Questions re Manga-based Japanese Live Action Films

[Michael McCaskey]

It seems that there are indeed many Japanese manga-based live action films, maybe enough for a course in itself. I wondered at first whether this was a separate genre, and it really is.

Has anyone written a book secifically about this yet?

I wonder why there are not more US films like this--or are there many of these I'm not aware of? I thought about V, but it's again about a costumed figure, as many of the US ones seem to be.

I also thought about some anime films like the remade Appleseed, based on a manga original, where the computerized effects make it seem at times as if the figures are almost live action.

Michael McCaskey

----- Original Message -----
From: Jim Harper <jimharper666 at yahoo.co.uk>
Date: Tuesday, August 15, 2006 4:48 pm
Subject: Re: Questions re Manga-based Japanese Live Action Films

> I think Ishii directed a sixth film, in 1994.
>   
>  Jim.
> 
> "H. Boxberg" <kaijyutheater at boksi.fi> wrote:
>  The Angel Guts -series. Total of five films by Chusei Sone, 
> Noboru 
> Tanaka, Toshiharu Ikeda and Takashi Ishii, all based on the mangas 
> by Ishii.
> 
> - Henri Boxberg
> 
> > I have have been making up an inventory for my film course of 
> major Japanese "live action" films that are based on original 
> manga, but I'm sure I must have left some out. Can people help out 
> and name some more of them? I'm certain I must be missing some 
> very important ones in the list below.
> > 
> > Azumi
> > 
> > Koi no mon
> > 
> > Kozure okami
> > 
> > Nana
> > 
> > Onmyoji
> > 
> > Sanchome no yuhi
> > 
> > Salaryman Kintaro
> > 
> > Shurayuki-hime
> > 
> > Yokai dai senso
> > 
> > The recent Hotaru no haka live action film goes back to the 
> original text by Nosaka Akiyuki, and there's no manga version--
> there's Takahata's anime, and maybe there's a storyboard book by 
> Takahata. Ashura-jo no hitomi is based on a play. Does Oshii's Red 
> Spectacles count, since there are one or two related manga, in 
> addition to the Jin-Roh anime?
> > 
> > I'm not including anime based on manga, just live action films 
> derived from manga, not from anime..
> > 
> > Something else I've noticed is that it seems that most of the US 
> "comics-based" live action movies are about various costumed 
> fantasy figures, mostly "crime-fighters," such as Superman, 
> Batman, Spider Man, et al. Yokai dai senso seems to have a few 
> similarities to this US strain, but Miike's Zebraman simply seems 
> to be totally the creation of the scenario writer, Kudo Kankuro.
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.flipsidemovies.com
> http://jimharper.blogspot.com
>         	
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