Are Anime and Manga Going Live Action?

Since DC and Marvel are rolling out (usually successful) films based on their superheroes, why wouldn't Hollywood start mining Anime?
Well they are.
Steven Spielberg is working on Ghost in the Shell, James Cameron is working on Battle Angel Alita, Peter Segal and Michael Ewing are working on Bleach and The Hughes Brothers are working on Akira.

Over at indieWIRE, guest blogger Cameron Carlson has an article about the upcoming live action films based on Anime, and a whole lot more that are in development...

" Would you buy a ticket for a big-budget, live-action anime feature? What if there were four of them released at the same time? That could be the plight facing anime fans in 2011, and while the fans of japanimation recognize the difference between a cyborg and a mobile battle suit, the general public does not."

You can read the full article here:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/05/04/anime_next_big_thing/

So with that in mind, here are a few Anime/Manga projects that have already made the leap to the big screen...

Lady Snowblood (1973)
Based on the manga by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Kazuo Kamimura.
There was a sequel, Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance in 1974, and a science fiction remake in 2001, released in the US as The Princess Blade.
Quentin Tarantino has said the film was a major inspiration for his Kill Bill films.

The Guyver (1991)
Based on the Bio-Booster Armor Guyver manga series written by Yoshiki Takaya, it spawned a sequel, Guyver: Dark Hero in 1994.

City Hunter (1993)
A Hong Kong martial arts action comedy film based on the manga series written and illustrated by Tsukasa Hojo.
Notable because it starred Jackie Chan as Ryo Saeba.

Hana Yori Dango (1995)
Based on the shōjo manga series Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio
In 2008, Hana Yori Dango Final was released in theatres on as the end of the live action Japanese TV series.

Crying Freeman (1995)
A French and Canadian produced action film based on the manga by Kazuo Koike & Ryoichi Ikegami.

Blue (2001)
A Japanese romantic drama based on the manga Blue by Kiriko Nananan.

Blue Spring (2001)
A Japanese film based on a manga by Taiyō Matsumoto.

Doing Time (2002)
Based on the manga by Kazuichi Hanawa.

Cutie Honey (2004)
Starring Japanese model Eriko Sato and based on the manga and anime series Cutie Honey.

A Battle of Wits (2006)
This Hong Kong historical action drama film, was based upon a Japanese historical novel and a manga series written by Hideki Mori.

Death Note (2006)
Not one, but three films were based on the manga and anime series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata.
Death Note was released on June 17, 2006, Death Note: The Last Name was released on November 3, 2006 and a spin-off L: Change the World, was released on February 9, 2008.
This film is one of those set for a remake by Warner Bros.

Dragonball Evolution (2009)
Based of course on the Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.
Despite the fact the film flopped at the box office, with critic and with fans, there is a sequel rumored

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Sakura, But Which One?

Well the number one female anime / manga character on this list is kinda hard to figure out.
At number seven, we had Sakura from Naruto.
But, the name Sakura comes in at number one.
Is it Naruro's Sakura?
Or is it Sakura Kinomoto, from Cardcaptor Sakura?
That's the question.

Is it Sakura Haruno from Naruto?

It looks like both of them have a loyal fanbase, and with both being named Sakura, how can I tell the difference?
I really hate ties, I like to see one clear winner, but the only thing I can think of is to call it a draw and list both Naruto's Sakura and Cardcaptor's Sakura as a tie for number one.

Is it Sakura Kinomoto, from Cardcaptor Sakura?

This is kinda like DC comics and Marvel both having a character named Batman, and trying to figure out which companies character is the most popular.

Personally, I'd have to give the nod to Sakura Haruno from Naruto, but like I said Sakura Kinomoto seems to have just as much popularity.

Or is it this?

Of course since Sakura means Cherry Blossom, so maybe it's just that cherry trees are really popular.

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Sakura, But Which One? , posted to http://anime-times.blogspot.com/ on April 16th, 2010.

The Top Ten Anime Girls - Eve - Black Cat

Number Two - Eve (Black Cat)

Eve, the genetically engineered bio-weapon that looks like a young girl from the Anime and Manga Black Cat comes in at number number two on the list.
Using nanotechnology Eve can transform her body into various types of offensive and defensive weapons.
At first she could only do parts, but later, she developed the ability to transform her entire body into a weapon, though it puts quite a strain on her.

You have to admit, having a person on your side that can turn her arms into blades, hammers, shields etc., and turn her hair into fists and more blades, turn her skin into steel, sprout wings and swim underwater like a mermaid has it's advantages.

Eve was raised to be an emotionless killing machine and designed to be the ultimate soldier.

She is usually called "Princess", or "Hime-chan" by Train.

Eve versus Leon (Black Cat)



Eve - Black Cat, posted to http://anime-times.blogspot.com/ on April 1st, 2010

The Top Ten Anime Girls,Orihime Inoue (Bleach)

Number 3. Orihime Inoue (Bleach)

Number three on the list is Orihime Inoue from the anime and manga series Bleach created by Tite Kubo.

Besides the manga and anime series, Orihime has appeared in Bleach video games and animated films.
Her likeness has also been made into items like action figures, figurines, key chains and you can even buy replicas of her ever present hair pins.
She has also ranked very high in popularity polls among readers.
Outside of Bleach, she has appeared in Gin Tama created by Hideaki Sorachi.

Bleach: Excellent Model Series Inoue Orihime & Yoruichi PVC Figure 1/8 Scale

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Misa Amane / Death Note

Misa Amane, Manga

Number 4. Misa Amane (Death Note)

The Japanese manga, anime and film series Death Note was created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata.
The female protagonist in the Death Note series, Misa Amane, is very popular.
Popular enough to come in at number 4 at least.

Misa Amane, Anime

In the series, Misa is a famous model, singer and actress and is infatuated with Light Yagami.
She usually refers to herself in the third person by calling herself "Misa-Misa" to be cute and she leans toward being hyperactive.

Misa Amane, Film

In the film adaptations of Death Note, Death Note (2006), Death Note: The Last Name (2006) and the spin off movie, L: Change the World (2008) , Misa was portrayed by Erika Toda.

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Chi

Number 5. Chi (Chobits)

Chi (or Chii) is a character from the manga and anime series Chobits, that also appears in the series Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and Kobato.
She is a Chobit (a persocom or personal computer) created by Ichiro Mihara.
The name Chobit comes from her creator who called anything "small and hopelessly adorable" Chobi.
So two Chobi, Chi and her sister Freya, became "Chobits".

Chobits - Persocom (Vol. 1)

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Sakura

I'm dead sexy.....

The seventh most popular anime girl is Sakura from Naruto.
Really?
I don't see it.
I guess she has a nice personality.

I mean even Masashi Kishimoto says he has had difficulty drawing her, resulting in her having a huge forehead.
But she ranked high enough to be number seven.

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Galatea

http://www.animegalleries.net/

8. Galatea from the Claymore anime.

Claymore is a dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi and a twenty-six episode anime directed by Hiroyuki Tanaka.
One of the more kind-hearted Claymores, Galatea starts out in the series as Claymore Number 3.
She is able to sense other Claymores from a long distance, read their emotions, and see their actions as if she were there.

Claymore, Starter Set (includes Vol. 1)

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Rei Ayanami

9. Rei Ayanami
If you don't know what Neon Genesis Evangelion is, you must be new to anime.
Rei Ayanami is just one of the characters in the series.
But the pilot of Evangelion Unit 00 appears to be very popular.
Just based on sculptures alone, everybody seems to want her in some form.

The Top Ten Anime Girls, Simca

Of course everyone has their favorite girl in Anime, so making a list based on popularity would be very hard.
So I turned to who was the most searched for anime girls.
Starting in reverse order, we begin with......

10. Simca (Air Gear)

Simca, the leader of Genesis in the Manga and Anime "Air Gear".

Air Gear is a shōnen manga and anime by the mangaka Oh! great (Tenjho Tenge).
Both in the East and West, this Anime has gained a lot of popularity.
And Simca herself seems to have a fairly large fanbase.
She's popular enough to come in at number ten on the list.
In the Japanese Anime she's voiced by Rie Tanaka, and in the English dub, she's voiced by Monica Rial.
Simca also seems to be a very popular cosplay character.

Hoshin Engi / Soul Hunter

Hoshin Engi (also known as Soul Hunter) is a Japanese manga and anime by Ryu Fujisaki.
Hoshin Engi was inspired by an ancient Chinese novel Fengshen Yanyi (The Investiture of the Gods or The Creation of the Gods).
From 1996 to 2000, the manga series was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.
VIZ Media acquired the rights to the manga and bimonthly releases started June 5, 2007.
The manga was also compiled in 23 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha.
After VIZ Media acquired the rights, 18 Kanzenban (collector edition) volumes were released between July 2005 and June 2006.
The manga was adapted into a 26 episode anime that was broadcast on Japanese TV in 1999.
It was released on DVD in North America as Soul Hunter in 2001.
Some of the characters from the series appear in Jump Ultimate Stars, a fighting video game developed by Ganbarion and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS. The game is similar to Super Smash Bros.
A video game based on the manga was released for the Game Boy Advance and the Wonderswan.

Shaman King

Shaman King is a 285 chapter, 32 volume manga and 64 episode anime series created by Hiroyuki Takei.
The manga started in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan, which lead into the creation of the anime.
The anime starts off following the events of the manga for about half the series and then slowly moves into its own plot.
You can see more about the manga at their English site here.
And you can learn more about the anime series at JETIX's Shaman King website here.

The Wallflower / Perfect Girl Evolution / Yamato Nadeshiko

The Wallflower (a.k.a Perfect Girl Evolution and Yamato Nadeshiko) is an anime and manga series written by Tomoko Hayakawa.
The individual chapters have been serialized in Bessatsu Friend since its premiere in 2000 and Nippon Animation adapted part of the manga series into a twenty-five episode anime series
The story follows a girl named Sunako Nakahara, who was called "ugly" by the first and only person to whom she confessed her love.
This causes Sunako to change and shun all forms of beauty, both in herself as well as in life.
Sunako's aunt, who owns a beautiful mansion where four very handsome students live, offers the guys free rent in if they can turn Sunako into a "perfect lady" or Yamato Nadeshiko.
It's a kind of "My Fair Lady" story with a few twists.

Shugo Chara!

Created by the manga author duo, Peach-Pit (Banri Sendo and Shibuko Ebara), Shugo Chara! is a manga and anime that follows elementary schoolgirl Amu Hinamori.
The manga is serialized in the Japanese magazine Nakayoshi and published by Kodansha.
Shugo Chara! went on sale on January 3, 2006 in the February edition of Nakayoshi magazine.
It was adapted into an Anime, produced by Satelight under the direction of Kenji Yasuda, on October 6, 2007.
Crunchyroll.com announced on November 19, 2008 that it will be streaming Shugo Chara! with English subtitles.
Shugo Chara! won the 2008 Kodansha Manga Award for best children's manga.
The first DVD compilation was released on February 20, 2008 by Pony Canyon.

Claymore

Claymore started out, as a lot of anime does, as a manga.
This dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Norihiro Yagi. It appeared in the Monthly Shōnen Jump in May 2001.
When Monthly was canceled in June 2007, the series moved to Weekly Shonen Jump.
The first eleven volumes of the series was made into a twenty-six episode anime series by Madhouse Studios, and it premiered in Japan on NTV on April 3, 2007.
The plot is basically that a group of superhuman warriors called Claymores are created by a nameless secret organization to protect humans from flesh-eating creatures called Yoma.
Most of the claymores are female, because human males who are changed to hybrids (by implanting Yoma flesh and blood into humans) tend to lose control of their powers faster.
The series follows the adventures of one Claymore named Clare and her friend Raki.

Vampire Knight

Continuing along with Vampire Animes....

Vampire Knight, a manga and anime series written by Matsuri Hino, premiered in the January 2005 issue of LaLa magazine and is still on-going.
Hakusensha publishes chapters in collected volumes, nine of which have been released in Japan.
A twenty-six episode anime adaptation was produced by Studio Deen and directed by Kiyoko Sayama.
The first season of thirteen episodes, premiered on TV Tokyo in Japan on April 8, 2008 and ran until the season finale on July 1, 2008.
The second thirteen episode season, called Vampire Knight Guilty, premiered on October 7, 2008.
Besides the manga and anime, two drama CDs have been released, two light novels, a video game (Vampire Knight DS coming out in 2009) and the official Vampire Knight Fanbook was released in November 2008.

Hellsing

And now for one of my personal favorite animes.....Hellsing.

Hellsing is a Japanese manga and anime series written and illustrated by Kouta Hirano.
It debuted in Young King Ours in 1997 and ended in 2008.
Hellsing chronicles the efforts of the mysterious and secret Hellsing Organization, as it combats vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural foes who threaten the United Kingdom.

Dark Horse Comics is licensed for the English language release of the manga in North America. In Australia and New Zealand, Madman Entertainment owns the rights and in Singapore the rights are owned by Chuang Yi.
Hellsing: The Dawn, a prequel series, has been published in special editions of Young King OURs since 2001.

The anime series was produced by Gonzo and directed by Umanosuke Iida from a screenplay by Chiaki Konaka.
It is different from the manga in terms of plot, though it uses some of the same characters and similar character designs.
The anime was broadcast on Fuji Television in Japan from October 10, 2001 to January 16, 2002.
Satelight and Geneon. is producing an original video animation (OVA) called Hellsing Ultimate. Ultimate follows the manga story line more closely than the first anime series.

Hellsing (Complete Boxed Set)

xxxHolic

This is another manga, anime from CLAMP that ties in with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle and Cardcaptor Sakura.
xxxHolic has been serialized in Kodansha's Young Magazine since 2003 and published in volumes under the KC Deluxe label.
It's published in the United Kingdom by Tanoshimi and in the US by Del Rey Manga.
On August 20, 2005, an animated movie, xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night's Dream, was released in Japan. The movie was released on DVD on November 24, 2006 and TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) began airing a TV animation series April 6, 2006 in Japan. Funimation Entertainment obtained the rights to both the movie and TV series for distribution in the United States.
At the end of the second season run of the anime, a special episode was announced for a DVD-only release. It will be bundled for release with volume 14 of the manga on January 16, 2009.

In the manga there are references to Cardcaptor Sakura, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Magic Knight Rayearth, Legal Drug, Kobato, Chobits, Lupin III and Cat's Eye.
In the anime, there are references to Ōkiku Furikabutte (a baseball manga) and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.

"Watanuki's Sixteen-day-old Moon Grass Story" was released as a video game in Japan for the PlayStation 2 on August 9, 2007.

Cardcaptor Sakura

Cardcaptor Sakura is a magical girl manga series from the famous all-female artist team CLAMP (creators of Angelic Layer, Magic Knight Rayearth and Tokyo Babylon, among others) .
Cardcaptor Sakura is published in Japan by Kodansha (the largest manga publisher in Japan) and was serialized in Nakayoshi (a shōjo manga magazine).
The manga series consists of twelve volumes.
The Cardcaptor Sakura manga is well-known for its emphasis on the shōjo genre (manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10 and 18) of the series, with nearly every page having detailed flowers, bubbles, or sparkles around the main characters.
It won the Seiun Award for Best Manga in 2001, and the anime won the Animage Grand Prix award for best anime in 1999.
The manga was translated into English by Tokyopop.

Cardcaptor Sakura was adapted into an anime television series, animated by Madhouse (Death Note, Chobits, Trigun) and directed by Morio Asaka (who also did Chobits) .
The character designer and chief animation director for the series was Kumiko Takahashi (Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam).
It premiered on NHK from April 8, 1998 and finished airing on March 21, 2000.
Two theatrically released movies (Cardcaptor Sakura: The Movie and Cardcaptor Sakura Movie 2: The Sealed Card), and several specials (Tomoyo's video diary 1, 2 and 3) were also produced.
The second season of TV series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1999.
Nelvana produced an English dub of the anime series, titled Cardcaptors, which aired in English-speaking countries.
An unedited English translation, bearing the original title, Cardcaptor Sakura, was broadcast in its English-language networks by the anime television network Animax.
Cardcaptor Sakura has also been released in North America (but not the UK or Australia) on unedited and subtitled DVDs under its original title.

Besides being a very popular anime, Cardcaptor Sakura has another interesting quirk.
Several of the characters from Cardcaptor Sakura have been reworked for use in another Clamp series, Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle.
Sakura (The Princess of Clow Country) and "Syaoran" Li (The son of Sakura Kinomoto and Syaoran Li) are two of the cross overs from Cardcaptor to Tsubasa.


The series has been adapted into several video games, developed for Game Boy, PlayStation, WonderSwan, Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance and PlayStation 2.

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle

Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle is a manga series by Clamp (a Japanese mangaka group).
It is currently being serialized in Shōnen Magazine.

It was adapted into an anime series, Tsubasa Chronicle (renamed Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle in English) animated by Bee Train.
It was aired in 52 episodes over two seasons during 2005 and 2006.
Three OVAs (original video animation) were also released in every two months, from November 2007 through March 2008.

As of September 1st, 2008, the English dub is being broadcast on the Funimation in the United States.
The English dub is also being broadcast by Animax across its English language networks in Southeast Asia at the beginning of 2006 under the title 'Chronicle of The Wings'.
Tsubasa Chronicle was released in the United Kingdom by Revelation Films in September 2007.
Tsubasa Chronicle Season 2 will also be released in the UK.
Both seasons and the movie (Tsubasa Chronicle the Movie: The Princess of the Country of Birdcages) are licensed for release in North America by FUNimation