Since the anime ended nearly a decade ago, Bleach's final arc is finally being animated. It is widely assumed that the most popular anime are based on popular manga. From Devilman Crybaby to Attack on Titan, there are numerous examples of popular manga being adapted into anime.
However, not every manga eventually finds its way to another medium. Of course, there are the usual cases where the work was not popular enough or the content was deemed too risqué for any studio executive to approve. However, many titles considered exemplary works of fiction should be left alone to preserve their integrity.
Anime adaptations, such as Demon Slayer and Jujutsu Kaisen, can catapult a manga franchise to fame. Some anime adaptations, on the other hand, suffer from excessively toned-down content or oversimplification of the original's ideas. In other cases, a manga's art style works well on paper but falls apart on screen. Some fantastic manga series belong only on collectors' bookshelves. Some of these manga have already received short, obscure adaptation efforts that, even by a more modern team, should not be repeated.
WARNING: This article contains mention of suicide.
15 Fire Punch By Tatsuki Fujimoto
Before there was Denji, there was Agni. Fire Punch was Tatsuki Fujimoto's first successful serialized manga series. Set in an apocalyptic frozen wasteland brought on by a witch, one young man constantly on fire is beset on a path of revenge. If there was doubt that Chainsaw Man could get any more violent, depraved, or bleak, then Fire Punch is here to answer all of those simultaneously.
In many ways, Chainsaw Man is Tatsuki restraining himself on how far he can go with his themes. Content aside, where Fire Punch excels is in how Tatsuki crafts his story through his art. His cinematic frame of mind is perfect for this, and Fire Punch is no exception, as each major sequence is in its perfect frame to perfectly land a joke or execute an action scene.
14 Boy's Abyss By Ryo Minenami
There aren't many stories that manage to make a protagonist suicidal and not come off as exploitative or the butt of a joke. Boy's Abyss is not for the faint of heart, as it's a tale that looks into the void and isn't afraid to stare back. Protagonist Reiji Kurose is on the brink of accepting his abysmal life without much of a fight until a pop idol arrives in his dead-end town and turns his life around.
If animated, Boy's Abyss may only appeal to a limited audience, or scared studio execs would interfere and warp the story to make it more accessible to broader audiences. This would hamper the overall slow-burn feel this story has laid out as it ultimately becomes a psychological thriller to save the sanity of its protagonist.
13 Oyasumi Punpun By Inio Asano
Quite possibly one of the most famous manga that could essentially be considered a graphic novel, Oyasumi Punpun has yet to receive an adaptation to another medium. Going by graphic novel standards, there probably is a good reason why it should not be.
Maus and Watchmen are considered some of the best graphic novels of all time. Both are lauded as great fictional works for the literary world, but only the latter was ever adapted. Maus shares with Oyasumi Punpun in that they both feature characters with anthropomorphic features. The artwork is better conveyed and makes it more unique by featuring bird-faced characters that would be lost if it were to be animated or made live-action.
12 20th Century Boys By Naoki Urasawa
To this day, only three of Naoki Urasawa's works have been adapted into the anime medium. Of all of his most popular works, 20th Century Boys still has not received an adaptation. But seeing that this tale is the closest Naoki got to his idol, Osamu Tezuka (aside from Pluto), that's probably a good thing.
Within the manga community, there is an award named after Astro Boy author, Osamu; Naoki was awarded this three times. Though unfortunately, 20th Century Boys would not be the one to grant him that award. Regardless, this is a story that is best viewed through Naoki's art and how he contextually takes a story that could've easily been a Stephen King work and set it in an Osamu-like manga.
11 Choujin X By Sui Ishida
Mangaka Sui Ishida has already run into one of his most beloved works to be turned into one of the most infamous manga adaptations of all time. Though Studio Pierrot has redeemed itself with the revival of Bleach, the same amount of care was not given to Ishida's Tokyo Ghoul.
Choujin X is Ishida's alternate version to the X-Men and a deconstruction of the "chosen one" archetype. They are no longer tied down to a serialized schedule and are allowed to draw and release at their own pace. So far, there have only been 34 chapters released. If there were to be an adaptation, studios would have to wait a moment until there were 50 or more chapters released before studios could get serious about adapting.
10 Yakuza Fiancé: Raise Wa Tanin Ga Li By Asuka Konishi
Yakuza Fiancé, rather than being an anime adaptation, has a premise that would work better as a live-action film. Not all manga adaptations become anime; they may occasionally find themselves in the three-dimensional realm. The trials and tribulations of being the granddaughter of a powerful Osaka yakuza boss could easily be delivered more effectively in this format.
The contrast between Yoshino's slice of school life and her life in the yakuza is already an intriguing dynamic. When an arranged marriage plot is thrown into the mix, all hell breaks loose for the obstinate soul. Sappy soap operas wish they could have conflicts as good as the ones in Yakuza Fiance, as well as a strong and independent protagonist like Yoshino.
9 Dandadan By Yukinobu Tatsu
Dandadan by the brilliant Yukinobu Tatsu, despite being a new and highly popular manga, should not be animated. The artwork is truly breathtaking. The attention to detail in each panel, especially in a double spread, is Kentaro Miura level.
However, there are many debates about whether or not the late Kentaro Miura's most famous work, Berserk, should have been adapted in the first place. Those who manage to acquire Dandadan for adaptation may, unfortunately, fail to live up to the expectations set by Yukinobu's artwork.
8 Real By Takehiko Inoue
Leave it to Takehiko Inoue to create another popular basketball manga series. Only this time, his Real series is centered on wheelchair basketball. His most well-known work, Slam Dunk, has already been adapted into an anime, but most fans prefer the original source material.
Real's publication is still ongoing, and it shows no signs of slowing down. This could also explain why Inoue's other projects have been put on hold for the time being. Nonetheless, Real is a story that is best told on the page, as it recounts protagonist Togawa's struggles as he comes to terms with the accident that cost him his leg.
7 Die Wergelder By Samura Hiroaki
Given the content, there could be an entire section of Samura Hiroaki's bibliography that should never be animated. Many argue that his most famous work, Blade of the Immortal, should never have been adapted because the story was better told on the page than on the screen.
Despite its racy content, one of his current serializations, Die Wergelder, is on the fence about being animated. Die Wergelder may appear "tame" in comparison to some of his other works, most notably his one-shots. Although Samura's art is still regarded as absolute, studios that adapt it fail to capture its essence.
6 Vagabond By Takehiko Inoue
Inoue's Vagabond is frequently compared to Kentaro's Berserk as a companion piece because it shares a lone swordsman on a journey to achieve greater strength. The similarities between the series end there. The distinctions only become clearer from there.
But there is one significant difference between the two: Vagabond has never been adapted into an anime. There has been no attempt, whether due to Inoue's wishes or other complications. This is probably for the best, as the series thrives on basking in Inoue's art and the framing of each scene.
5 Stupid Love Comedy By SyuSyuSyu Sakurai
In some ways, the charming romance manga Stupid Love Comedy would make a good anime because the industry already has a number of popular working-life shows such as Wotakoi and The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague. Stupid Love Comedy, on the other hand, does not strike the right tone for an anime adaptation.
Even though many one-season anime series have unsatisfying and open endings, Stupid Love Comedy lacks the payoff required for a full-length season or anime film. It's a fun read for novelty purposes, similar to a shojo-based Bakuman, but any Stupid Love Comedy anime would be forgettable and fall flat.
4 Don't Blush, Sekime-San! By Shigure Tokita
Don't Blush, Sekime-San! is a romantic comedy manga that works best in bite-sized chunks as a fun way to pass the time with some light reading. The plot goes in circles and has too little substance for an anime series or movie, but it's a nice filler series to read in between chapters of more serious titles.
The Sekime-San! manga succeeds in this way, and now that it's finished, a manga fan looking for something new can blitz through its large handful of chapters for some innocent fun. However, this story isn't worth the time and effort it would take to animate or watch, especially with Komi Can't Communicate providing such stiff competition in the rom-com world.
3 'Tis Time For "Torture," Princess By Robinson Haruhara & Hirakei
'Tis the Season for "Torture," Princess is a silly, lighthearted comedy with a circular, formulaic plot that works better for manga than anime. Fluffy series are quick to read and can be read anywhere, but that doesn't work nearly as well for anime for a variety of reasons.
Torture is not a graphic or brutal anime. Instead, the plot revolves around the demon king's minions enticing a captive human princess with delectable treats and snacks, luring her into divulging her kingdom's secrets in exchange for free food. That internal conflict is the "torture" that the blonde princess endures on a daily basis in captivity.
2 Mahou Sensei Negima! By Ken Akamatsu
In the 2000s, the Mahou Sensei Negima! manga series received two short anime series, but they are obscure and unimpressive, and Ken Akamatsu's original manga remains the defining Negima! experience. Today's anime studios could attempt another, more modern anime adaptation of this manga series, but that would be a bad idea.
The Negima! manga is richly drawn and detailed, making an anime adaptation a difficult task. This franchise also feels too traditional and dated for modern tastes, with constant fan service that may irritate modern anime fans.
1 Inside Mari By Shuzo Oshimi
Even if the Inside Mari manga was adapted into a live-action TV drama in Japan, the original material is still rather dark and occasionally X-rated, making it unsuitable for mainstream anime. An adaptation could tone down or eliminate those parts, but doing so risks undermining the story's themes and nuances.
Inside Mari is a bleak psychological drama starring a sleazy shut-in and a popular female high school student named Mari. The shut-in finds himself in Mari's body and must solve the mystery of how and why this occurred, as well as what happened to the original Mari.
