live-action versions of anime

[greg]

Okay, so my daughter has been bugging me about taking her to go see a movie in the theater. I may take her to see a movie this weekend. I guess I could take her to see the new Doraemon movie, but I was just reminded yesterday that the live-action Kiki's Delivery Service came out this month. I'd really like to go see that movie. If I do, I'll update everyone with my impressions.

Has anyone read much positive about this movie so far? I don't really frequent anime news sites like others on here do.

[usamimi]

A gal I follow on Twitter who's in Japan saw the live-action Kiki and she said while it wasn't anything amazing, it was cute for a kid's movie. She said the special effects were kind of mediocre, but the costumes and sets were charming. So don't go into it thinking it'll be a live-action equivilant of a Miyazaki film, basically.

[greg]

Thanks. Maybe I will watch the Miyazaki movie with my girl first to get her in the mood. But since it is a kids' movie, I am sure she will enjoy it. Kaze Tachinu was not necessarily a kid's movie, but she really enjoyed it because it was her first experience in a movie theater. She was well-behaved the entire time.

[usamimi]

Yeah, from what I've heard, she'd probably love it. It's definitely a kid's movie, and a witch/female lead is always appealing to little girls ;D

[greg]

So today I took my daughter to go see the new live-action Majou no Takkyuubin! While watching the movie, you must realize that it is a live-action version of the book, and not an adaptation of the Miyazaki movie. Both movies are different takes on the book, and this is in no way meant to be a live-action version of the Ghibli movie of the same name. I really loved it! I have never read the book, but maybe someday I may try tackling it in Japanese, Lord willing. We entered the movie theater a few minutes late, so I missed the very beginning of the movie. By looking at the credits, apparently it must show Kiki as a baby and growing up a bit. We started watching the movie as she was flying over the ocean to the city by the sea. So without going too deeply into spoilers, I'll try to break this movie down for everyone.

Setting. I assume that just as with the book, the setting is timeless. Miyazaki chose a distinctly Scandinavian setting, while I assume that this movie is a bit more generic like the book. As with many Japanese children's books, it's set in a pseudo-Japan, with plenty of Western architecture, yet somehow it's still Japan (there's Japanese writing everywhere, and you can see a public bath even). I spotted only one car in the movie. It looked like a classic Japanese car from the late '60s/early '70s. Kiki still has her radio, and people listen to radio. Modern cruise ships can be seen on the sea, and you can see plastic clothes pins. So it's really not tied to a specific decade, like the Miyazaki movie was. It's not supposed to be a Caucasian, European world. It's just more of a fantasy Japan-like world that they live in.

Kiki. Her character is mostly the same as in the anime, but I would say that her character is deeper. The actress is very pretty and youthful (I love her eyebrows), and she is a perfect fit. In this movie, she is going through the, "Oh, Mom." kind of phase of a young girl's life. She has witch blood, but she isn't interested in pursuing a career as a witch. Just as with the anime, she doesn't like wearing black, and she doesn't study her witchcraft. She is content to have the only the gift of flight.

Jiji. Yes, Jiji is in the film! Everyone was concerned because the cat did not appear in the initial trailer for the movie, but Jiji is definitely in the film. He is CG, as can be expected. How successfully the filmmakers pulled off this character would either make or break the film, and I think they succeeded. Jiji looks a bit cartoony, but one shouldn't expect realism from a movie that involves a talking cat.

Ms. Osono. She's pretty much the same as in the anime. Her husband is goofy, but in a different way. (He can actually speak and sing, too.) Her function in the story is identical to that in the anime: she takes Kiki in, gives her a home, and encourages her to start a delivery service.

Tombo. Tombo is a bit different in this movie. In the anime, he has an infatuation with Kiki to the point of annoying her. In this movie, at first he seems to regard her as somewhat of a rival. He is a bit cold to her, and just looks for information from her about flight. He is her first customer, and just uses her to deliver a book across the bay to an elementary school where his friends video her and time her. She gets very upset with him. They even shout at each other. As can be expected, though, they do become friends.

The story. So while the basic plot is the same (Kiki starts a delivery service, and eventually loses her ability to fly when she reaches a low point), the events and minor characters in this movie are a bit different. In this movie, there is a lot more drama and character development. Kiki is immediately popular and everyone loves that she can fly. However not everybody is receptive, and she has to deal with prejudices. When a zookeeper accuses her of cursing the animals at the zoo leading to an incident there, and later when a naughty girl uses Kiki to play a prank on her friends who she had a quarrel with, rumors rapidly spread and the townspeople begin to mistrust and hate her. Kiki's soul is horribly crushed. She is treated horribly, and she is even separated from Jiji for awhile. She becomes an outcast. However, she still helps Tombo when he is hurt badly when his flying machine crashes, and she uses her mom's magic medicine to help him. So Tombo becomes her only other ally, aside from Ms. Osono and her husband. I won't spoil the ending, however I will say that it does not involve a dirigible accident like in the anime.

While the message of the Ghibli movie is to not neglect the talents that God has given you, the message of this movie is to be an inspiration to others. There is no Ursula in this movie. Instead, her role as an influence on Kiki is instead fulfilled through Tombo. Kiki draws inspiration from Tombo as well as a singer who has lost her will to sing. Kiki inspires both this singer (I forget her name) and Tombo, and when Kiki's character is at its lowest point in the film, they in turn inspire her.

I definitely give this movie two thumbs up. I hope I didn't give away too much of the plot. It really is a touching film. As much as I love the Miyazaki movie, in this movie you really feel more for Kiki. She is so crushed when she is betrayed. For a while she is even glad she's lost the gift of flight, hoping that people would stop ostracizing her if she can no longer be a witch. But just as with the Miyazaki movie, she can fly again when she is needed to help others.

[ParaParaJMo]

I also saw the live action Kiki movie when it came out. I personally enjoyed it though I did have a few issues with it. The actress is obviously older than 13 and I felt she didn't feel that convincing as a 13 year old to me and that was pretty much one of two big issues I have with the movie. Environmentally, it captures the island to almost the same extent as the anime but with less traffic and cars. It was filmed in Shodoshima Island in Kagawa prefecture, where I used to live, and I recognized some of the water falls.

But I was surprised that Tadanobu Asano ended up having something of a cameo in this movie.

As for special effects, I really don't make an issue with it. I care more about story. Christian Bale once said special effects mean nothing if you have no story to tell. Michael Bay may have great special effects but his movies still suck.

[greg]

The second Ruroni Kenshin movie comes out on August 8th. I still haven't seen the first one. Today I saw a trailer for an upcoming Lupin the 3rd movie to be released August 30th. That looks pretty awesome, I think. The live action counterparts seem to fit very well.

[Drew_Sutton]

I've skimmed through a lot of the previous 12 pages, so forgive me if I've overlooked something or inadvertently start wailing on a horse past its prime...

I'm not opposed to a live action film or TV drama being based on an anime or manga outright - but I think the subject matter of the source material. I am glad more current renditions of stuff like Yamato and Harlock are getting decent receptions; 10 or 15 years ago, I think those products would have been notoriously cringe worthy, a la G SAVIOR.

GTO was mentioned before and despite some really cheesy moments, I loved that TV drama adaptation a lot. Another personal favorite of mine was an adaptation of You're Under Arrest from 2002. While not Japanese, Jackie Chan's adaptation of City Hunter is still tons and tons of fun.

The second Ruroni Kenshin movie comes out on August 8th. I still haven't seen the first one.

I've seen pieces of the first one but never taken the time to watch it all the way through. It's not too bad but has a fairly stereotypical jidai geki/chambara feel to it. Of course, I think that as far as shonen series are concerned, since Kenshin is rooted as a historical fiction, most of it is easily adaptable to live action cinema.

Today I saw a trailer for an upcoming Lupin the 3rd movie to be released August 30th. That looks pretty awesome, I think. The live action counterparts seem to fit very well.

I'll have to keep an eye out for that, sounds like it might be kinda fun.

[Char Aznable]

I spotted a number of pages back that there was some mention of the original Guyver live-action film. That one wasn't bad, but the often neglected sequel, Guyver 2: Dark Hero, is a must see. It certainly ranks as one of my favorite live-action anime adaptations. They captured the feel of the source material perfectly. Sure, they Americanized the names and settings but, being a big Guyver fan, I felt that the sequel really nailed the manga/anime atmosphere well. The Zoanoids looked amazing thanks to director Steve Wang's brilliant spfx/costume work. The effects hold up remarkably well too, I'm sure better than what most of today's mind-numbing CGI will look like in ten years time.

On the other hand, anyone searching for a terrible live-action version of an anime, I suggest 1995's Fist of the North Star. I remember reading about that film back around '94 in Fangoria magazine and thinking it sounded pretty good. Wrong. Dead wrong. Finally tried watching it a few months ago and just couldn't finish it.

[ParaParaJMo]

I saw the 2nd live action Rurouni Kenshin movie last Friday. It was really much better than the 1st one. Cho and Sojiro were done PERFECTLY!!! The action accurately depicts the nature of the action in the manga and doesn't get gimmicky or over the top. I

just hate how Sano, especially in context to this storyline, is criminally underused and underdeveloped.