When I was a child, Dragon Ball Z was one of the most popular anime series at the time.  Kids would go nuts about Goku’s developing superpowers and all his adventures with his friends and family.  The kids also went nuts about the villains, specially that pink alien dude whose name I can’t recall.

 

Anyway, I’ve always loved anime.  I’ve always been drawn to the extreme violence and bold storylines (I’m obviously talking about the more adult anime series, though I must admit I was a sucker for Sailor Moon).  The drawing techniques have developed in a way that’s made anime visually more beautiful and the integration of 3D with traditional 2D animation has reached a point of perfectly seamless rendering.

 

I, however, never got the Dragon Ball Z love.  I learned about the live action version of Dragon Ball a few months ago and I was horrified.

 

Why?  WHY?  Why would they make a live action version of an anime series that spawned years of monotonous storylines where Goku or one of his buddies would fight the villain of the moment, displaying all their super powers, to have the losing character say at the end something along the lines of “You think you’ve won?  You haven’t seen what I can do yet!” in every single episode?

 

I’m perfectly aware that a lot of people won’t agree with me about Dragon Ball.  The fact that the live action version of this anime has the participation of someone as awesome as Chow Yun-Fat should bring a little hope to the table.  But I’d like to name a few anime series that are a whole lot more deserving of a live action version,  though I’m not really sure if I’d like to see them made into live action films:

 

Hellsing:

The story of a mysterious organization with the task of protecting England from vampires and other supernatural creatures with the help of Alucard – Hellsing’s most powerful warrior – could be the most financially viable of this little list.  I’ve had many conversations about Hellsing with friends and we always agree about Johny Depp being the best candidate to play Alucard.  As for who should direct it, I think Brad Anderson (The Machinist) would pull off the vibe of the series quite nicely.

 

Ergo Proxy:

This cyberpunk series is my favorite anime ever.  It’s a complex story about the creator and its creations, sometimes more introspective than action packed.  This would make a wonderful cult movie, but I think it could potentially marginalize audiences because of its complexity.  Many have suggested Amy Lee (from Evanescence) should play Re-l Mayer, one of the leads.  My guess is Megan Fox would be cast for being a closer physical match to this character but the character requires the acting chops of Angelina Jolie.  As for the other lead character, Vincent Law, an incredibly versatile actor would be required; someone who could pull off playing a dumbass, a reluctant hero, and a vengefull loner in one film.  I don’t think there are many capable of doing this.

 

Evangelion:

One of my favorite animes, its live action version has been in the making for years.  I hope whoever writes the screenplay gets it right because this is about as complex as Akira.  There was a time when I thought Lindsey Lohan would make a great Asuka.  But it would probably be better if the whole cast were Japanese.

 

Texhnolyze:

The story about the city of Lux, the battle between three organizations – The Organo, The Racan, and The Union – for its control, and the tragic journey of former fighter Ichise, is one of the cruelest stories I have ever seen in my life, but the story would make a wonderfully complex film.  Make sure you’re very emotionally stable if you choose to see it.

 

Blood, the Last Vampire:

Set shortly before the Vietnam War, this is the story of Saya, a vampire –the last of her kind – who hunts bat-like creatures for a US organization.  There is a television series that derived from this anime film that, in my opinion, has butchered the essence of the main character.  The film felt very open ended.  If a live action version were to be made, I’d like to see greater focus on the history of Saya, which was lightly addressed in the anime film.

 

Akira:

This is quite possibly the most important anime in the history of anime.  When I heard a live action version was in the making I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it.  It has a tremendously complex story.  I was scared when I learned the screenplay is being written by a first timer.  The director is also a first timer.  The story will be set in New Manhattan, not New Tokio.  These little details are a little unsettling.  I can only hope the end result is worthy of having derived from the wonderful work of Katsuhiro Ôtomo.

 

Hell Girl:

This wonderful episodic series about revenge and the girl that makes it happen would make a great HBO mini series if focused a lot more on Hell Girl’s back story.  I’ve only seen a handful of episodes and loved every single one of them.

 

As for why I’m not sure I’d like to see these titles be made into live action films or into mini series, it’s very simple:  A lot could be lost in translation.  And if you’re a fan of anime, you know how passionate the fans can be about the integrity of the core of these stories.

 

So to all Dragon Ball Z fans, I might not see what you see in this anime, but I sure hope you don’t end up disappointed.

 

And that’s all for now.