8 of the Best Manga Adaptations (and 1 that Should Never See the Light of Day)

Nausicaä was initially a manga serialised in the magazine Animage in 1982. The film adaptation came in 1984 and became the foundation of Studio Ghibli. The movie is a simplified version of the manga, essentially covering the same elements but limited to the story published up to the date of the film’s release. This only adds to the authenticity of the movie, making it one of the best manga adaptations of all time. Nausicaä, the title character, is the princess of the Valley of the Wind. The valley borders a toxic jungle, polluted by an apocalyptic war and swarming with oversized insects. Nausicaä studies the jungle and its creatures, hoping to find a way for her valley and the jungle to coexist. Nearby, two nations are at war for land and survival. When the war enters the Valley directly, Nausicaä must fight to protect her people and the land from obliteration. A masterpiece in both manga and anime.

Before Spike Lee attempted to ‘Americanise’ the acclaimed series, the best manga adaptation of Old Boy came from Korea in 2003. It follows Oh Dae-su, held captive for 15 years in a cell designed to look like a hotel room. Dae-su has no idea who imprisoned him or why. When he is suddenly released, Dae-su struggles to settle in this new world while searching for his captor. Even though he is now outside, Dae-su remains trapped in his captor’s game of conspiracy and violence. The movie is a stunning example of emotional storytelling, while the choreography is dynamic. Old Boy mastered The Corridor Fight Scene before Netflix’s Daredevil ever knew what a corridor was. Warning: the story contains incest, suicide, high physical violence, and mental abuse.

For a change of pace, Kakera was released in 2009 and loosely based on the manga published in 1996. In both stories, it centres on the love-meet between two women. Haru is an unkempt, though beautiful student of English literature who is trapped in an impasse relationship with a fellow student named Ryota, a boor who constantly cheats on her. Haru meets Riko, a young prosthetist who instantly takes a liking to Haru. While Riko is comfortable with her bisexuality, Haru struggles to understand where she fits in her relationships with Ryota and with Riko. The film adaptation captures the swoon of fresh attention and the ease in which we can be swept up in our emotions.

This best-selling manga series has had MANY live-action adaptations over the years, but the best is definitely the 2009 Korean series starring Ku Hye-Sun as Geum Jan-Di, which has the main character starting at the most elite school in Korea. This is prime enemies-to-lovers trope — in it, Jan-Di instantly clashes with the popular F4 group of boys, who set their bullying sights on Jan-Di. It’s filled with angst, comedy, and drama, brought together with the stunning performance by Ku Hye-Sun. There are so many fans of the original manga and even more fans of this brilliant adaptation.

For a manga that was originally intended as a one-off, this ended up being acclaimed around the globe. The animated movie is even better, without exaggeration. The story begins in 6th grade when Shoya Ishida encourages the whole class to bully the new girl, Shoko Nishimiya, who is deaf. When the Principal reprimands Shoya for his actions, Shoya is ostracised by students and teachers right into High School. By that stage, Shoya realises how wrong he was and seeks redemption by reconnecting with Shoko, who still suffers from the bullying experience. There is so much to learn and understand from both the manga and the movie, as each of the main characters grows individually and within the new social group around them. The movie took all of the empathy in the manga and went a step further in delivering emotional support for the audience. It was the 10th highest-grossing Japanese movie in the year of its release (2016), tying with Death Note: Light Up the New World (another manga-inspired movie); impressive for an animated manga-inspired film that is not Studio Ghibli.

Content warning: suicide

Moto Hagio is held as one of the gods of shōjo manga, with a visual style that is both softly beautiful and instantly recognisable. Although better known for The Poe Clan, one of the best manga movie adaptations of all time is based on her series, The Heart of Thomas. During the Summer Holidays of 1999, four students stay behind at their all-boys boarding school. Earlier that year, one of their classmates (Yu) died by suicide. One of the students, Norio, blames another (Kazuhiko) for the death, in part because of the unrequited love from Yu. It is a coming-of-age tale dealing with suicide, abandonment, and homoerotic relationships between the boys. To be fair, it is unlike any movie you have probably seen. The source material holds so much trauma within its pages. Yet, the movie delivers a softness that reflects Hagio’s signature art style.