Kodansha is one of the biggest manga publishers in the world.
Zhao is an award-winning Chinese-born filmmaker best known for Nomadland, which won three Oscars, and Marvel’s Eternals. With Chloe Zhao (Chief Creative Officer) and Nicolas Gonda (President and COO) at the helm, Kodansha Studios will bring Kodansha’s vast library of manga to Hollywood’s shores by producing live-action TV and movie adaptations of the publisher’s biggest properties.
The news is exciting because Kodansha’s library is quite impressive. But the question is, where will they start? Attack on Titan will obviously take priority. The manga has sold more than 140 million copies so far.
The name recognition alone makes the property a solid option for any Hollywood studio hoping to leverage the anime’s immense popularity. More than that, Attack on Titan is genuinely compelling.
Imagine the political complexity and character dynamics of Game of Thrones but with giant monsters in a Medieval European setting. If Hollywood can compress the entire series into a trilogy, the third film has the potential to deliver one of the greatest and most tragic climaxes in Hollywood history.
However, Attack on Titan would require a hefty budget, which is why Hollywood may opt for a cheaper alternative, such as Hajime no Ippo. The manga, which has been running since 1989, accumulating 144 volumes (1,500 chapters) in the process, follows a high school student who takes up boxing. Think Creed, but ten times better.
The story starts with Ippo Makunouchi as a newbie stepping into the boxing arena for the first time. Then you follow his journey as he trains and attempts to rise through the ranks.
If you don’t care about boxing, trust me when I tell you that Hajime no Ippo will make you care, assuming the studio can secure a competent director capable of recreating the manga/anime’s heart pounding fights.
Hajime no Ippo will have you on your feet, cheering for these characters as enthusiastically as you would any real boxer. Blue Lock has the same appeal, although the VFX required to recreate the manga’s electrifying action may repel Hollywood producers.
Then again, the novelty makes the manga a worthwhile risk. Blue Lock is a soccer comic. The protagonist (one of them) is a football coach who crafts an intense program designed to pit various teams against each other in a desperate ploy to assemble the best players the Japan National team has ever seen.
Americans don’t know soccer, and the manga’s quirky approach to the sport may pique their interest. Europeans, on the other hand, may laugh at the manga’s depiction of the game, the same way basketball fans dismissed Kuroko no Basuke.
A Silent Voice is the safest bet they could make. The protagonists are a deaf high school student and the boy who bullies her. The concept has mainstream appeal. Also, Zhao can adapt it on a modest budget.
Additionally, the story is moving. You can’t go wrong with this pick. The same can’t be said for Vinland Saga, which Western viewers may initially disregard as a generic Viking tale. And in truth, Vinland Saga is a generic Viking tale, at least at the start.
It is only elevated by the execution. Vinland Saga does not truly shine until the second stage of its story, when the protagonist abandons his life of violence, adopting a pacifist mindset.
But I don’t know if Western viewers will stick around till then. Regardless of what Kodansha Studios decides to do, this is exciting news. Hopefully, Zhao can deliver on the promise of this announcement.
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