptations have become increasingly popular with hit shows like Alice in Borderland and One Piece garnering a huge fan base, but there are some hidden gems you probably missed. For years, live-action anime adaptations have faced harsh criticism from fans and critics, especially regarding faithfulness to the source material.

This isn’t surprising, as it’s a difficult task to capture an anime’s magic in human form. While a lot of live-action adaptations have been a disappointment, we have examples of projects that stood out and perfectly depicted what made the manga or anime they are based on work. That said, for every One Piece, we have plenty of more obscure live-action anime adaptations that are worth checking out.

10

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (2003)

Available To Stream On: NA

Based on one of the most popular anime, Sailor Moon, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon is one of the most unique live-action anime adaptations out there. It’s more of a Tokusatsu that, while it didn’t get everything right, still managed to capture what made the anime magical. Creative liberties had to be taken, such as Artemis and Luna being stuffed animals, and the introduction of new characters, the live-action series

PSGM doesn’t have as much action as Sailor Moon, as it focuses most of its premise on creating a character-driven narrative. However, it’s actually quite fun.

Given that PSGM was released in 2003, live-action anime adaptations were still trying to figure out what worked and what didn’t. But PSGM showed that creating a live-action series meant finding the perfect balance between originality and staying faithful to the source material.

9

Oshi no Ko (2024)

Available To Stream On: Prime Video

Centering around a doctor and his patient who are reincarnated as twins, the Oshi no Ko manga garnered a huge fan base when it was released. Three years after the manga debuted, an anime of the same name premiered on the Japanese network KBS Kyoto. Oshi no Ko then got an eight-episode live-action adaptation that was received favorably by both audiences and critics.

What makes Oshi no Ko stand out is that it does its best to stay faithful to the anime. However, the live-action series is a bit rushed as it tries to pack too much into eight episodes, which in a way disadvantages viewers who have never read the manga or watched the anime. Despite these errors, Oshi no Ko is filled with dramatic moments and emotional scenes that will tug at the heartstrings.

8

Parasyte: The Grey (2024)

Available To Stream On: Netflix

Parasyte: The Grey

Release Date

2024 – 2024-00-00

Directors

Yeon Sang Ho

Writers

Ryu Yong Jae, Yeon Sang Ho

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Yeong Sang-ho’s Parasyte: The Grey is not a direct adaptation of Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga but rather a spinoff of sorts set in the same universe as the source material. Like Parasyte, the Netflix original K-drama sees parasites make humans their hosts and wreak havoc on the city.

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Is Parasyte: The Grey A Sequel? Parasyte Anime Timeline Explained

Parasyte: The Grey’s surprising Parasyte cameo means the live-action K-drama series and the manga are more connected than many originally thought.

Parasyte: The Grey is incredibly intense and scary, but like all of Yeon Sang-ho’s work, it also has a deep theme that makes the show more than just a horror TV series. The live-action adaptation raises questions about humanity and how our goal to survive mirrors that of an alien species, just like the original manga did.

7

Death Note (2015)

Available To Stream On: Amazon Prime Video

The Death Note anime came out in 2006 and to this day is still revered by fans. Over the years, several live-action Death Note adaptations have been made with varying levels of success. Although the Death Note live-action adaptations have been hit or miss, the 2015 Japanese series was a step in the right direction.

Kento Yamazaki, who now stars as Arisu in Netflix’s Alice in Borderland, played L in the Death Note J-Drama. While it’s not without its faults, Death Note stayed true to the anime and is probably one of the few adaptations that’s as close to the original story, other than the 2006 film.

6

GTO: Great Teacher Onizuka (2012)

Available To Stream On: Amazon Prime Video

Tooru Fujisawa’s sequel to Shonan Junai Gumi and Bad Company, Great Teacher Onizuka, is a testament that a live-action anime adaptation can be done well. Before the series and anime were created, a live-action movie of the same name debuted in 1998 and became an instant hit, proving that GTO had a large fan base.

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Live-action anime adaptations have always been contentious, but even so, there are a few notable anime that would be perfect for the change in medium.

In 2012, a Japanese live-action TV show of the same name debuted and perfectly captured what made Fujisawa’s manga so popular. Unlike the anime, the GTO live-action series ran for a longer time, thus giving ample opportunity to fully develop the students and teachers in the show. The chemistry between Onizuka and Fuyutsuki is unmatched, which adds a level of depth to the series.

5

Bet (2025)

Available To Stream On: Netflix

Bet

Release Date

May 15, 2025

Network

Netflix

Writers

Simon Barry

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Kakegurui has had several live-action adaptations over the years, including the 2018 Japanese film, Kakegurui, Kakegurui: Compulsive Gambler, Kakegurui 2: Ultimate Russian Roulette, and most recently, Netflix’s Bet.

Bet made some huge changes. The setting is different from the anime as it takes place in America instead of Japan, and Yumiko has another reason for transferring to the elite school.

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7 Biggest Ways Netflix’s Kakegurui Live-Action Show Changes The Anime

Bet has arrived on Netflix, and the latest live-action reimaging of Kakegurui makes several changes that add new layers to the high-stakes games.

While these changes might have divided the fans of the anime, Bet actually did a good of of staying true to the original characters, even though they might be a little different. Bet season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, and a second season is confirmed.

4

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan (2020)

Available To Stream On: Amazon Prime Video

Thus Spoke Kishibe Rohan is a collection of short stories that centers around an eccentric artist, Rohan, who travels the world in order to find inspiration to inform his art. The live-action adaptation of the manga has been successful in Japan and international audiences, running for four seasons with nine episodes in total.

While the live-action show makes such changes to the manga, including Rohan appearing in all episodes, when he isn’t in the original story, the series still captures his eccentricities and the thrilling supernatural elements. Apart from the anime, there’s also a feature film, Rohan au Louvre, that follows Rohan’s adventures.

3

Mob Psycho 100 (2018)

Available To Stream On: Netflix

Mob Psycho 100 is considered one of the best anime of the 2010s, so it’s understandable that a live-action remake would instantly raise the eyebrows of fans of the original show. Before Mob Psycho 100 aired its third and final season, the live-action series debuted and received generally positive reviews.

Taking a beloved anime such as Mob Psycho 100 and telling the story through a different medium is always a risk, as so many things could be mistranslated. However, Mob Psycho not only stayed true to the anime, but Kasami Yumaya did such a great job as Tome Kurata that it could be difficult to separate him from his anime counterpart.

2

Gokusen (2002)

Available To Stream On: Amazon Prime

Centering around Kumiko Yamaguchi, the granddaughter of a powerful Yakuza boss, Gokusen delves into the story of her journey to being the Math teacher of one of the most unruly classes at an all-boys private school. The live-action Gokusen series ran for three seasons, and each one of them was as thrilling as the last.

Gokusen is funny, heartwarming, and makes it easy to root for Kumiko’s success. Unlike other TV shows, Gokusen was created as a live-action show before the anime debuted. There’s also a film of the same name, which debuted in 2009 and gained favorable reviews from critics and audiences alike.

1

Yu Yu Hakusho (2022)

Available To Stream On: Netflix

Yu Yu Hakusho is one of the most iconic anime of all time, so it’s not surprising that a live-action series was created by Netflix. There were some doubts about whether the live-action series would represent the anime well, particularly because Netflix didn’t have the best track record in this area.

However, the live-action TV show more than rose to the occasion. The Netflix series had a great cast led by Takumi Kitamura, who embodied Yusuke’s arrogance and don’t care attitude perfectly. There were, of course, some minor changes to the stories, such as the Makai insects being introduced earlier than they were in the anime, as well as a rushed pace.

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Why Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho Is Only Five Episodes Long

Netflix’s live-action Yu Yu Hakusho series is only five episodes long but covers a significant portion of the anime, which ran for 112 episodes.

Netflix’s Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t complete Yusuke’s story as it only has one season, while the anime ran for four. However, the show manages to delve into the most essential plot points from its source material. Whether you watched the anime or not, Yu Yu Hakusho is such a great adaptation that you don’t need background information to enjoy it.