For better or for worse, manga characters that attract people with their overwhelming “charisma” are often questioned by fans as to whether they will be able to reproduce that charm even if they are made into live-action films. Is it possible to convincingly play a character who takes surprising actions that “I can’t imitate!”
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If you’re near me, will I be grabbed by your heart?
Various live-action adaptations of manga have been announced for 2023 and beyond, but what fans are concerned about is whether the character’s “visuals”, as well as “personality” and “atmosphere” can be reproduced. In particular, characters in the “charismatic” position that exist in many works have a high hurdle to live-action adaptation.
The visuals can be approximated to some extent through costumes, makeup, training for the role, and dietary restrictions, but the unique charisma of the character is not something that can be acquired easily. This time, we will introduce a manga character with “charisma” that is more difficult to reproduce than such “visual”.
First of all, it’s been more than half a year since the live-action movie was announced, and there’s a debate among fans about who will be cast in the manga “Golden Kamuy”. On the internet, “Masato Sakai is good because he is a handsome actor who has played the role of a weirdo many times. ”, there were voices requesting a cast that can play one of the most important characters in the work with full power.
Lieutenant Tsurumi is visually striking as he wears a large enamel forehead to replace his skull that was damaged during the Russo-Japanese War. Gender is also notable. Although he can be ruthless at times, he is determined and unique in his search for hidden Ainu gold for Japan.
Lieutenant Tsurumi, who was originally engaged in intelligence activities, thoroughly investigated the target person and impresses the other person by playing the role of an understanding person. Second Lieutenant Koito, who Lieutenant Tsurumi put under his control through a rather elaborate strategy, is so infatuated with Lieutenant that even a single compliment literally makes him soar. What’s even more amazing is that some subordinates continue to follow him even though they know Lieutenant Tsurumi’s tricks.
The charisma of Lieutenant Tsurumi, who is loved and feared by his subordinates, who have strong personalities, is difficult to reproduce. Also, it is unknown how far the story will progress in the movie, but when reproducing the young Lieutenant Tsurumi (using a pseudonym at the time), it is difficult to choose a different cast or the same actor to play.
In addition, Levi, one of the most popular characters in “Attack on Titan”, which has been decided to be made into a live-action movie in Hollywood, also has overwhelming charisma. Levi, who is said to have the strength of a single brigade (approximately 4,000 people) in the work, demonstrated his charisma in the seemingly hopeless battle against the Titans and led the Survey Corps. I’ve been leading
The brusque and sometimes ruthless Levi, who takes his dying subordinate’s bloody hand and vows to “annihilate the titans”, is also a character that is difficult to recreate. When it was made into a live-action film in Japan in 2015, the position was changed to another character called “Shikishima (played by Hiromi Hasegawa)”. Expectations are gathering that an actor who can play Levi will finally appear in the Hollywood version.
Also, in the manga “Made in Abyss”, which is also in the process of being adapted into a live-action film in Hollywood, the “evil charisma” named Bondold appears. He shows abnormalities and madness that ordinary people cannot understand, and he is a character that is even said on the Internet that his existence is caught in compliance. However, among overseas fans, there are also many positive comments, such as “absolute madman” and “it’s really good that he’s doing all that without any malice.”
Bondold is a mad scientist who has accomplished various feats in order to explore the “Abyss” (a huge vertical hole that is the main stage of the work), but also used children as materials for human experiments. The visual is that he wears a mask and a powered suit, and only his left eye is revealed for a moment in the work. If it is a famous actor in Hollywood, he may be able to play Bondold’s madness, but since he has almost no appearance, the question remains as to whether he will appear. However, even if he can’t show his face, there is no doubt that he is a delicious role.