Some recent live-action adaptations of popular animes like Cowboy Bebop have not been received well by viewers. However, a concise storyline with distinct characters like Inuyasha may have what it takes to be the perfect live-action streaming series. Anime are often storylines that begin as manga and thus, already undergo one adaptation, though it’s often very close to the manga. When an anime is adapted to live-action– be it in a movie or television format– it undergoes significantly more changes.
Many of the changes that must be considered when adapting any work are centered around time, budget, and relevance to a modern audience. This is why several of the changes made to a lot of the animes that have been adapted exist. While many original fans of the animes are bothered by these adaptation changes because of their knowledge and partiality to the original story, they tend to benefit the story. That being said, adaptations– especially live-action– must be viewed as a work of their own, separate but related to the anime.
Nonetheless, the overall storyline of the anime must be enough to endure several changes and not lose the essence of its message. There are a few adaptations that achieve this balance of maintaining original content and making necessary changes because they have a strong enough plot to carry the show or movie. Some examples of such adaptations are the 2017 U.S. adaptation of Death Note and the 2017 Japanese live-action Fullmetal Alchemist because they all have clear plots with room for adjustments.
Inuyasha is also an anime that has a clear and cohesive storyline that also allows for changes that wouldn’t disrupt the rhythm of the story. It has a very clear chain of vital events and several smaller stories that fill in the remaining space and contribute to the greater story. There are a few primary characters that bring with them their own storylines but they are all easily able to be explored in a shorter period of time.
Like most animes adapted to live-action, the animation of Inuyasha must be able to be captured in a real-world setting. This, paired with the more modern acknowledgment of female representation in film, would likely lead to the attire of the characters looking a bit different. Further, CGI abilities and budget must be considered, but the characters and even the demons in Inuyasha are simple enough that they can be easily captured through graphics, costumes, or makeup.
Inuyasha is a storyline that has something for everyone which gives it even more potential for a modern-day audience, whether they’re looking for romance or action. The characters all have their own distinct voices too, making them relatable to a broad audience. There’s also the fact that many animes that have become live-action usually follow a journey or transition that creates the greater storyline, which Inuyasha also achieves.
Spanning over eight seasons and four movies, it’s safe to say that the Inuyasha storyline offers up plenty of content to span over a new television series, while still allowing time for twists and surprises. Between the backstory of each of the main characters, the problems they run into along their journey, and the primary purpose of defeating Naraku that connects them all, there is no shortage of story to explore but there are also several smaller elements that can be left out without it harming the point of the story.
Inuyasha’s storyline and characters are definitely solid enough to withstand an adaptation that still appeals to fans but it even has potential for a live-action series in terms of the technicalities of production too. As mentioned before, timing isn’t an issue in this storyline because so much of what makes up the journey to the main goal is made of smaller adventures, meaning they can either be included for more story or omitted to save on time.
Beyond these points of the story simply being prime pickings for adapting, it already has a strong fan following from the anime. These fans are already adjusted to following the story through several different forms as the anime was made up by different anime series and movies that connected to each other. Fans of a series like this are likely to return to see what the live-action has to offer.
Even more live-action adaptations are on the way, like the soon-to-come One Piece live-action series. With anime adaptations being so popular at the time, it only makes sense that more animes will be adapted to live-action as a result. Inuyasha would make a great candidate for a live-action show between its existing fan base, characters that are already relatively appropriate for a modern audience, and its solid yet flexible plot.