I probably have not watched enough live-action drama TV series and film adaptions of manga to verify whether or not they do, for the most part, bear extremely similar artistic direction to their manga/anime source material; however, this is not surprising if it is indeed the case.

The reason it is not surprising is that Japanese culture values sticking with tradition and establishing traditions. This is why their traditional arts such as tea ceremony, ikebana, kimono manufacture, and sumi-e painting are not interested in "innovation" but rather pride themselves in remaining unchanged in technique and materials/tools.

Most Japanese companies follow a tradition of doing things procedurally as they have been done up until now; they are generally averse to streamlining, experimenting, and risk-taking (this is the launching point for the plot of the TV drama 「フリーター、家を買う。」 [Part-Time Worker Buys a House]: Take Seiji quits his job after only 3 months because his company will not allow any newbies to suggest improvements to make operations more efficient).

The Takarazuka Revue all-female theatre company has adapted a number of manga titles into stage musicals. Once they create choreography for the musical, it becomes tradition and every single performance of the same show must be danced using the exact same choreography as the first production. A prime example is Versailles no Bara, which has, arguably, very out-dated, over-dramatic and poorly-choreography dances and battle scenes from the very first production in 1974, but despite adapting the manga into a variety of perspectives (i.e. Oscar and Andre version, Oscar version, Andre version, Fersen and Marie Antoinette version, Girodelle version, Alain version, Bernard version, etc.), no dance moves can be revised for the revivals (when the company stages the show again for a new run with a new cast).

In this vein, for live-action adaptions of manga to attempt to replicate with live actors the scenes and "camera angles" that the mangaka made and which the fans already love matches Japanese tradition. Another way to think of it is loyalty. Japan has a solid history of respect for doujinshi and other doujin works, so if you want to take someone else's work and adapt it liberally, you are free to do that (some professional mangaka do draw doujinshi of manga by others); if you want to make an official adaption, it makes sense to be true to it and meet fan expectations and hopes.

Another aspect of Japanese culture is the concept of accuracy, meticulousness, and painstaking attention to fine details. Although Japan does not invent as many products as some other countries do, they have a tendency to take someone else's invention and greatly improve upon it in small details (for example, the automobile) and have thus gained a global reputation for quality technology. This penchant for aiming for precision and correctness would also lend itself to depicting a beloved work as respectfully and exactly as possible.

Answer from seijitsu on Stack Exchange
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Detective Conan World
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Live action movies based on mangas and animes - Music, Movies & TV - Detective Conan World
July 12, 2012 - Some of those movies with their trailers: Dragon Ball Evolution: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo4t8PeqJ6E Dragon Ball The Magic Begins (unofficial adaptation), Ultimate Edition trailer: http://www.youtube.com/wat...
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Why do Japanese live-action adaptations appear to have extremely similar artistic direction to their manga/anime source material? - Anime & Manga Stack Exchange
It is possible that my premise ... a few live-action adaptations of Japanese anime or manga that look very similar in visual style to their source material. For example, I recently saw a trailer for the Japanese film Parasyte, which is based on a manga. Many of the scenes from the trailer look identical to parts of the manga, and the appearance of the parasites is identical to the original artwork. I also saw the movie trailer for ... More on anime.stackexchange.com
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What are some examples of good live action anime adaptations?

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mipon.org › home › top 13 upcoming anime & manga live action movies (and tv shows)
Top 13 Upcoming Anime & Manga Live Action Movies (and TV Shows)
December 23, 2022 - Series are being adapted into TV dramas and live-action movies and the loose and low-budget nature of a lot of Japanese cinema can lead to some incredible results like 2021’s insane live-action Tokyo Revengers.
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ScreenRant
screenrant.com › home › movies › movie lists › all 16 netflix live-action anime adaptations, ranked worst to best (including one piece)
All 16 Netflix Live-Action Anime Adaptations, Ranked Worst To Best (Including One Piece)
June 22, 2024 - With a rough start, things just went downhill with the sequels. This movie might be the best of the three, but none compare with the better Netflix live-action anime adaptations. ... Hollywood has had a difficult relationship with anime, but Japan boasts a wide breadth of great live-action films based on anime and manga.
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5

I probably have not watched enough live-action drama TV series and film adaptions of manga to verify whether or not they do, for the most part, bear extremely similar artistic direction to their manga/anime source material; however, this is not surprising if it is indeed the case.

The reason it is not surprising is that Japanese culture values sticking with tradition and establishing traditions. This is why their traditional arts such as tea ceremony, ikebana, kimono manufacture, and sumi-e painting are not interested in "innovation" but rather pride themselves in remaining unchanged in technique and materials/tools.

Most Japanese companies follow a tradition of doing things procedurally as they have been done up until now; they are generally averse to streamlining, experimenting, and risk-taking (this is the launching point for the plot of the TV drama 「フリーター、家を買う。」 [Part-Time Worker Buys a House]: Take Seiji quits his job after only 3 months because his company will not allow any newbies to suggest improvements to make operations more efficient).

The Takarazuka Revue all-female theatre company has adapted a number of manga titles into stage musicals. Once they create choreography for the musical, it becomes tradition and every single performance of the same show must be danced using the exact same choreography as the first production. A prime example is Versailles no Bara, which has, arguably, very out-dated, over-dramatic and poorly-choreography dances and battle scenes from the very first production in 1974, but despite adapting the manga into a variety of perspectives (i.e. Oscar and Andre version, Oscar version, Andre version, Fersen and Marie Antoinette version, Girodelle version, Alain version, Bernard version, etc.), no dance moves can be revised for the revivals (when the company stages the show again for a new run with a new cast).

In this vein, for live-action adaptions of manga to attempt to replicate with live actors the scenes and "camera angles" that the mangaka made and which the fans already love matches Japanese tradition. Another way to think of it is loyalty. Japan has a solid history of respect for doujinshi and other doujin works, so if you want to take someone else's work and adapt it liberally, you are free to do that (some professional mangaka do draw doujinshi of manga by others); if you want to make an official adaption, it makes sense to be true to it and meet fan expectations and hopes.

Another aspect of Japanese culture is the concept of accuracy, meticulousness, and painstaking attention to fine details. Although Japan does not invent as many products as some other countries do, they have a tendency to take someone else's invention and greatly improve upon it in small details (for example, the automobile) and have thus gained a global reputation for quality technology. This penchant for aiming for precision and correctness would also lend itself to depicting a beloved work as respectfully and exactly as possible.

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It's easier for comics to change the theme and style in movies as compared to manga. The superhero comics generally are based upon one really strong character or group. These characters can do anything and fight any evil, so it leaves a lot open to artistic interpretation.

On the other hand, manga are generally made in idea of the story. All the artistic interpretation goes into the drawing of it, therefore, if you change the setting, then it feels like a very different story.

Of course, there are exceptions. Dragon Ball, for example, can take place anywhere, which is why Hollywood thought it was a good idea to make a live-action. Granted the result was awful, but given enough love and care, I do think Dragon Ball could be on par with a lot of the recent superhero movies.

However, if you change the appearance of Kenshin for example, then to many of the fans, the character wouldn't be Kenshin anymore. They could've gone even further, by making a prequel of Kenshin, but the manga already generally defines the character. To stay with Kenshin's example, the manga gives a complete profile who Kenshin is, along with his past, present and future.

Evidently, the same goes for Shingeki no Kyojin. They could change the appearances of the titans. However, since they're described in detail in the manga, as well as the entire atmosphere and even the characters, changing their appearances would be like changing the manga and people generally disapprove.

It's going to be interesting how Ghost in the Shell (2017) live action adaptation is going to turn out though. To me, it already smells like failure, but who knows. They might amaze us.

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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Category:Live-action_films_based_on_manga
Category:Live-action films based on manga - Wikipedia
Akira (live action film) Akira No. 2 · Alita: Battle Angel · Alive (2002 film) All Esper Dayo! SP · Always: Sunset on Third Street · Always: Sunset on Third Street '64 · Always: Sunset on Third Street 2 · Angel Guts: Red Classroom (film) Animal World (film) Antique (film) Ao Haru Ride ·
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MovieWeb
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polygon.com › home › entertainment › netflix’s live-action anime and manga adaptations, ranked
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July 30, 2024 - Luckily, it’s not working with an over-complicated story for its running time (unlike a few entries on this list) and Ryohei Suzuki is likable enough as Ryo to keep things moving briskly. ... You can tell how old someone is by how they recommend Bleach. Older manga fans remember the dynamic, genre-bouncing early days, while those who came in later likely know it by how it fell into a swamp of storytelling tropes and incomprehensibility. Luckily, the live-action Bleach film harnesses a lot of the mythology when it was at its most potent before manga author Tite Kubo exhausted it.
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Sony Pictures International Eyes Live-Action Adaptations of Japanese Anime | ResetEra
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timesofindia.indiatimes.com › news › entertainment › english › hollywood
Top 10 Live-action anime adaptations worth watching | English Movie News - Times of India
December 12, 2023 - Adapting the unique blend of humor and battles from Gintama seemed daunting, yet the movies and mini-series succeeded by embracing the silliness while maintaining the anime's emotional core. With spot-on portrayals of the Yorozuya trio, the adaptation thrilled audiences with its comedic brilliance and epic sword fights.8. Blade of the Immortal (2017) The live-action adaptation of Mugen no Juunin stood out with its gritty portrayal of Edo-era Japan, delivering visceral sword fights and a morally complex narrative.
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After 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.DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeong ... Kaiji erased all of his debts in the first movie. A year later, he's back in the same debt ridden situation.
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January 26, 2024 - The characters felt as over-the-top as their animated counterparts, and the action was ridiculously cartoonish. Few live-action adaptations of cartoons capture the medium's zany energy like Cutie Honey did. ... A young teacher is given the toughest classroom in the school. Based on the TV series. ... Ax-On, J Storm, Nippon Television Network (NTV), Production Ogi Co., Shueisha, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Toho Company, Video Audio Project (VAP) ... It's always been an easy to pitch a movie or show about an unconventional teacher who finds a way to reach the unruly delinquent class assigned to them.
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kungfufandom.com › home › non-martial arts cinema › asian cinema › best live action adaptation?
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