I guess you can call this a continuation of the Disney Remakes post I made last time.
I have nothing against live-action adaptations. Why are you even worrying about it? The original is still there and can be watched and bought online. For the most part, most people think of these adaptations as unnecessary or doesn't stand a chance against the original or have an identity from the original, justifying its existence. Some people - look pointedly at the Walker Brothers - hate them for absolutely shallow reasons. Seriously, Doug, every time I see a review or even just the thumbnail of any of the Disney remakes, I am wary that you would make it unfair and you would preach the hell out of it by the end of the review anyway which is annoying.
Yes, some adaptations can be bad. And I'm using 'bad' as an understatement. I am not downplaying adaptations can be horrid. The Death Note Netflix live-action still leaves a bad taste in the mouth for many reasons and more importantly,
I don't care much for live-action adaptations. Yes, comic book adaptations are in a golden age. I don't think superhero films are going away any time soon. They would still be there. Some of them can have their own identity from their own adaptation - Civil War, for example.
What I worried above all else is this: how can they tell the story.
Think of this as how I consider an adaptation. It depends on each work formation. So what I am going to do is tell what would fit a generally good adaptation in my opinion.
This, of course, depends on how you planned to adapt it into live-action. Are you planning the use the original's themes and premise but still make it enough that it's the original product? Or are you planning a more expansive retelling with your own spin? Or changing the genre altogether?
- What the original's themes and motifs are. Know what the story is telling before doing anything else. If you want to try another way to tell the story's actual themes, it's good as long as you hit the second point.
- The important points and beats of the original story. Yes, this is crucial for a recognizable adaptation. The Little Mermaid did this well with instead of a relationship with God, it's with her father. Frozen did not do this well because all it had was a woman with ice powers. No glass shards, no meeting important people... The only possible glass shard is the ice that was embedded in Anna and even then that doesn't have the same function as the glass shard. Jesus, just thinking of how Frozen utterly wrecked the fairytale with the 'inspired' bs stamped on it makes me so angry. They aren't trying anything new but lampshading and not doing anything about it. Hans came out of nowhere because a Disney movie needs a villain when there is no need to.
- Get rid of things unimportant and keep the ones important to your plot and the plot of the original. Change stuff when needed...but never to the point of changing the entire setting and making it unintelligible for those who have a basic knowledge of the series. For example, if you make the live-action of One Piece landlocked - without warning that it's not a high school AU or any other AU but the original series in landbased series when the original series is all about the ocean and what the ocean represents. Speaking of One Piece, everything one way or another is important.
- The characters must be IC/recognizable. This is a must because for the fans you are aiming this at, they would recognize their dear characters whom they followed for some time. A big detriment for the Death Note live-action is the characterization because, for the most part, it failed to adapt these characters in an American setting.
- Understand what the Japanese have to say in the work you are adapting. Allow the Japanese voices in your project, who knows how manga and anime works and why the series that they are adapting works. It's already horrifying VLD doesn't get the mecha genre's anti-war sentiments. Because above all else, you have to know what the original nation have to say when it's their product you're adapting, Hollywood. Just don't practice cultural imperialism and say your culture is more PC when over there is a whole different beast of sociopolitics. There are dubbing mistakes after all in anime already and the last thing I need to see is in the live-action adaptations.
It took over 20 years to have One Piece spinoffs and a live-action adaptation!
I love One Piece. It's one of my favorite shounen to the point my favorite figures are typically One Piece. Because anything FMA nowadays is rare and on the occasion, expensive.
But I don't want Hollywood to strip what makes One Piece as great as it is, strip-mining of its foreshadowing and worldbuilding.
Anime and manga have the benefit of not having the same limits as live-action. Even Game of Thrones has its limitations, being the most expensive show ever produced.
But One Piece, a series that take place entirely at sea and islands with various communities, is going to be a task. You need a herculean hand and money to recreate the massive and crazy world of One Piece.
Again, people do have the right to worry if Hollywood or any live-action for that matter can capture the spirit and heart of the series they love so much.
I already accepted there will be Hollywood live-action adaptations of anime and manga in the future. Because this is Hollywood and they already have their superhero run. While I do think superheroes will be fine, Hollywood's next target is anime like Your Name.
Given the rising popularity of titles like One Punch Man, I don't doubt Hollywood wouldn't try to get their grubby hands on the licensing.
Seriously, if they ruin one of my all-time favorite arcs in anime and manga (my first foray into One Piece was a clip of Enies Lobby and I was never so much happier when I actually watched Enies Lobby arc), I will cry a waterfall and it's not the tears of joy. Like, there will be tears of joy but mixed with tears of despair.
Then again, why worry?
When you have the original? It's not like live-action adaptations would ruin the original's magic any time soon.
Let me tell you this again.
Then again, I was surprised to see my cousins who were originally interested in stuff like Sailor Moon get into other manga like One Punch Man. My other cousins love OPM that one of my cousins complained about how many times they actually watched it.
Unsurprisingly, I was the one who my cousins go to for recommendations. Because I had been enveloped in anime and manga culture in a longer expanse of time and my cousins know it. It's not like I made a secret of my love.
But I really will be happy if they give a Gunpla or a figurine I really like. Or give me tickets to Japan. Because trips to Japan is my dearest wish to travel abroad.
I'm more surprised people, particularly new readers, are looking at Naruto and Bleach and One Piece and so forth recently. A Funko Pop collector has him and a brother offhandedly mentions the former Big 3, well one of the Big 3 is still there but still; they are watching it. Although given the so-called 'Woke' attitude in American media, all they want is entertainment and if they have diversity, it's just a bonus honestly.
The American comic book industry is in trouble. When their competitors offer much better prices and accessibility than the Big 2 any day of the week...
Remember, it's the direct market and the Big 2's piss-poor marketing and affordability for a single floppy and its many, many events is what led to their downfall.
They refused to change as their Japanese counterparts and webcomic counterparts are doing so much better. Crowdfunding comics are doing a hella lot better than the Big 2 any day of the week.
I don't want DC and Marvel to fail.
I'm sure there are people who do want them to fail.
But in this case, where these two were a major inspiration for much western superhero-inspired anime and manga, it's just facepalming.
You think they would've adapted to the times. Getting an app made with dirt-cheap prices that they can literally list all the comics dating back as soon as their first appearance! If they really like it, they can order the physical copy.
It should've been easy with their influence. People know Batman and Superman, right? Even in the age where superheroes dominated the airwaves, you would think there's an app made with everything free and organized to events and reading order. Like it would immediately direct you to the next issue that would continue the story.
But at the same time, their relaunches and events drive away potential readers who just wanted to read a damn story of their favorite superhero. They aren't used to events that they have to read.
They are used to reading self-contained stories that spin-offs are unnecessary.
They are slowly learning so that their industry doesn't fall horribly.
They really should've added new readers and not alienate them further. Give better prices, cut down Comixology's price tag to Shounen Jump's app price tag so you can better compete. Organize everything. See what it means for new readers, rather than forcing them to read stuff they have no clue about or don't want to read about.
Listen, people want to read slice-of-life Batman. Bruce Wayne and Alfred hanging out with the Dick, Damian, Jason, and Tim playing Pokemon Go or exploring a regional culture or eating their favorite food or cooking or playing video games. Damian feeding his many pets and petting police dogs.
Yes, people want to see the everyday life of heroes who are not doing hero work. Just doing something that they love like traveling or eating their favorite food at large amounts or going to the mall.
There is nothing wrong in exploring that angle in its full extent.
Slice-of-life is one of my cousin's favorite genre and a popular genre in its own right.
What is wrong with Bruce Wayne hanging out at a Target knock-off and being utterly confused at the mundane things that he could easily buy them out and Tim laughing at rich boy Wayne?
What is wrong with Damian taking care of his pets and embracing police dogs whenever he goes out in public and feeding every animal that comes his way?
People want Batfamily! It's not that hard!
What is wrong with focusing entirely on that?
They dedicate a couple of pages at best, never to a full comic book.
As opposed to slice-of-life manga which spends volumes just committed to a love of food or culture of a region. Even Persona dedicated itself to slice-of-life.
Slice-of-life is really popular and if the Big 2 get a piece of the pie, they could have a whole new audience. Dedicated entirely to this daily life.
Big 2, diversify your superheroes a lot more.
Like, don't make Elseworlds. Make literally AU and self-contained stories using your IPs.
X-Men acting out a romantic comedy? An Avengers high school parody? Tony Stark going to burger joints and reviewing cheeseburgers on his blog as an amateur food critic? Steve Rogers adjusting to modern-day with awe at amazing inventions? Clint and Natasha seeing something nightmare fuel? The Avengers singing a pirate song for Talk Like A Pirate Day? Young Avengers going out to karaoke?
Barry Allen in a more musical take? The Justice League at a Fourth of July and accidentally wreaking havoc? A gag series with the Justice League or Avengers? A cook-off between Batman and Green Arrow? Wondy introducing the Amazons to I don't know, Gunpla? Bruce Wayne and J'onn watching Sailor Moon with merch to boot and Alfred cleaning Bruce's figures every week? Bruce going to the Sailor Moon exhibit, cafe, and store when in Japan with dutiful Alfred carrying his merch? Tim's Youtube Channel, showing off his nerdy collection including anime figurines?
A Batfamily slice-of-life in a school setting? Tim and Kon hanging out at the mall and shopping for their favorite games and movies? Damian working at an animal shelter and bathing dogs? Dick Grayson hanging out at raves in-costume or attending comic book conventions?
Marriages? Bruce finally getting happiness for once with someone who he can share his life with? I don't mean it platonically, it's romantic I'm calling here. Did you know what's worse? The only official BatCat marriage is in the Nolan movies! Nolan is giving Bruce the romantic ending the comics and unfortunately, the animated denied him. I love the DCAU as much as the next person but even I wish Bruce was at least given a happy ending with Selina in his life in Batman Beyond. I settle for Wondy if I didn't like her with Steve Trevor but I do!
It might be borderline fanfiction but at the very least, there is an audience they can draw in.
I'm just throwing out ideas at this point, but DC, Marvel, I want you to live, not die a sickening slow and painful death.
You have to adapt, you two, you can't keep living in your own bubble. Putting out diversity would not be enough. It would not even be the death knell. The death knell would the direct market, lack of marketing, distribution, pricing, and inaccessibility for new readers.
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