Right now, Netflix is ripe with live-action versions of some of the biggest anime, including One Piece and, very recently, YuYu Hakusho. Going the other direction, some of Netflix’s most successful and popular original live-action series have already inspired the creation of anime based on them – several with great success. Series like The Witcher, for example, used The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf to tell a prequel story about a character that didn’t get much screen time.
But there are plenty more shows on Netflix that have a great premise that could be explored more in an anime. These shows either have enough characters to tell more stories, have vast worlds that still have stories to tell, or have interesting lore that could be expanded upon. An anime series could be more free with action scenes, magic, science fiction elements, or the supernatural, not being held back by live actors. Anime has endless possibilities!
8 Bridgerton
Netflix Has Had Success With Historical Romance Anime
|
Release Date |
Dec. 25th, 2020 |
|
No. of Episodes |
16 |
Bridgerton is a swoon-worthy historical romance that has taken the world by storm in the past three years, showcasing relationships in a historical setting but with a more diverse cast of characters than we have seen in the past. It follows the Bridgerton family during the Regency Era of England, which has eight siblings who are all looking for love. Each season focuses on different siblings and their stories, all with courtship and romance as the main theme.
Period romance is in for anime right now as shown by the success of stories like My Happy Marriage. Bridgerton would be a new setting and time period that is not often explored by anime, which usually focus on Japanese history rather than Western. Plus, just like other successful romance anime, Bridgerton is a slow burn with meaningful characters that viewers can’t help but love, and keeps them pining for the next episode. A Bridgerton anime could follow any of the characters from the current seasons, or even draw inspiration from the novels that serve as the live-action source material.
7 Umbrella Academy
Supernatural School Anime Always Have Potential
|
Release Date |
Feb. 15th, 2019 |
|
No. of Episodes |
30 |
Umbrella Academy follows six adopted siblings on their journey to solve the mystery of their father’s death. The six siblings are from a group of 43 babies that were born on the same day in 1989 to women who showed no sign of pregnancy even the day before. Along with two others who are already dead, they were raised together by their adoptive father, who trained them to save the world in the Umbrella Academy. All grown up now, the six remaining siblings must work together to solve the murder, but their conflicting personalities and abilities make that anything but easy.
Umbrella Academy is already based on graphic novels and comics, so having an anime as well would not be far-fetched. It could focus on the main character’s supernatural powers, or even tell the unknown stories of other children from the 43 who were born that day and what they have done. The Netflix series also only shows the siblings as adults and does not show much of their time going to the Umbrella Academy itself. Anime loves supernatural school settings and teens with special powers, which would make an anime prequel a fantastic choice.
6 Wednesday
Ghoulish Supernatural School Anime Also Have Potential
|
Release Date |
Nov. 23rd, 2022 |
|
No. of Episodes |
8 |
Wednesday is a remake of the classic series The Addams Family, which focuses primarily on the titular character, Wednesday, rather than on the family as a whole. The series follows Wednesday as she begins attending Nevermore Academy, the school her parents attended and fell in love at. While there, a series of gruesome murders caused by a mysterious monster begin to occur, and Wednesday takes it upon herself to solve the mystery, whatever the cost.
Wednesday is unique because its source material already has an animated version, which aired from 1992 to 1993. However, it was a Western-style cartoon, not an anime, and the focus was on life in the Addams Family household rather than on Nevermore Academy. Wednesday would make a great basis for an anime, either focusing on Wednesday herself or on other students and life in Nevermore. Again, supernatural schools are popular settings for anime!
5 Squid Game
A Natural Fit For The Death Game Anime Genre
|
Release Date |
Sep. 18th, 2021 |
|
No. of Episodes |
9 |
Squid Game is about, well, a game where participants play with their lives. All the players are looking for money and are in desperate situations. They are promised that if they can succeed at playing simple children’s games and win, then they are going to get enough money to not be stressed anymore. The problem is that if they lose the games, they pay with their very lives.
One of the most popular genres in anime in recent years is the idea of a death game, and that is exactly what Squid Game is. Series like Gantz popularized the idea many years ago now, paving the way for the success of anime like Death Parade, Future Diary, Alice in Borderland, and even Sword Art Online. Squid Game as an anime could follow a new cast of characters and introduce even more challenges – and deaths – for them to overcome, and also has the possibility to be even gorier than the original show.
4 Sex Education
Already Has A Manga
|
Release Date |
Jan. 11th, 2019 |
|
No. of Episodes |
32 |
Sex Education is a comedy series set at a high school in the UK, following the romantic struggles of its mostly teenage cast as they learn about love, sex, and heartbreak. It has really diverse relationships as well, focusing not only on heterosexual love but the LGBT+ community, and issues like abortion. It is meant to portray teenage life in a realistic, but inclusive and funny way, tackling heavy subjects in a way that makes them easy to understand and relate to.
While most of the other Netflix shows that need anime focus more on action, Sex Education is all about love and laughter. It is a great premise for a romantic comedy anime, which is one of the most popular genres, or even a slice of life anime, focusing on just what it means to be a high school teenager. There are plenty of colorful characters for the anime to explore the lives and stories of. Plus, there is already a manga out inspired by Sex Education, so making an anime would just be the next step!
3 Black Mirror
Following In Star Wars: Visions’ Footsteps
|
Release Date |
Dec. 4th, 2011 |
|
No. of Episodes |
27 |
Black Mirror did not start as a Netflix original but was rather made for the BBC when it first aired. However, the series has since been taken over by Netflix, who have continued to make new episodes, including one interactive one called “Bandersnatch.” Black Mirror does not follow one story across all seasons but rather has single stories written and directed by different people that explore themes like the dark side of technology, ethical dilemmas, and what is real or not.
The style of Black Mirror could translate easily to an anime series, with single episodes that tell unique stories – like Star Wars: Visions or even Love, Death & Robots. The same kinds of themes could be explored in new ways, and anime would not have to be held back by the limits of CGI, especially when it comes to science fiction or stories of advanced technology. Plus, it would be great to showcase a lot of different studios and creators like the aforementioned anthology series have already done.
2 Dark
All The Ingredients For A Stellar Mystery Thriller Anime
|
Release Date |
Dec. 1st, 2017 |
|
No. of Episodes |
26 |
Dark is about two children who go missing in a small German town, with a mystery that is much more complicated than it first appeared. The town is also deeply connected to itself in 1986, and the story jumps back and forth between the present and the past. The characters must piece together their troubled history, along with the town’s, to find the missing children; however, something supernatural is also at play, and time is a fluid concept.
Dark would make an interesting mystery thriller anime, either set in the same town with other characters or using the same themes for another town. Time travel, parallel worlds, and supernatural powers are all ripe for exploring. Plus, though the original story is set in Germany, an anime could be set anywhere, even Japan, which opens up new possibilities for how the story turns out.
1 Stranger Things
The Endless Possibilities Of Animation
|
Release Date |
Jul. 15th, 2016 |
|
No. of Episodes |
34 |
Stranger Things is arguably one of the most successful original series that Netflix has made at this time. It tells the story of a group of outcast friends in small-town America whose lives are turned upside-down – quite literally – when a laboratory on the town’s outskirts opens a portal to another realm. With telekinetic powers, otherworldly monsters, ethically questionable scientific experiments, and Russian soldiers all thrown into the mix, their small-town lives are far from quiet.
Stranger Things has a lot of supernatural action, between Eleven’s telekinetic powers and all the monsters that show up, plus the scenes that take place in the Upside-Down. Again, anime would not be limited by what CGI and human actors can do, which would let the series push the limits of what happens in the story. There are also so many characters with their own stories to tell in Hawkins and beyond, not to mention a deeper look into Eleven’s past that we have just seen glimpses of, that are all great material for an anime to run with.
Leave a Reply