Live-action adaptations of Japan’s biggest hits have become a white whale, of sorts, in the hunt for the perfect IP. On paper, manga and anime are two mediums ripe for reappraisal: most come with dedicated fanbases built in, and their approach to familiar themes still feels utterly unique to anything being produced in the West. Translating the colorful, complex characters and unwieldy storylines into real life, however, is still proving elusive — especially for the creatives at Netflix.
