We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.
Anime remakes are par for the course these days, especially considering how iconic series like Fist of the North Star and Kinnikuman are getting their respective do-overs in the coming months. Indeed, these are two very good examples of legendary franchises that deserved an anime remake that would do their source material justice and also introduce them to a newer generation.
That begs the question: Which other anime series deserve a remake these days? Whether it’s because they haven’t received a modern adaptation or just because the one they got was fairly poor, there are several series that should be getting a lot more attention. Let’s find out.
Tokyo Ghoul
Here’s the thing about Studio Pierrot’s adaptation of the Tokyo Ghoul manga: it completely butchered the source material. This was such a poor interpretation of Sui Ishida’s story that it was ruined for an entire generation, with the franchise getting a lot of unnecessary hate, which goes to show the power that a good adaptation can have on the audience.
The two seasons of the anime were a massive disaster for the franchise and didn’t do justice to the source material, which is why it should receive the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood treatment: a faithful adaptation of what happened in the manga. Sure, some elements are gruesome and perhaps are difficult to translate to the screen but that is a lesser evil compared to making major plot detours like the original anime did.
Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya used to be Shonen royalty in the 80s but had a massive decline in popularity over the years in Japan. However, the franchise is still quite popular in Latin America and Europe, becoming a classic in those lands. And considering the infinite amount of spinoffs series, movies, and what have you, Saint Seiya is pretty much still alive, even if it’s on life support due to the poor quality of said products.
The original anime adaptation is a classic and even enhanced some elements from the manga, especially with the bonus of that legendary soundtrack, but considering how the franchise has fared in recent years, a proper remake would do it a world of good. Solid animation, better battle choreographies, and overall giving this somewhat forgotten and yet influential Shonen classic the attention and care it deserves.
Sakigake!! Otokojuku
Akira Miyashita’s manga series was a massive hit for Shonen Jump in the 80s but sadly never got the best anime adaptation treatment to get even bigger. There was an anime and a movie back in 1988 but failed to adapt most of the franchise, which has left the manga somewhat forgotten despite being such a big hit at the time.
The series starts as a comedy, focusing on a private school that has extreme methods to turn young delinquents into “true men”, but later on becomes a much more action-based storyline. The story as a whole is very lighthearted and talks a lot about camaraderie and facing your dangers, which is a timeless theme, of course.
Oh, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure author Hirohiko Araki definitely took some inspiration from the protagonist, Momotaro Tsurugi, to create Jotaro Kujo.
Yu Yu Hakusho
Now, this is a controversial topic. Studio Pierrot did a phenomenal job adapting Yu Yu Hakusho back in the 90s, arguably being their first-ever hit, and the series is a classic of the Shonen genre. However, considering how much time has passed and how the franchise is very unlikely to ever continue in the manga with author Yoshihiro Togashi, an anime remake could be a very interesting experiment.
Much like Saint Seiya, the original anime is a classic of the medium and it even enhanced the source material in some key points, particularly during the Three Kings arc. So it would be complicated to do a remake and follow Togashi’s plots point by point because the final volumes of the manga are way too rushed to give people a satisfying conclusion.
Even if the new anime turns out to be a failure, there is always the original series to go back to, so there is nothing to lose in that regard.
Slam Dunk
Arguably the greatest sports manga of all time and the 90s anime did a fairly well job in adapting the series, although the pacing was much slower and the final part of the manga was never adapted. And considering how the franchise recently got a movie, it has come back to people’s minds, which is always good.
Perhaps the biggest challenge in adapting Slam Dunk is Takehiko Inoue’s art. This is because its very detailed and complex to capture, which the 90s anime struggled with, although it worked quite well. Be that as it may, it would be a great treat to see this franchise making a massive comeback.
Berserk
There is an argument to be made that Berserk is the best manga of all time and that its never going to get a faithful anime adaptation with great animation and choreographies. This is mostly due to how detailed Kentaro Miura’s legendary artwork is and how there are some scenes that can’t be adapted to the general public.
It’s a shame because while Guts’ journey in the manga is one of the greatest stories ever told, the several attempts to adapt the series have been hit or miss. The 1997 series has been the best thus far but it also adapted the Golden Age, which was the easiest to adapt in terms of content, with other arcs being a lot more gruesome and gratuitous in terms of violence and sexual content.
A legendary series and one that is very unlikely to ever get the adaptation it deserves.
The Original Dragon Ball
Perhaps the most controversial one on this list. The original Dragon Ball is one of the definitive Shonen stories out there and the anime adaptation did a very good job capturing Akira Toriyama’s manga, so doing a remake seems almost sacrilegious.
However, there is a method to this madness: it can show the original Dragon Ball to newer generations that have only watched Z and can also show a different side of the franchise with much more modern animation. It is a classic series and should be getting this treatment, especially considering that the original adaptation is always going to be available to a lot of people out there.
