The Adaption Corner: Part 1: To Anime and Back

So yeah, we’ve got a lot of great stuff going about this little world of ours and that got me thinking “Why don’t they adapt some of them into an Anime of some kind?”. And before you call me out on the whole the “Powerpuff Girls Anime” let me draw your attention to just a few franchises that could potentially become a pretty cool “Anime Adaption”. So the idea of seeing our favourite “Western” material adapted into an anime series or film may offend some and enthral others at the prospect to see their favourite series gain a new form. 

Also if you’re thinking “This is all Sci-fi” don’t complain about it. I chose the selection below from out of a hat…with the three below…..as the only slips of paper.

Dune:

David Lynch’s adaption of the book may not have been great, but the design and style he presented us with can’t be easily thrown in with the incoherent nature of the film, just because of a few mistakes (I personally blame the studio and not David Lynch out of how superb the set design, costume and music all helped to create a beautiful mess, like one of those artist who throw something on the floor and then claim it represents something like I don’t know…..HUMANITY!). Imagine what they could achieve with an anime series, they could recreate certain character designs from the film or pre-existing illustrations, I don’t know, but it’s fun to consider the possibilities of Dune being adapted.

Director suitable: Kunihiko Ikuhara or Hideaki Anno: This comes down to how you would want Dune to present ether with symbolic meanings or complex characters…..I see Dune embodying both these elements, but I’m allowing for you to make your own mind or suggest someone else.

Doctor Who:

The thought of mecha springs to mind when Doctor Who could be adapted into anime (I like the animated stuff done on CBBC, but it isn’t the same as full-blown Anime). Imagine a Tenth Doctor in an anime series that could have a catchy J-pop song including some Lyric along the lines of “Burning among the sky….Further into our own past hearts” or anything. It’d be awesome if you think about it…..but luckily someone out on the World Wide Web has actually created a anime style series of clips that makes us of audio from (I wish it was the Eighth or Tenth Doctor that they were using as the basis, but who cares, this is Doctor Who the anime or the closes we’re ever going to get) the Third Doctor’s era *Sad face*. The featured companions in this glorious series include Brigadier and a new scantily clad anime type female character (With the ability to wield machine guns and kill Daleks) she doesn’t speak throughout…….Ok so I admit it, this part might seem to be giving a side-tracked feel by the presence of this semi-anime variation of Doctor Who, but besides that….I urge you to take a look with this link:

http://mightyotaking.deviantart.com/

Now back to what I planned to to write. You could envision (Or you will once you click on the link above) the Cybermen and Daleks all drawn up in some super shaded style or something and then the whole Tardis might edge on becoming a sort of control unit for some Mecha. *Smiles on the thought that its already been done*.

Director suitable: Hayao Miyazaki: If we remember the Doctor, deep down he’s lonely and very much a human like character, so I could see Hayao directing a film tied to the idea of the Doctor dealing with his own awareness towards the never ending struggle of a life lead to deny destruction while always coming at a cost for some, a sort of “Porco Rosso” on the idea of self imposed loneliness within his own humanity.

The Hitchhiker’s Guild to the Galaxy:

“Give me a light side of humour in this line up of Sci-fi based stuff?” I asked myself after finally looking up and down this list to see two serious Sci-fi series (In terms of tone or mood). Well this is another series I could imagine being adapted into an anime series (Not film, too much material to choose from), but the weird thing I keep any kind of anime of it having the characters altered and (Only Thor would know) attending high school with Arthur Dent in a Harem situation, Zaphod acting as the rival to Arthur, Trillian acting as the one he’ll end up with (out of all the girls chasing after him) and Ford as…….something….I don’t know!

I envision the series would differ in style from the material at hand, but then it would be a treat to see it happen, even as a one minute short…..but one minute would be enough for me *Eyes glazed over on the thought*. A important point, we need to remember about Hitchhiker’s is that with each variation that has come and gone, they’ve each been their own from the videogame to film. Except to a point it wouldn’t be the same from how Douglas Adams was present in some form to each variation *Sad face*.

Director suitable: Shinichirō Watanabe: Music always plays into my thought of when I’ve read or watched anything to do with Hitchhiker’s and his style (Though an odd chose) would feel suited with how varied the characters are (The whole Harem thing would be none existent). I would love to hear The Guide speak Japanese.  

Final thought: So much to think, so little to write. So now, to you the reader I ask you. “What else should be adapted into anime series or film?” and “Who you would want to direct it?”