Converting TV Shows to Anime: Opportunities and Challenges
For fans of Star Wars, making the adventures of Luke, Han, Leia, Chewie, CP0, and RT0 available in an animated format would recapture the magic of the 1980s. Similarly, the beloved Korean drama 'My Love from the Stars' would be a perfect fit for the anime genre, thanks to its detailed and realistic character portrayals.
Defining TV Series
The term TV series can be confusing since many TV shows fitting this definition could easily fall under the category of anime. However, if we consider the context of traditional TV shows that are not anime-manga adaptations, we can explore the differences and similarities between the two formats.
The Attraction of TV Series and Anime
A TV series is typically attractive due to its deep plot, good direction, strong characters, and often a "18 " element. The production costs for TV series can be exorbitant, making them more financially demanding but potentially rewarding. In contrast, anime production focuses heavily on animation, with an average 13-episode season costing around 250 million yen (2 million USD), while a single episode could cost 10 million yen to produce. This illustrates that anime tends to have a more straightforward and less complex production process compared to live-action TV series.
Rules for Converting TV Series to Anime
To convert a TV series to an anime, certain rules must be followed. Here are a few examples:
Suits
Suits is more serious and lacks humor, which could be challenging in an anime context. While some anime can be serious and still successful, such as Samurai Champloo, a lack of humor could be a significant drawback.
F.R.I.E.N.D.S
F.R.I.E.N.D.S is humorous and relatable. However, the target age issue is significant. The show targets the millennial generation, which makes it challenging to adapt for a different audience base. It would also require a significant dialogue and cultural adaptation, which can be complex for an anime adaptation.
Game of Thrones (GOT)
Game of Thrones is dark and cruel, focusing on a Western setting and culture. Translating this to an anime format would be challenging because anime often embed cultural nuances in their storytelling, particularly for a Western perspective.
Blackhat
Blackhat is a mentally deranged protagonist involved in complex scenarios, making it more aligned with anime themes. It fits well with the common anime formula, ensuring a substantial plot, relatable characters, and dark themes, which are generally trending in the anime genre.
Conclusions
While it seemed initially that no TV series could be converted profitably into anime, the rules outlined above offer a structured approach to the process. Certain TV series, when adapted with careful consideration of target audience and cultural nuances, can indeed succeed in the anime market, highlighting the potential for crossover between these mediums.
These rules also help in understanding the unique aspects of each format and how to adapt one to the other successfully. Readers and viewers are encouraged to share their thoughts on the feasibility of converting different TV series to anime and the potential success of such adaptations.