Sometimes even the best old cartoons benefit from a little polish, and best anime remake can give new life to these old properties. Whether they’re retelling the story from scratch or starting an entirely new continuation, they offer a fresh look at some of the classics. With luck, they can even become anime adaptations of manga.
The best remakes and reboots bring something new and exciting. This could be anything from a more refined art style and improved animation to a new story or sequel to a manga’s unadapted story. Most importantly, it both excites fans of the original and introduces new fans to an asset they might otherwise have overlooked.
10 Trigun Stampede (2023)
The latest reboot of a classic hit the small screen, Trigun Stampede has kicked off a successful year. It draws inspiration from Yasuhiro Nightow’s original manga and its 1998 anime adaptation, and introduces all-new narratives about Vash the Stampede’s story and his struggle to find his place. themselves among mankind. Trigun Stampede introduces computer animation to show the barrenness and beauty of Noman’s Land and the inhuman power of Vash.
The biggest change to the story, aside from shuffling the timeline of surrounding events, is putting Vash’s relationship with his much more sinister brother Knives front and center. As Alien Plants, a species used by humans for energy, the twins disagree fiercely over how to treat humanity. While Dao wants to wipe them out and create a paradise for the Plants, Vash is determined to help them all coexist and refuses to allow anyone to kill. The result is a reboot that adds a lot, even for fans of the 1998 classic.
9 JoJo’s Bizarre Adventures (2012)
When Phantom Blood hit audiences in 2012, it was a huge hit among fans who only had 1993 OVAs in search of animated content. While the OVAs have only adapted Stardust Crusaders, the right program is steadily working through each section of the manga. Every adaptation better tunes JoJo’s iconic high-energy battles and dramatic visuals. Although the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure anime is rumored to end with Season 6, its animation so far has been warmly received by fans and newcomers alike.
Additionally, Season 6 also includes a reboot in the universe. Pucci’s ultimate plan to reach Heaven, almost done, involves resetting the world’s timeline and creating a new continuum that erases what fans have been following all along. last time. If Season 7, Steel Ball Run, were to be made into an animated movie, it would technically also count as a reboot of the series.
8 Devils Crybaby (2018)
Go Nagai’s Devilman comic was shocking and subversive upon its initial release in 1972. The intense supernatural horror and graphics have spawned a number of adaptations, including movies, OVAs, and original 1970s anime. Audiences can’t stop watching Akira Fudo with super powers and his battle to rid the Earth of demonic invaders.
As the success of DEVILMAN Crybaby proved, they still can’t. The iconic animation style of Masaaki Yuasa, of Inu-Oh and The Tatami Galaxy fame, fits perfectly with the energy of the series and brings the director considerable international recognition. Crybaby sparked interest in the franchise and introduced audiences to something new and exciting about classic characters.
7 Dororo (2019)
Osamu Tezuka is responsible for many manga titles that are still influential today, such as Astro Boy and Black Jack. His historical fantasy manga series Dororo was adapted into an anime in 1969. The show was one of the first entries of the World Masterpiece Theater, a series most popular when it came to airing anime adaptations. from classical literature.
On its 50th anniversary, the anime got a brand new remake. Its slick, sharp designs take away the softness of Tezuka’s classic style, but make up for it with fast-paced action scenes and a tighter story. It also gives more depth to some of the main characters, such as Tahomaru, who has more complicated feelings towards his estranged, cursed brother Hyakkimaru.
6 Arslan Heroic Legends (2015)
Prince Arslan has gone through several adaptations since appearing in the Persian epic, “Amir Arsalan-e Namdar.” From the 1980s fantasy novels by Yoshiki Tanaka and Yoshitaka Amano, to their manga adaptations, to 1990s OVAs and movies, to video games and TV series with sound, there’s a lot to come. many of his stories to discover. His most recent iteration comes from Hiromu Arakawa, creator of Fullmetal Alchemist and Silver Spoon.
In the 2015 anime adaptation of Arakawa’s manga, the soft-spoken but resolute Arslan proved himself to be one of the best princes in anime. When a neighboring country invades his kingdom of Pars, Arslan must flee and find the strength to fight back. Though his evil father Andragoras would never accept him, the people of Arslan soon realized his kindness and devotion to them.
5 Ushio and Tora (2015-2016)
When Ushio Aotsuki is tasked with cleaning up his family’s temple, he has no idea it will change his life. He frees a tiger-like youkai from his captivity and, finding he can control him, he names him Tora. The two must learn to work together to tackle another line of youkai that Ushio also accidentally released.
Ushio and Tora fans believe it should also have a live-action film adaptation. But they were impressed by the anime’s reboot. Its 39 volumes don’t always stick to the original manga like the 10-episode OVA, but the art and narrative style both retain the nostalgic 90s feel that shounen-loving audiences appreciate.
The Last 4 Hells (2006)
The original 2002 Hellsing anime is an excellent Halloween movie. Based on Kouta Hirano’s 1997 manga, it revolves around the British Royal Protestant Knights: better known as the Hellsing Organization. Led by the cold and determined Integra Hellsing and her vampire devotee Alucard, Hellsing fights nightly to protect humanity from the undead and demons.
Ultimate is an interesting remake. Such is the case with canon-specific OVAs that come out after the long-running series. Since then, Ultimate has eclipsed the original anime in popularity thanks to the increased quality of its animation and its closer adherence to the manga’s plot.
3 Fruit Baskets (2019)
The original 2001 adaptation of Natsuki Takaya’s hugely successful manga is one of the most popular fantasy shoujo anime of all time. Orphaned high school student Tohru Honda moves in with his mysterious classmate Yuki Sohma and his cousin, and discovers that the family is under a shape-shifting curse. As she fights to free them, her friendship also encourages the cursed Sohmas to change into humans as well.
However, the manga’s story continued beyond the first anime’s ending, which ended only in 2006. For years, fans around the world have been clamoring for a full adaptation, and it’s finally reached. get their wish in 2019. With the return of the voice actors and improved animation quality, the reboot adapts the manga’s story from start to finish, and even includes a series spin-off film about Tohru’s parents.
2 Hunter X Hunter (2011)
With Yoshihiro Togashi’s manga still ongoing and far from over, it’s still debatable whether a Hunter x Hunter adaptation will ever be possible. However, fans still have two anime adaptations to choose from. A 62-episode anime series aired from 1999 to 2001, and a reboot began airing ten years later, spanning 148 episodes.
2011 adapted more of the manga’s plot, sticking to it. Its bright, energetic art and animation style contrasts sharply with the cooler tones of the 1999 anime. Additionally, the 1999 anime stops right before the Ant Chimera Arc, while the reboot depicts depict both that horribly famous arc and the subsequent Election Arc in all their glory.
When the first anime adaptation of Hiromu Arakawa’s manga premiered in 2004, the manga was still ongoing. Because of the lack of material for animation, it incorporated several sub-episodes and an entirely original ending that is still controversial among fans today. With the manga ending in 2010, the anime is now able to continue and adapt the entire story.
This is one of those must-see anime for beginners for good reason. The Elric brothers’ quest to restore their bodies after a failed attempt to revive their mother drags them into a deep-rooted plot to end the world. In addition to an epic story, the series boasts lovable characters and some of the most exciting battle scenes in shounen anime.
Reboots and remakes often aim to improve upon the original anime or manga. However, they are at the same time very often the product of love for the source material. Old fans can enjoy a fresh take on a favorite product, while also introducing new fans to things they may not have known. The best anime remake and reboot can really turn the old into the new.
