Month: June 2023

Netflix is well aware that one of the crucial pillars of its platform is anime. It has an intense obsession with adapting animated series into live-action, which doesn’t always turn out well – well, let’s be honest, it never does – and yet, it continues to release new anime shows either created directly by Netflix or brought from timeless classics.

That’s why today we bring you the top 10 best anime series available on the platform… as long as they are short. Considering that there are shows with multiple seasons, we have focused on those that can be binge-watched in several sittings, serving as an introduction to the genre before diving into longer series like Naruto or Attack on Titan. They are ranked from worst to best according to our own criteria, although there is something for everyone’s taste.

10. Junji Ito Maniac: Japanese Tales of the Macabre

Junji Ito is the god of horror manga, and that’s something everyone knows. He is the best-selling author in the genre worldwide, and his recognizable style has made him one of the most successful mangaka globally. With the knowledge of his popularity, Netflix premiered an anthology series last year featuring some of his best stories. I must say that it falls quite short of the greatness of the manga, but as an introduction to his world, it is very interesting.

09. Japan Sinks: 2020

2020 was a catastrophic year, and Netflix was well aware of it. “Japan Sinks” is a post-apocalyptic series that depicts how, after the Tokyo Olympics, a series of catastrophic weather phenomena put Japan in peril. Following an earthquake in Tokyo, the Mutō family tries to escape the city as the effects of the catastrophe escalate. It’s a very interesting survival series, although it may feel a bit outdated for obvious reasons.

08. B: The Beginning

This 12-episode miniseries encompasses all the elements that define classic anime: cutting-edge technology, augmented humans, action, thriller, and a hint of romance. It’s a perfect series to binge-watch and get captivated by the format. Moreover, it has a second season of six episodes that serves as a sequel to the first one.

07. Gangsta

An anime about mafias with two friends as the main characters. The series follows the story of Worick Arcangelo and Nicolas Brown. Known as “Benriya,” they make a living as mercenaries in the chaotic streets of Ergastulum. It’s a short series that delves even deeper in the original manga, allowing fans to continue the story in a transmedia format.

06. Ajin: Demi-Human

This thirteen-episode anime also has several movies based on the same storyline, as it is one of the most popular seinen manga in Japan. It tells the story of Kei Nagai, a high school student who discovers he is an Ajin, immortal beings hunted by governments around the world who are interested in understanding them and exploiting their immortality for their own gain. Once again, it’s a classic anime in terms of format and genre, perfect for beginners.

05. Kakegurui

As controversial —with claims of promoting gambling addiction— as it is addictive, this 12-episode series tells the story of a realm that exists between life and death, where everything revolves around bets and games of chance. The highest bidders can ascend to heaven, while the rest descend to hell. Despite initial impressions, the tension it creates is incredible.

04. Erased

This surprising short anime on Netflix narrates the life of Satoru, a young man with the ability to time travel, who returns to his childhood after finding his mother murdered. Wrapped in a macabre thriller, he must solve a complex puzzle to save her life in the future. It is one of the most perfect anime series for a binge-watch marathon and one of the most intriguing offerings from Netflix’s original content.

03. Black Lagoon

This two-season anime is a classic when it comes to discussing anime of the 21st century. Black Lagoon narrates the adventures of a team of mercenary pirates, known as the Lagoon Company, who operate in the lawless city of Roanapur, a fictional port city in Thailand, set in the Southeast Asia region in the early to mid-1990s. It is a series filled with escapades and adventures that continues to be among the favorites of the audience.

02. Devilman Crybaby

This incredible gem from Netflix only needs 10 episodes to create, through a unique style, the best adaptation of Devilman to date. It is a series with a wild pace and infinite possibilities that explores to the deepest level. The story updates the original setting from the 1970s manga to the 21st century but retains the basic premise of Go Nagai’s manga and adds a touch that suits it perfectly.

01. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Who hasn’t heard of Evangelion at some point? It is one of the greatest anime of all time and it only needed 26 episodes to become so. Created by Hideaki Anno, this series tells the story of Shinji Ikari, a young boy who is forced to pilot an EVA (a giant mecha robot) to combat the threat of the massive Angels attacking Earth. But what initially appears as an action and adventure series quickly evolves into an incredible philosophical journey.

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Netflix is a platform to which we owe a great deal. There is no doubt that, thanks to its system, VOD (Video on Demand) has become the standard, and piracy has taken a back seat in favor of streaming platforms. Thanks to Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, or Amazon Prime Video exist, and it has been the digital revolution that the audiovisual industry needed in the 21st century.

However, the platform has been stumbling blindly for some time now. In the past year, it sparked one of the biggest controversies in the industry by prohibiting, in almost all countries, sharing accounts as it had been done until then. This has led to millions of user cancellations and, of course, a significant loss of prestige.

But this is only the latest of their problems. Since its peak, the platform has been criticized for its lack of mercy when it comes to canceling series. It happened with Sense8, and since then, the number of victims has only increased, with more and more falling prey to the jaws of its supposed audience.

That’s why it is surprising, to say the least, the obsession Netflix has with continuing to bet on live-action adaptations of anime. It is clear that anime has been one of the platform’s great secrets to success, even boasting the entire Studio Ghibli film collection. However, right from the start, Netflix believed that it not only had to bring the best Japanese animated series and movies to the platform but also adapt the best ones into live-action. And, well, that’s how things have been going… and it doesn’t seem to realize that it almost never turns out well.

Adapting anime… a good idea?

As we already highlighted in our Top 10 worst live-action anime adaptations, it is common for a live-action remake of such series to go awry. There are very few cases where we come across an acceptable adaptation, and no matter how hard they try, it always falls short of the original anime.

However, this is something that Netflix should have realized by now. Back in 2017, five years ago, the platform released Death Note, its own adaptation of one of the most beloved anime series. The idea seemed magnificent: it’s a somber story with just the right amount of fantasy to make for a great thriller.

But, spoiler alert, it went wrong. The movie deviated so much from the anime that its best aspect, the characters, bore no resemblance to their original counterparts. The plot was much more foolish and geared towards teenagers than the original, and although the CGI wasn’t too bad, everything seemed cardboard-like, lacking a serious tone or a director on board who knew what they were doing.

The backlash Netflix faced at that time was so severe that Death Note barely received a 36% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 23% rating from the audience. It is the anime adaptation that comes closest to Dragonball Evolution in terms of ratings. And that’s saying something considering the fierce competition.

But Netflix believed that it was just a minor setback that could be compensated for later. And boy, did they try. For two years, they kept hyping up the highly anticipated adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, Shinichiro Watanabe’s anime series that had all the ingredients to be revived as a great show on the platform.

And once again, it turned into a disaster. The series – because yes, this time they realized it had to be a series – fell into the opposite trap of Death Note. They attempted to replicate almost every scene from Watanabe’s original anime, but everything was filtered through Netflix’s somber cinematography, flat art direction, and performances that fell far short of those in the anime. As a result, it came across as a mere copy that obviously lacked the appeal of the original. Consequently, it was canceled within a week.

However, Netflix persists in its determination to move forward with productions. The latest one has been Saint Seiya, which will soon be released on the platform. Although it had a theatrical release before, it will be available on Netflix in just a week, thanks to the platform’s contribution to making it a reality. Yet again, the result doesn’t seem to bode well for the VOD service. The adaptation of Saint Seiya has been completely panned by critics, adding to the controversy surrounding Netflix’s previous remake.

The only successful instance where Netflix has managed to adapt a manga well is with Alice in Borderland. The series has become one of the most-watched on the platform and has a legion of fans worldwide. Its quality is also quite commendable, and while it stays faithful to the manga, it diverges enough to offer a compelling audiovisual experience.

The key factors behind Alice in Borderland‘s success are twofold: it is a relatively unknown manga to the general public, and it is a Japanese production. The Japanese may have produced some of the worst anime adaptations in history, but they understand the material they’re working with, and occasionally, gems like this one emerge.

Unfortunately, the path that Netflix seems to be following is not so much in line with Alice in Borderland but more aligned with Saint Seiya or Cowboy Bebop. The next big series they will release, which they are keeping mostly under wraps but investing a fortune in and aiming to make it a flagship in the industry, is One Piece… and I can’t imagine a manga that’s more difficult to adapt.

Eiichiro Oda’s series was the most-watched of the entire 2022, and it’s a manga that has been successful for decades without ever dropping from the top rankings. It’s not surprising considering its blend of pirate-themed setting with a unique style that seamlessly combines action and humor. And that formula works brilliantly in the anime or manga format.

But… how will a live-action adaptation fare? Based on the secrecy surrounding Netflix’s project, it doesn’t bode well. All signs seem to indicate a potential failure at any moment… yet the platform cannot afford to fail. Just as HBO Max demonstrated with The Last of Us that video game adaptations can be done well, something we were unsure of, Netflix wants to prove it with manganime. However, for now, their path is quite rocky.

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If you’re into action, fights, explosions, and laughter… I bet anything that if I mention the names Jackie Chan and John Cena, you’ll know exactly who I’m talking about. These two action titans, both in the world of cinema and wrestling, have come together to make a movie… that looks average at best.

John Cena and Jackie Chan have proven themselves to be action stars with stellar comedic timing, each in their own field.

Jackie Chan is a martial arts film legend who has achieved great success among Western audiences with movies like “Rush Hour” and the “Operation Condor” series. And John Cena kicked down the door of Hollywood a few years ago and continues to impress us. For the better.

What is Hidden Strike and where does it come from?

Years ago, the action film genre was set to receive one of the most explosive teams, as it was announced that John Cena and Jackie Chan would star together in a movie.

With a large budget and filmed entirely in China, the movie, then called “Project X,” promised to deliver a winning combination of high-octane action and police comedy that seemed to fit perfectly with its stars.

“Project X” had all the makings of a dream collaboration… until it suddenly disappeared without any mention of a release date. Cena and Chan continued to work on other films, while “Project X” seemed destined to become another lost piece that no one would have the chance to see.

However, it turns out that the “Project X” is alive and kicking, but now with a different name. Titled “Hidden Strike,” the upcoming movie will finally be released through XYZ Films.

John Cena and Jackie Chan star in the first trailer for ‘HIDDEN STRIKE’.

The film releases later this year in theaters. pic.twitter.com/FKtRq544Y6

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) May 31, 2023

When will Hidden Strike be released?

The release date for Hidden Strike is still unknown. However, since XYZ Films has officially unveiled a poster and a trailer, it is likely that Hidden Strike will reach the audience sooner rather than later.

Nevertheless, Hidden Strike has faced a challenging journey to its release. John Cena initially announced on Twitter that filming for the project had wrapped up in 2018… and here we are in 2023.

Some of the hurdles that almost prevented us from seeing this Cena and Jackie Chan project included the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed theaters in both the US and Chinese markets in 2020, and shifting social attitudes in China regarding movies featuring both Chinese and American stars.

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