Six manga series that desperately need to be animated
A few stellar series that have flown under the radar.
The world of manga is extremely competitive, with few series even making it past a first chapter, let alone receiving the treatment of a full serialization. It's difficult to write something good enough to appeal to the readers in both Japan and the west, and even harder for a good series to actually catch the eyes of a production studio to receive the greatest crown of all: an anime adaptation.
But sometimes, a series is honestly great, and either flies under the radar or simply doesn't garner enough appeal for a studio to consider producing an anime for it. In this list, I'll be taking a look at some of the best series and story arcs that have yet to be adapted into a completed series.
6. Chainsaw Man
Unlike a few other entries on this list, "Chainsaw Man" isn't unpopular at all, claiming the number seven spot on the highest selling manga list of 2021 (via MangaCodex), and has actually announced the production of an anime, slated to release...in the future.
A preview has been released for the anime and a few tentative release dates have been released from MAPPA, the studio in charge of animation "Chainsaw Man," but those have since passed.
At this point, it's hard to tell when, or even if an anime for "Chainsaw Man" will see the light of day, but in the mean time, all we can do is wait patiently for it.
5. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7: Steel Ball Run
As a franchise, JoJo's has come a long way from its humble origins in Japan. The series was a cult hit almost immediately, and has even served as an inspiration for a plethora of other shounen series that followed.
But everything changed in 2012, with the release of the first anime series dedicated to covering each individual story arc in the saga, starting with Part 1 and Part 2. Since then, JoJo's has exploded in the west, where much of the series gets its inspiration from.
The anime is currently adapting the sixth part, "Stone Ocean," but many fans have been waiting from the beginning to see if Part 7, "Steel Ball Run," will be adapted.
"SBR" has been heralded by the fandom as being the "best" part in the series, with SBR's manga currently holding a 9.26 aggregate rating on MyAnimeList. This also makes it the second highest rated manga on the platform.
It seems like a no brainer to adapt Part 7. If it's lauded as being one of the best parts in a series that already does exceedingly well both in the homeland and overseas, why wouldn't you adapt such a potential moneymaker?
"Steel Ball Run" unfortunately has one limiting factor when it comes to anime viability: horses. Taking place in the late 1800s, "SBR" covers a transcontinental horse race for $50 million. In a recent interview, the lead animator for "Part 5: Golden Wind" shared that "SBR" would have to rely on CGI for the horses, and would in turn, break away from the series' trademark look (via Comic Book).
Either way, "SBR" will take a while to animate, because it also happens to be the longest JoJo part in the series, clocking in at a whopping 95 chapters, which are each 40 pages, instead of the standard 20 page chapter length that previous parts utilized. This is due to Hirohiko Araki changing from weekly publication to monthly.
4. Oyasumi Punpun
"Oyasumi Punpun" is a classic. It has demonstrated in length how expressive manga can be, and backs some of the most breathtaking visuals up with a harrowing coming-of-age tale.
The flaws in human behavior, the lies we tell ourselves and each other to survive, and the limits of the human psyche are covered in excruciating detail throughout Oyasumi Punpun's 147 chapter run. It's an incredible and life changing read for anyone struggling with fitting in or finding their place in the world, and it's been forever cemented as a classic manga that everyone should read at least once.
So, with a cult following and some of the most vocal fans on the internet, how has "Punpun" not received an anime adaptation at this point?
Well, many fans would argue that "Punpun" doesn't need an anime adaptation. Its vivid depiction of humanity is conveyed well enough in the artwork and dialogue present in the manga, so what's the point in animating it? Others choose to argue that no studio in existence could do "Oyasumi Punpun" justice, and that any attempt at an anime would fall short of being as good as the manga itself is.
However, I disagree. Any series can pop on screen. It's all a matter of who handles the adaptation and how faithful it remains to the source material. Is a good "Punpun" adaptation possible? Absolutely, but maybe not right now.
Avant-garde series have done well on-screen before, with franchises like "Neon Genesis Evangelion" garnering a massive following and even becoming the largest media franchise in Japan for a couple decades.
Now, "Punpun" probably wouldn't reach such heights in the industry, but I still think a good adaptation could be done. Manga is good, but it lacks voice acting and a backing OST, two aspects of anime that can elevate a written work so much higher.
3. Jujutsu Kaisen - The Shibuya Incident Arc
Exploding in popularity right on its release, "Jujutsu Kaisen" was a tour de force in the anime world, with many fans calling it a flagship series of the "new generation" of shounen. The adventures of Itadori, Megumi, Nobara, and Gojo captured the hearts of diehard and casual anime fans alike, with many praying for their swift return to the big screen.
Being compared to "Hunter x Hunter's" Chimera Ant Arc, a series that "JJK" takes a lot of inspiration from, the Shibuya Incident Arc cemented "JJK" as an amazing series with a lot more to show besides some of the most inventive fights the genre of shounen has seen yet.
There are twists, huge and important fights, and some grave consequences for the main cast of the series, and many consider it to be the best arc in the series to date. Hopefully it's only a matter of time before we hear an announcement for the next season of "JJK."
2. Fire Punch
Though "Chainsaw Man" has an anime adaptation in the works, Tatsuki Fujimoto's other work, "Fire Punch," has yet to receive such treatment.
Fujimoto's artistic abilities could mostly be considered limited, as his character designs are pretty minimalistic and the art he uses to convey them is just as simple.
Despite this, Fujimoto does an exemplary job at conveying realistic human emotion both through his standard panels and his settings.
Furthermore, "Fire Punch" has some of the most realistic characters that I've seen to date. They're flawed, yet admirable at the same time, with their motives and dreams feeling eerily human and relatable.
They'll make you laugh with them, worry for them, and experience their joy. Not to mention the excessive crying that is sure to follow with some of the plot points.
I've written a more comprehensive review of "Fire Punch" here, in case you're interested in reading a more in-depth breakdown of the story.
"Fire Punch" isn't unpopular either. Those who enjoyed reading "Chainsaw Man" have moved onto reading "Fire Punch," since they're by the same author, but an anime announcement still eludes "Fire Punch."
Personally, I think "Fire Punch" would work best as a series of movies, since the story itself is framed as an amateur film directed by Togata, one of the characters. It's separated into three pretty distinct acts as well, so I imagine there would be plenty of content to consider this as a viable option for an adaptation. But I can only dream of seeing this amazing manga on the big screen.
1. Berserk
An absolute classic manga. Currently holding the number one spot on MyAnimeList's top rated manga list with an aggregate score of 9.42, "Berserk" is easily one of the best manga out there.
Following Guts and his journey to seek revenge for his fallen comrades and lover, "Berserk" is a grim tale spanning several arcs, only one of which has been animated to any acclaim.
Currently, the only animated version of "Berserk" worth watching is the 1997 anime, which only covers up to the end of the Golden Age arc. There are adaptations for future arcs focusing on the Lost Children chapter and Conviction arcs of "Berserk," but they were sloppy, poorly animated, and lambasted by diehard fans of the series.
The mediocre adaptations of "Berserk" have soured fans on whether or not it's actually possible to adapt a beast such as this one, but I think it's possible. None of the adaptations have been done by the huge juggernaut studios that dominate the industry today, which I believe is to blame for the lack of quality in the most recent attempts.
If the right people take on an adaptation, I sincerely believe that it could be as amazing as the manga is, we just haven't seen that happen yet.
Berserk's best chance of animated success would be through Netflix, in all honesty. With their growing anime production and successful projects in the past, it's only a matter of time before they attempt to tackle "Berserk."
What's more is the director of "Castlevania," a Netflix produced anime, has expressed interest in producing a "Berserk" adaptation in the future.
Whether or not Netflix will fund such a monumental undertaking is uncertain, but all things considered, I firmly believe it's possible to do "Berserk" justice.
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