5. Is a live-action adaptation necessary? Could it hurt the manga or anime?
I know that is two points, but it is really just two points wrapped together. They might be the most important thing to consider. Is a live-action movie necessary? I used to think live-action adaptations are always cool, no matter what subject matter, but I’m starting to change my mind lately. A lot of people e-mailed me saying the Ender’s Game movie would be a disaster. So what? Don’t we always have the books to go back to? Well, everyone must be very careful they don’t damage the original material.
And with Akira we have a pretty damn good Anime to go back to as well. A point of caution though: Consider how bad The Last Airbender was. There is something to be said that the experience of the masterful cartoon has actually been harmed by the movie. I really think that’s true. This isn’t Men in Black, we can’t just wipe are memories clean and pretend we didn’t see the overly expositional, racist, poorly put together garbage of M. Night Shyamalan. I certainly can’t. You’ll have to let me know how such things impact you, but when it gets that bad, it really can be probelmatic to the original work.
Moreover, take Black Hole, maybe my favorite graphic novel of all time, I honestly don’t think that could ever be translated to screen correctly. It is too dark, too timely, too…something. “They” (anti-fans) said it could never be done with Watchman, but I think Zach Synder’s adaption is just about as good as Hollywood could ever do for that movie and I’m glad it was done.
I’m really interested what other people think. I love the manga series, but am no expert. I didn’t grow up on them and have only read through the books a couple times. What I do know is movies and I think Akira is worth making.
Velvet — Love the comment. Yes, you’re totally right! I didn’t say it started in Japan though. I said it was part of Japanese culture that spread elsewhere. Maybe I should have said Japan’s “brand” of cyberpunk spread elsewhere?
I know Gibson’s Neuromancer was the pretty much the origin. But Japan just went and made it part of their pop culture, especially anime, for a long time. I guess we kind of did too with the Matrix and Philip K Dick, but I would never say it hit the mainstream here except for Blade Runner, Matrix, and later (maybe) Minority Report. That is all just my opinion.
You definitely know more than me about it then me, I’ve only read the more widely known American cyperpunk authors. If you know any books you think I haven’t read let me know!
Diana — I get you, but I really think Akira will be cool regardless. I think putting it in New York and making the characters white is weird (if not racist), but it is a reality of the Hollywood industry.
No film industry can really afford to make a movie like Akira except Hollywood. Like I said, maybe Japan should do a 7 part anime for TV — but they won’t. Japanese film industry is in kind of weird place right now. Except for Takashi Miike, dude’s a boss.
Cyberpunk originated in America, but was influenced by Asian culture in general and Japanese culture in particular.
I disagree about the film not being possible without making the characters white. (Because, you know, there are no Japanese folks living in New York, right?) It is possible but just not likely because big film companies are so wary about an ethnic lead in an American movie, much less a big budget action flick. The truth is that unless it’s a top-billed, big name Asian actor, Hollywood just won’t risk it which sucks. Frankly, I’m tired with Hollywood rehashing old or foreign ideas for American audiences, either rebooting or remaking other people’s work. But this just underscores my main beef with all of this — why bother making an Akira movie in the first place? If they’re so hell bent on creating something in Neo-Manhattan that only bears a passing resemblence to the classic, don’t call it Akira. Call it something else, “inspired by Akira” or “based on Akira” but they shouldn’t sell it for something it isn’t.