Romance Manga That Might Be Difficult To Adapt Into An Anime

Compared to a genre like horror, adapting romance manga into an anime series should be relatively eay, shouldn’t it? Well, it’s not that simple. Many romance stories fit better on the pages of a manga than on a television screen, either because of their art style or their mature themes.

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Interestingly, many romance manga that would be difficult to adapt into an anime end up being made into live-action dramas. This is most likely because their plots and narrative style work better as a soap opera than a traditional anime. Then there’s the matter of audience preferences; most Josei romances, for example, usually get live-action adaptations instead of animated ones, simply because it’s what the target demographic wants. Regardless of the reasons, these romance manga would be particularly difficult to adapt into a successful anime series.

6 Happy Marriage!?

‘Contract Marriage’ Rom-Com That Would Be Better Received as a Live-Action Drama

• Release Date: June 2009
• Creator: Maki Enjouji
• No. of Volumes: 10

Like many Josei romance manga, Happy Marriage!? has a live-action adaptation, but not an animated one. While the success of other Josei anime, like the similarly titled My Happy Marriage, should pave the way for other adaptations of Josei manga, Happy Marriage!? simply works better as a manga or live-action drama than an anime.

This is because the series’ romance story is fairly simple and more or less grounded in reality, with no fantastical elements or action-packed scenes like in My Happy Marriage. The slow-burn nature of Chiwa and Hokuto’s romance would also be hard to capture in an anime.

5 House Of The Sun

Mature Themes That Would Have To Be Handled Carefully In An Adaptation

• Release Date: 2010
• Creator: Taamo
• No. of Volumes: 13

Given its critical acclaim and popularity, along with winning a Kodansha Award for Best Shojo in 2014, House of the Sun appears to be an ideal candidate for an anime adaptation. So why hasn’t this simple tale of a childhood friend romance gotten an anime?

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It may be because of the series’ mature themes of parental abandonment and emotional healing, which need to be approached with the utmost care in any adaptation. Plus, the characters’ internal monologues, gradual character development, and slow-burn romance may be difficult to condense into a typical 12-episode anime.

4 You’re My Pet

Themes Of Gender Role Reversal Might Be Misunderstood By Mainstream Anime Fans

• Release Date: 2000
• Creator: Yayoi Ogawa
• No. of Volumes: 14

You’re My Pet, aka. Tramps Like Us, is a classic josei romance manga, receiving two live-action dramas, a live-action South Korean film, and a Kodansha Manga Award for Best Shojo. It’s also been critically acclaimed for its depiction of an unconventional relationship and commentary on relationship expectations.

Perhaps that is why You’re My Pet is unlikely to ever receive an anime. While critics loved the series’ take on gender roles and societal expectations, it might be difficult to market to a mainstream anime audience. The soap opera-like plot also makes it much better suited as a live-action drama adaptation than an animated one.

3 Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan

Heavy, Tragic Themes Make it Unsuited For An Anime Adaptation

• Release Date: 2007
• Creator: Gong Ji-Young
• No. of Volumes: 1

One of the most common reasons why some romance manga are difficult to adapt into anime is because they tackle controversial subjects. It would require a delicate hand to adapt a manga like Watashitachi no Shiawase no Jikan to anime without sensationalizing or over-dramatizing issues like suicide.

Following the story of a death row inmate and a suicidal woman, Watashitachi no Shiawase na Jikan is certainly not a manga for those looking for a more cutesy romance story. It’s hard to imagine a world where it’s successfully adapted into a mainstream anime.

2 Mars

Balancing Taboo Subject Matter With Romance Would Be Difficult

• Release Date: 1996
• Creator: Fuyumi Soryo
• No. of Volumes: 15

Mars has often been likened to a soap opera, so naturally, it was adapted into a Taiwanese drama in 2004. An anime adaptation, however, is unlikely due to the series’ heavy focus on difficult and controversial issues like bullying, sexual assault, suicide, and trauma.

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While a good deal of anime explore similar themes, balancing them with the romantic plot of Mars would likely result in an overly melodramatic adaptation. Condensing the main couple’s relationship progression into 12 or even 24 episodes would also make the series lose its emotional impact and depth.

1 Solanin

Art Style And Introspective Storytelling Wouldn’t Translate Into An Anime

• Release Date: 2005
• Creator: Inio Asano
• No. of Volumes: 2

Inio Asano is known for creating great, unadaptable manga series like Goodnight Punpun and Girl on the Shore. Solanin, despite its focus on music, also falls into this category, because of its slow-paced, introspective style of storytelling.

Solanin is also as realistic of a slice-of-life manga as one can get, down to the backgrounds of the manga’s panels. This, combined with Asano’s art style, is probably the reason it was adapted into a live-action film rather than an anime. This means fans wanting Solanin‘s music to be brought to life should definitely watch the movie.

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