The live-action adaptation of a popular work is often poorly received. Disney has often encountered failures with its remakes, but that's nothing compared to anime adaptations. With a few exceptions, they are generally disappointing. Here are, in our opinion, the 7 worst anime films.
#1 Dragon Ball Evolution (2009)
The sooner we talk about this, the sooner we can move on. Indeed, Dragon Ball Evolution is the undisputed king of the worst live-action adaptations. It's probably the first film you thought of when you read this article, and you'd be right. James Wong's feature film is an affront to Akira Toriyama's work. It clearly can't get any worse, as the film has already hit rock bottom. The most shameful thing is that fans have managed to make much more respectful Dragon Ball projects, and without a budget.
#2 Knights of the Zodiac (2023)
We thought it was impossible to do worse than Dragon Ball Evolution, and yet, Knights of the Zodiac almost succeeded. Once again, we find ourselves faced with a work that completely betrays the source material. This film even has fewer excuses than Dragon Ball Evolution, because in 2023, no one imagined seeing such a disaster again. That said, given that this is an adaptation of the Netflix animated series, it's not surprising that the result is so poor.
#3 Death Note (2017)
Netflix likes to get its hands on anime to make live-action adaptations. The platform has sometimes succeeded in this bet, with productions like Kenshin, One Piece or Alice in Borderland. But it also delivered resounding failures, like Bleach, Cowboy Bepop, and especially Death Note. The latter represents the worst Netflix has produced in the genre. The team behind the film distorted the original manga to offer something radically different. It's understandable to want to change certain aspects, like the characters' personalities, but it would have been necessary to preserve the heart of the work: the psychological confrontation between Light and L.
#4 Kite (2014)
You might think that obscure anime would escape failed live-action adaptations... Well, no. Kite, taken from the OVA Domination Nakite by Yasuomi Umetsu, was adapted in 2014. The film floods us with ugly CGI and excessive gore scenes, as if to mask the laziness of its script. It's so bad that you have to wonder what Samuel L. Jackson is doing in this mess.
#5 North Star: The Legend of Ken the Survivor (1995)
Successfully adapting Ken the Survivor seems, in theory, quite simple: just make a martial arts film in a Mad Max-like universe. However, North Star proved that it was harder than expected. Beyond a storyline that completely deviates from the manga, the real problem comes from the protagonist: Gary Daniels is a poor Kenshiro. This is all the more regrettable since Shin and the Nanto Seiken are, themselves, strangely well respected, even too much so in comparison with the Hokuto Shinken.
#6 Niki Larson (1993)
In the 80s/90s, Jackie Chan was a sure bet when it came to action, but much less so when it came to humor. Unfortunately, for his adaptation of City Hunter, the actor opted for a schoolboy comedy that has nothing to do with the spirit of the original manga. Worse still, even in terms of martial arts, the film doesn't shine that much. Ultimately, what everyone remembers is the famous Street Fighter scene: an absurd moment, but one that has become iconic over time. However, we recommend the Netflix adaptation, or even Philippe Lacheau's if you're looking for a truly good time.
#7 Attack on Titan: The End of the World (2015)
Did you know that there are not one, but two live-action Attack on Titan movies? Even if the temptation to watch them is strong, don't be tempted: both are bad. At a pinch, the first might arouse some curiosity, but the second... it's a disaster. The film attempts to answer the great mysteries of the original work, but does so in the most banal and absurd way possible. It was already outdated when it came out, and it's even more so today, especially after seeing the end of the manga. However, making an Attack on Titan movie could be very interesting. Given that there will still be content surrounding the franchise in the future, we can imagine that a new live-action adaptation will see the light of day.
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