Netflix has had a fantastic year with its live-action anime interpretations. One Piece was a delightful surprise for fans, successfully portraying a diverse cast of characters with extraordinary powers and unique races like fish people.
The confirmed second season attests to its immense success. Similarly, Yu Yu Hakusho also garnered positive feedback, thanks to its relatively more down-to-earth premise. Both these adaptations, based on 90s anime, raise the question: Which other classic 90s anime could find success in this TV format?
6 Digimon Adventure
Change Into Digital Monsters
If Pokemon can transition into a live-action movie with Detective Pikachu, then the Digimon franchise should follow suit. Netflix could adapt the first season of the anime into a live-action show, with convincing CG creatures set in a tropical setting. Trimming the cast to reduce the number of Digimon on screen could be cost-effective, although it might upset some fans.
It's essential for the show to feature a Japanese cast, as the teens in Digimon Adventure hail from various Japanese schools. Most importantly, nailing the American theme song, although simple, is crucial. Furthermore, unlike Pokemon, Digimon are capable of speech.
5 Hunter X Hunter
It’s A Battle Royale!
Hunter x Hunter would thrive as a Netflix series, appealing to fans of Squid Game. The story chronicles Gon's quest to obtain his Hunter license, meeting three friends along the way. To attain a Hunter license, contestants must navigate various trials, including dungeon platforms, quizzes, and arena combats.
This scenario resembles a Battle Royale, but with a purpose and devoid of malicious intent. The anime's restrained use of effects suggests a focus on pure martial arts, much like Yu Yu Hakusho. It's worth noting that there was a 90s version of Hunter X Hunter, albeit short-lived before its 2011 reboot, which is more widely recognized today.
4 Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
It’s A Gundam!
With a Gundam movie in the works for Netflix, anticipation runs high among fans. The realm of mech-based entertainment has lacked a compelling offering, be it live-action or animated. If the movie resonates, a connected Gundam universe, comprising additional movies and TV shows, could be in the offing.
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team would translate well to a series, given its straightforward plot and Earth-based jungle settings. Its OVA nature makes it a suitable candidate for a succinct, one-off season. The series' simplistic Gundams and modest combat provide a character-centric narrative with the inclusion of colossal robots.
3 Neon Genesis Evangelion
A Trippy Timeloop
If Netflix opts against multiple Gundam movies, leveraging another 90s mech-based anime classic for a live-action drama could be compelling. Neon Genesis Evangelion has a presence on Netflix, having been recently introduced to streaming platforms. The re-dubbing, however, sparked discontent among some fans.
Neon Genesis Evangelion's intriguing concept of recurring resets across the manga, anime, and movies, all within the same universe but under reset conditions after the world's end, opens up avenues for diverse adaptations. Past endeavors in the adaptation realm suggest flexibility for wild deviations. One of its manga spinoffs, for example, delves more into dating escapades than combating angels in humanoid mechs.
2 Trigun
Why Am I Crying In French?
Amazon's upcoming Fallout series provides Netflix with competition, and Trigun could rise to the challenge. Both franchises share common ground; Fallout unfolds in a future desert wasteland after a devastating apocalypse, while Trigun transpires on a desert planet gradually being terraformed by Earth settlers. The anime's understated technology lends a Western vibe to the narrative. The charismatic and skilled Vash the Stampede captivated 90s audiences with his integrity and wit.
1 Yu-Gi-Oh
It’s Time To D-D-D-Duel
If the Digimon approach doesn't appeal to Netflix, another avenue lies in Yu-Gi-Oh. Netflix's strong ties with Konami, evident in the four anime seasons based on Castlevania, could pave the way for further collaborations.
An anime centered on card games may have seemed unappealing in the 90s, but Yu-Gi-Oh defied expectations. A Netflix adaptation could embrace the dark, intense tones of the original anime. The early chapters of the manga, featuring Yugi's darker, possessed form engaging in ruthless behavior, offer potential for compelling television.