Live-Action Anime & Manga Movie Adaptations~
This list's purpose is to help others discover live-actions offerings worth seeing. Will update as I find more to watch.
Comment if you know of any good adaptations I'm yet to see!
Comment if you know of any good adaptations I'm yet to see!
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47 titles
- DirectorTomoyuki TakimotoStarsShôta MatsudaTakashi TsukamotoRiko NarumiIkigami takes place in a dystopian society where the government has implemented the "Prosperity Law". This law dictates 1 in 1000 random citizens ages 18~24 will die for the state in a mandatory lottery. Death occurs at a preset date and time, which is when an injected nano-capsule, received at an early age, explodes. The law is meant to create appreciation for life by instilling fear in order to make people live the best possible lives.9/10
- DirectorIsshin InudôStarsMasami NagasawaShôta SaitôKeita SaitouKazuya and Tatsuya are brothers who both share a love of baseball, along with a childhood friend Minami. Additionally, both of them are in love with Minami, and fight for her affection.8/10
- DirectorGen TakahashiStarsKanata HongôRin TakanashiKunihiko IdaMorino and Kamiyama share a morbid fascination with cruelty and murder in this horror. Together they track down a brutal serial killer to find the latest two victims - not necessarily to bring the killer to justice but to inspect their handiwork...8/10
- DirectorRyûhei KitamuraStarsAya UetoKenji KohashiHiroki NarimiyaRaised to deal in cold blooded death, the teenage assassin girl Azumi must defeat three evil warlords while also battling her own heart.8/10
- DirectorTôya SatôStarsYasunori DantaMayuko FukudaMansaku FuwaAn aunt's struggle to survive in Japan during World War II while caring for her niece and nephew.8/10
- DirectorHae-sung SongStarsLee Na-youngGang Dong-wonYoun Yuh-jungA suicidal girl started to visit a convicted murderer awaiting execution every Thursday.8/10
Lacked the power of the manga adaptation as a result of a few significant alterations (crime of the male lead changed completely, as well as the female lead's assaulter) and pacing issues. Still had me watery-eyed at the end... even though a beautiful, worldless piano playing moment was replaced with a dramatic final speech. - DirectorKeishi OtomoStarsTakeru SatohEmi TakeiYû AoiA former assassin who has resolved to never kill again has his vow sorely tested.8/10
- DirectorYukihiko TsutsumiStarsHiro MizushimaKenta KiritaniAoi NakamuraA normal fresh year highschool kid found his daily basis life extremely boring, until one day he met a dog and the owner of it that leads him to a completely new life filled with passion within musical stuff.8/10
- DirectorAtaru OikawaStarsGôki MaedaAiri MatsuyamaRin AsukaEarly summer, Keiichi had just moved to a remote mountain village. As he becomes close friends with a group of girls, he was enjoying his life in the village. However when he starts to become suspicious that Rena, Mion and the others that Keiichi trusted may be deeply involved in successive murders that occur every summer, the situation around Keiichi gradually starts to turn. As if the girls' characters had completely changed, a sewing needle is found in his food, he is chased by mysterious men, and is involved in an accident which could have killed him. He could no longer trust anyone, and then one mystery leads to another, bringing out a shockingly bloody ending.8/10
- DirectorDaisuke MiuraStarsKazunobu MinetaMei KurokawaRyûhei MatsudaToshiyuki Tanishi (Mr Tanishi) is a 29-year-old chronic masturbator and toy vending machine salesman - he is socially awkward and down on his luck. Things change when he meets Chiharu a pretty woman who might actually be into him. Unfortunately, he has competition for Chiharu's affection from handsome, rival vending salesman Aoyama.8/10
- DirectorJong-tae ChoiStarsLee Joon-giLee Mun-shikNam Heon-junJang Ga-Pil is an ordinary middle-aged father. One day, he returns home to learn that his teenage daughter was assaulted by a group of guys at a karaoke bar. He then concocts a plan to stab the boy on his way to school.8/10
- DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsTakuya KimuraHana SugisakiSôta FukushiCursed with a life of immortality, a samurai is tasked by a young girl to help avenge the death of her father. Based on the manga series by Hiroaki Samura.7/10
- DirectorDoug LimanStarsTom CruiseEmily BluntBill PaxtonA soldier fighting aliens gets to relive the same day over and over again, the day restarting every time he dies.7/10
- DirectorAtaru OikawaStarsAikaRin AsukaAyako KawaharaA young girl's troubles bring fear and madness to her entire village.7/10
- DirectorKinji FukasakuStarsTatsuya FujiwaraAki MaedaTarô YamamotoIn the future, the Japanese government captures a class of ninth-grade students and forces them to kill one another under the revolutionary "Battle Royale" act.7/10
- DirectorShûsuke KanekoStarsTatsuya FujiwaraKen'ichi MatsuyamaErika TodaPicking up where the first one leaves off, Light joins the task force searching for Kira in an effort to avert suspicion from himself---and get rid of L.7/10
- DirectorToshiya FujitaStarsMeiko KajiToshio KurosawaMasaaki DaimonA strikingly beautiful young woman is trained from birth to be a deadly instrument of revenge against the swindlers who destroyed her family.7/10
- DirectorRupert SandersStarsScarlett JohanssonPilou AsbækTakeshi KitanoIn the near future, Major Mira Killian is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous criminals.6/10
- DirectorShinji HiguchiStarsHaruma MiuraKiko MizuharaKanata HongôIn a world where giant humanoid Titans prey on humans, Eren joins the scouting legion to get revenge on the monsters who killed everyone in his town.6/10
- DirectorShinsuke SatoStarsKazunari NinomiyaKanata HongôKen'ichi MatsuyamaAfter trying to rescue a man on the subway tracks, two teens wake up in a room dominated by a mysterious black sphere that sends them to hunt down and kill aliens hiding on Earth.6/10
- DirectorTôya SatôStarsTatsuya FujiwaraKen'ichi MatsuyamaKei SatôKaiji, a young gambler who is constantly in debt, enters a deadly gambling competition in order to wipe away his loans.6/10
- DirectorKimura HisashiYukihiko TsutsumiStarsToshiaki KarasawaEtsushi ToyokawaTakako TokiwaYears after a schoolboy writes a book of prophecies, a mysterious super-villain uses it as his master-plan of world destruction.6/10
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.6/10
- DirectorTôya SatôStarsTatsuya FujiwaraYûsuke IseyaYuriko YoshitakaKaiji erased all of his debts in the first movie. A year later, he's back in the same debt ridden situation. Kaiji then gets a chance to clear himself of his 200 million Yen debt, but he has only 2 weeks.6/10
- DirectorTakehiko ShinjôStarsMao InoueMasaki OkadaNatsuki HaradaTakuma knows that his life is shorter than the others and he feels that his demise is getting near. He chose to stay away from the girl that he loves so that she can easily move on. What he didn't know is that he is under-estimating her.6/10
- DirectorJôji IidaStarsSatoshi TsumabukiSayaka KandaTakayuki YamadaA teenage boy wakes up and finds himself on a train. He vaguely remembers being on a class trip when something terrible happened, and he is one of the few survivors.5/10
- DirectorAtsushi KaneshigeStarsShunsuke DaitôJun FukuyamaYuta FurukawaCollege student Mutou Ookawa catches a glimpse of Ametani Yuiko, his co-worker from a former part-time job and falls immediately in love. Summoning up his courage, he eventually confesses his feelings to her and she responds "...but I'm a fujoshi." Mutou not having the slight clue what "fujoshi" means, immediately responds "That's OK!"5/10
- DirectorNorihiro KoizumiStarsYuiTakashi TsukamotoKuniko AsagiKaoru has a sickness that hindered her to go out when the sun is up. Despite this sickness, she fell in love with a boy named Koji. If she decides to pursue her love, it will mean risking her life.5/10
The manga drew more emotion out of me and held my attention better. Although (as far as I know) the movie is the original version of the story, and the two versions cover the exact same ground, seeing the same events play out again in live-action form over the course of two hours just wasn't anywhere near as compelling or moving. I felt throughout that the lead actress was stiff and struggled to convey the character's feelings, and it came as no great surprise to me to discover that she's a singer and has been in no other movies. - DirectorTakehiko ShinjôStarsAoi MiyazakiHiroshi TamakiMunetaka AokiA photographer named Makoto travels to New York during Christmas to look for his best friend, Shizuru. The two first met when Makoto attended his university entrance ceremony. Due to his inferiority complex, Makoto tends to shy away other people but Shizuru managed to make him open up to her. Because of their friendship, Shizuru also ended up taking an interest in photography and the two often went to the forest to take pictures. Shizuru wants nothing else but to be by Makoto's side, so when he started liking another girl called Miyuki , Shizuru decided that she too will like Miyuki and becomes her friend. One day , Makoto asked Shizuru what present she'd like to receive for her Birthday. Shizuru , who wants to enter a photography competition, had an idea to take a picture of the two of them kissing in a forest. Makoto agreed to do this and the two kissed for the very first time. After that day, however, Shizuru disappears from Makoto's life.5/10
- DirectorKentarô OhtaniStarsMasami NagasawaMokomichi HayamiTsuyoshi AbeA diver on the university team must decide which of her two childhood friends she loves, and they're both on the swim team.5/10
The predictably abrupt ending, which lacked even so much as a direct confession - let alone a kiss - reminded me why I decided to avoid Adachi's work. As ever with Adachi, a good job was done of mixing sport (swimming, this time around) and romance. But NOTHING ever advances on the romantic front, leaving the characters feeling underdeveloped because of the lack of progression in their relationships. There wasn't anything groundbreaking included; meaning I won't be reading the manga to see what wasn't shown. - DirectorTakashi MiikeStarsTadanobu AsanoNao ÔmoriShin'ya TsukamotoAs sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of achieving.5/10
- DirectorHiguchinskyStarsEriko HatsuneFhi FanHinako SaekiThe inhabitants of a small Japanese town become increasingly obsessed with and tormented by spirals.5/10
- DirectorTen ShimoyamaStarsYukie NakamaJoe OdagiriTomoka KurotaniStar-crossed lovers must fight on opposing sides in a battle that will determine the next Shogun.5/10
- DirectorShôsuke MurakamiStarsTakayuki YamadaMiki NakataniRyôko KuninakaThe supposedly true story of a 23-year-old otaku (Japanese geek) who intervenes when a drunk man is harassing several women on a train. The otaku ultimately begins dating one of the women, and posts on a website asking for advice every step of the way.5/10
- DirectorKitaji IshikawaStarsEma FujisawaTeppei KoikeShôsuke TaniharaRisa Koizumi an unusually tall high school girl, meets the "vertically challenged" young man Otani Atsushi. They find common ground in height anxieties and interests.5/10
- DirectorMika NinagawaStarsAnna TsuchiyaKippei ShînaYoshino KimuraA young girl is sold into a red-light district brothel and tries to adapt to life as an oiran (courtesan).5/10
- DirectorJing WongStarsJackie ChanRichard NortonJoey WangA self-indulgent private investigator winds up on a cruise ship full of rich patrons, gorgeous women, murderous terrorists, and scarce food.5/10
- DirectorKeishi OtomoStarsTakeru SatohEmi TakeiTatsuya FujiwaraKenshin Himura goes up against pure evil Makoto Shishio who is attempting to overthrow the Meiji government. The fate of the country hangs in the balance as Kenshin Himura takes up the sword that he vowed to never draw again.5/10
- DirectorShûsuke KanekoStarsTatsuya FujiwaraKen'ichi MatsuyamaAsaka SetoA battle between the world's two greatest minds begins when Light Yagami finds the Death Note, a notebook with the power to kill, and decides to rid the world of criminals.5/10
- DirectorAkihiko ShiotaStarsSatoshi TsumabukiKô ShibasakiKiichi NakaiA female warrior who was raised as a man joins a young samurai's quest to recover 48 of his body parts from 48 demons and to avenge her parents death.5/10
- DirectorShinji HiguchiStarsHaruma MiuraHiroki HasegawaKanata HongôA young boy name Eren Jaeger has to use his gift to know about the mystery of the Titans.4/10
- DirectorShinsuke SatoStarsKazunari NinomiyaKen'ichi MatsuyamaYuriko YoshitakaKato's (Ken'ichi Matsuyama) death changes Kurono's (Kazunari Ninomiya) view of life completely. He decides to keep fighting until he earns 100 points so that he can bring back Kato. GANTZ calls back several other unwilling participants that were allowed to leave after scoring 100 points. Before Kurono succeeds in resurrecting Kato, he unexpectedly comes back. GANTZ and the fighters take on another enemy worse than ever before. To make matters worse, GANTZ starts acting up. GANTZ chooses the next target... this time it's not an alien but a human girl. Each unwilling participant in GANTZ's twisted game has a different motive for fighting, whether to protect a loved one or to do what they think is right.4/10
- DirectorShûsuke KanekoStarsAya UetoYûma IshigakiChiaki KuriyamaYoung assassins Azumi and Nagara continue their mission to prevent a civil war. In their hunt for Masayuki Sanada, who is protected by both an army and a dangerous clan, they meet Ginkaku, a person who shows a remarking resemblance with former friend Nachi.4/10
- DirectorSion SonoStarsShôta SometaniFumi NikaidôTetsu WatanabeAfter two teenagers from abusive households befriend each other, their lives take a dark adventure into existentialism, despair, and human frailty.3/10
- DirectorMasayuki SuzukiStarsTakashi SorimachiNorika FujiwaraRena TanakaA live action film version of the hit Japanese TV series staring Takashi Sorimachi as Eikichi Onizuka.3/10
- DirectorHiroshi AndoStarsJun MatsumotoNana EikuraYûta HiraokaIt's a nice lovestory between sister and brother3/10
Painfully dull, with acting so stiff and fake that I felt the need to stop after all of 30 minutes. Stick to the OVA. - DirectorNobuhiko ÔbayashiStarsYasufumi HayashiAiko AsanoVajra BarzaghiAn international school in Kobe, Japan is catapulted into the future after a time-slip occurs.2/10
A contender for the worst movie I've ever seen/dropped. An Americanized take on a survival horror manga so badly acted/scripted that I was confused whether the lead was supposed to be 'into' his mom as he groped her at the start. The CG was hilarious.