One Piece live-action series to release on Netflix this year: 10 other series based on popular manga

While die-hard manga fans are split between staying true to animation or enjoying live-action series as well, there is no denying the popularity of films and series such as Erased, Alita: Battle Angel, and Death Note

The announcement poster of One Piece

OTT streaming giant Netflix has announced that it will release the One Piece live-action series this year. One Piece is based on the manga created by Eiichiro Oda, and features Iñaki Godoy as Monkey D. Luffy. The series is said to begin with Luffy’s journey as a pirate; he is seen posing in his iconic straw hat in the announcement poster. While there has been no revelation on the release date, a trailer premier is expected to be released at Netflix’s Geeked Week 2023. This has fans guessing that the series will release in late summer or early fall.

While there is a constant debate among manga fans about making live-action series, with many saying that they prefer the animated versions, there have been several popular mangas that have been adapted into live-action series. Here's a look at some of the most popular:

Erased
Based on the manga of the same name by Kei Sanbe, Erased (Boku Dake ga Inai Machi), is about struggling manga artist Satoru Fujinuma, who cannot control travelling to the past. After being framed for his mother’s murder, he finds himself thrown back in time to elementary school, when a series of child murders rocked his hometown. While there are some differences in the story with the manga, the overall plot and characters are largely unchanged. 

Alita: Battle Angel
The film is based on the manga Battle Angel Alita (Gunnm) by Yukito Kishiro. It is set in the post-apocalyptic future, where Alita, a female cyborg, has lost her memory. She is found in a junkyard by a cybernetics doctor, who rebuilds her and takes care of her. The story is about Alita trying to remember her past and the people in it. The sci-fi movie by Robert Rodriguez and James Cameron did divert from the anime, but was appreciated for its adaptation and filming style. 

Death Note
Based on a manga series of the same name written by Tsugumi Ohba, Death Note is about Yagami, who is on a mission to create a utopian world. He does this by writing the names of people he finds unworthy of living in a notebook; those whose names are written in the book are killed. It is the same story as the manga and is about a detective investigating Yagami’s crimes.

Rurouni Kenshin: The Final
Based on the manga series of the same name by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Rurouni Kenshin: The Final is the culmination of the nearly decade-long run of the franchise in theatres. It was split into two parts. Rurouni Kenshin is the story of a swordsman and reformed assassin who protects those in need. The film has adapted the manga series' final arc, but with some changes in the story. What is interesting is that Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning is a prequel to The Final.

Switched
Based on Shiki Kabawaka’s manga series Sora wo Kakeru Yodaka, the series is about depression and social anxiety through the eyes of teenagers. When Ayumi, a popular socialite, sees Umine, a suicidal teen, committing suicide, their souls switch bodies, which forces them to look at the world through each other's eyes. The story of Sora wo Kakeru Yodaka is also about a suicidal teen switching bodies with the most popular girl in school. 

Alice In Borderland
The science-fiction thriller-drama series is based on a manga of the same name by Haro Aso. It is about Arisu, a jobless, video-game-obsessed young man, who finds himself in Tokyo in an alternate universe. Arisu and his friends have to compete in several dangerous games to survive. Throughout the show, one can see the theme of life and death, in both the literal and figurative sense. While it was mostly well received, people had split opinions on the lack of focus on character development and story as the series progressed. 

Parasyte: Part 1
Based on the manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki, Parasyte: Part 1 is about what happens when an alien and a high schooler are stuck together, after the alien fails to take control of him. They form a friendship and together try to stop other aliens from taking over human beings. The material is so large that the movie was split into two parts. The film stayed close to the manga in its story. A new South Korean live-action adaptation of Parasyte has been announced by Netflix. It is based on the manga, but will tell its own new story. 

Nana
Two girls, both named Nana, who are pursuing their dreams in Tokyo, meet in a chance encounter that triggers a series of events. Despite being extremely different from each other, they develop a close friendship, and go through the different ups and downs of life together. It is based on the manga of the same name by Ai Yazawa and is a good retelling of the original tale. 

Bunny Drop
Bunny Drop (Usagi Drop), is based on the manga of the same name by Yumi Unita. It follows the story of a single man named Daikichi and Rin, the six-year-old illegitimate child of Daikichi's grandfather. Daikichi finds out about Rin at his grandfather’s funeral, which follows a series of funny events. While the manga follows the story until Rin grows up, the movie is about the first year of Daikichi and Rin’s life together. 

The Prince Of Tennis
A story based on tennis, The Prince of Tennis is about a young boy who travels to China to beat his father, who is a tennis pro. The manga series of the same name, written by Takeshi Konomi, aired from 1999 to 2008. It was later a popular anime series as well. While there are some differences in the plot between the live-action series and the manga, the foundation of the story is the same, and both revolve around the love of tennis.

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