One of the fascinating things about live-action adaptations is comparing how the actors bring the animated characters to life. So, with the upcoming Tokyo Revengers movie, let’s do just that!
What can make live-action anime or manga adaptations so difficult is the ensuing film can look like people playing dress-up instead of embodying the characters in a real-world way. Often, this might be because certain things—whether that’s hairstyles or clothing—look stylized and cool when drawn, but awkward in live-action. This is not always the case, though.
Tokyo Revengers is helped by the fact the fashion and hairstyles are based in reality—albeit a hyper one. The story, though, is real-life meets sci-fi or fantasy as the protagonist slips through time and then works his way up through a gang to save his girlfriend.
Previously, Warner Bros. Japan released a comparison between the actors and the original manga designs.
However, since the performers were not in make-up and sporting the proper hairdos, the comparison made it difficult to see how they’d bring the characters to life. But since then, from looking at the official stills and comparing them to the anime, and movie version of Tokyo Revengers looks promising! Check out the comparisons below:
Takemichi Hanagaki
After traveling back in time, “Takemitchy” becomes a gang leader to save his girlfriend Hinata. Note that this comparison shows the high school version of the character. In the movie, he is played by Takumi Kitamura.
Here is Hanagaki as an adult.
Manjiro Sano
Called “Mikey,” he’s a founder of the Manji Gang. Ryo Yoshizawa plays him in the movie.
Ken Ryuguji
Also known as “Draken,” he’s the vice president of the Tokyo Manji Gang and one of its founding members. In the movie, the character is played by Yuki Yamada.
Atsushi Sendo
A founding member of the Tokyo Manji Gang, he is played by Hayato Isomura.
Haruki Hayashida
Another founder member of the Tokyo Manji Gang, he is played by Subaru Kimura.
Masataka Kiyomizu
Also called Kiyomasa, he leads a group of thugs at school. Nobuyuki Suzuki plays him in the movie.
Nobutaka Osanai
The gang leader is played by Yoshiki Minato.
The biggest difference between the anime characters and the live-action ones isn’t the tough dudes however, but the girlfriend Hinata Tachibana, played by Mio Imada. She does appear to capture the spirit of the character, and that’s what counts most.
Also, for the movie, it might make more sense not to give her such a flashy hairstyle, as those trappings seem more indicative of the gang members. This way, the filmmakers can draw a line between them and other characters.
Tokyo Revengers opens next month in Japan.