Everyone has seen maybe a handful of live action/drama versions of an anime or manga- usually it’s both though; sometimes the anime doesn’t get that much credit than the manga and drama or vice-versa. There are quite a few dramas/ live action versions of dramas and anime in korean, japanese and chinese. Some of them are made amazingly, others…not so much. Please note that I will be mentioning the dramas and anime with the name of the manga since dramas tend to have different titles depending on the country they were made in; and I will also be showing only one of the many live action versions per mention.
Itazura Na Kiss
The manga for Itazura Na Kiss was released in 1990. Having an anime and 4 different live action adaptations in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan; it’s pretty safe to say that the story was incredibly popular. As cliché as a romance between two people being the exact opposite may be, it still sparked joy due to how wholesome it is while also balancing a good amount of comedy. The dramas are based on the manga itself with them making you want more; however, the author sadly died at the age of 38 before ever completing the manga itself- it continued being published with the permission of her family. The anime itself completed the story that the author couldn’t complete which still makes me incredibly happy to this day because of how hard they worked in doing so. If you haven’t seen or read any of the versions of Itazura Na kiss, I highly recommend it. It’s incredibly cute with a plot and sense of humor that feels welcoming and refreshing.
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (manga) was released in 2000 and later ended in 2015. It’s popularity was quite evident since an anime and a drama was released 6-10 years after its release. Now, I know I have mentioned this particular title quite frequently in previous posts, but the margin of difference between the adaptations was too big to pass up. It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but let’s be honest it’s 90% comedy with 5% drama and 5% romance. While the anime and manga both share the same amount of comedy, drama and romance; the live action went a different route. It was mostly drama and mostly forced the romance part about 5-6 episodes in. The comedy part was almost non-existent and when they did try to be funny, it was cringe-worthy. 13 year old me was fangirling over the actual romance between Sunako and Kyohei in the live action, but when I re-watched it a while back (I’m 22 right now), I was cringing to the edge of my seat. If you want to watch the story for its essence, you should watch the anime (I highly recommend you watch the English dub because this is one of those animes where the English dub is better than the Japanese version- and before you ask, yes I did watch both the japanese and the english versions of the anime) or read the manga. If you want to see a ton of drama and romance, then go for the live action.
Dokgo
Dokgo was released in 2012. This, unlike the ones mentioned before, isn’t at all romance. In fact, it’s a school-life drama with a boy who lives as his twin brother (spoilers if you were just watching the drama before reading the manhwa). The manhwa itself takes place a year after his brother’s death and the atmosphere it gives is pretty somber yet suspenseful. Dokgo Rewind (the live action) however, is more warm and hilarious due to it being how Hu Kang’s life was before his twin was brutally murdered. You can’t stop watching it even if you tried because they always managed to keep you on your toes. I also like the concept they used as a means of telling the character’s story before and up to where the plot of the manhwa begins. I highly recommend you watch and read this because it is incredibly captivating. The only downside to this though is that some of the acting in the drama may seem a bit flat, but it doesn’t really ruin the essence of the plot.
That’s all for today. I hope you all enjoyed reading this. Is there a certain anime or manga that has been made into a live action that you love/hate? What is it? I’m rather curious as to what you guys have to say. Anyways until next time, keep your paws and bowls of ramen up, everyone! Nya! 🐾
The Kitten Who Eats Ramen 