All-Japanese cast set to start filming in Europe next month.
Live action (Page 9)
TV series is latest adaptation of classic Japanese science fiction novel.
Anime fans have been seething for over half a decade about the Hollywood adaptation of the martial arts classic, but maybe this will finally cool their rage.
If you have a love of panties, sense of justice, and are of mediocre intelligence, then panty-headed superhero Hentai Kamen wants you!
South Korea will receive a live-action drama adaptation of the hit idol video game and anime franchise, with a few significant changes.
If you’ve got a favorite series from the hit fantasy series, odds are he’s in the huge cast of this new stage version.
Looking forward to Death Note 2016? Then you’ll be excited to hear that an original cast member from the previous films is returning as a familiar character!
69-year-old set to play key role in Hollywood anime adaptation.
The premiere of the Kuroko’s Basketball stage play is still a few months away, but the producers are giving fans of sports anime and/or dreamy boys a sneak peek with the first in-costume cast photo.
Next month, Hetalia, the anime and manga franchise featuring anthropomorphized nations and a hefty amount of homoerotic subtext, is getting its very own live-action musical adaptation, and the play’s producers have just released the first photos of the cast in costume as their respective nations.
Every couple of years, rumors surfaces of some slim chance that a live-action Legend of Zelda film is about to get the green light from rights holder Nintendo. Then, as suddenly as the speculation began, it fizzles out, leaving fans feeling dejected about the lack of a big screen quest for Link and Zelda.
Really, though, The Legend of Zelda’s storyline and overall visual look vary so much from one video game installment to the next that a film adaptation would probably fail to please gamers whose favorite chapter wasn’t used as the specific source material. On the other hand, Metroid, Nintendo’s dark space adventure, has the foundation for an awesome, crowd-pleasing movie, as this fan-made live-action short film shows.
We recently took a look at the first photos of the upcoming Rurouni Kenshin stage musical cast in costume, and looking at the comments for that article, more than a few fans of the hit anime and manga franchise are wishing they see the show in person. But if a trip to the Takarazuka theater in Tokyo or Hyogo Prefecture doesn’t fit into your schedule, there’s still a way to get a taste of the all-female performing troupe’s live-action spectacle, as the theatre company has released a preview video of the cast showing off their fighting moves and crossing swords!
Adapting anime to live-action is an extremely difficult venture. It’s not impossible, though, and one of the few icons of Japanese animation to make the transition smoothly is Himura Kenshin, hero of samurai saga Rurouni Kenshin.
The swordsman with the scarred face and soul has three successful live-action films under his belt, and this winter Japan’s all-female Takarazuka stage troupe will be raising the curtain on its own Rurouni Kenshin musical. Opening night is still a ways off, but the first photos of the cast in costume have been revealed, and gender-flipped or not, it’s hard to imagine a closer likeness for Kenshin himself than Takarazuka’s.
The recent boom in live-action movie, TV, and stage adaptations of hit anime has to be a headache for producers. Most anime start out as manga, where the only limits on outlandish character and costume design is the imagination of the original artist, and we imagine it’s an exhaustive search to find real-life actors and actresses who look the part.
But Japan’s casting directors are proving themselves up to the challenge. Hot on the heels of the recently revealed Prison School TV drama come photos of the cast of the stage adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, and not only are there some uncanny resemblances, we now know why there won’t be a DVD or live streaming of the performance.
Battle Angel: Alita, known as GUNM in Japan, is one of anime and manga’s highlights of the ’90s. The original manga, created by Yukito Kishiro, ran for about five years from 1990 to 1995 with a newer series running from 2000 to 2014, in addition to two OVAs produced in the ’90s. The post-apocalyptic setting and cyborg main character have ensured the property’s popularity for decades, both domestically and abroad.
It’s been long known that James Cameron is a fan of the series and has been trying to produce a Hollywood film version for around 15 years — but things are finally starting to take shape. Today, news broke that a new director is in negotiations to take on the project.














China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Japanese company selling bear-proof automatic doors
Major Japanese noodle chain is closing on Christmas Eve so workers can spend time with families
Viral 3D ice creams land in Japan… but are they worth the hype?
Popular Japanese ramen restaurant Ichiran’s lucky bags are great value for money
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan
TeamLab Planets: Walk up a waterfall and catch koi fish at new digital art museum in Tokyo
We smash up some rock-hard rice crackers with a hammer to find out which one is the toughest
Jamiroquai doll from Japan lets you control your own Virtual Insanity 【Video】
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Studio Ghibli stamps lift your spirits with motivational phrases from Totoro
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Is Kyoto less crowded with tourists after China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning?【Photos】
You can now buy a Japanese train station clock in Japan
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
KFC Japan opens a Christmas restaurant in Tokyo…but why???
Foreign driver’s license conversion test passes plummet from over 90% to 33% in Japan
TeamLab Planets: Walk up a waterfall and catch koi fish at new digital art museum in Tokyo
We smash up some rock-hard rice crackers with a hammer to find out which one is the toughest
Jamiroquai doll from Japan lets you control your own Virtual Insanity 【Video】
An umbrella to keep your backpack dry is just the thing we need this rainy season
Spy x Family anime cafe opening, non-secret agents welcome too
Why this centuries’ old Shinto shrine is suddenly also a hot spot for anime fan art【Photos】
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli announces new anime short in production, now recruiting staff to make it
We try a traditional Tokyo dish of stewed loaches, encounter something we’ve never seen before
Japanese convenience store chain has beer and sake dispensers that few people know about
We zapped up some tasty hot sandwiches in the microwave with 3COINS’ new gadget from Japan
This is Akihabara’s best hidden food vending machine: The Mansei meat sandwich machine!